Physical Activity Among Utah Cancer Survivors: Analysis From a Population-Based Statewide Survey.

BACKGROUND: Regular physical activity improves cancer survivors' health-related quality of life and physical function. We estimated the proportion of Utah cancer survivors meeting U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines for weekly physical activity (aerobic plus strength exercise) and identify sociodemographic, cancer, and health-related factors associated with meeting guidelines. METHODS: Survivors randomly sampled from Utah Cancer Registry records were surveyed from 2018 to 2022 to ascertain physical activity. We calculated the percent of survivors meeting guidelines and conducted logistic regression to assess predictors of meeting guidelines. Analyses were weighted to account for complex survey sample design and nonresponse and age adjusted. RESULTS: Among Utah cancer survivors, 20.7% (95% CI, 18.5%-23.2%) met guidelines for both aerobic activity and strength exercise. 22.4% reported no aerobic exercise in a typical week, and 59.4% reported no strength exercise. Survivors 75 or older were less likely to meet physical activity guidelines than those under 55 (adjusted odds ratio: 0.40; 95% CI, 0.25-0.65). Survivors with a bachelor's degree or higher were more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than those without a college degree. Individuals with poorer overall health were less likely to report sufficient physical activity. Individuals treated with both chemotherapy and radiation had decreased odds of meeting guidelines compared to no treatment (adjusted odds ratio: 0.54; 95% CI, 0.29-0.99). CONCLUSIONS: Most Utah cancer survivors, and particularly those who received multiple modes of adjuvant treatment, are not participating in sufficient physical activity to improve longevity and quality of life after cancer.

Management of undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver: A Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative study.

BACKGROUND: Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL) is a rare tumor for which there are few evidence-based guidelines. The aim of this study was to define current management strategies and outcomes for these patients using a multi-institutional dataset curated by the Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative. METHODS: Data were collected retrospectively for patients with UESL treated across 17 children's hospitals in North America from 1989 to 2019. Factors analyzed included patient and tumor characteristics, PRETEXT group, operative details, and neoadjuvant/adjuvant regimens. Event-free and overall survival (EFS, OS) were the primary and secondary outcomes, respectively. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients were identified with a median age of 9.9 years [interquartile range [IQR): 7-12]. Twenty-seven patients underwent resection at diagnosis, and 47 patients underwent delayed resection, including eight liver transplants. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy led to a median change in maximum tumor diameter of 1.6 cm [IQR: 0.0-4.4] and greater than 90% tumor necrosis in 79% of the patients undergoing delayed resection. R0 resections were accomplished in 63 patients (81%). Univariate analysis found that metastatic disease impacted OS, and completeness of resection impacted both EFS and OS, while multivariate analysis revealed that R0 resection was associated with decreased expected hazards of experiencing an event [hazard ratio (HR): 0.14, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.04-0.6]. At a median follow-up of 4 years [IQR: 2-8], the EFS was 70.0% [95% CI: 60%-82%] and OS was 83% [95% CI: 75%-93%]. CONCLUSION: Complete resection is associated with improved survival for patients with UESL. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy causes minimal radiographic response, but significant tumor necrosis.

Evaluation of Costs Associated With Acute Achilles Tendon Repair.

Background: Increasing attention is being paid to the costs associated with various orthopaedic surgeries. Here, we studied the factors that influence costs associated with surgically treated acute Achilles tendon tears. Methods: We retrospectively identified patients with surgically repaired acute Achilles tendon tears, excluding insertional ruptures or chronic tendon issues. Using the Value Driven Outcome (VDO) tool from our institution, we assessed total direct costs as well as facility costs. Briefly, the VDO tool includes an item-level database that can capture detailed cost data-costs are then reported as relative mean data. Cost variables were adjusted to 2022 US dollars, and total direct cost was compared with patient characteristics using gamma regressions to report cost ratios with 95% CIs. Results: Our cohort consisted of 224 patients with Achilles tendon tears surgically repaired by one of 4 fellowship-trained orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeons. There were no differences in demographics, total direct costs, or facility costs based on surgical positioning (prone n = 156, supine n = 68). Open repairs (n = 215), compared with percutaneous techniques (n = 9) that used commercially available instrumentation, had 37% less total direct costs (P < .001, 95% CI 0.55-0.72). Compared with surgery at a main academic hospital (n = 15), procedures at an ambulatory care center (n = 207) had 19% lower total direct costs (P = .040, 95% CI 0.66-0.99) and 41% lower facility costs (P < .001, 95% CI 0.5-0.7). Conclusion: Improving cost-effective orthopaedic care remains an increasingly important goal. Patient positioning for Achilles tendon repair does not appear to have meaningful impacts on cost. When clinically appropriate, considering surgery location at an ambulatory center appears to reduce surgical costs. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective comparative study.

Material financial hardship and insurance-related experiences among Utah's rural and urban cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: Describe material financial hardship (e.g., using savings, credit card debt), insurance, and access to care experienced by Utah cancer survivors; investigate urban-rural differences in financial hardship. METHODS: Cancer survivors were surveyed from 2018 to 2021 about their experiences with financial hardship, access to healthcare, and job lock (insurance preventing employment changes). Weighed percentage responses, univariable and multivariable logistic regression models for these outcomes compared differences in survivors living in rural and urban areas based on Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes. RESULTS: The N = 1793 participants were predominantly Non-Hispanic White, female, and 65 or older at time of survey. More urban than rural survivors had a college degree (39.8% vs. 31.0%, p = 0.04). Overall, 35% of survivors experienced ≥ 1 financial hardship. In adjusted analyses, no differences were observed between urban and rural survivors for: material financial hardship, the overall amount of hardship reported, insurance status at survey, access to healthcare, or job lock. Hispanic rural survivors were less likely to report financial hardship than Hispanic urban survivors (odds ratio (OR) = 0.24, 95%CI = 0.08-0.73)). Rural survivors who received chemo/immune therapy as their only treatment were more likely to report at least one instance of financial hardship than urban survivors (OR = 2.72, 95%CI = 1.08-6.86). CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between rurality and financial hardship among survivors may be most burdensome for patients whose treatments require travel or specialty medication access. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: The impact of living rurally on financial difficulties after cancer diagnoses is complex. Features of rurality that may alter financial difficulty after a cancer diagnosis may vary geographically and instead of considering rurality as a stand-alone factor, these features should be investigated independently.

Accuracy of patient race and ethnicity data in a central cancer registry.

PURPOSE: Race and Hispanic ethnicity data can be challenging for central cancer registries to collect. We evaluated the accuracy of the race and Hispanic ethnicity variables collected by the Utah Cancer Registry compared to self-report. METHODS: Participants were 3,162 cancer survivors who completed questionnaires administered in 2015-2022 by the Utah Cancer Registry. Each survey included separate questions collecting race and Hispanic ethnicity, respectively. Registry-collected race and Hispanic ethnicity were compared to self-reported values for the same individuals. We calculated sensitivity and specificity for each race category and Hispanic ethnicity separately. RESULTS: Survey participants included 323 (10.2%) survivors identifying as Hispanic, a lower proportion Hispanic than the 12.1% in the registry Hispanic variable (sensitivity 88.2%, specificity 96.5%). For race, 43 participants (1.4%) self-identified as American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN), 32 (1.0%) as Asian, 23 (0.7%) as Black or African American, 16 (0.5%) Pacific Islander (PI), and 2994 (94.7%) as White. The registry race variable classified a smaller proportion of survivors as members of each of these race groups except White. Sensitivity for classification of race as AIAN was 9.3%, Asian 40.6%, Black 60.9%, PI 25.0%, and specificity for each of these groups was > 99%. Sensitivity and specificity for White were 98.8% and 47.4%. CONCLUSION: Cancer registry race and Hispanic ethnicity data often did not match the individual's self-identification. Of particular concern is the high proportion of AIAN individuals whose race is misclassified. Continued attention should be directed to the accurate capture of race and ethnicity data by hospitals.

Adherence to Guideline-Recommended cancer screening among Utah cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to cancer screening is important for cancer survivors because they are at high risk of subsequent cancer diagnoses or recurrence. We assessed adherence to breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer-(CRC)-screening guidelines and evaluated demographic disparities among a population-based sample of survivors. METHODS: A representative sample of Utah survivors diagnosed from 2012-2018 with any reportable invasive cancer was selected from central cancer registry records for a survey about survivorship needs. We estimated the proportion of eligible survivors adhering to U.S. Preventive Services Task Force screening guidelines and calculated risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Analyses were age-adjusted and weighted to account for sample design and nonresponse. RESULTS: And 1421 survivors completed the survey (57.2% response rate). Screening adherence was 74.4% for breast, 69.4% for cervical, and 79.7% for CRC. Rural residents were more likely to adhere to breast cancer screening than urban residents (86.1% vs. 72.7%; adjusted RR = 1.19, CI = 1.05, 1.36). Higher educational attainment was associated with increased adherence to cervical and colorectal cancer screening. Younger age was associated with greater adherence to cervical cancer screening (p = 0.006) but lower adherence to CRC screening (p = 0.003). CRC screening adherence was lower among the uninsured and those without a primary care provider (45.6%) compared to those with a regular provider (83.0%; adjusted RR = 0.57, CI = 0.42, 0.79). CONCLUSIONS: Surveys based on samples from central cancer registries can provide population estimates to inform cancer control. Findings demonstrate work is needed to ensure all Utah cancer survivors obtain recommended cancer screenings. Efforts should focus particularly on increasing uptake of breast and cervical cancer screening and reducing demographic disparities in CRC screening. PRECIS: Despite high risk for subsequent cancer diagnosis, Utah cancer survivors are not all obtaining recommended breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screenings. This presents a significant healthcare gap.