Supplement use and gastric cancer risk in the Southern Community Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: Gastric cancer remains a racial health disparity in the US, but few studies have examined supplements as a potential protective factor. We examined associations between regular supplement use and gastric cancer risk among the predominantly Black participants in the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS). METHODS: Of the 84,508 individuals recruited in the SCCS from 2002 to 2009, 81,884 responded to the baseline question: any vitamin or supplement taken at least once per month in the past year. Secondary analyses assessed specific supplement use. Associations with incident gastric cancer were examined using adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, stratified by histologic subtype and secondarily by healthy eating index (HEI). RESULTS: Approximately half of the participants (47%, n = 38,318) reported any regular supplement use. Among the 203 incident gastric cancers over the follow-up period (median, 7 years), 142 were non-cardia (NCGC), 31 cardia (CGC), and 30 unknown. Regular supplement use was associated with a 30% decreased risk of NCGC (hazards ratio (HR) 0.70; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49-0.99). Among participants below the HEI median, any regular supplement and multivitamin use were associated with a 52% and 70% decrease in risk of NCGC (HR 0.48; 95%CI 0.25-0.92 and HR 0.30; 95%CI 0.13-0.71), respectively. No associations were found for CGC. CONCLUSION: Regular supplement use, including multivitamins, was associated with a decreased risk of NCGC in the SCCS, particularly among participants with a lower quality diet. Inverse associations of supplement use and NCGC incidence provide support for clinical trials among high-risk populations in the US.

Cancer Progress and Priorities: Gastric Cancer.

Gastric cancer, the fifth leading cause of cancer worldwide, is estimated to be responsible for approximately 1.4% of all new cancers and 1.8% of all cancer-related deaths in the United States. Despite declining incidence rates and improved survival rates, however, gastric cancer continues to disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minorities and individuals of lower socioeconomic status at higher rates than the general population. To improve outcomes globally and address disparities within the United States, continued improvements are needed in risk factor modification and biomarker development and to improve access to existing preventative measures such as genetic testing and H. pylori eradication testing, in addition to expanding upon current clinical guidelines for premalignant disease to address gaps in endoscopic surveillance and early detection.

Gender disparities in clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes in metastatic spine disease.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of metastatic spine disease (MSD) is increasing among cancer patients. Given the poor outcomes and high rates of morbidity associated with MSD, it is important to determine demographic factors that could impact interventions and outcomes for this patient population. The objectives of this study were to compare in-hospital mortality and complication rates, clinical presentation, and interventions between female and male patients diagnosed with MSD. METHODS: Patient data were collected from the United States National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from the years 2012-2014. Descriptive statistics were used to compare data from 51,800 cases; subsequently, multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the effect of gender on outcomes. RESULTS: Males had significantly higher rates of in-hospital mortality (OR 1.30; 95 % CI 1.09-1.56, p = 0.004) and were more likely to have received surgical intervention than females (OR 1.34; 95 % CI 1.16-1.55, p < 0.001). Additionally, female patients were more likely to present with vertebral compression fracture (p < 0.001), while metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) and paralysis were more common in male patients (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in rates of in-hospital complications between female and male patients. CONCLUSION: Given the significant differences in mortality, disease course, treatment, and in-hospital complications between female and male patients diagnosed with MSD, additional prospective studies are necessary to understand how to meaningfully incorporate these differences into clinical care and prognostication going forward.