Latino Enclaves and Healthcare Accessibility: An Ecologic Study Across Five States.

BACKGROUND: Hispanic or Latino populations (hereafter, "Latinos") are a rapidly expanding U.S. demographic and have documented inequities in preventable diseases and conditions. Many Latinos reside in ethnic enclaves, and understanding the context and healthcare accessibility within these places is critical. OBJECTIVE: This study described the neighborhood social and built environment attributes of Latino enclaves and evaluated associations between enclaves and geographic healthcare accessibility. DESIGN: Cross-sectional ecologic analysis. SUBJECTS: Our unit of analysis was all neighborhoods (n ~ 20,000 census tracts) in California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Texas in years 2000 and 2010. MAIN MEASURES: The primary exposure of interest, "Latino enclaves," was defined using neighborhood-level data on the percentage of Latino residents, foreign-born Latinos, Spanish speakers with limited English proficiency, and linguistically isolated Spanish-speaking households. The primary outcome was a neighborhood-level measure of geographic healthcare accessibility of primary care physicians, which accounted for both the supply of physicians and population demand for healthcare (i.e., population size within driving distance). RESULTS: Approximately 30% of neighborhoods were classified as Latino enclaves, 87% of which were enclaves in both 2000 and 2010. Compared with non-enclaves, Latino enclaves had more markers of structural disadvantage including having higher proportions of poverty, uninsured individuals, crowded housing, and higher crime scores. Results from multivariable models suggest that more culturally distinct neighborhoods (i.e., higher enclave score) had lower healthcare accessibility, though when stratified, this association persisted only in high (≥ 20%) poverty neighborhoods. CONCLUSION: This study highlights several neighborhood structural disadvantages within Latino enclaves, including higher poverty, uninsured individuals, and crime compared to non-enclave neighborhoods. Moreover, our findings point to the need for interventions aimed at improving healthcare accessibility particularly within socioeconomically disadvantaged Latino enclaves. Addressing these inequities demands multifaceted approaches that consider both social and structural factors to ensure equitable healthcare access for Latino populations.

Measuring social determinants of health in the All of Us Research Program.

To accelerate medical breakthroughs, the All of Us Research Program aims to collect data from over one million participants. This report outlines processes used to construct the All of Us Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) survey and presents the psychometric characteristics of SDOH survey measures in All of Us. A consensus process was used to select SDOH measures, prioritizing concepts validated in diverse populations and other national cohort surveys. Survey item non-response was calculated, and Cronbach's alpha was used to analyze psychometric properties of scales. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine associations between demographic categories and item non-response. Twenty-nine percent (N = 117,783) of eligible All of Us participants submitted SDOH survey data for these analyses. Most scales had less than 5% incalculable scores due to item non-response. Patterns of item non-response were seen by racial identity, educational attainment, income level, survey language, and age. Internal consistency reliability was greater than 0.80 for almost all scales and most demographic groups. The SDOH survey demonstrated good to excellent reliability across several measures and within multiple populations underrepresented in biomedical research. Bias due to survey non-response and item non-response will be monitored and addressed as the survey is fielded more completely.

Pubertal timing: A life course pathway linking early life risk to adulthood cardiometabolic health.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a series of prospective life course models testing whether the timing of pubertal development is a pathway through which prepubertal risk factors may influence adulthood cardiometabolic health. METHODS: Subjects were 655 female participants in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) and recent SECCYD 30-year follow-up, the Study of Health in Early and Adult Life (SHINE). Prepubertal risk factors included maternal menarcheal age, child race/ethnicity, child health status indicators, and child adversity indicators. Pubertal timing was indexed by breast development onset (Tanner stage [TS] II), pubic hair onset (TS II) and menarcheal age. Adulthood cardiometabolic risk (CMR) was indexed by a composite of waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, C-reactive protein, and high-density lipoprotein. RESULTS: Inspection of paths between the prepubertal risk factors, pubertal timing indicators, and adulthood CMR composite showed later breast development onset (-0.173, p < .01), later pubic hair onset (-0.182, p < .01), and later menarche (-0.145, p < .01) each predicted lower adulthood CMR, and each pubertal timing indicator mediated effects of prepubertal risk factors on adulthood CMR. Specifically, the timing of breast development onset and menarche mediated effects of maternal menarcheal age, Black (vs. White), Asian/PI (vs. White), child BMI percentile, and child SES on adulthood CMR (all ps < .05), and the timing of pubic hair onset mediated effects of maternal menarcheal age, Black (vs. White), and child BMI percentile on adulthood CMR (all ps < .10). CONCLUSION: Findings in the current study contribute to the broader literature by identifying pubertal development and its timing as a potentially important pathway through which early life exposures may shape adulthood cardiometabolic health and disease. These findings have important implications for novel opportunities for increased surveillance and potential intervention focusing on pubertal development as a target to improve health more broadly.

Effects of Wildfire Events on California Radiation Oncology Clinics and Patients.

Purpose: The effect of climate-driven events, such as wildfires, on health care delivery and cancer care is a growing concern. Patients with cancer undergoing radiation therapy are particularly vulnerable to treatment interruptions, which have a direct effect on survival. We report the results of a study characterizing the effect of wildfires on radiation oncology clinics and their patients. Methods and Materials: A survey of California radiation oncologists was used to evaluate emergency preparedness and the effect of wildfires on the delivery of radiation therapy services between 2017 and 2022. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's χ2 tests were performed to investigate potential relationships between provider characteristics, practice settings, and perceptions of the effect of wildfire events. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection data were employed to map the geographic distribution of wildfires to clinic locations. Results: Response rate was 12.3% (51/415 radiation oncologists), representing 25% of clinics (43/176) in 41% (24/58) of California counties. Sixty-one percent (31/51) of respondents reported being affected by a wildfire, 2 of which are rural clinics (100%, 2/2) and 29 are (59%, 29/49) metropolitan practices. Of these, 18% (9/51) reported a clinic closure, and 29% (15/51) reported staffing shortages. Respondents reported effects on patients, including having to evacuate (55%, 28/51), cancel/reschedule treatments (53%, 27/51), and experiencing physical, mental, or financial hardship due to wildfires (45%, 23/51). Respondents described effects on clinical operations, including being forced to transfer patients (24%, 12/51), transportation interruptions (37%, 19/51), regional/community evacuations (35%, 18/51), and physical/mental health effects (27%, 14/51) on clinic personnel. Less than half of the respondents (47%, 24/51) reported their workplace had a wildfire emergency preparedness plan. Additionally, geographic analysis revealed that 100% (176/176) of clinics were located within 25 miles of a wildfire. Conclusions: This study highlights the effects of wildfires on radiation oncology clinics and patients and underscores the need for emergency preparedness planning to minimize the consequences of such disasters.

A roadmap to establishing global oncology as a priority initiative within a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.

As the burden of cancers impacting low- and middle-income countries is projected to increase, formation of strategic partnerships between institutions in high-income countries and low- and middle-income country institutions may serve to accelerate cancer research, clinical care, and training. As the US National Cancer Institute and its Center for Global Health continue to encourage cancer centers to join its global mission, academic cancer centers in the United States have increased their global activities. In 2015, the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, San Francisco, responded to the call for international partnership in addressing the global cancer burden through the establishment of the Global Cancer Program as a priority initiative. In developing the Global Cancer Program, we galvanized institutional support to foster sustained, bidirectional, equitable, international partnerships in global cancer control. Our focus and intent in disseminating this commentary is to share experiences and lessons learned from the perspective of a US-based, National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and to provide a roadmap for other high-income institutions seeking to strategically broaden their missions and address the complex challenges of global cancer control. Herein, we review the formative evaluation, governance, strategic planning, investments in career development, funding sources, program evaluation, and lessons learned. Reflecting on the evolution of our program during the first 5 years, we observed in our partners a powerful shift toward a locally driven priority setting, reduced dependency, and an increased commitment to research as a path to improve cancer outcomes in resource-constrained settings.

Educational Attainment and Cancer Incidence in a Large Nationwide Prospective Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Educational attainment is a social determinant of health and frequently used as an indicator of socioeconomic status. Educational attainment is a predictor of cancer mortality, but associations with site-specific cancer incidence are variable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of educational attainment and site-specific cancer incidence adjusting for known risk factors in a large prospective cohort. METHODS: Men and women enrolled in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort who were cancer free at baseline were included in this study (n = 148,965). Between 1992 and 2017, 22,810 men and 17,556 women were diagnosed with incident cancer. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate age- and multivariable-adjusted risk and 95% confidence intervals of total and site-specific cancer incidence in persons with lower versus higher educational attainment. RESULTS: Educational attainment was inversely associated with age-adjusted cancer incidence among men but not women. For specific cancer sites, the multivariable-adjusted risk of cancer in the least versus most educated individuals remained significant for colon, rectum, and lung cancer among men and lung and breast cancer among women. CONCLUSIONS: Educational attainment is associated with overall and site-specific cancer risk though adjusting for cancer risk factors attenuates the association for most cancer sites. IMPACT: This study provides further evidence that educational attainment is an important social determinant of cancer but that its effects are driven by associated behavioral risk factors suggesting that targeting interventions toward those with lower educational attainment is an important policy consideration.

Early Ascertainment of Breast Cancer Diagnoses Comparing Self-Reported Questionnaires and Electronic Health Record Data Warehouse: The WISDOM Study.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to use real-world data sources that may be faster and more complete than self-reported data alone, and timelier than cancer registries, to ascertain breast cancer cases in the ongoing screening trial, the WISDOM Study. METHODS: We developed a data warehouse procedural process (DWPP) to identify breast cancer cases from a subgroup of WISDOM participants (n = 11,314) who received breast-related care from a University of California Health Center in the period 2012-2021 by searching electronic health records (EHRs) in the University of California Data Warehouse (UCDW). Incident breast cancer diagnoses identified by the DWPP were compared with those identified by self-report via annual follow-up online questionnaires. RESULTS: Our study identified 172 participants with confirmed breast cancer diagnoses in the period 2016-2021 by the following sources: 129 (75%) by both self-report and DWPP, 23 (13%) by DWPP alone, and 20 (12%) by self-report only. Among those with International Classification of Diseases 10th revision cancer diagnostic codes, no diagnosis was confirmed in 18% of participants. CONCLUSION: For diagnoses that occurred ≥20 months before the January 1, 2022, UCDW data pull, WISDOM self-reported data via annual questionnaire achieved high accuracy (96%), as confirmed by the cancer registry. More rapid cancer ascertainment can be achieved by combining self-reported data with EHR data from a health system data warehouse registry, particularly to address self-reported questionnaire issues such as timing delays (ie, time lag between participant diagnoses and the submission of their self-reported questionnaire typically ranges from a month to a year) and lack of response. Although cancer registry reporting often is not as timely, it does not require verification as does the DWPP or self-report from annual questionnaires.

Asian American Enclaves and Healthcare Accessibility: An Ecologic Study Across Five States.

INTRODUCTION: Access to primary care has been a long-standing priority for improving population health. Asian Americans, who often settle in ethnic enclaves, have been found to underutilize health care. Understanding geographic primary care accessibility within Asian American enclaves can help to ensure the long-term health of this fast-growing population. METHODS: U.S. Census data from five states (California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, and Texas) were used to develop and describe census-tract level measures of Asian American enclaves and social and built environment characteristics for years 2000 and 2010. The 2-step floating catchment area method was applied to National Provider Identifier data to develop a tract-level measure of geographic primary care accessibility. Analyses were conducted in 2022-2023, and associations between enclaves (versus nonenclaves) and geographic primary care accessibility were evaluated using multivariable Poisson regression with robust variance estimation, adjusting for potential area-level confounders. RESULTS: Of 24,482 census tracts, 26.1% were classified as Asian American enclaves. Asian American enclaves were more likely to be metropolitan and have less poverty, lower crime, and lower proportions of uninsured individuals than nonenclaves. Asian American enclaves had higher primary care accessibility than nonenclaves (adjusted prevalence ratio=1.23, 95% CI=1.17, 1.29). CONCLUSIONS: Asian American enclaves in five of the most diverse and populous states in the U.S. had fewer markers of disadvantage and greater geographic primary care accessibility. This study contributes to the growing body of research elucidating the constellation of social and built environment features within Asian American enclaves and provides evidence of health-promoting characteristics of these neighborhoods.

Family and personal history of cancer in the All of Us research program for precision medicine.

The All of Us (AoU) Research Program is making available one of the largest and most diverse collections of health data in the US to researchers. Using the All of Us database, we evaluated family and personal histories of five common types of cancer in 89,453 individuals, comparing these data to 24,305 participants from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Comparing datasets, we found similar family cancer history (33%) rates, but higher personal cancer history in the AoU dataset (9.2% in AoU vs. 5.11% in NHIS), Methodological (e.g. survey-versus telephone-based data collection) and demographic variability may explain these between-data differences, but more research is needed.

A complex systems model of breast cancer etiology: The Paradigm II Model.

BACKGROUND: Complex systems models of breast cancer have previously focused on prediction of prognosis and clinical events for individual women. There is a need for understanding breast cancer at the population level for public health decision-making, for identifying gaps in epidemiologic knowledge and for the education of the public as to the complexity of this most common of cancers. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We developed an agent-based model of breast cancer for the women of the state of California using data from the U.S. Census, the California Health Interview Survey, the California Cancer Registry, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the literature. The model was implemented in the Julia programming language and R computing environment. The Paradigm II model development followed a transdisciplinary process with expertise from multiple relevant disciplinary experts from genetics to epidemiology and sociology with the goal of exploring both upstream determinants at the population level and pathophysiologic etiologic factors at the biologic level. The resulting model reproduces in a reasonable manner the overall age-specific incidence curve for the years 2008-2012 and incidence and relative risks due to specific risk factors such as BRCA1, polygenic risk, alcohol consumption, hormone therapy, breastfeeding, oral contraceptive use and scenarios for environmental toxin exposures. CONCLUSIONS: The Paradigm II model illustrates the role of multiple etiologic factors in breast cancer from domains of biology, behavior and the environment. The value of the model is in providing a virtual laboratory to evaluate a wide range of potential interventions into the social, environmental and behavioral determinants of breast cancer at the population level.

The Pathways to Prevention program: nutrition as prevention for improved cancer outcomes.

Adequate nutrition is central to well-being and health and can enhance recovery during illness. Although it is well known that malnutrition, both undernutrition and overnutrition, poses an added challenge for patients with cancer diagnoses, it remains unclear when and how to intervene and if such nutritional interventions improve clinical outcomes. In July 2022, the National Institutes of Health convened a workshop to examine key questions, identify related knowledge gaps, and provide recommendations to advance understanding about the effects of nutritional interventions. Evidence presented at the workshop found substantial heterogeneity among published randomized clinical trials, with a majority rated as low quality and yielding mostly inconsistent results. Other research cited trials in limited populations that showed potential for nutritional interventions to reduce the adverse effects associated with malnutrition in people with cancer. After review of the relevant literature and expert presentations, an independent expert panel recommends baseline screening for malnutrition risk using a validated instrument following cancer diagnosis and repeated screening during and after treatment to monitor nutritional well-being. Those at risk of malnutrition should be referred to registered dietitians for more in-depth nutritional assessment and intervention. The panel emphasizes the need for further rigorous, well-defined nutritional intervention studies to evaluate the effects on symptoms and cancer-specific outcomes as well as effects of intentional weight loss before or during treatment in people with overweight or obesity. Finally, although data on intervention effectiveness are needed first, robust data collection during trials is recommended to assess cost-effectiveness and inform coverage and implementation decisions.

Thirty-year follow-up of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD): the challenges and triumphs of conducting in-person research at a distance.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the current study, The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Study of Health in Early and Adult Life (SHINE), was to build on the landmark Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD), a longitudinal birth cohort initiated in 1991, by conducting a health-focused follow-up of the now adult participants. This effort has produced an invaluable resource for the pursuit of life course research examining links between early life risk and resilience factors and adulthood health and disease risk. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 927 NICHD SECCYD participants available for recruitment in the current study, 705 (76.1%) participated in the study. Participants were between 26 and 31 years and living in diverse geographic locations throughout the USA. FINDINGS TO DATE: In descriptive analyses, the sample exhibited risk on health status indicators, especially related to obesity, hypertension and diabetes. Of particular concern, the prevalence of hypertension (29.4%) and diabetes (25.8%) exceeded national estimates in similar-age individuals. Health behaviour indicators generally tracked with the parameters of poor health status, showing a pattern of poor diet, low activity and disrupted sleep. The juxtaposition of the sample's relatively young age (mean=28.6 years) and high educational status (55.6% college educated or greater) with its poor health status is noteworthy, suggesting a dissociation between health and factors that are typically health protective. This is consistent with observed population health trends, which show a worsening of cardiometabolic health status in younger generations of Americans. FUTURE PLANS: The current study, SHINE, lays the groundwork for future analyses in which the uniquely robust measures collected as a part of the original NICHD SECCYD will be leveraged to pinpoint specific early life risk and resilience factors as well as the correlates and potential mechanisms accounting for variability in health and disease risk indicators in young adulthood.

Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Screening by Time in the U.S. and Race/Ethnicity, 2010-2018.

INTRODUCTION: Longer time lived in the U.S. has been associated with worse health outcomes, especially preventable diseases, among racially and ethnically diverse groups of foreign-born individuals. This study evaluated the association between time lived in the U.S. and colorectal cancer screening adherence and whether this relationship differed by race and ethnicity. METHODS: Data from the National Health Interview Survey for 2010-2018 among adults aged 50-75 years were used. Time in the U.S. was categorized as U.S.-born, foreign-born ≥15 years, and foreign-born <15 years. Colorectal cancer screening adherence was defined according to U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines. Generalized linear models with Poisson distribution were used to calculate adjusted prevalence ratios and 95% CIs. Analyses were conducted in 2020-2022, were stratified by race and ethnicity, accounted for the complex sampling design, and were weighted to be representative of the U.S. RESULTS: Prevalence of colorectal cancer screening adherence was 63% overall, 64% for U.S.-born, 55% for foreign-born ≥15 years, and 35% for foreign-born <15 years. In fully adjusted models for all individuals, only foreign-born <15 years had lower adherence than U.S.-born (foreign-born ≥15 years: prevalence ratio=0.97 [0.95, 1.00], foreign-born <15 years: prevalence ratio=0.79 [0.71, 0.88]). Results differed by race and ethnicity (p-interaction=0.002). In stratified analyses, findings for non-Hispanic White individuals (foreign-born ≥15 years: prevalence ratio=1.00 [0.96, 1.04], foreign-born <15 years: prevalence ratio=0.76 [0.58, 0.98]) and non-Hispanic Black individuals (foreign-born ≥15 years: prevalence ratio=0.94 [0.86, 1.02], foreign-born <15 years: prevalence ratio=0.61 [0.44, 0.85]) were similar to all individuals. Disparities by time in the U.S. were not observed among Hispanic/Latino individuals (foreign-born ≥15 years: prevalence ratio=0.98 [0.92, 1.04], foreign-born <15 years: prevalence ratio=0.86 [0.74, 1.01]) but persisted among Asian American/Pacific Islander individuals (foreign-born ≥15 years: prevalence ratio=0.84 [0.77, 0.93], foreign-born <15 years: prevalence ratio=0.74 [0.60, 0.93]). CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between colorectal cancer screening adherence and time in the U.S. varied by race and ethnicity. Culturally and ethnically tailored interventions are needed to improve colorectal cancer screening adherence among foreign-born people, especially among the most recently immigrated individuals.

Cancer Research in 2030: A unique strategic planning process at a comprehensive cancer center.

Following the successful renewal of its Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG), leadership of the UCSF Helen Diller Comprehensive Cancer Center (HDFCCC) began a strategic planning process. The motivation was to think about where cancer research was going in the future; and with this vision to define a general scientific direction, mission, and priorities. HDFCCC Leadership began discussions about a new strategic plan in early 2018. From these meetings, the theme of "Cancer Research in 2030" arose: that is, what will cancer research look like in 2030? This forward-looking focus was intended to encourage creativity unconfined by a particular institutional structure or grant mechanism. Focusing on the science paved the way for an innovative, actionable, and motivating strategic planning process. Here, we describe the three-phase process, and the various groups involved across the HDFCCC and UCSF. We present the unique framework based on a cells-to-society model and an individual experience perspective, which led to the development of a logic model and ongoing implementation of tactics and tracking progress. We believe that sharing this process and its results will be of value to cancer centers and cancer researchers across the network of NCI comprehensive cancer centers, and cancer research centers in general.

Cancer Risk Behaviors, Cancer Beliefs, and Health Information Seeking Among Under-Represented Populations in San Francisco: Differences by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

Purpose: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals in the United States are at increased risk of cancer compared to the non-SGM population. Understanding how SGM persons perceive cancer risk and their practices and preferences for accessing health information is key for improving the preventive and health care services they receive. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from the San Francisco Health Information National Trends Survey. SGM individuals were identified by self-report. Differences in cancer risk factors, cancer beliefs, and health information seeking were evaluated by SGM status using multivariable logistic regression models. Results: Out of 1027 participants, 130 (13%) reported being SGM individuals. Current smoking (odds ratio [OR]=1.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.24-3.01) and alcohol use (OR=1.69, 95% CI=1.10-2.59) were more common among SGM persons than among non-SGM persons. No differences by SGM status were observed in health information seeking behaviors, preferences, and cancer beliefs, but SGM participants reported significantly higher odds of feeling frustrated (OR=1.78, 95% CI=1.20-2.64) and having concerns about the quality of the information (OR=1.54, 95% CI=1.03-2.31) during their most recent health information search. Conclusions: Intervention efforts aimed at SGM individuals with current use of tobacco and/or alcohol should be expanded. SGM communities also need improved access to consistent, reliable, and accurate sources of health information. Their increased frustration when seeking health information and concerns about the quality of the information they find have important implications for SGM health and care, and the drivers of these differences merit further evaluation.

Enhancing grant-writing expertise in BUILD institutions: Building infrastructure leading to diversity.

BACKGROUND: The lack of race/ethnic and gender diversity in grants funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a persistent challenge related to career advancement and the quality and relevance of health research. We describe pilot programs at nine institutions supported by the NIH-sponsored Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) program aimed at increasing diversity in biomedical research. METHODS: We collected data from the 2016-2017 Higher Education Research Institute survey of faculty and NIH progress reports for the first four years of the program (2015-2018). We then conducted descriptive analyses of data from the nine BUILD institutions that had collected data and evaluated which activities were associated with research productivity. We used Poisson regression and rate ratios of the numbers of BUILD pilots funded, students included, abstracts, presentations, publications, and submitted and funded grant proposals. RESULTS: Teaching workshops were associated with more abstracts (RR 4.04, 95% CI 2.21-8.09). Workshops on grant writing were associated with more publications (RR 2.64, 95% CI 1.64-4.34) and marginally with marginally more presentations. Incentives to develop courses were associated with more abstracts published (RR 4.33, 95% CI 2.56-7.75). Workshops on research skills and other incentives were not associated with any positive effects. CONCLUSIONS: Pilot interventions show promise in supporting diversity in NIH-level research. Longitudinal modeling that considers time lags in career development in moving from project development to grants submissions can provide more direction for future diversity pilot interventions.

A Socio-Ecological Framework for Cancer Prevention in Low and Middle-Income Countries.

Cancer incidence and mortality rates continue to rise globally, a trend mostly driven by preventable cancers occurring in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). There is growing concern that many LMICs are ill-equipped to cope with markedly increased burden of cancer due to lack of comprehensive cancer control programs that incorporate primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies. Notably, few countries have allocated budgets to implement such programs. In this review, we utilize a socio-ecological framework to summarize primary (risk reduction), secondary (early detection), and tertiary (treatment and survivorship) strategies to reduce the cancer burden in these countries across the individual, organizational, community, and policy levels. We highlight strategies that center on promoting health behaviors and reducing cancer risk, including diet, tobacco, alcohol, and vaccine uptake, approaches to promote routine cancer screenings, and policies to support comprehensive cancer treatment. Consistent with goals promulgated by the United Nations General Assembly on Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Control, our review supports the development and implementation of sustainable national comprehensive cancer control plans in partnership with local communities to enhance cultural relevance and adoption, incorporating strategies across the socio-ecological framework. Such a concerted commitment will be necessary to curtail the rising cancer and chronic disease burden in LMICs.

Catchment Areas, Community Outreach and Engagement Revisited: The 2021 Guidelines for Cancer Center Support Grants from the National Cancer Institute.

New guidelines for Cancer Center Support Grants have recently been issued by the NCI that require increased attention to cancer center catchment areas and their community outreach and engagement activities [PAR-21-321]. Past experience with these requirements has engendered some confusion and frustration on the part of both researchers and reviewers that these new guidelines aim to dispel. In this commentary we, as experienced cancer center leaders in population sciences, offer our views on the most important aspects of the new guidelines and provide three examples of the kinds of programs that can apply cancer prevention and control research to improve cancer population health. With 71 NCI-Designated Cancer Centers in 36 states, the potential for broad impact on the reduction of the nation's cancer burden is enormous if the intended application of cancer center research to individuals and populations is fulfilled.

Frailty and risk of mortality in older cancer survivors and adults without a cancer history: Evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2014.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic evidence reporting the role of frailty in survival among older adults with a prior cancer diagnosis is limited. METHODS: A total of 2050 older adults (≥60 years old) surviving for at least 1 year after a cancer diagnosis and 9474 older adults without a cancer history from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2014) were included for analysis. The exposure variable, a 45-item frailty index (FI), was categorized on the basis of validated cutoffs (FI ≤ 0.10 [fit], 0.10 < FI ≤ 0.21 [prefrail], and FI > 0.21 [frail]). All-cause mortality was ascertained via the National Death Index. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence interval (CIs) for the FI, and this was followed by restricted cubic splines depicting dose-response curves. RESULTS: For older cancer survivors, the mean age at the baseline was 72.6 years (SD, 7.1 years); 5.9% were fit, 38.2% were prefrail, and 55.9% were frail. Older adults without a cancer history were slightly younger (mean age, 70.0 years) and less frail (47.9% were frail). At each level of the FI, cancer survivors (1.9 per 100 person-years for FI ≤ 0.10, 3.4 per 100 person-years for 0.10 < FI ≤ 0.21, and 7.5 per 100 person-years for FI > 0.21) had higher mortality than their cancer-free counterparts (1.4 per 100 person-years for FI ≤ 0.10, 2.4 per 100 person-years for 0.10 < FI ≤ 0.21, and 5.4 per 100 person-years for FI > 0.21). The multivariable model suggested a positive association between the FI and all-cause mortality for survivors (aHR for FI > 0.21 vs FI ≤ 0.10, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.73-4.53) and participants without a cancer history (aHR for FI > 0.21 vs FI ≤ 0.10, 2.75; 95% CI, 2.29-3.32). Restricted cubic splines indicated that all-cause mortality risk increased with the FI in a monotonic pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Frailty is associated with a higher risk of death in older cancer survivors and the elderly without a cancer history.