Racial and socioeconomic disparities in survival among patients with metastatic Non-Small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have profoundly impacted survival among patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, population-based studies evaluating this impact on survival by race and socioeconomic factors are lacking. METHODS: We utilized the SEER-Medicare database to identify patients with metastatic NSCLC diagnosed between 2015 and 2019. The primary study outcomes were the receipt of an ICI and overall survival (OS). Chi-square tests and logistic regression were utilized to identify demographic factors associated with receipt of ICI. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate 2-year OS rates, and log-rank tests were used to compared survival by race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Out of 17,134 patients, approximately 39% received an ICI. Those diagnosed with cancer recently (in 2019), who are relatively younger (<85 years old), non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic Asian, or Hispanic, living in high socioeconomic status or metropolitan areas, not Medicaid eligible, and with adenocarcinoma histology were more likely to receive ICI. The 2-year OS rate from diagnosis was 21% for the overall population. The 2-year OS rate from ICI initiation was 30%, among those who received at least one cycle and 11% among those who did not receive ICI. The 2-year OS rates were higher among non-Hispanic whites (22%) and non-Hispanic Asians (23%) compared to non-Hispanic Blacks (15%) and Hispanics (17%). There was no significant racial differences in survival for those who received ICI. CONCLUSION: ICI utilization rates and the resulting outcomes were inferior for certain vulnerable groups, mandating the need for strategies to improve access to care.

Age at diagnosis and social risks among Black cancer survivors: Results from the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors cohort.

BACKGROUND: Social risks are common among cancer survivors who have the fewest financial resources; however, little is known about how prevalence differs by age at diagnosis, despite younger survivors' relatively low incomes and wealth. METHODS: The authors used data from 3703 participants in the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors (ROCS) cohort of Black cancer survivors. Participants self-reported several forms of social risks, including food insecurity, housing instability, utility shut-offs, not getting care because of cost or lack of transportation, and feeling unsafe in their home neighborhood. Modified Poisson models were used to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of social risks by age at diagnosis, controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and cancer-related factors. RESULTS: Overall, 35% of participants reported at least one social risk, and 17% reported two or more risks. Social risk prevalence was highest among young adults aged 20-39 years (47%) followed by those aged 40-54 years (43%), 55-64 years (38%), and 65 years and older (24%; p for trend < .001). Compared with survivors who were aged 65 years and older at diagnosis, adjusted prevalence ratios for any social risk were 1.75 (95% CI, 1.42-2.16) for survivors aged 20-39 years, 1.76 (95% CI, 1.52-2.03) for survivors aged 40-54 years, and 1.41 (95% CI, 1.23-1.60) for survivors aged 55-64 years at diagnosis. Similar associations were observed for individual social risks and experiencing two or more risks. CONCLUSIONS: In this population of Black cancer survivors, social risks were inversely associated with age at diagnosis. Diagnosis in young adulthood and middle age should be considered a risk factor for social risks and should be prioritized in work to reduce the financial effects of cancer on financially vulnerable cancer survivors.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in the detroit research on cancer survivors (ROCS) cohort.

PURPOSE: Improved life expectancy has increased the likelihood for long-term complications from chemotherapy among cancer survivors. One burdensome complication is chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). We evaluated rates of CIPN outcomes in the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivorship (ROCS) cohort. METHODS: The population included 1,034 African American (AA) survivors who received chemotherapy for breast, colorectal, lung or prostate cancer. CIPN prevalence was based on initial occurrence of worsening of self-reported pain, numbness or tingling after chemotherapy. Current CIPN included symptoms still present at the time of the survey, and persistent CIPN symptoms were present 12 or more months post-chemotherapy. CIPN severity was ranked as mild, moderate or severe. Logistic regression was utilized to evaluate sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with the various categories of CIPN. RESULTS: CIPN prevalence was 68%, with 53% current and 52% persistent. The symptom severity distribution based on prevalent CIPN included 32.2% mild, 30.8% moderate, and 36.9% severe. Factors associated with prevalent CIPN (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval) included primary cancer site (breast: 3.88, 2.02-7.46); and (colorectal: 5.37, 2.69-10.73), lower risk for older age at diagnosis (0.66, 0.53-0.83) and divorced/separated marital status (2.13, 1.42-3.21). Current CIPN was in addition, associated with more advanced stage disease trend (1.34, 1.08-1.66) and greater number of co-morbid medical conditions trend (1.23, 1.09-1.40), as was persistent CIPN. Severity of prevalent CIPN was associated with history of arthritis (1.55, 1.06-2.26) and severity of persistent CIPN with higher BMI (1.58, 1.07-2.35). CONCLUSIONS: CIPN is a common and persistent complication in AA cancer survivors. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of CIPN predictors in all groups of cancer survivors.

Concurrent Surgery for Locoregional Gynecologic Cancers and Pelvic Floor Disorders in a Population of Patients With Medicare Insurance.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the rate of concurrent surgery for locoregional gynecologic cancer and pelvic organ prolapse-urinary incontinence (POP-UI) and to assess the rate of surgery for POP-UI within 5 years for those who did not undergo concurrent surgery. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study. The SEER-Medicare data set was used to identify cases of local or regional endometrial, cervical, and ovarian cancer diagnosed from 2000 to 2017. Patients were followed up for 5 years from diagnosis. We used χ 2 tests to identify categorical variables associated with having a concurrent POP-UI procedure with hysterectomy or within 5 years of hysterectomy. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios and 95% CIs adjusted for variables statistically significant (α=.05) in the univariate analyses. RESULTS: Of 30,862 patients with locoregional gynecologic cancer, only 5.5% underwent concurrent POP-UI surgery. Of those with a preexisting diagnosis related to POP-UI, however, 21.1% had concurrent surgery. Of the patients who had a diagnosis of POP-UI at the time of initial surgery for cancer and who did not undergo concurrent surgery, an additional 5.5% had a second surgery for POP-UI within 5 years. The rate of concurrent surgery remained constant over the time period (5.7% in 2000 and 2017) despite an increase in the frequency of POP-UI diagnosis in the same time frame. CONCLUSION: The rate of concurrent surgery for patients with an early-stage gynecologic cancer and POP-UI-associated diagnosis in women older than age 65 years was 21.1%. Of women who did not undergo concurrent surgery but had a diagnosis of POP-UI, 1 in 18 underwent surgery for POP-UI within 5 years of their index cancer surgery. Dedicated efforts must be made to identify patients who would most benefit from concurrent cancer and POP-UI surgery in those with locoregional gynecologic cancers and pelvic floor disorders.

The Disproportionate Burden of COVID-19 Cases among Arab Americans.

Racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 cases are pervasive. Some minority, immigrant, and marginalized groups, such as Arab Americans, have been excluded from the research. This population confronts barriers to health care, discrimination, and other factors that may affect understanding, testing, and treatment as it relates to COVID-19. Arab Americans are unique compared to Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, and Asians because Arab Americans do not have a specific ethnic identifier and are classified as non-Hispanic white. Given these issues, this study will estimate COVID-19 cases and examine associations among Arab Americans compared to Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic white, and Asian adults. Data from the Michigan Disease Surveillance System (March 2020-July 2021), the American Community Survey (2015-2019), and an Arab/Chaldean surname algorithm were used. Chi-square tests were used to determine statistically significant differences between groups. Logistic regression was used to estimate age-adjusted and sex-stratified proportions among Arab Americans compared to non-Hispanic whites before and after adjusting for age and sex. Approximately 17% of Arab Americans tested positive for COVID-19 compared to 11.32% of Hispanics, 9.80% of non-Hispanic blacks, 7.50% of non-Hispanic whites, and 4.24% of Asians. Arab Americans had 2.63 (95% CI: 2.59, 2.66) times greater odds of testing positive for COVID-19 compared to non-Hispanic whites. When Arab Americans were disaggregated from non-Hispanic whites, alarming patterns in COVID-19 cases were observed for Arab Americans. To accurately represent the burden of COVID-19 among Arab Americans, this population needs to have an ethnic identifier that informs appropriate health policy decisions and practice.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in African American cancer survivors: Risk factors and quality of life outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) have predominantly focused on non-Hispanic White patients, despite the observation that African Americans are more likely to experience CIPN. To address this health disparities gap, we sought to identify non-genetic risk factors and comorbidities associated with CIPN in African American cancer survivors using the Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors study. METHODS: Logistic regression was used to evaluate relationships between presence of self-reported CIPN and relevant clinical characteristics in 1045 chemotherapy-treated African American cancer survivors. Linear regression was used to evaluate risk factors for CIPN and quality of life outcomes that reflect physical, social, emotional, and functional domains of health. RESULTS: Patients with CIPN were more likely to report hypertension (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 0.98-1.67, p = 0.07), hypercholesterolemia (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.001-1.73, p = 0.05), history of depression (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.18-2.25, p = 0.003), and diabetes (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 0.98-1.82, p = 0.06) after adjustment for age at diagnosis, sex, and cancer site. BMI (OR = 1.02 kg/m2 , 95% CI: 1.006-1.04 kg/m2 , p = 0.008) was also positively associated with CIPN. In addition, CIPN status was significantly associated with quality of life (FACT-G total: ß = -8.60, 95% CI: -10.88, -6.32) p < 0.0001) and mood (PROMIS® Anxiety: ß = 4.18, 95% CI: 2.92-5.45, p < 0.0001; PROMIS® Depression: ß = 2.69, 95% CI: 1.53-3.84, p < 0.0001) after adjustment for age at diagnosis, sex, cancer site, and comorbidities. Neither alcohol consumption (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.68-1.14, p = 0.32) nor tobacco use (ever smoked: OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.80-1.35, p = 0.76; currently smoke: OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 0.90-1.82, p = 0.18) was associated with increased CIPN risk. CONCLUSION: Risk factor profiles in African Americans are not entirely consistent with those previously reported for non-Hispanic White patients. Neglecting to understand the correlates of common chemotherapy-induced toxicities for this patient population may further contribute to the health disparities these individuals face in receiving adequate healthcare.

Eight-hour medication-assisted treatment waiver training for opioid use disorder: integration into medical school curriculum.

Background: The opioid epidemic is a growing problem in the USA. Use of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has been effective in treating patients with opioid use disorders (OUD) and maintaining sobriety; however, there is a significant shortage of physicians formally trained in MAT. Objective: Wayne State University School of Medicine integrated the 8-hour MAT waiver training into its Internal Medicine clerkship curriculum. The objectives of integrating this into the curriculum were to (1) introduce opioid use education during students' Internal Medicine clerkship and (2) assess whether the curriculum prepares students to feel more comfortable evaluating and treating patients with OUD. Design: MAT training specifically for medical students was provided free online by the Providers Clinical Support System (PCSS). All students on the Internal Medicine clerkship were required to complete the training. A 7-question pre-survey and post-survey assessed students' comfort in evaluating and treating OUD. Significant changes were assessed with a paired McNemar Bowker Test. Results: Medical students (n = 141) completed the pre-survey and post-survey. After the MAT training, students' perspective of their clinical knowledge about OUD, familiarity with MAT, and likelihood to utilize MAT for their patients significantly differed, with increased proportions of medical students in agreement across 6 of 7 pre-post survey items (p <.0001). Conclusions: Online MAT waiver training is a low-cost (free) way to introduce MAT education into the undergraduate clinical curriculum. Upon completing of the training, medical students self-reported improvements in their knowledge and attitudes about OUD and the different treatment options. Our hope is that MAT waiver training will allow for graduation of medical students who are ready to care for patients with OUD during residency and as practitioners upon completion of their residency.