Elevated Risk for Sessile Serrated Polyps in African Americans with Endometrial Polyps.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal and endometrial lesions increase with age. It is not known if these two precursor lesions in sporadic cases associate with each other. AIM: To determine the association between colorectal polyps and endometrial polyps (EP) in African Americans. METHODS: We reviewed records of patients referred to gynecology clinics and had colonoscopy at Howard University Hospital from January 2004 to December 2015. We defined cases as all patients who had EP and underwent colonoscopy. For controls, we used EP-free patients who underwent colonoscopy. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between colon polyps and EP. RESULTS: The median age was 60 years in 118 Cases and 57 years in 664 Controls. The overall colorectal polyps prevalence in the two groups was not statistically different (54% in controls vs. 52% in cases, P = 0.60). Sessile serrated adenoma/polyps (SSPs) were more frequent in cases (8% vs. 2% in controls, P = 0.003). Sigmoid and rectal locations were more prevalent in controls than cases. In multivariate analysis and after adjusting for age, diabetes mellitus (DM), and BMI, SSPs were associated with EP occurrence with an odds ratio of 4.6 (CI 1.2-16.7, P = 0.022). CONCLUSION: Colorectal polyp prevalence was similar in EP patients compared to EP-free controls. However, we observed a significant association between higher-risk SSPs in patients with EP. The prevalence of smoking and DM was higher in these patients. Females with EP might benefit from a screening for colonic lesions in an age-independent manner.

Examining Disparities in Route of Surgery and Postoperative Complications in Black Race and Hysterectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the associations among race, route of hysterectomy, and postoperative complications among women undergoing hysterectomy for benign indications. METHODS: A cohort study was performed. All patients undergoing hysterectomy for benign indications, recorded in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and its targeted hysterectomy file in 2015, were identified. The primary exposure was patient race. The primary outcome was route of hysterectomy and the secondary outcome was postoperative complication. Associations were examined using both bivariable tests and logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 15,136 women who underwent hysterectomy for benign indications, 75% were white and 25% were black. Black women were more likely to undergo an open hysterectomy than white women (50.1% vs 22.9%; odds ratio [OR] 3.36, 95% CI 3.11-3.64). Black women had larger uteri (median 262 g vs 123 g; 60.7% vs 25.6% with uterus greater than 250 g), more prior pelvic surgery (58.5% vs 53.2%), and higher body mass indices (32.7 vs 30.4). After adjusting for these and other clinical factors, black women remained more likely to undergo an open hysterectomy (adjusted OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.85-2.20). Black women experienced more major complications than white women (4.1% vs 2.3%; P<.001) and more minor complications (11.4% vs 6.7%; OR 1.78, P<.001). Again these disparities persisted with adjustment (major adjusted OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.25-1.95; minor adjusted OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.11-1.47). CONCLUSIONS: Black women undergo a higher proportion of open hysterectomy and experience more major and minor postoperative complications. These differences persisted even after adjusting for confounding medical, surgical, and gynecologic factors.

Racial disparities in the utilization of preventive health services among older women with early-stage endometrial cancer enrolled in Medicare.

To assess differences in the receipt of preventive health services by race/ethnicity among older women with endometrial cancer enrolled in Medicare, we conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study of women diagnosed with endometrial cancer from 2001 to 2011 in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database. Women with stage I or II endometrial cancer of epithelial origin were included. The exposure was race/ethnicity (Non-Hispanic [NH] White, NH Black, Hispanic, and NH Asian/Pacific Islander [PI]). The services examined were receipt of influenza vaccination and screening tests for diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and breast cancer. We used multivariate logistic regression to estimate odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI) adjusted for age, region, and year of diagnosis. A total of 13,054 women were included. In the 2 years after diagnosis, receipt of any influenza vaccine ranged from 45% among NH Black women to 67% among NH White women; receipt of a mammogram ranged from 65% among NH Black women to 74% among NH White women. Relative to NH White women, NH Black women had a lower likelihood of receiving both influenza vaccination (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.40, 95% CI 0.33-0.44) and screening mammography (aOR 0.64, 95% CI 0.52-0.79). Hispanic women also were less likely to receive influenza vaccination than NH White women (aOR 0.61, 95% CI 0.51-0.72). There were no significant differences across racial groups for diabetes or cholesterol screening services. Among older women with early-stage endometrial cancer, racial disparities exist in the utilization of some preventive services.

Prospective study of intraabdominal adhesions among women of different races with or without keloids.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate postsurgical adhesions in women of different races with or without keloids. STUDY DESIGN: This was a prospective study evaluating postsurgical adhesions after a cesarean delivery in 429 women with or without keloids. The outcome measures were the prevalence and extent of adhesions in women of different races with or without keloids. RESULTS: There was no difference in the prevalence of adhesions and adhesion score in various sites among women of different races. Compared with whites (0.5%), keloids were significantly more common in African Americans (7.1%; P = .007; odds ratio, 16.5) and in Asians (5.2%; P = .02; odds ratio, 11.9). Women with keloids were found to have more dense adhesions between the uterus and the bladder (P = .028; 95% confidence interval, 0-12) and between the uterus and the anterior abdominal wall (P < .0001; 95% confidence interval, 8-12). CONCLUSION: The prevalence and degree of postsurgical adhesions in women of different races are comparable. Women with keloids on the cesarean scar have increased adhesions between the uterus and the bladder and between the uterus and the abdominal wall.

Racial and ethnic disparities in benign gynecologic conditions and associated surgeries.

Common gynecologic conditions and surgeries may vary significantly by race or ethnicity. Uterine fibroid tumors are more prevalent in black women, and black women may have larger, more numerous fibroid tumors that cause worse symptoms and greater myomectomy complications. Some, but not all, studies have found a higher prevalence of endometriosis among Asian women. Race and ethnicity are also associated with hysterectomy rate, route, and complications. Overall, the current literature has significant deficits in the identification of racial and ethnic disparities in the incidence of fibroid tumors, endometriosis, and hysterectomy. Further research is needed to better define racial and ethnic differences in these conditions and to examine the complex mechanisms that may result in associated health disparities.

Ethnic differences in past hysterectomy for benign conditions.

BACKGROUND: Hysterectomy for a benign condition is common, particularly in the underserved. The objective was to determine if ethnic differences could be explained by known risk factors. METHODS: A phone survey was conducted at random on 15,160 women, ages 40-55, from seven US cities. Subjects were 49.9% Caucasian, 28.1% African American, 12.3% Hispanic, and 9.8% Asian American. RESULTS: Ethnicity was associated with past hysterectomy (odds ratio [OR]: Caucasian = 1.0, African American = 1.66; confidence interval [CI] = 1.46-1.88, Hispanic = 1.64, CI = 1.29-2.07; Asian American = 0.44, CI = 0.34-0.56), after adjustment for age, education, fibroids, body mass index, marital status, smoking, geographic site, and country of education. CONCLUSION: Because the highest rates occurred in the disadvantaged African American and Hispanic subgroups, and could not be explained by known risk factors, disparity in the form of overuse in these disadvantaged groups may exist.