Experiences and Outcomes of Indigenous Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery: a Mixed-Method Scoping Review.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are growing global health concerns. Evidence suggests that Indigenous peoples are at higher lifetime risk of obesity and its associated conditions. Obesity increases the risk of T2D, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality. Bariatric surgery is the most sustained and effective intervention for treating obesity-associated medical problems. This review aims to explore the experiences and outcomes of Indigenous peoples undergoing bariatric surgery in Canada, the USA, Australia, and New Zealand (CANZUS). Analysis of quantitative data revealed that Indigenous patients had fewer bariatric procedures, poorer clinic attendance, similar weight loss outcomes and slightly higher post-operative complication rates. Qualitative data analysis revealed that Indigenous patients living with obesity have a desire to improve their health and quality of life.

Services, models of care, and interventions to improve access to cancer treatment for adults who are socially disadvantaged: A scoping review protocol.

Timely access to guideline-recommended cancer treatment is known to be an indicator of the quality and accessibility of a cancer care system. Yet people who are socially disadvantaged experience inequities in access to cancer treatment that have significant impacts on cancer outcomes and quality of life. Among people experiencing the intersecting impacts of poor access to the social determinants of health and personal identities typically marginalized from society ('social disadvantage'), there are significant barriers to accessing cancer, many of which compound one another, making cancer treatment extremely difficult to access. Although some research has focused on barriers to accessing cancer treatment among people who are socially disadvantaged, it is not entirely clear what, if anything, is being done to mitigate these barriers and improve access to care. Increasingly, there is a need to design cancer treatment services and models of care that are flexible, tailored to meet the needs of patients, and innovative in reaching out to socially disadvantaged groups. In this paper, we report the protocol for a planned scoping review which aims to answer the following question: What services, models of care, or interventions have been developed to improve access to or receipt of cancer treatment for adults who are socially disadvantaged? Based on the methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley, this scoping review is planned in six iterative stages. A comprehensive search strategy will be developed by an academic librarian. OVID Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL (using EBSCOhost) and Scopus will be searched for peer-reviewed published literature; advanced searches in Google will be done to identify relevant online grey literature reports. Descriptive and thematic analysis methods will be used to analyze extracted data. Findings will provide a better understanding of the range and nature of strategies developed to mitigate barriers to accessing cancer treatment.

Surgical closure of enlarged tracheoesophageal fistula after laryngectomy: A systematic review of techniques.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were (1) systematically review the data on surgical closure of enlarged tracheoesophageal fistula after laryngectomy and (2) to perform a comparison of reconstruction of surgical techniques. METHODS: Systematic review was performed using PRISMA methodology. Cumulative patient data were compared between patients reconstructed with vascularized tissue (sternocleidomastoid fascia and muscle, pectoralis major, deltopectoral, radial forearm) and those closed primarily (two-layer, three-layer, and tracheal transposition). RESULTS: Fourteen studies reported outcomes for the reconstruction of tracheoesophageal fistula. Primary closure was used in 98 patients, vascularized flap in 74, and occlusive device in 8. Vascularized flap resulted in successful closure of the fistula in 89 % of cases compared to primary closure in 62 % (p = 0.0003). CONCLUSION: Systematic review of the literature supports an improved surgical closure rate with vascularized flap interposed between the esophageal and tracheal lumens compared to primary closure.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of transoral laser microsurgery in hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Transoral laser microsurgery has been suggested as an alternative treatment modality for hypopharyngeal carcinoma. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the oncologic and functional outcomes of patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma when treated with primary transoral laser microsurgery. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed using PRISMA methodology on OVID MEDLINE and EMBASE. Meta-analysis was completed for oncological outcomes. RESULTS: Six studies reported quality of life outcomes five reported oncologic outcomes. A median of 95% (range 0.83-0.98) patients achieving gastrostomy independence, a median of 3% (range 0%-6%) were tracheostomy dependent, and a median of 97% (Range 0.89-1.0) were able to preserve their larynx. Pooled five-year overall survival was 54% (CI, 0.50-0.58, I2 = 29%), pooled disease-specific survival was 72% (CI, 0.68-0.77, I2 = 46%), and pooled local control rate was 78% (CI, 0.72-0.85, I2 = 69%). CONCLUSION: Systematic review supports improvements in functional outcomes and oncologic outcomes with transoral laser microsurgery.

Cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis and outcomes among Manitoba First Nations people living on and off reserve: a retrospective population-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Substantial cancer-related disparities exist between First Nations and non-Indigenous Canadians. The objectives of this study were to compare cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis and mortality outcomes between Status First Nations people living on reserve and off reserve in Manitoba. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of population-level administrative health databases in Manitoba. Cancers diagnosed between Apr. 1, 2004, and Mar. 31, 2011, were linked with the Indian Registry System and 5 provincial databases. We compared differences in baseline characteristics, cancer incidence, site and stage at diagnosis between Status First Nations patients living on and off reserve. Linear regression models examined trends in annual cancer incidence. Cox proportional hazard regression models examined mortality. RESULTS: There were 1524 newly diagnosed cancers among Status First Nations people in Manitoba between Apr. 1, 2004, and Mar. 31, 2011. First Nations people living on reserve were significantly older than those living off reserve (p < 0.001) and had higher Charlson Comorbidity Index scores at diagnosis (p = 0.01). A lower proportion of on-reserve patients than off-reserve patients were diagnosed with stage I cancers (21.7% v. 26.9%, p = 0.02). There were no differences in annual cancer incidence between groups. The adjusted incidence of cancer over the combined study years was higher in the off-reserve group than in the on-reserve group (287.9 v. 247.9 per 100 000, p = 0.02). No significant differences in mortality were found. INTERPRETATION: The lower proportion of on-reserve patients diagnosed with cancer at stage I is concerning, as it suggests less access to screening services or delays in diagnosis. Further research is needed to understand patterns in diagnosis and differences in cancer site and overall cancer incidence between First Nations people living on and off reserve.

Scoping review protocol documenting cancer outcomes and inequalities for adults living with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.

INTRODUCTION: There is increasing attention on the cancer burden for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Emerging evidence suggests there are differences in cancer experiences and outcomes for individuals living with IDD, from risk through survivorship. These differences may be attributed to features of the IDD, such as cognitive deficits and communication, as well as social determinants of health-like lower education levels and ableism. However, there is no comprehensive overview of the literature quantifying these potential disparities and describing the influencing factors. In this paper, we describe a scoping review protocol to systematically review published literature on cancer for adults with IDD. The purpose of this review is to identify differences in cancer risk, stage at diagnosis, treatment and survival along the cancer continuum for adults with IDD and outline potential contributing factors creating these disparities. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will follow Arksey and O'Malley's expanded framework for scoping reviews to conduct this review. We will systematically search electronic databases for peer-reviewed, published journal articles to identify appropriate studies in collaboration with a health science librarian. Two reviewers will independently review titles and abstracts followed by a full-text review to determine whether it meets inclusion criteria. A data chart for collecting and sorting information will be developed in consultation with the team. Results will be collated and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews: PRISMA-Scoping Reviews. Extracted information will be summarised quantitatively and qualitatively to meet review objectives. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This scoping review will employ a methodology to identify literature related to cancer outcomes and experiences for adults with IDD. Results will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders who care for and support individuals with IDD at local, provincial and national levels and through publishing findings. By highlighting the disparities in the cancer system and gaps in the research, this scoping review can provide direction for future action.

Comparing cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis and outcomes of First Nations and all other Manitobans: a retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: Globally, epidemiological evidence suggests cancer incidence and outcomes among Indigenous peoples are a growing concern. Although historically cancer among First Nations (FN) peoples in Canada was relatively unknown, recent epidemiological evidence reveals a widening of cancer related disparities. However evidence at the population level is limited. The aim of this study was to explore cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis, and outcomes among status FN peoples in comparison with all other Manitobans (AOM). METHODS: All cancers diagnosed between April 1, 2004 and March 31, 2011 were linked with the Indian Registry System and five provincial healthcare databases to compare differences in characteristics, cancer incidence, and stage at diagnosis and mortality of the FN and AOM cohorts. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to examine mortality. RESULTS: The FN cohort was significantly younger, with higher comorbidities than AOM. A higher proportion of FN people were diagnosed with cancer at stages III (18.7% vs. 15.4%) and IV (22.4% vs. 19.9%). Cancer incidence was significantly lower in the FN cohort, however, there were no significant differences between the two cohorts after adjusting for age, sex, income and area of residence. No significant trends in cancer incidence were identified in either cohort over time. Mortality was generally higher in the FN cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Despite similar cancer incidence, FN peoples in Manitoba experience poorer survival. The underlying causes of these disparities are not yet understood, particularly in relation to the impact of colonization and other determinants of health.

Access to cancer care among Indigenous peoples in Canada: A scoping review.

The inequities in access to healthcare documented and experienced by Indigenous peoples in Canada are startling given Canada's publicly funded and 'equally accessible' healthcare system, however little is known about access to cancer care, and barriers to accessing cancer care in particular. We conducted a scoping review to identify what is known about barriers to accessing cancer care among Indigenous peoples in Canada (including barriers to accessing cancer services, and barriers to receiving optimal care once those services were accessed), and to identify where along the cancer continuum (screening, diagnosis, treatment, etc.) these barriers are located. We searched SCOPUS, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, Ovid MEDLINE and Ovid EMBASE for studies published between 1996 and 2019 that examined access to cancer care for Indigenous peoples in Canada; 36 studies were included in our analysis. Our review indicates that Indigenous peoples face barriers to accessing care at the individual level (factors at the level of the individual patient or healthcare provider (HCP) that impede access to cancer care), at the systems level (factors stemming from the healthcare system and its structure), and at the structural level (factors that are embedded within and systematically produced political, historical, social or economic structures). While barriers to accessing cancer care were found throughout the trajectory, there remains a disproportionate focus on access to cancer screening. Moreover, some barriers to accessing cancer care, such as racism, discrimination and lack of culturally safe care, although rooted in structural factors, were inconsistently framed as individual and/or systems factors. This suggests that while there is growing awareness of the impact that racism and discrimination have on access to cancer care at the individual level for example, there remains a lack of understanding of how these issues are linked with systemic and structural issues.