Corrigendum to "Disparities in chronic physical health conditions in sexual and gender minority people using the behavioral risk factor surveillance system" [Prev. Med. Rep. 29 (2022) 101881].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101881.].

Disparities in chronic physical health conditions in sexual and gender minority people using the United States Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

This study analyzed the physical health status of adults who belong to a sexual or gender minority (SGM) population, and whether health inequities correlate with access to quality healthcare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2014-2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) included data for 64,696 adults who identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, other, and/or transgender and 1,369,681 adults who identified as cisgender and straight. Multivariable logistic regressions of the weighted sample were conducted to examine associations between demographics and health and access outcomes. After accounting for demographic variables, drinking, and smoking behavior, SGM respondents reported poorer physical and mental health, which worsened after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. SGM respondents had higher odds than non-SGM of having asthma, arthritis, diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, heart attack, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as difficulties "see[ing] the doctor because of cost," particularly after the start of the COVID pandemic. SGM respondents had higher odds of lack of access to healthcare provider, delayed medical care, and issues taking medications due to cost and fewer routine checkups. Thus, the SGM group faced worse health and higher rates of some chronic conditions. This study found a significant relationship with cost barriers attributable to larger societal discrimination regarding SGM individuals, particularly in the workplace. Further research exploring these results is critical, but these findings have identified areas of healthcare inequity to be addressed via preventative health efforts in both public health and primary care settings.

Clinical and Translational Assessment of VEGFR1 as a Mediator of the Premetastatic Niche in High-Risk Localized Prostate Cancer.

Preclinical studies have suggested that VEGFR1-positive cells potentially foster the development of metastases by establishing a "premetastatic niche." We sought to test this hypothesis in high-risk localized prostate cancer and assess potential niche modulation by the VEGFR1-targeting drug axitinib. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue derived from benign lymph nodes was collected and VEGFR1-positive cell clustering was assessed in benign lymph nodes via IHC. Recursive partitioning was used to define a threshold for VEGFR1 clustering that could segregate patients based on time to biochemical recurrence (TTBR). Multivariate analyses were used to determine whether VEGFR1 clustering, age, pathologic T-stage, Gleason score, or baseline PSA could independently predict TTBR. A randomized, phase II clinical trial comparing axitinib for 28 days followed by radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection (RP/PLND) to RP/LND alone was then conducted, with the primary endpoint of demonstrating downregulation of VEGFR1-positve cell clustering in benign lymph nodes. Our retrospective analysis assessed a cohort of 46 patients. A threshold of 1.65 VEGFR1-positive cells per high power field was identified, below which TTBR was delayed. VEGFR1 clustering was an independent predictor of TTBR in a multivariate analysis. Only 11 out of the planned 44 patients were accrued to the phase II trial. While preoperative axitinib was safe and well tolerated, there was no sign of clinical activity or VEGFR1 downregulation. Our results validate previous findings that suggest VEGFR1-positive cells in benign lymph nodes can predict clinical outcome. Further work is needed to develop a viable clinical strategy for modulating VEGFR1 in these tissues.