Social inequalities in supportive care needs and quality of patient-centered care of cancer patients in Mexico.

PURPOSE: To evaluate educational and health insurance-related inequalities in supportive care (SC) needs and quality of patient-centered care (PCC) for cancer patients in Mexico. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in one Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) and one Ministry of Health (MoH) oncology hospital in Mexico City. Formal labor market workers and their families have access to social health insurance that IMSS provides, while unemployed and informal workers receive care at the MoH. The study population comprised breast, colorectal, prostate, and hematologic cancer patients, aged ≥ 18 years, who attended outpatient consultations. Patients responded a short-form SC-needs questionnaire and a quality of PCC questionnaire. We used multiple logistic regression models to determine the independent association between educational attainment and high SC-needs and quality of PCC after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical covariates. RESULTS: We included 1058 IMSS and 606 MoH cancer patients. MoH patients perceived higher SC-needs and lower quality of PCC than IMSS patients. MoH patients with low education had a greater probability of high psychological and health system SC needs and lower likelihood of being informed for treatment decision-making and care for their biopsychosocial needs. IMSS patients with low educational levels had lower probability of receiving timely care and clarity of information than those with high education. Receiving high-quality PCC was associated with decreased SC needs. CONCLUSION: Uninsured cancer patients with low educational attainment have higher SC-needs and receive lower quality of PCC than their counterparts. Health services should face these challenges to reduce inequalities in Mexico.

Cervical cancer prevention program in Mexico disrupted due to COVID-19 pandemic: Challenges and opportunities.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the preventive services for cervical cancer (CC) control programs in Mexico, which will result in increased mortality. This study aims to assess the impact of the pandemic on the interruption of three preventive actions in the CC prevention program in Mexico. Methods: This study is a retrospective time series analysis based on administrative records for the uninsured population served by the Mexican Ministry of Health. Patient data were retrieved from the outpatient service information system and the hospital discharge database for the period 2017-2021. Data were aggregated by month, distinguishing a pre-pandemic and a pandemic period, considering April 2020 as the start date of the pandemic. A Poisson time series analysis was used to model seasonal and secular trends. Five process indicators were selected to assess the disruption of the CC program, these were analyzed as monthly data (N=39 pre-pandemic, N=21 during the pandemic). HPV vaccination indicators (number of doses and coverage) and diagnostic characteristics of CC cases were analyzed descriptively. The time elapsed between diagnosis and treatment initiation in CC cases was modeled using restricted cubic splines from robust regression. Results: Annual HPV vaccination coverage declined dramatically after 2019 and was almost null in 2021. The number of positive Papanicolaou smears decreased by 67.8% (90%CI: -72.3, -61.7) in April-December 2020, compared to their expected values without the pandemic. The immediate pandemic shock (April 2020) in the number of first-time and recurrent colposcopies was -80.5% (95%CI:-83.5, -77.0) and -77.9% (95%CI: -81.0, -74.4), respectively. An increasing trend was observed in the proportion of advanced stage and metastatic CC cases. The fraction of CC cases that did not receive medical treatment or surgery increased, as well as CC cases that received late treatment after diagnosis. Conclusions: Our analyses show significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with declines at all levels of CC prevention and increasing inequalities. The restarting of the preventive programs against CC in Mexico offers an opportunity to put in place actions to reduce the disparities in the burden of disease between socioeconomic levels.

Psychometric validation of a Patient-Centred Quality of Cancer Care Questionnaire in Mexico.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a Patient-Centred Quality of Cancer Care Questionnaire in Spanish (PCQCCQ-S) appropriate to the Mexican context. DESIGN: Psychometric validation of a questionnaire. SETTING: Two public oncology hospitals in Mexico City. PARTICIPANTS: 1809 patients with cancer aged ≥18 years. SOURCE OF INFORMATION: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: The validation procedures comprised (1) content validity through a group of experts and patients; (2) item reduction and evaluation of the factor structure, through an exploratory factor analysis based on the polychoric correlation matrix; (3) internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha; (4) convergent validity between the PCQCCQ-S and supportive care needs scale; (5) correlation analysis between the PCQCCQ-S and quality of life scale by calculating Spearman's rank-correlation coefficient; and (6) differentiation by 'known groups' through the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. RESULTS: The PCQCCQ-S has 30 items with the following five factors accounting for 96.5% of the total variance: (1) timely care; (2) clarity of the information; (3) information for treatment decision-making; (4) activities to address biopsychosocial needs; and (5) respectful and coordinated care. Cronbach's alpha values ranged from 0.73 to 0.90 among the factors. PCQCCQ-S has moderate convergent validity with supportive care needs scale, revealing that higher quality is correlated with lower patient needs. PCQCCQ-S has acceptable ability to differentiate by 'known groups', showing that older patients and those with low levels of education perceived lower total quality of care as compared with their counterparts. CONCLUSION: PCQCCQ-S has acceptable psychometric properties and can be used to measure quality of patient-centred cancer care in Mexico and serve as a reference to develop PCQCCQ-S in other Spanish-speaking countries.

[Pregnancy after conservative management of endometrial cancer]. / Embarazo después del tratamiento conservador de cáncer de endometrio.

OBJECTIVE: To show the reproductive future of a case of endometrial cancer with conservative management. MATERIAL AND METHODS: a case report and literature review. 31 years old woman, with a history of infertility of three years and abnormal uterine bleeding of one year, diagnosed with well differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma IA GI. Treatment was initiated with 500 mg of progesterone three times a week for 6 months, after an endometrial curettage reporting healthy endometrium, pregnancy was achieved with homologous artificial insemination after hysteroscopy and directed biopsy with laparoscopic control by assisted reproduction service. RESULTS: Exploratory laparotomy and cesarean section was performed at 38 weeks of pregnancy, giving a 3.340 g weight male with Apgar score 9/9. A review of abdominal cavity and an obstetric curettage were performed. Biopsies were taken from slides and peritoneal lavage, Neoplastic changes were not reported by pathology. CONCLUSIONS: Endometrial cancer is common in adult women and is increasingly affecting young women, associated with infertility, obesity and nulliparity. The treatment of choice: total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingooforectomy. The prognosis in well-differentiated early, and infertility, permits conservative management based on progestins, with good results, low recurrence rate and preserving fertility.

[Low yield of HPV DNA determination in the distal region of the male urethra]. / La baja utilidad de la determinación del ADN del VPH en la región distal de la uretra masculina.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and of clinical and subclinical condilomatosis in men whose sex partners had been diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 1997 to August 1998, among 200 men aged 17 to 64 years referred to the Oncology Department of the National Institute of Perinatology in Mexico City. A physical examination of the penis (penoscopy) was performed after applying 3-5% acetic acid. A colposcope was used to identify acetowhite areas and vascular abnormalities associated with HPV infection. HPV DNA was detected by PCR and reverse line hybridization. The exploratory and univariant statistical analysis was made with the package Stata V6.0. RESULTS: The beta-globin gene was present in 93.5% (n = 187) of the 200 urethral exfoliated cell samples collected. HPV DNA was detected in only 2% (4/187) of the study subjects. Penoscopy data showed the presence of acetowhite areas in 43% (81/187) of subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings show that the presence of HPV DNA in urethra is uncommon, as has been reported in several previous studies. Research is needed to evaluate the presence of HPV DNA in the coronal sulcus, as compared with the distal urethral region. The English version of this paper is available at:http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html.

La baja utilidad de la determinación del ADN del VPH en la región distal de la uretra masculina / Low usefulness of HPV DNA determination in the distal region of the male urethra

OBJETIVO: Determinar la prevalencia uretral del ácido desoxirribonucleico del virus de papiloma humano, condilomatosis clínica y subclínica, en hombres cuyas parejas sexuales tuvieron el antecedente de neoplasia intraepitelial cervical. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: De octubre de 1997 a agosto de 1998 se hizo un estudio transversal; se incluyeron 200 hombres de entre 17 a 64 años de edad, referidos a la Coordinación de Oncología del Instituto Nacional de Perinatología, de la Ciudad de México, porque sus parejas regulares sexuales tuvieron el antecedente de neoplasia intraepitelial cervical. Se llevó a cabo un examen físico del pene (penoscopía) con la aplicación de ácido acético a 3-5 por ciento, y con el uso de un colposcopio se localizaron y evaluaron zonas acetoblancas y cambios vasculares, interpretados como anormales, asociados con la infección por el virus del papiloma humano. La determinación del ADN de VPH se verificó por PCR e hibridación en línea reversa. El análisis estadístico exploratorio y univariante se realizó con el paquete Stata V6.0. RESULTADOS: En las 200 muestras recolectadas de células exfoliadas de la uretra el gen de beta-globina estuvo presente en 93.5 por ciento (187/200), y el ácido desoxirribonucleico del virus del papiloma humano fue detectable solamente en 2 por ciento (4/187) de los sujetos. Por medio de la penoscopía se observó la presencia de zonas acetoblancas en 43 por ciento (81/187) de los sujetos. CONCLUSIONES: En este estudio se observa que la presencia del ácido desoxirribonucleico del virus del papiloma humano en la uretra masculina es poco común, como lo reportan estudios internacionales. Es necesario realizar investigaciones que evalúen esta presencia en glande y surco balano prepucial, en comparación con la región distal de la uretra.

Manejo laparoscópico del tumor ovárico limítrofe (borderline): análisis de la literatura y presentación de un caso / Laparoscopy management of ovarian borderline tumor: literature analysis and case report

El objetivo de este artículo es presentar el caso de una paciente con tumor ovárico limítrofe, su manejo quirúrgico conservador mediante laparoscopia, por deseo de preservar su fertilidad. Se realiza un análisis de la literatura mundial en lo que a este tipo de manejo respecta, ya que tanto el manejo conservador como el abordaje laparoscópico son motivo de controversia.