Validation of human immunodeficiency virus diagnosis codes among women enrollees of a U.S. health plan.

BACKGROUND: Efficiently identifying patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) using administrative health care data (e.g., claims) can facilitate research on their quality of care and health outcomes. No prior study has validated the use of only ICD-10-CM HIV diagnosis codes to identify patients with HIV. METHODS: We validated HIV diagnosis codes among women enrolled in a large U.S. integrated health care system during 2010-2020. We examined HIV diagnosis code-based algorithms that varied by type, frequency, and timing of the codes in patients' claims data. We calculated the positive predictive values (PPVs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the algorithms using a medical record-confirmed diagnosis of HIV as the gold standard. RESULTS: A total of 272 women with ≥ 1 HIV diagnosis code in the administrative claims data were identified and medical records were reviewed for all 272 women. The PPV of an algorithm classifying women as having HIV as of the first HIV diagnosis code during the observation period was 80.5% (95% CI: 75.4-84.8%), and it was 93.9% (95% CI: 90.0-96.3%) as of the second. Little additional increase in PPV was observed when a third code was required. The PPV of an algorithm based on ICD-10-CM-era codes was similar to one based on ICD-9-CM-era codes. CONCLUSION: If the accuracy measure of greatest interest is PPV, our findings suggest that use of ≥ 2 HIV diagnosis codes to identify patients with HIV may perform well. However, health care coding practices may vary across settings, which may impact generalizability of our results.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Animal-assisted Activities for Pediatric Oncology Patients: Psychosocial and Microbial Outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence about the effectiveness and safety of dog visits in pediatric oncology is limited. METHOD: We conducted a randomized controlled trial (n=26) of dog visits versus usual care among pediatric oncology inpatients. Psychological functioning and microbial load from hand wash samples were evaluated. Parental anxiety was a secondary outcome. RESULTS: We did not observe a difference in the adjusted mean present functioning score (-3.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], -12.4 to 6.4). The difference in microbial load on intervention versus control hands was -0.04 (95% CI, -0.60 to 0.52) log10 CFU/mL, with an upper 95% CI limit below the prespecified noninferiority margin. Anxiety was lower in parents of intervention versus control patients. DISCUSSION: We did not detect an effect of dog visits on functioning; however, our study was underpowered by low recruitment. Visits improved parental anxiety. With hand sanitization, visits did not increase hand microbial levels. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03471221.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Animal-Assisted Activities in Pediatric Hospitals.

INTRODUCTION: The goal of this study was to document current hospital-based animal-assisted activities (AAA) practices. METHOD: We contacted 20 hospitals and asked about their AAA programs, including COVID-19 precautions. RESULTS: Eighteen of 20 hospitals responded. Before 2020, all offered either in-person only (n = 17) or both in-person and virtual AAA visits (n = 1). In early 2022, 13 provided in-person visits; the five hospitals that had not resumed in-person visits planned to restart. Most hospitals stopped group visits. Most required that patients and handlers be free of COVID-19 symptoms and that handlers be vaccinated and wear masks and eye protection. Most did not require COVID-19 vaccination for patients. None required handlers to test negative for COVID-19. DISCUSSION: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted hospital-based pediatric AAA. Future studies should assess the effectiveness of virtual AAA and of precautions to prevent COVID-19 transmission between patients and AAA volunteers.

Validation of international classification of diseases, tenth revision, clinical modification diagnosis codes for heart failure subtypes.

PURPOSE: To estimate the positive predictive value (PPV) of International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnosis codes for identifying HF subtypes. METHODS: We validated ICD-10-CM HF diagnosis codes among Kaiser Permanente Washington enrollees who were ≥18 years of age and had an ICD-10-CM HF diagnosis code during 2017-2018 and a procedure code for an echocardiogram in the 12 months before through 6 months after the HF code. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ascertained from medical chart review was used as the gold standard for classifying patients as having reduced ejection fraction (rEF), mid-range ejection fraction (mEF), or preserved ejection fraction (pEF). RESULTS: Among 6194 eligible patients, we randomly sampled 1000 for medical chart review. A total of 974 patients had LVEF information in their chart. The ICD-10-CM HF code group with the highest PPV for rEF was I50.20-I50.23, "Systolic (congestive) heart failure," PPV = 41.4% (95% CI, 34.5-48.7%); and the highest PPV for mEF or rEF was also I50.20-I50.23, PPV = 70.2% (95% CI, 63.1-76.4%). The highest PPV for pEF was the I50.30-I50.33 group, "Diastolic (congestive) heart failure," PPV = 92.0% (95% CI, 88.1-94.7%); and the highest PPV for mEF or pEF was also I50.30-I50.33, PPV = 97.7% (95% CI, 95.1-99.0%). CONCLUSIONS: If the accuracy measure of greatest interest is PPV, our results suggest that ICD-10-CM HF codes alone may not be adequate for identifying patients with rEF but may be adequate for identifying patients with pEF. HF coding practices may vary across settings, which may impact generalizability of our findings.

Variation in the receipt of human papilloma virus co-testing for cervical screening: Individual, provider, facility and healthcare system characteristics.

Since 2012, cervical cancer screening guidelines allow for choice of screening test for women age 30-65 years (i.e., Pap every 3 years or Pap with human papillomavirus co-testing every 5 years). Intended to give patients and providers options, this flexibility reflects a trend in the growing complexity of screening guidelines. Our objective was to characterize variation in cervical screening at the individual, provider, clinic/facility, and healthcare system levels. The analysis included 296,924 individuals receiving screening from 3626 providers at 136 clinics/facilities in three healthcare systems, 2010 to 2017. Main outcome was receipt of co-testing vs. Pap alone. Co-testing was more common in one healthcare system before the 2012 guidelines (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of co-testing at the other systems relative to this system 0.00 and 0.50) but was increasingly implemented over time in a second with declining uptake in the third (2017: AORs shifted to 7.32 and 0.01). Despite system-level differences, there was greater heterogeneity in receipt of co-testing associated with providers than clinics/facilities. In the three healthcare systems, providers in the highest quartile of co-testing use had an 8.35, 8.81, and 25.05-times greater odds of providing a co-test to women with the same characteristics relative to the lowest quartile. Similarly, clinics/ facilities in the highest quartile of co-testing use had a 4.20, 3.14, and 6.56-times greater odds of providing a co-test relative to the lowest quartile. Variation in screening test use is associated with health system, provider, and clinic/facility levels even after accounting for patient characteristics.

De-implementation of cervical cancer screening before age 21.

In 2012, United States consensus guidelines were modified to recommend that cervical cancer screening not begin before age 21 and, since 2014, the Health Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS), a health plan quality measurement too, has included a measure for non-recommended cervical cancer screening among females ages 16-20. Our goal was to describe prevalence over time of cervical cancer screening before age 21 following the 2012 guideline change, and provide information to help understand how rapidly new guidelines may be disseminated and implemented into clinical practice. We used longitudinal clinical and administrative data from three diverse healthcare systems in the Population-based Research to Optimize the Screening Process (PROSPR II) consortium to examine annual trends in screening before age 21. We identified 55,316 average-risk, screening-eligible females ages 18-20 between 2011 and 2017. For each calendar year, we estimated the proportion of females who received a Papanicolaou (Pap) test. We observed a steady decline in the proportion of females under age 21 who received a Pap test, from an average of 8.3% in 2011 to <1% in 2017 across the sites. The observed steady decline suggests growing adherence to the 2012 consensus guidelines. This trend was consistent across diverse geographic regions, healthcare systems, and patient populations, strengthening the generalizability of the results; however, since we only had 1-2 years of study data prior to the consensus guidelines, we cannot discern whether screening under age 21 was already in decline. Nonetheless, these results provide data to compare with other guideline changes to de-implement non-recommended screening practices.

Obstructive sleep apnea and risk of motor vehicle accident.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and risk of motor vehicle accident (MVA). METHODS: We conducted a cohort study at Kaiser Permanente Washington using electronic health plan data and linked Washington State Department of Transportation MVA records. We included persons 18-79 years of age during 2005-2014. OSA was ascertained via diagnosis codes. The primary outcome, first MVA during cohort follow-up, was ascertained from state MVA records. Risk factors for MVAs, including medical conditions and medication use, were ascertained from health plan data. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between OSA and study outcomes. RESULTS: Among the 879,547 eligible persons, the unadjusted rate of MVA in those with and without OSA was 238 and 229 per 10,000 person-years, respectively. A diagnosis of OSA was associated with a 17% increased risk of MVA (adjusted HR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.20). CONCLUSION: In this large population-based study, a diagnosis of OSA was associated with a modestly increased risk of MVA.

Prevalence of prescription opioid use during pregnancy in eight US health plans during 2001-2014.

PURPOSE: To estimate prevalence of prescription opioid use during pregnancy in eight US health plans during 2001-2014. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study of singleton live birth deliveries. Maternal characteristics were ascertained from health plan and/or birth certificate data and opioids dispensed during pregnancy from health plan pharmacy records. Prevalence of prescription opioid use during pregnancy was calculated for any use, cumulative days of use, and number of dispensings. RESULTS: We examined prevalence of prescription opioid use during pregnancy in each health plan. Tennessee Medicaid had appreciably greater prevalence of use compared to the seven other health plans. Thus, results for the two groups were reported separately. In the seven health plans (n = 587 093 deliveries), prevalence of use during pregnancy was relatively stable at 9%-11% throughout 2001-2014. In Tennessee Medicaid (n = 256 724 deliveries), prevalence increased from 29% in 2001 to a peak of 36%-37% in 2004-2010, and then declined to 28% in 2014. Use for ≥30 days during pregnancy was stable at 1% in the seven health plans and increased from 2% to 7% in Tennessee Medicaid during 2001-2014. Receipt of ≥5 opioid dispensings during pregnancy increased in the seven health plans (0.3%-0.6%) and Tennessee Medicaid (3%-5%) during 2001-2014. CONCLUSION: During 2001-2014, prescription opioid use during pregnancy was more common in Tennessee Medicaid (peak prevalence in late 2000s) compared to the seven health plans (relatively stable prevalence). Although a small percentage of women had opioid use during pregnancy for ≥30 days or ≥ 5 dispensings, they represent thousands of women during 2001-2014.

Validity of ICD-10-CM diagnoses to identify hospitalizations for serious infections among patients treated with biologic therapies.

PURPOSE: Identifying hospitalizations for serious infections among patients dispensed biologic therapies within healthcare databases is important for post-marketing surveillance of these drugs. We determined the positive predictive value (PPV) of an ICD-10-CM-based diagnostic coding algorithm to identify hospitalization for serious infection among patients dispensed biologic therapy within the FDA's Sentinel Distributed Database. METHODS: We identified health plan members who met the following algorithm criteria: (1) hospital ICD-10-CM discharge diagnosis of serious infection between July 1, 2016 and August 31, 2018; (2) either outpatient/emergency department infection diagnosis or outpatient antimicrobial treatment within 7 days prior to hospitalization; (3) inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, or rheumatological diagnosis within 1 year prior to hospitalization, and (4) were dispensed outpatient biologic therapy within 90 days prior to admission. Medical records were reviewed by infectious disease clinicians to adjudicate hospitalizations for serious infection. The PPV (95% confidence interval [CI]) for confirmed events was determined after further weighting by the prevalence of the type of serious infection in the database. RESULTS: Among 223 selected health plan members who met the algorithm, 209 (93.7% [95% CI, 90.1%-96.9%]) were confirmed to have a hospitalization for serious infection. After weighting by the prevalence of the type of serious infection, the PPV of the ICD-10-CM algorithm identifying a hospitalization for serious infection was 80.2% (95% CI, 75.3%-84.7%). CONCLUSIONS: The ICD-10-CM-based algorithm for hospitalization for serious infection among patients dispensed biologic therapies within the Sentinel Distributed Database had 80% PPV for confirmed events and could be considered for use within pharmacoepidemiologic studies.

Validity of diagnosis and procedure codes for identifying neural tube defects in infants.

PURPOSE: The use of validated criteria to identify birth defects in electronic healthcare databases can avoid the cost and time-intensive efforts required to conduct chart reviews to confirm outcomes. This study evaluated the validity of various case-finding methodologies to identify neural tube defects (NTDs) in infants using an electronic healthcare database. METHODS: This analysis used data generated from a study whose primary aim was to evaluate the association between first-trimester maternal prescription opioid use and NTDs. The study was conducted within the Medication Exposure in Pregnancy Risk Evaluation Program. A broad approach was used to identify potential NTDs including diagnosis and procedure codes from inpatient and outpatient settings, death certificates and birth defect flags in birth certificates. Potential NTD cases were chart abstracted and confirmed by clinical experts. Positive predictive values (PPVs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) are reported. RESULTS: The cohort included 113 168 singleton live-born infants: 55 960 infants with opioid exposure in pregnancy and 57 208 infants unexposed in pregnancy. Seventy-three potential NTD cases were available for the validation analysis. The overall PPV was 41% using all diagnosis and procedure codes plus birth certificates. Restricting approaches to codes recorded in the infants' medical record or to birth certificate flags increased the PPVs (72% and 80%, respectively) but missed a substantial proportion of confirmed NTDs. CONCLUSIONS: Codes in electronic healthcare data did not accurately identify confirmed NTDs. These results indicate that chart review with adjudication of outcomes is important when conducting observational studies of NTDs using electronic healthcare data.

Changes in use of opioid therapy after colon cancer diagnosis: a population-based study.

PURPOSE: To describe patterns of opioid use in cancer survivors. METHODS: In a cohort study of colon cancer patients diagnosed during 1995-2014 and enrolled at two Kaiser Permanente regions, we constructed quarterly measures of opioid use from 1 year before cancer diagnosis through 5 years after diagnosis to examine changes in use. Measures included any use, incident use, regular use (use ≥ 45 days in a 91-day quarter), and average daily dose (converted to morphine milligram equivalent, MME). We also assessed temporal trends of opioid use. RESULTS: Of 2,039 colon cancer patients, 11-15% received opioids in the four pre-diagnosis quarters, 68% in the first quarter after diagnosis, and 15-17% in each subsequent 19 quarters. Regular opioid use increased from 3 to 5% pre-diagnosis to 5-7% post diagnosis. Average dose increased from 15 to 17 MME/day pre-diagnosis to 14-22 MME/day post diagnosis (excluding the quarter in which cancer was diagnosed). Among post-diagnosis opioid users, 73-95% were on a low dose (< 20 MME/day). Over years, regular use of opioids increased in survivorship with no change in dosage. CONCLUSION: Opioid use slightly increased following a colon cancer diagnosis, but high-dose use was rare. Research is needed to differentiate under- versus over-treatment of cancer pain.

Factors associated with employment discontinuation among older and working age survivors of oropharyngeal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Oropharyngeal cancer survivors experience difficulty returning to work after treatment. To better understand specific barriers to returning to work, we investigated factors associated with discontinuing employment among older and working-age survivors. METHODS: The sample included 675 oropharyngeal cancer survivors (median: 6 years posttreatment) diagnosed from 2000 to 2013 and employed at diagnosis. Relative risk models were constructed to examine the independent associations of demographic and health factors, and symptom experiences per the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory - Head and Neck Module (MDASI-HN) with posttreatment employment, overall and by age (<60 years vs ≥60 years at survey). RESULTS: Symptom interference was not statistically significantly associated with posttreatment employment status among respondents ≥60 years. Among working-age respondents <60 years, symptom interference was strongly associated with posttreatment employment. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to assess and lessen symptom burden in working-age survivors should be evaluated as approaches to support regaining core functions needed for continued employment.

Symptom Burden in Long-Term Survivors of Head and Neck Cancer: Patient-Reported Versus Clinical Data.

INTRODUCTION: The symptom burden faced by long-term head and neck cancer survivors is not well understood. In addition, the accuracy of clinical data sources for symptom ascertainment is not clear. OBJECTIVE: To 1) describe the prevalence of symptoms in 5-year survivors of head and neck cancer, and 2) to evaluate agreement between symptoms obtained via self-report and symptoms obtained from clinical data sources. METHODS: We recruited 5-year survivors of head and neck cancer enrolled at Kaiser Permanente Washington (n = 54). Symptoms were assessed using the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory head and neck cancer module. For each symptom, we assessed the agreement of the patient's survey response ("gold standard") with the 1) medical chart and 2) administrative health care claims data. We computed the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value, along with their 95 percent confidence intervals, for each clinical data source. RESULTS: Eighty percent of patients responded. Nearly all participants (95 percent) reported experiencing at least one symptom from the MDASI-HN, and 93 percent reported two or more symptoms. Among patients reporting a given symptom, there was generally no evidence of the symptom from either clinical data source (i.e., sensitivity was generally no greater than 40 percent). The specificity and PPV of the clinical data sources were generally higher than the sensitivity. CONCLUSION: Relying only on medical chart review and/or administrative health data would substantially underestimate symptom burden in long-term head and neck cancer survivors.

Use of antidepressants after colon cancer diagnosis and risk of recurrence.

OBJECTIVE: Prior research examining the association between use of antidepressants after colon cancer diagnosis and risk of recurrence is scant. We evaluated this association among colon cancer patients diagnosed at two integrated health care delivery systems in the United States. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study of stage I to IIIA colon cancer patients diagnosed at greater than or equal to 18 years of age at Kaiser Permanente Colorado and Kaiser Permanente Washington during 1995 to 2014. We used pharmacy records to identify dispensings for antidepressants and tumor registry records and patients' medical charts to identify cancer recurrences. Using Cox proportional hazards models, we estimated the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of colon cancer recurrence comparing patients who used antidepressants after diagnosis to those who did not. We also evaluated the risk associated with use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) separately. RESULTS: Among the 1923 eligible colon cancer patients, 807 (42%) used an antidepressant after diagnosis and 139 had a colon cancer recurrence during an average 5.6 years of follow-up. Use of antidepressants after colon cancer diagnosis was not associated with risk of recurrence (HR: 1.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69-1.87). The HR for use of SSRIs was 1.22 (95% CI, 0.64-2.30), and for TCAs, it was 1.18 (95% CI, 0.68-2.07). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that use of antidepressants after colon cancer diagnosis was common and not associated with risk of recurrence. Future larger studies with greater power to examine risk associated with individual antidepressants would be valuable additions to the evidence base.

Early Pregnancy Hemoglobin A1C and Pregnancy Outcomes: A Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE: Women with prediabetes are identified from screening for overt diabetes in early pregnancy, but the clinical significance of prediabetes in pregnancy is unclear. We examined whether prediabetes in early pregnancy was associated with risks of adverse outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of pregnant women enrolled in Kaiser Permanente Washington from 2011 to 2014. Early pregnancy hemoglobin A1C (A1C) values, covariates, and outcomes were ascertained from electronic medical records and state birth certificates. Women with prediabetes (A1C of 5.7-6.4%) were compared with those with normal A1C levels (<5.7%) for risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and other outcomes including preeclampsia, primary cesarean delivery, induction of labor, large/small for gestational age, preterm birth, and macrosomia. We used modified Poisson's regression to calculate adjusted relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Of 7,020 women, 239 (3.4%) had prediabetes. GDM developed in 48% of prediabetic women compared with 11% of women with normal A1C levels (adjusted RR: 2.8, 95% CI: 2.4-3.3). Prediabetes was not associated with all other adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. CONCLUSION: Prediabetes in early pregnancy is a risk factor for GDM. Future research is needed to elucidate whether early intervention may reduce this risk.

One-Step Approach to Identifying Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Association With Perinatal Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To compare perinatal outcomes before and after a clinical guideline change from a two-step to a one-step approach to screening for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: We conducted a before-after cohort study of women with singleton live birth deliveries within Kaiser Permanente Washington, a mixed-model health plan in Washington state. We used Kaiser Permanente Washington electronic health data and linked birth certificates. We compared outcomes before (January 2009-March 2011) and after (April 2012-December 2014) the guideline change among women who received prenatal care from health care providers internal to Kaiser Permanente Washington (n=4,977 before, n=6,337 after). We made the same comparison among women who received prenatal care from external health care providers (not exposed to the guideline change; n=3,386 before, n=4,454 after) to control for time trends unrelated to the guideline change. Adjusted relative risks and 95% CIs were estimated using Poisson generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: After the guideline change, receipt of the one-step approach became widespread among women cared for by Kaiser Permanente Washington internal providers (87%), and use of insulin increased 3.7-fold from 1.2% to 4.4%. Among women cared for by Kaiser Permanente Washington internal providers, GDM increased from 6.9% to 11.4%, induction of labor from 25.2% to 28.6%, neonatal hypoglycemia from 1.3% to 2.0%, and outpatient nonstress testing from 134.6 to 157.0 test days per 100 women. After accounting for background trends in outcomes (based on the women cared for by external providers), the guideline change was associated with increased incidence of GDM (relative risk [RR] 1.41, 95% CI 1.17-1.69), labor induction (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09-1.32), neonatal hypoglycemia (RR 1.77, 95% CI 1.14-2.75), and nonstress testing (RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.24% per 100 women). There was no association with other outcomes including cesarean delivery or macrosomia. CONCLUSION: Adopting the one-step approach was associated with a 41% increase in the diagnosis of GDM without improved maternal or neonatal outcomes.

Screening for Skin Cancer in Adults: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force.

IMPORTANCE: Skin cancer, primarily melanoma, is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. OBJECTIVE: To provide an updated systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force regarding clinical skin cancer screening among adults. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for relevant studies published from January 1, 1995, through June 1, 2015, with surveillance through February 16, 2016. STUDY SELECTION: English-language studies conducted in asymptomatic populations 15 years and older at general risk for skin cancer. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Relevant data were abstracted, and study quality was rated. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Melanoma incidence and mortality, harms from cancer screening, diagnostic accuracy, and stage distribution. RESULTS: No randomized clinical trials were identified. There was limited evidence on the association between skin cancer screening and mortality. A German ecologic study (n = 360,288) found a decrease of 0.8 per 100,000 melanoma deaths in a region with population-based skin cancer screening compared with no change or slight increases in comparison regions. The number of excisions needed to detect 1 skin cancer from clinical visual skin examinations varied by age and sex; for example, 22 for women 65 years or older compared with 41 for women aged 20 to 34 years. In 2 studies of performing visual skin examination, sensitivity to detect melanoma was 40.2% and specificity was 86.1% when conducted by primary care physicians (n = 16,383). Sensitivity was 49.0% and specificity was 97.6% when skin examinations were performed by dermatologists (n = 7436). In a case-control study of melanoma (n = 7586), cases diagnosed with thicker lesions (>0.75 mm) had an odds ratio of 0.86 (95% CI, 0.75-0.98) for receipt of a physician skin examination in the prior 3 years compared with controls. Eight cohort studies (n = 236,485) demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between the degree of disease involvement at diagnosis and melanoma mortality, regardless of the characterization of the stage or lesion thickness. Tumor thickness greater than 4.0 mm was associated with increased melanoma mortality compared with thinner lesions, and late stage at diagnosis was associated with increased all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Only limited evidence was identified for skin cancer screening, particularly regarding potential benefit of skin cancer screening on melanoma mortality. Future research on skin cancer screening should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of targeted screening in those considered to be at higher risk for skin cancer.

Birth Weight and Birth Weight for Gestational Age in Relation to Risk of Hospitalization with Primary Hypertension in Children and Young Adults.

Introduction Low birth weight has been associated with an increased risk of hypertension in children. Less clear is whether high birth weight is also associated with risk. We evaluated overall and age-specific risks of primary hypertension in children and young adults associated with birth weight and birth weight for gestational age. Methods We conducted a population-based case-control study using linked Washington State birth certificate and hospital discharge data from 1987 to 2003. Cases were persons hospitalized with primary hypertension at 8-24 years of age (n = 533). Controls were randomly selected among those born in the same years who were not hospitalized with hypertension (n = 25,966). Results Birth weight was not related to risk of primary hypertension overall, except for a suggestion of an increased risk associated with birth weight ≥4500 g relative to 3500-3999 g (odds ratio (OR) 1.55; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.96-2.49). Compared to children born appropriate weight for gestational age, those born small (SGA) (OR 1.32; 95 % CI 1.02-1.71) and large for gestational age (LGA) (OR 1.30; 95 % CI 1.00-1.71) had increased risks of primary hypertension. These overall associations were due to increased risks of hypertension at 15-24 years of age; no associations were observed with risk at 8-14 years of age. Discussion In this study, both SGA and LGA were associated with increased risks of primary hypertension. Our findings suggest a possible nonlinear (U-shaped) association between birth weight for gestational age and primary hypertension risk in children and young adults.

Breast cancer mortality in relation to receipt of screening mammography: a case-control study in Saskatchewan, Canada.

PURPOSE: The efficacy of screening mammography in reducing breast cancer mortality continues to be controversial. In addition, few data exist on the efficacy of screening mammography in women 70 years of age or older. An organized screening mammogram program has existed in Saskatchewan since the mid-1990s. It offers mammography every 2 years to women ≥50 years of age. METHODS: We conducted a population-based case-control study to evaluate the efficacy of screening mammography, as practiced in Saskatchewan, Canada. Cases (n = 501) were women who died of breast cancer during 1995-2008 and were at least 52 years of age at the time of their diagnosis. Controls (n = 5,009) were matched to cases on birth year and duration of healthcare coverage prior to the cases' breast cancer diagnosis date. In cases and controls, receipt of screening mammography during the several years up to and including the date of the case's diagnosis of breast cancer was ascertained from the records of the screening program. RESULTS: Receipt of a screening mammogram in the preceding 2 years was more common among controls (53 %) than cases (37 %), OR 0.51 (95 % CI 0.42-0.62). A decreased risk was observed among women in all age groups, including those 70-79 years (OR 0.40; 95 % CI 0.27-0.60). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that receipt of screening mammography among women in Saskatchewan has been associated with a decreased risk of death from breast cancer.