Prevalence of Anal Human Papillomavirus Infection and Anal High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions Among Men Who Have Sex With Men 50 Years and Older Living With or Without HIV.

BACKGROUND: Anal cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly HPV-16, and is preceded by anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs). The incidence of anal cancer is highest among men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV (MSMLWH) and increases with age. However, most previous studies of anal HPV infection and anal HSIL were performed on men under 50 years old, and relatively little is known about HSIL among older MSMLWH or MSM not living with HIV (MSM-Not-LWH). SETTING: We enrolled MSM who were aged 50+ during 2018-2022 in San Francisco, CA. METHODS: One hundred twenty-nine MSMLWH and 109 MSM-not-LWH participated. All participants had anal HPV DNA testing (Atila Biosystems) and high-resolution anoscopy with a biopsy of visible lesions. RESULTS: Among MSMLWH, 47% had anal HSIL, 19% had HPV-16, and 51% had other oncogenic anal HPV types (excluding HPV-16). Among MSM-not-LWH, 37% had anal HSIL, 22% had HPV-16, and 34% had other oncogenic anal HPV types. Increasing age was not statistically associated with prevalent HSIL, HPV-16, or other oncogenic HPV infections in MSMLWH or MSM-not-LWH. HPV-16 (odds ratio: 45.1, 95% confidence interval: 15.8-129); other oncogenic HPV types (odds ratio: 5.95, 95% confidence interval: 2.74-12.9) were associated with increased odds of anal HSIL, adjusted for age, income, education, and HIV status. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of oncogenic anal HPV, anal HPV-16, and anal HSIL remains very high in older MSMLWH and MSM-not-LWH. With recent evidence showing that treating anal HSIL prevents anal cancer, MSM aged 50+ should be considered for anal cancer screening.

Associations Between Perceived Discrimination, Screening Mammography, and Breast Cancer Stage at Diagnosis: A Prospective Cohort Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Despite higher breast cancer screening rates, black women still are more likely to have late-stage disease diagnosed. This disparity is influenced in part by structural and interpersonal racism. This prospective study sought to determine how interpersonal factors, including perceived discrimination, influence screening and stage of disease at diagnosis. METHODS: A prospective cohort study analyzed adult women with stages I to IV breast cancer from the Miami Breast Cancer Disparities Study. Perceived discrimination and mistrust of providers were assessed using previously validated questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the odds of screening mammography utilization and late-stage breast cancer at diagnosis. RESULTS: The study enrolled 342 patients (54.4 % Hispanic, 15.8 % white, and 17.3 % black). Multivariate regression, after control for both individual- and neighborhood-level factors, showed that a higher level of perceived discrimination was associated with greater odds of late-stage disease (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.06; range, 1.01-1.12); p = 0.022) and lower odds of screening mammography (aOR, 0.96; range, 0.92-0.99; p = 0.046). A higher level of perceived discrimination also was negatively correlated with multiple measures of provider trust. DISCUSSION: This study identified that high perceived level of discrimination is associated with decreased odds of ever having a screening mammogram and increased odds of late-stage disease. Efforts are needed to reach women who experience perceived discrimination and to improve the patient-provider trust relationship because these may be modifiable risk factors for barriers to screening and late-stage disease presentation, which ultimately have an impact on breast cancer survival.

Axillary management and long-term oncologic outcomes in breast cancer patients with clinical N1 disease treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Low false negative rates can be achieved with sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer (BC) patients with clinical N1 (cN1) disease. We examined changes in axillary management and oncologic outcomes in BC patients with cN1 disease receiving NAC. METHODS: BC patients with biopsy proven cN1 disease treated with NAC were selected from our institutional cancer registry (2014-2017). Patients were grouped by axillary management, axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), SLNB followed by ALND, or SLNB alone. Univariable and multivariable survival analysis for recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were performed. RESULTS: 81 patients met inclusion criteria: 31 (38%) underwent ALND, 25 (31%) SLNB + ALND, and 25 (31%) SLNB alone. A SLN was identified in 45/50 (90%) patients who had SLNB. ALND was performed in 25/50 (50%) patients who had SLNB: 18 for a + SLNB, 5 failed SLNB, and 2 insufficient SLNs. 25 patients had SLNB alone, 17 were SLN- and 8 SLN+. In the SLNB alone group, 23/25 (92%) patients received adjuvant radiation (RT). 20 (25%) patients developed BC recurrence: 14 distant (70%), 3 local (15%), 2 regional + distant (10%), and 1 contralateral (5%). In the SLNB alone group, there was 1 axillary recurrence in a patient with a negative SLNB who did not receive RT. Univariable survival analysis showed significant differences in RFS and OS between axillary management groups, ALND/SLNB + ALND vs. SLNB alone (RFS: p = 0.006, OS: p = 0.021). On multivariable survival analysis, worse RFS and OS were observed in patients with TNBC (RFS: HR 3.77, 95% CI 1.70-11.90, p = 0.023; OS: HR 8.10, 95% CI 1.84-35.60, p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: SLNB alone and RT after NAC in BC patients with cN1 disease who have negative SLNs at surgery provides long-term regional disease control. This analysis provides support for the practice of axillary downstaging with NAC and SLNB alone.

Renal papillary tip biopsy in stone formers: a review of clinical safety and insights.

Alexander Randall first published renal papillary tip findings from stone formers in 1937, paving the way for endoscopic assessment to study stone pathogenesis. We performed a literature search to evaluate the safety of papillary tip biopsy and clinical insights gained from modern renal papillary investigations. A search on the topic of renal papillary biopsy provided an overview of Randall's plaques (RP), classification systems for renal papillary grading, and a summary of procedure type, complications, and outcomes. Within 26 identified manuscripts, 660 individuals underwent papillary tip biopsy percutaneously (n = 562), endoscopically (n = 37), or unspecified (n = 23). Post-operative hemoglobin changes were similar to controls. One individual (0.2%) reported fever > 38°, and long-term mean serum creatinine post-biopsy (n = 32) was unchanged. Biopsies during ureteroscopy or PCNL added ~20-30 min of procedure time. Compared to controls, papillary plaque-containing tissue had upregulation in pro-inflammatory genes, immune cells, and cellular apoptosis. Urinary calcium and papillary plaque coverage were found to differ between RP and non-RP stone formers, suggesting differing underlying pathophysiology for these groups. Two renal papillary scoring systems have been externally validated and are used to classify stone formers. Overall, this review shows that renal papillary biopsies have a low complication profile with high potential for further research. Systematic adaption of a papillary grading scale, newer tissue analysis techniques, and the development of animal models of Randall's plaque may allow further exploration of plaque pathogenesis and identify targets for prevention therapies in patients with nephrolithiasis.

Does structural racism impact receipt of NCCN guideline-concordant breast cancer treatment?

PURPOSE: Disparities in breast cancer survival remain a challenge. We aimed to analyze the effect of structural racism, as measured by the Index of Concentration at the Extremes (ICE), on receipt of National Cancer Center Network (NCCN) guideline-concordant breast cancer treatment. METHODS: We identified patients treated at two institutions from 2005 to 2017 with stage I-IV breast cancer. Census tracts served as neighborhood proxies. Using 5-year estimates from the American Community Survey, 5 ICE variables were computed to create 5 models, controlling for economic segregation, non-Hispanic Black (NHB) segregation, NHB/economic segregation, Hispanic segregation, and Hispanic/economic segregation. Multi-level logistic regression models were used to determine the association between individual and neighborhood-level characteristics on receipt of NCCN guideline-concordant breast cancer treatment. RESULTS: 5173 patients were included: 55.2% were Hispanic, 27.5% were NHW, and 17.3% were NHB. Regardless of economic or residential segregation, a NHB patient was less likely to receive appropriate treatment [(OR)Model1 0.58 (0.45-0.74); ORModel2 0.59 (0.46-0.78); ORModel3 0.62 (0.47-0.81); ORModel4 0.53 (0.40-0.69); ORModel5 0.59(0.46-0.76); p < 0.05]. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first analysis assessing receipt of NCCN guideline-concordant treatment by ICE, a validated measure for structural racism. While much literature emphasizes neighborhood-level barriers to treatment, our results demonstrate that compared to NHW patients, NHB patients are less likely to receive NCCN guideline-concordant breast cancer treatment, independent of economic or residential segregation. Our study suggests that there are potential unaccounted individual or neighborhood barriers to receipt of appropriate care that go beyond economic or residential segregation.

The Enigma That is Rectal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case Series.

INTRODUCTION: Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. As rectal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an uncommon colorectal cancer, there is limited data on this clinical entity. We aimed to evaluate the tumor characteristics, treatment, and clinical outcomes of this rare deadly disease. METHODS: Pathological specimens from 2017 to 2022 at a single National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center were screened for all rectal cases with a diagnosis of SCC. All patients with a primary rectal SCC were included. Patients who had extension to the dentate line or evidence of an anal mass, and those who were treated at an outside institution, were excluded. Demographic, treatment, outcome, and surveillance data was extracted. RESULTS: There were 56 specimens identified, nine of which met inclusion criteria. Most patients were White (78%), Hispanic (78%), and female (67%). The average age at diagnosis was 57 y [52-65]. All patients had nodal involvement at the time of clinical staging. All patients were treated with Nigro protocol, with one patient treated with surgery first. The median time of follow-up was 12 mo after initial treatment, 33% had recurrence, with median time to recurrence of 25 mo. Overall, mortality from rectal SCC was 33% at a median time of 37 mo from initial diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Rectal SCC is a colorectal cancer that is not fully understood. Our findings showed that treatment mirrors that of anal SCC, with similar rates of survival to both rectal adenocarcinoma and anal SCC.

Neighborhood Disadvantage and Breast Cancer-Specific Survival in the US.

Importance: Despite improvements in breast cancer screening, treatment, and survival, disparate breast cancer-specific survival outcomes persist, particularly in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Most of these disparities are attributed to disparities in individual, tumor, and treatment characteristics. However, a critical knowledge gap exists as to whether disparities in breast cancer-specific survival remain after accounting for individual, tumor, and treatment characteristics. Objective: To evaluate if neighborhood disadvantage is associated with shorter breast cancer-specific survival after controlling for individual, tumor, and treatment characteristics in a national population. Design, Setting, and Participants: This national retrospective cohort study included patients with breast cancer diagnosed from 2013 to 2018 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 17 Census tract-level socioeconomic status and rurality database of the National Cancer Institute. Data analysis was performed from September 2022 to December 2023. Exposures: Neighborhood disadvantage measured by Yost index quintiles. Main Outcomes and Measures: Breast cancer-specific survival was evaluated using a competing risks cause-specific hazard model controlling for age, race, ethnicity, rurality, stage, subtype, insurance, and receipt of treatment. Results: A total of 350 824 patients with breast cancer were included; 41 519 (11.8%) were Hispanic, 39 631 (11.3%) were non-Hispanic Black, and 234 698 (66.9%) were non-Hispanic White. A total of 87 635 patients (25.0%) lived in the most advantaged neighborhoods (group 5) and 52 439 (14.9%) lived in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods (group 1). A larger number of non-Hispanic White patients (66 529 patients [76.2%]) lived in advantaged neighborhoods, while disadvantaged neighborhoods had the highest proportion of non-Hispanic Black (16 141 patients [30.9%]) and Hispanic patients (10 168 patients [19.5%]). Breast cancer-specific survival analysis found the most disadvantaged neighborhoods (group 1) had the highest risk of mortality (hazard ratio, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.36-1.50; P < .001) compared with the most advantaged neighborhoods. Conclusions and Relevance: In this national cohort study of patients with breast cancer, neighborhood disadvantage was independently associated with shorter breast cancer-specific survival even after controlling for individual-level factors, tumor characteristics, and treatment. This suggests potential unaccounted-for mechanisms, including both nonbiologic factors and biologic factors.

ZIP Code to Genomic Code: Neighborhood Disadvantage, Aggressive Breast Cancer Biology, and Breast Cancer Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between objective (geospatial) and subjective (perceived) measures of neighborhood disadvantage (ND) and aggressive breast cancer tumor biology, defined using validated social adversity-associated transcription factor (TF) activity and clinical outcomes. BACKGROUND: ND is associated with shorter breast cancer recurrence-free survival (RFS), independent of individual, tumor, and treatment characteristics, suggesting potential unaccounted biological mechanisms by which ND influences RFS. METHODS: We quantified TF-binding motif prevalence within promoters of differentially expressed genes for 147 tissue samples prospectively collected on the protocol. Covariate-adjusted multivariable regression analyzed objective and subjective ND scores with 5 validated TFs of social adversity and aggressive biology-pro-inflammatory activity [nuclear factor-κB ( NF-kB ), activator protein 1 ( AP-1 )], sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity [cyclic 3'-5' adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein ( CREB )], and protective cellular responses [interferon-regulatory factor ( IRF ) and signal transducer and activator of transcription ( STAT )]. To clinically validate these TFs as prognostic biomarkers of aggressive biology, logistic regression and multivariable Cox proportional-hazards models analyzed their association with Oncotype DX scores and RFS, respectively. RESULTS: Increasing objective ND was associated with aggressive tumor biology (up-regulated NF-kB , activator protein 1, down-regulated IRF , and signal transducer and activator of transcription) and SNS activation (up-regulated CREB ). Increasing subjective ND (eg, threat to safety) was associated with up-regulated NF-kB and CREB and down-regulated IRF . These TF patterns were associated with high-risk Oncotype DX scores and shorter RFS. CONCLUSIONS: In the largest human social genomics study, objective and subjective ND were significantly associated with TFs of aggressive biology and SNS activation. These TFs also correlated with worse clinical outcomes, implicating SNS activation as one potential mechanism behind ND survival disparities. These findings remain to be validated in a national cohort.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Bilingual Nutrition Education Program in Partnership with a Mobile Health Unit.

There are limited reports of community-based nutrition education with culinary instruction that measure biomarkers, particularly in low-income and underrepresented minority populations. Teaching kitchens have been proposed as a strategy to address social determinants of health, combining nutrition education, culinary demonstration, and skill building. The purpose of this paper is to report on the development, implementation, and evaluation of Journey to Health, a program designed for community implementation using the RE-AIM planning and evaluation framework. Reach and effectiveness were the primary outcomes. Regarding reach, 507 individuals registered for the program, 310 participants attended at least one nutrition class, 110 participants completed at least two biometric screens, and 96 participants attended at least two health coaching appointments. Participants who engaged in Journey to Health realized significant improvements in body mass index, blood pressure, and triglycerides. For higher risk participants, we additionally saw significant improvements in total and LDL cholesterol. Regarding dietary intake, we observed a significant increase in cups of fruit and a decrease in sugar sweetened beverages consumed per day. Our findings suggest that Journey to Health may improve selected biometrics and health behaviors in low-income and underrepresented minority participants.

Unmet Social Needs and Breast Cancer Screening Utilization and Stage at Presentation.

Importance: Unmet social needs in local populations may hinder the development of targeted cancer control interventions aimed at improving screening utilization and early-stage breast cancer diagnosis to ultimately improve breast cancer survival disparities. Objective: To evaluate if (1) city-funded screening mammography is associated with utilization of screening mammography, (2) unmet social needs are associated with utilization of screening mammography, and (3) unmet social needs are associated with later-stage disease at diagnosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study included patients with stages I-IV invasive ductal or lobular carcinoma treated at an academic medical center (including both an underserved safety-net hospital [SNH] and a National Cancer Institute-designated academic cancer center [ACC]) from 2020 to 2023. Eligible patients were aged 18 years or older and able to consent. Data were analyzed between July 2023 and September 2023. Exposure: The Health Leads Social Needs Screening Toolkit, a screening tool that gathers information on the most common social need domains affecting patient health. Main Outcomes and Measures: Univariable and multivariable logistic regression was utilized to evaluate the following primary outcomes: (1) routine screening mammography and (2) American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th edition clinical stage at presentation. Results: Of the 322 women who completed the Health Leads Social Needs Screening Toolkit, 201 (62%) self-identified as Hispanic, 63 (19%) as non-Hispanic Black, and 63 (19%) as non-Hispanic White. Two hundred fifty-five (76%) patients with access to city-funded screening mammography completed a screening mammogram. Patients who presented to the SNH were more likely to present with late-stage disease compared with early-stage disease (15 of 48 [31%] vs 50 of 274 [18%]; P = .04). On multivariable logistic regression, not completing a screening mammography was associated with having an increasing number of unmet social needs (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.55-0.99; P = .047) and an increasing age at diagnosis (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.89-0.96; P < .001). Moreover, increasing unmet social needs was significantly associated with late-stage diagnosis above and beyond screening mammography (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.01-1.89; P = .04). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, access to screening mammography did not translate to utilization of screening mammography, increasing unmet social needs were significantly associated with lower rates of screening mammography, and those with increasing unmet social needs were more likely to present with late-stage disease. This association transcended recruitment site (SNH vs ACC), indicating that patients in either hospital setting may benefit from unmet social needs screening to overcome access to care barriers associated with late-stage disease at diagnosis.

Single port (SP) robotic pyeloplasty in a pediatric patient.

We began using the da Vinci single port (SP) robot for pediatric urologic surgeries at our institution due to limited access to the multiport robot. Availability of this technology has allowed us to schedule cases in a timelier fashion and increase access to minimally invasive urologic surgery for children in our area. Here, we report our technique for transperitoneal SP robotic pyeloplasty in the case of a 7 year-old boy with left ureteropelvic junction obstruction. Our technique was refined over a series of 10 patients under the age of 18. Highlights of the SP RALP technique include one 3 cm, concealed incision over the pubic tubercle, gentle frog leg positioning and burping of the boom to create optimal angle for robotic docking, and use of a "floating dock" to obtain 10 cm distance from target anatomy which is essential in smaller pediatric patients. SP pyeloplasty is safe and feasible in children and offers a concealed single incision alternative to the multiport approach.

Can stepped collaborative care interventions improve post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms for racial and ethnic minority injury survivors?

Objectives: No large-scale randomized clinical trial investigations have evaluated the potential differential effectiveness of early interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among injured patients from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds. The current investigation assessed whether a stepped collaborative care intervention trial conducted at 25 level I trauma centers differentially improved PTSD symptoms for racial and ethnic minority injury survivors. Methods: The investigation was a secondary analysis of a stepped wedge cluster randomized clinical trial. Patients endorsing high levels of distress on the PTSD Checklist (PCL-C) were randomized to enhanced usual care control or intervention conditions. Three hundred and fifty patients of the 635 randomized (55%) were from non-white and/or Hispanic backgrounds. The intervention included care management, cognitive behavioral therapy elements and, psychopharmacology addressing PTSD symptoms. The primary study outcome was PTSD symptoms assessed with the PCL-C at 3, 6, and 12 months postinjury. Mixed model regression analyses compared treatment effects for intervention and control group patients from non-white/Hispanic versus white/non-Hispanic backgrounds. Results: The investigation attained between 75% and 80% 3-month to 12-month follow-up. The intervention, on average, required 122 min (SD=132 min). Mixed model regression analyses revealed significant changes in PCL-C scores for non-white/Hispanic intervention patients at 6 months (adjusted difference -3.72 (95% CI -7.33 to -0.10) Effect Size =0.25, p<0.05) after the injury event. No significant differences were observed for white/non-Hispanic patients at the 6-month time point (adjusted difference -1.29 (95% CI -4.89 to 2.31) ES=0.10, p=ns). Conclusion: In this secondary analysis, a brief stepped collaborative care intervention was associated with greater 6-month reductions in PTSD symptoms for non-white/Hispanic patients when compared with white/non-Hispanic patients. If replicated, these findings could serve to inform future American College of Surgeon Committee on Trauma requirements for screening, intervention, and referral for PTSD and comorbidities. Level of evidence: Level II, secondary analysis of randomized clinical trial data reporting a significant difference. Trial registration number: NCT02655354.

Associations Between Neighborhood-Level Income and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer in a Majority-Minority Population.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies on disparities in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) focus on race/ethnicity, with few exploring the impact of contextual factors such as neighborhood-level income. This study evaluates the effect of neighborhood-level income on disparities in TNBC among a racially and ethnically diverse cohort, after accounting for granular individual-level risk factors of TNBC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with stage I-IV breast cancer from 2005 to 2017 were identified from our local tumor registry. The primary outcome was diagnosis of TNBC. Using 5-years estimates from the American Community Survey, we obtained median household income for each census tract which was categorized into quartiles. Mixed effects logistic regression was conducted and stratified by race and ethnicity, controlling for individual-level sociodemographic, comorbidities, and tumor characteristics. RESULTS: Among 5377 breast cancer registry patients, 16.5% were diagnosed with TNBC. The majority were Hispanic (50.1%) followed by non-Hispanic Black (NHB) (28.0%). After controlling for individual-level covariables including race and ethnicity, comorbidities, and tumor characteristics, women from low-income neighborhoods had increased odds of TNBC compared with other breast cancer subtypes, compared with those in high-income neighborhoods [odds ratio (OR) 1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04, 1.70, p < 0.001]. In stratified analyses, NHB patients from low-income neighborhoods had two times the odds of TNBC diagnosis compared with those from high-income neighborhoods (OR 2.11; 95% CI 1.02, 4.37). CONCLUSION: We found that living in a low-income neighborhood is associated with an increased odds of TNBC independent of granular individual-level TNBC risk factors, particularly NHB race. More striking, NHB living in low-income neighborhoods had increased odds of TNBC compared with NHB living in high-income neighborhoods. Our results suggest potential unaccounted gene-environment and/or social (api)genomic interactions between neighborhood-level income and TNBC subtype development.

Stepped collaborative care versus American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma required screening and referral for posttraumatic stress disorder: Clinical trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: Each year in the US, approximately 1.5-2.5 million individuals are so severely injured that they require inpatient hospital admissions. The American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (College) now requires that trauma centers have in place protocols to identify and refer hospitalized patients at risk injury psychological sequelae. Literature review revealed no investigations that have identified optimal screening, intervention, and referral procedures in the wake of the College requirement. METHODS: The single-site pragmatic trial investigation will individually randomize 424 patients (212 intervention and 212 control) to a brief stepped care intervention versus College required mental health screening and referral control conditions. Blinded follow-up interviews at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-injury will assess the symptoms of PTSD and related comorbidity for all patients. The emergency department information exchange (EDIE) will be used to capture population-level automated emergency department and inpatient utilization data for the intent-to-treat sample. The investigation aims to test the primary hypotheses that intervention patients will demonstrate significant reductions in PTSD symptoms and emergency department/inpatient utilization when compared to control patients. The study incorporates a Rapid Assessment Procedure-Informed Clinical Ethnography (RAPICE) implementation process assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The overarching goal of the investigation is to advance the sustainable delivery of high-quality trauma center mental health screening, intervention, and referral procedures for diverse injury survivors. An end-of-study policy summit will harness pragmatic trial data to inform the capacity for US trauma centers to implement high-quality acute care mental health screening, intervention and referral services for diverse injured patient populations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.govNCT05632770.

Rural Melanoma Patients Have Less Surgery and Higher Melanoma-Specific Mortality.

BACKGROUND: Melanoma causes most skin cancer-related deaths, and disparities in mortality persist. Rural communities, compared to urban, face higher levels of poverty and more barriers to care, leading to higher stage at presentation and shorter survival in melanoma. To further evaluate these disparities, we sought to assess the association between rurality and melanoma cause-specific mortality and receipt of recommended surgery in a national cohort. METHODS: Patients with primary non-ocular, cutaneous melanoma from the SEER database, 2000-2017, were included. Outcomes included melanoma-specific survival and receipt of recommended surgery. Rurality was based on Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. Variables included age, sex, race, ethnicity, income, and stage. Multivariate regression models assessed the effect of rurality on survival and receipt of recommended surgery. RESULTS: 103,606 patients diagnosed with non-ocular cutaneous primary melanoma met criteria during this period. 93.3% (n = 96620) were in urban areas and 6.7% (n = 6986) were in rural areas. On multivariate regression controlling for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and stage patients living in a rural area were less likely to receive recommended surgery (aOR .52, 95% CI: .29-.90, P = .02) and had increased hazard of melanoma-specific mortality (aHR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.02-1.40, P = .03) even after additionally controlling for surgery receipt. CONCLUSION: Using a large national cohort, our study found that rural patients were less likely to receive recommended surgery and had shorter melanoma cause-specific survival. Our findings highlight the importance of access to cancer care in rural areas and how this ultimately effects survival for these patients.

Impact of Neighborhood Disadvantage on Tumor Biology and Breast Cancer Survival.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between neighborhood disadvantage and Oncotype DX score, a surrogate for tumor biology, among a national cohort. BACKGROUND: Women living in disadvantaged neighborhoods have shorter breast cancer (BC) survival, even after accounting for individual-level, tumor, and treatment characteristics. This suggests unaccounted social and biological mechanisms by which neighborhood disadvantage may impact BC survival. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included stage I and II, ER + /HER2 - BC patients with Oncotype DX score data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) from 2004 to 2019. Multivariate regression models tested the association of neighborhood-level income on Oncotype DX score controlling for age, race/ethnicity, insurance, clinical stage, and education. Cox regression assessed overall survival. RESULTS: Of the 294,283 total BC patients selected, the majority were non-Hispanic White (n=237,197, 80.6%) with 7.6% non-Hispanic Black (n=22,495) and 4.5% other (n=13,383). 27.1% (n=797,254) of the population lived in the disadvantaged neighborhoods with an annual neighborhood-level income of <$48,000, while 59.62% (n=175,305) lived in advantaged neighborhoods with a neighborhood-level income of >$48,000. On multivariable analysis controlling for age, race/ethnicity, insurance status, neighborhood-level education, and pathologic stage, patients in disadvantaged neighborhoods had greater odds of high-risk versus low-risk Oncotype DX scores compared with those in advantaged neighborhoods [odds ratio=1.04 (1.01-1.07), P =0.0067]. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: This study takes a translational epidemiologic approach to identify that women living in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods have more aggressive tumor biology, as determined by the Oncotype DX score.