Adiposity, Weight Change, and Urinary Melatonin Levels among Men in the Multiethnic Cohort.

BACKGROUND: Low levels of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin, the primary urinary metabolite of melatonin, have been linked to cancer and cardiometabolic outcomes in White and female populations. METHODS: We examined the association between adulthood adiposity and 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels in a racially and ethnically diverse population. Our study included 4,078 men in the Multiethnic Cohort with adiposity measurements at enrollment (1993-1996) and biomarkers measured in urines collected in 1995 and 2005. Multivariable linear regression models were used to estimate the percent change in 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Associations were examined separately by racial/ethnic group. RESULTS: The prevalence of obesity varied by race and ethnicity, from 10% for Japanese American men to 34% for Native Hawaiian men. Compared with men with normal body mass index (BMI), men who were overweight (-7.8%; 95% CI, -11.9 to -3.5%) and obese (-18.1%; 95% CI, -23.2 to -12.6%) had significantly lower 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels adjusting for potential confounding factors. Increasing weight gain in adulthood was also associated with lower 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (Ptrend < 0.0001). The inverse associations for BMI and weight change were qualitatively similar across racial and ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is inversely associated with melatonin in a racially diverse population. This finding is relevant given higher rates of obesity among Black, Native Hawaiian, and Latino men, as well as potential racial and ethnic differences in circadian function. IMPACT: Melatonin may be a relevant biomarker among obesity-associated malignancies and could shed light on a potential mechanism of cancer disparities.

SLCO1B3 and SLCO2B1 genotypes, androgen deprivation therapy, and prostate cancer outcomes: a prospective cohort study and meta-analysis.

Solute carrier organic anion (SLCO) transporters (OATP transporters) are involved in cellular uptake of drugs and hormones. Germline variants in SLCO1B3 and SLCO2B1 have been implicated in prostate cancer progression and therapy response, including to androgen deprivation and statin medications, but results have appeared heterogeneous. We conducted a cohort study of five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SLCO1B3 and SLCO2B1 with prior evidence among 3208 men with prostate cancer who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study or the Physicians' Health Study, following participants prospectively after diagnosis over 32 years (median, 14 years) for development of metastases and cancer-specific death (lethal disease, 382 events). Results were suggestive of, but not conclusive for, associations between some SNPs and lethal disease and differences by androgen deprivation and statin use. All candidate SNPs were associated with SLCO mRNA expression in tumor-adjacent prostate tissue. We also conducted a systematic review and harmonized estimates for a dose-response meta-analysis of all available data, including 9 further studies, for a total of 5598 patients and 1473 clinical events. The A allele of the exonic SNP rs12422149 (14% prevalence), which leads to lower cellular testosterone precursor uptake via SLCO2B1, was associated with lower rates of prostate cancer progression (hazard ratio per A allele, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.69-0.93), with little heterogeneity between studies (I2, 0.27). Collectively, the totality of evidence suggests a strong association between inherited genetic variation in SLCO2B1 and prostate cancer prognosis, with potential clinical use in risk stratification related to androgen deprivation therapy.

Association between Outdoor Light at Night and Prostate Cancer in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

BACKGROUND: Circadian disruption is a potential risk factor for advanced prostate cancer, and light at night (LAN) exposure may disrupt circadian rhythms. We evaluated whether outdoor LAN increases the risk of prostate cancer. METHODS: We prospectively followed 49,148 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study from 1986 through 2016. We estimated baseline and cumulative time-varying outdoor LAN with ∼1 km2 resolution using data from the US Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's Operational Linescan System, which was assigned to participants' geocoded addresses. Participants reside in all 50 U.S. states and reported a work or home address. We used multivariable Cox models to estimate HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between outdoor LAN and risk of overall (7,175 cases) and fatal (915 cases) prostate cancer adjusting for individual and contextual factors. RESULTS: There was no association between the interquartile range increase in cumulative LAN and total (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.98-1.06) or fatal (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.96-1.15) prostate cancer in adjusted models. However, there was a positive association between baseline LAN and total prostate cancer among non-movers (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.00-1.14) including among highly screened participants (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.01-1.23). CONCLUSIONS: There was a suggestive positive association between baseline outdoor LAN and total prostate cancer. Additional studies with different measures of outdoor LAN and in more diverse populations are necessary. IMPACT: To our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal cohort study exploring the relationship between outdoor LAN and prostate cancer.

Variation in KRAS/NRAS/BRAF-Mutation Status by Age, Sex, and Race/Ethnicity Among a Large Cohort of Patients with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC).

BACKGROUND: Racial/ethnic disparities in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) survival are well documented as is the impact that tumor mutation of KRAS and BRAF has on prognosis. It has been suggested that frequency differences of KRAS- and BRAF-mutated tumors may partially explain this disparity. Demographic differences in mutation frequency are not well established nor whether mutation and microsatellite instability (MSI) differentially impact survival among groups. METHODS: Using data for 11,117 patients diagnosed with de-novo mCRC from an electronic health record-derived database we estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) to characterize the association between demographics and MSI and KRAS/NRAS/BRAF-mutation status. Stratified Cox models were used to identify differences in overall survival (OS), adjusting for treatment and demographics. RESULTS: Being female, compared to male, (aORKRAS:1.33 (1.23-1.44); aORBRAF:1.84 (1.56-2.16)), and non-Hispanic Black race (NHB), compared to non-Hispanic White (NHW) (aORKRAS:1.62 (1.42-1.85); aORBRAF: 0.55 (0.38-0.77)) were associated with KRAS- or BRAF-mutant tumors. MSI prevalence was similar across race/ethnicity but higher in women. BRAF-mutant tumors were associated with poorer prognosis overall, especially among non-white patients. Among patients who had KRAS/NRAS/BRAF-WT tumors we observed no difference in OS by race or MSI. Among patients with KRAS-mutant tumors, Hispanic patients had more favorable prognosis adjusted hazards ratio (aHR) = 0.76 (0.65-0.89)) than their NHW counterparts. Among those with BRAF-mutant tumors, NHB patients had poorer prognosis than NHW patients (aHR:1.78 (1.08-2.93)). CONCLUSION: MSI and frequency of KRAS and BRAF mutations differed by demographics. Racial/ethnic disparities in OS differed by mutation. Future studies should explore biological and/or social determinants underlying these differences.

Cancer burden in women with HIV on Medicaid: A nationwide analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is the leading cause of death in people living with HIV. In the United States, nearly 1 in 4 people living with HIV are women, more than half of whom rely on Medicaid for healthcare coverage. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the cancer burden of women living with HIV on Medicaid. DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional study of women 18-64 years of age enrolled in Medicaid during 2012, using data from Medicaid Analytic eXtract files. METHODS: Using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes, we identified women living with HIV (n = 72,508) and women without HIV (n = 17,353,963), flagging the presence of 15 types of cancer and differentiating between AIDS-defining cancers and non-AIDS-defining cancers. We obtained adjusted prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals for each cancer and for all cancers combined, using multivariable log-binomial models, and additionally stratifying by age and race/ethnicity. RESULTS: The highest adjusted prevalence ratios were observed for Kaposi's sarcoma (81.79 (95% confidence interval: 57.11-117.22)) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (27.69 (21.67-35.39)). The adjusted prevalence ratios for anal and cervical cancer, both of which were human papillomavirus-associated cancers, were 19.31 (17.33-21.51) and 4.20 (3.90-4.52), respectively. Among women living with HIV, the adjusted prevalence ratio for all cancer types combined was about two-fold higher (1.99 (1.86-2.14)) in women 45-64 years of age than in women 18-44 years of age. For non-AIDS-defining cancers but not for AIDS-defining cancers, the adjusted prevalence ratios were higher in older than in younger women. There was no significant difference in the adjusted prevalence ratios for all cancer types combined in the race/ethnicity-stratified analyses of the women living with HIV cohort. However, in cancer type-specific sub-analyses, differences in adjusted prevalence ratios between Hispanic versus non-Hispanic women were observed. For example, the adjusted prevalence ratio for Hispanic women for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was 2.00 (1.30-3.07) and 0.73 (0.58-0.92), respectively, for breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Compared to their counterparts without HIV, women living with HIV on Medicaid have excess prevalence of cervical and anal cancers, both of which are human papillomavirus related, as well as Kaposi's sarcoma and lymphoma. Older age is also associated with increased burden of non-AIDS-defining cancers in women living with HIV. Our findings emphasize the need for not only cancer screening among women living with HIV but also for efforts to increase human papillomavirus vaccination among all eligible individuals.

Bladder and Kidney Cancer Diagnosis and Survival Increase With Medicare Eligibility at Age 65.

INTRODUCTION: Medicare eligibility at 65 has been associated with increased diagnosis and survival for certain cancers due to greater health care utilization. We aim to assess for a similar "Medicare effect" for bladder and kidney cancers, which has not been previously established. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with bladder or kidney cancer from 2000-2018 at ages 60-69 years were identified with the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. We used age-over-age percent change calculations to characterize trends in cancer diagnoses focusing on patients aged 65. Multivariable Cox models were used to compare cancer-specific mortality across ages at diagnosis. RESULTS: We identified 63,960 patients diagnosed with bladder cancer and 52,316 diagnosed with kidney cancer. Age-over-age change in diagnosis was highest for patients aged 65 compared to all other ages for both cancers (P < .01 for both). Stratified by stage, patients aged 65 had a higher age-over-age change than those aged 61-64 or 66-69 for in situ (P = .01, P < .01, respectively), localized (P = .03, P = .01), and regional (P = .02, P = .02) bladder cancer and localized (P = .01, P = .01) kidney cancer. Bladder cancer patients aged 65 had lower cancer-specific mortality than patients aged 66 (HR = 1.17, P = .01) and 69 (HR = 1.18, P = .01), while kidney cancer patients aged 65 had lower mortality than patients aged 64 (HR = 1.18, P < .01) and 66-69. CONCLUSIONS: The age of 65, marking the onset of Medicare eligibility, is associated with more diagnoses of bladder and kidney cancer. Patients diagnosed at age 65 demonstrate decreased bladder and kidney cancer-specific mortality.

Disparities in cause-specific mortality by race and sex among bladder cancer patients from the SEER database.

PURPOSE: Previous literature shows that more bladder cancer patients overall die from causes other than the primary malignancy. Given known disparities in bladder cancer outcomes by race and sex, we aimed to characterize differences in cause-specific mortality for bladder cancer patients by these demographics. METHODS: We identified 215,252 bladder cancer patients diagnosed with bladder cancer from 2000 to 2017 in the SEER 18 database. We calculated cumulative incidence of death from seven causes (bladder cancer, COPD, diabetes, heart disease, external, other cancer, other) to assess differences in cause-specific mortality between race and sex subgroups. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression and Fine-Gray competing risk models to compare risk of bladder cancer-specific mortality between race and sex subgroups overall and stratified by cancer stage. RESULTS: 17% of patients died from bladder cancer (n = 36,923), 30% died from other causes (n = 65,076), and 53% were alive (n = 113,253). Among those who died, the most common cause of death was bladder cancer, followed by other cancer and diseases of the heart. All race-sex subgroups were more likely than white men to die from bladder cancer. Compared to white men, white women (HR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.17-1.23) and Black women (HR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.49-1.66) had a higher risk of dying from bladder cancer, overall and stratified by stage. CONCLUSION: Among bladder cancer patients, death from other causes especially other cancer and heart disease contributed a large proportion of mortality. We found differences in cause-specific mortality by race-sex subgroups, with Black women having a particularly high risk of dying from bladder cancer.

Receipt of Targeted Therapy and Survival Outcomes in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Importance: Professional society guidelines recommend treating patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with targeted therapies, including epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, depending on the presence or absence of certain mutations. Since most studies of first-line targeted therapies have been limited by sample size, there is a need for larger studies using data from routine clinical care. Objectives: To identify factors associated with receipt of first-line targeted therapies among patients with metastatic colorectal cancer for whom RAS or BRAF mutation data in the tumor were available and investigate whether targeted therapy is associated with survival. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study used deidentified data from an electronic health record-derived database to include patients from 800 sites of patient care across the US who were diagnosed with de novo metastatic colorectal cancer between January 1, 2013, and March 31, 2020 (n = 9134). Main Outcomes and Measures: Receipt of first-line targeted therapy, categorized as ever having received EGFR inhibitors, VEGF inhibitors, or neither. The secondary outcome was overall survival. Results: The study population included 9134 patients. The median age at diagnosis was 62 years (IQR, 53-71 years), 5019 (54.9%) were male, and 5692 (62.3%) were White. The median follow-up period was 15 months. Overall, 713 patients (7.8%) received EGFR inhibitors and 5081 patients (55.6%) received VEGF inhibitors as part of their first-line treatment. Among patients with RAS wild-type (RAS-WT) tumors, 625 patients (15.5%) received EGFR inhibitors and 2053 patients (50.9%) received VEGF inhibitors. In patients with RAS mutant (RAS-Mut) tumors, 50 patients (1.1%) received EGFR inhibitors and 2682 patients (59.7%) received VEGF inhibitors; among those with BRAF-mutant (BRAF-Mut) tumors, 38 patients (6.3%) received EGFR inhibitors and 346 patients (57.2%) received VEGF inhibitors. More than one-third of the patients (36.6%) received neither EGFR inhibitors nor VEGF inhibitors. Compared with patients younger than age 40 years, those aged 80 years or older had significantly lower odds to receive targeted therapies (EGFR or VEGF inhibitors in patients with RAS-WT tumors: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36-0.79; and VEGF inhibitors in patients with RAS-Mut tumors: aOR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.42-0.90). Improved survival was associated with EGFR inhibitor therapy in patients with RAS-WT tumors (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74-0.98). Unlike in clinical trials, however, no survival benefit was noted with use of VEGF inhibitors among patients with RAS-WT (aHR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.91-1.11) or RAS-Mut (aHR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.93-1.10) tumors. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this study showed mixed results on survival benefits associated with targeted therapy. In addition, given that some of the results differed from those of randomized clinical trials, this study highlights the importance of using data originating from routine clinical care.

Sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with receipt of biomarker testing in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Standard clinical practice and national guidelines dictate somatic testing of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) tumors to guide appropriate therapy; however, previous studies suggest that not all patients are tested. The objective of this study was to investigate potential differences in testing for mCRC by demographic and clinical factors. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of de-identified patient data derived from electronic health records (EHRs) of 25,469 patients diagnosed with mCRC between the years 2013 and 2020. Our outcome was a receipt of the following tests: (a) biomarker testing (BRAF, KRAS, NRAS, MMR/MSI) and (b) next-generation sequencing (NGS). We interrogated our data using the machine-learning algorithm Classification and Regression Tree (CART), a unique approach to identifying combinations of, rather than individual demographic and clinical characteristics associated with receipt of testing. RESULTS: A total of 25,469 patients were identified with mCRC. Of these, 21,133 (83%) received either biomarker testing only (n = 12,485) or any testing (biomarker + NGS) (n = 8648). The proportion of patients who received any testing increased over calendar time for all age, race, and sex categories. Receipt of any testing was highest (90%) among younger and patients with better performance status, and there was no difference in receipt of any testing by race. The highest percentage of NGS testing was among those with better performance status, <70 years old, commercial or other governmental program payers, and low comorbidity burden; however, those who were Black or Hispanic had a lower prevalence of NGS testing than those who were White. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Considerable variations exist in somatic biomarker testing across subgroups of the population. Identification of genomic alterations can aid in determining targeted treatment and improving clinical outcomes; therefore, equitable use of these testing strategies, particularly NGS, is necessary.

Harm-to-Benefit of Three Decades of Prostate Cancer Screening in Black Men.

BACKGROUND: Prostate-specific antigen screening has profoundly affected the epidemiology of prostate cancer in the United States. Persistent racial disparities in outcomes for Black men warrant re-examination of the harms of screening relative to its cancer-specific mortality benefits in this population. METHODS: We estimated overdiagnoses and overtreatment of prostate cancer for men of all races and for Black men 50 to 84 years of age until 2016, the most recent year with treatment data available, using excess incidence relative to 1986 based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry and U.S. Census data as well as an established microsimulation model of prostate cancer natural history. Combining estimates with plausible mortality benefit, we calculated numbers needed to diagnose (NND) and treat (NNT) to prevent one prostate cancer death. RESULTS: For men of all races, we estimated 1.5 to 1.9 million (range between estimation approaches) overdiagnosed and 0.9 to 1.5 million overtreated prostate cancers by 2016. Assuming that half of the 270,000 prostate cancer deaths avoided by 2016 were attributable to screening, the NND and the NNT would be 11 to 14 and 7 to 11 for men of all races and 8 to 12 and 5 to 9 for Black men, respectively. Alternative estimates incorporating a lag between incidence and mortality resulted in a NND and a NNT for Black men that reached well into the low single digits. CONCLUSIONS: Complementary approaches to quantifying overdiagnosis indicate a harm-benefit tradeoff of prostate-specific antigen screening that is more favorable for Black men than for men of all races considered together. Our findings highlight the need to account for the increased value of screening in Black men in clinical guidelines. (Funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, the National Cancer Institute, the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, and the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.).

Racial Disparities in Prostate Cancer: Evaluation of Diet, Lifestyle, Family History, and Screening Patterns.

BACKGROUND: Racial disparities in prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates are considerable. We previously found in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) that African-American men had an 80% higher prostate cancer risk than White men. With 21 additional years of follow-up and four-fold increase in cases, we undertook a contemporary analysis of racial differences in prostate cancer incidence and mortality in HPFS. METHODS: For 47,679 men, we estimated HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between race and risk of prostate cancer through 2016 using Cox proportional hazards regression. Multivariable models (mHR) were adjusted for lifestyle, diet, family history, and PSA screening collected on biennial questionnaires. RESULTS: 6,909 prostate cancer cases were diagnosed in White, 89 in African-American, and 90 in Asian-American men. African-Americans had higher prostate cancer incidence (mHR = 1.31; 95% CI, 1.06-1.62) and mortality (mHR = 1.67; 95% CI, 1.00-2.78), and lower PSA screening prevalence than White men. The excess risk was greater in the pre-PSA screening era (HR = 1.68; 95% CI, 1.14-2.48) than the PSA screening era (HR = 1.20; 95% CI, 0.93-1.56). Asian-Americans had lower prostate cancer risk (mHR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.60-0.92), but similar risk of fatal disease compared with white men. CONCLUSIONS: Racial differences in prostate cancer incidence and mortality in HPFS are not fully explained by differences in lifestyle, diet, family history, or PSA screening. IMPACT: Additional research is necessary to address the disproportionately higher rates of prostate cancer in African-American men.

Excess cancer prevalence in men with HIV: A nationwide analysis of Medicaid data.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is one of the most common comorbidities in men living with HIV (MLWH). However, little is known about the MLWH subgroups with the highest cancer burden to which cancer prevention efforts should be targeted. Because Medicaid is the most important source of insurance for MLWH, we evaluated the excess cancer prevalence in MLWH on Medicaid relative to their non-HIV counterparts. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study using 2012 Medicaid Analytic eXtract data nationwide, we flagged the presence of HIV, 13 types of cancer, symptomatic HIV, and viral coinfections using codes from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. The study population included individuals administratively noted to be of male sex (men), aged 18 to 64 years, with (n = 82,495) or without (n = 7,302,523) HIV. We developed log-binomial models with cancer as the outcome stratified by symptomatic status, age, and race/ethnicity. RESULTS: Cancer prevalence was higher in MLWH than in men without HIV (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR], 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.78-1.90) and was higher among those with symptomatic HIV (APR, 2.74; 95% CI, 2.52-2.97) than among those with asymptomatic HIV (APR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.67-1.79). The highest APRs were observed for anal cancer in younger men, both in the symptomatic and asymptomatic groups: APR, 312.97; 95% CI, 210.27-465.84, and APR, 482.26; 95% CI, 390.67-595.32, respectively. In race/ethnicity strata, the highest APRs were among Hispanic men for anal cancer (APR, 198.53; 95% CI, 144.54-272.68) and for lymphoma (APR, 9.10; 95% CI, 7.80-10.63). CONCLUSIONS: Given the Medicaid program's role in insuring MLWH, the current findings highlight the importance of the program's efforts to promote healthy behaviors and vaccination against human papillomavirus in all children and adolescents and to provide individualized cancer screening for MLWH.

Weight Tracking as a Novel Prognostic Marker After Pancreatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Objective measures of post-pancreatectomy weight change for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have not been extensively studied for long-term outcomes. We used weight measurements in our institutional medical record to analyze trends in post-pancreatectomy weight and determine the association with disease status. METHODS: Pancreatectomies for PDAC (n = 315) and benign indications (n = 111) were identified. Preoperative baseline, minimum postoperative (Min #1), and subsequent postoperative maximum (Max) weights were abstracted. Multivariable Cox hazards regression was conducted to analyze the association between weight change and survival. RESULTS: Median weight loss postoperatively in each group was > 20 lbs. PDAC patients gained 10 lbs after Min #1 compared to 15 lbs in the benign cohort (p < 0.001). Few patients returned to their preoperative weight (29.8% PDAC vs. 40.5% benign, p = 0.04). Patients with early PDAC recurrence (< 13 months) lost more weight (18.0% vs. 13.3% vs. 10.9%, p < 0.001) and gained less weight (2.1% vs. 12.0% vs. 7.9%, p < 0.001) compared with those with late cancer recurrence (≥ 13 months) or no evidence of active disease, respectively. PDAC patients lost 11.2 lbs in the year preceding recurrence diagnosis. Weight loss was not associated with survival; however, weight gain was associated with improved survival. CONCLUSIONS: Resections for PDAC are complicated by a similar degree of weight loss as patients with benign disease, and there is no association with survival. However, failure to gain weight is especially ominous. Weight loss after weight recovery foreshadows disease recurrence. These data suggest that rigorous weight tracking is an untapped surveillance strategy in patients with PDAC.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Prostate Cancer Outcomes in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Importance: Prostate cancer (PCa) disproportionately affects African American men, but research evaluating the extent of racial and ethnic disparities across the PCa continuum in equal-access settings remains limited at the national level. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Hospital Administration health care system offers a setting of relatively equal access to care in which to assess racial and ethnic disparities in self-identified African American (or Black) veterans and White veterans. Objective: To determine the extent of racial and ethnic disparities in the incidence of PCa, clinical stage, and outcomes between African American patients and White patients who received a diagnosis or were treated at a VA hospital. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study included 7 889 984 veterans undergoing routine care in VA hospitals nationwide from 2005 through 2019 (incidence cohort). The age-adjusted incidence of localized and de novo metastatic PCa was estimated. Treatment response was evaluated, and PCa-specific outcomes were compared between African American veterans and White veterans. Residual disparity in PCa outcome, defined as the leftover racial and ethnic disparity in the outcomes despite equal response to treatment, was estimated. Exposures: Self-identified African American (or Black) and White race and ethnicity. Main Outcomes and Measures: Time to distant metastasis following PCa diagnosis was the primary outcome. Descriptive analyses were used to compare baseline demographics and clinic characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate race and ethnicity association with pretreatment clinical variables. Multivariable Cox regression was used to estimate the risk of metastasis. Results: Data from 7 889 984 veterans from the incidence cohort were used to estimate incidence, whereas data from 92 269 veterans with localized PCa were used to assess treatment response. Among 92 269 veterans, African American men (n = 28 802 [31%]) were younger (median [IQR], 63 [58-68] vs 65 [62-71] years) and had higher prostate-specific antigen levels (>20 ng/mL) at the time of diagnosis compared with White men (n = 63 467; [69%]). Consistent with US population-level data, African American veterans displayed a nearly 2-fold greater incidence of localized and de novo metastatic PCa compared with White men across VA centers nationwide. Among veterans screened for PCa, African American men had a 29% increased risk of PCa detection on a diagnostic prostate biopsy compared with White (hazard ratio, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.27-1.31; P < .001). African American men who received definitive primary treatment of PCa experienced a lower risk of metastasis (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83-0.95; P < .001). However, African American men who received nondefinitive treatment classified as "other" were more likely to develop metastasis (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.17-1.42; P < .001). Using the actual rate of metastasis from veterans who received definitive primary treatment, a persistent residual metastatic burden for African American men was observed across all National Comprehensive Cancer Network risk groups (low risk, 4 vs 2 per 100 000; intermediate risk, 13 vs 6 per 100 000; high risk, 19 vs 9 per 100 000). Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort analysis found significant disparities in the incidence of localized and metastatic PCa between African American veterans and White veterans. This increased incidence is a major factor associated with the residual disparity in PCa metastasis observed in African American veterans compared with White veterans despite their nearly equal response to treatment.

Black race is independently associated with underutilization of transplantation for clinical T1 hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality. Operative management of early disease includes ablation, resection, and transplantation. We compared the operative management of early-stage HCC in patients stratified by race. METHODS: We identified patients with cT1 HCC and Charlson-Deyo score 0-1 in the National Cancer Database (2004-2016). We compared operative/non-operative management by race, adjusting for clinicodemographic variables. We performed marginal standardization of logistic regression to ascertain adjusted probabilities of resection or transplantation in patients under 70 years of age with insurance. RESULTS: A total of 25,029 patients were included (White = 20,410; Black = 4619). After adjusting for clinico demographic variables, Black race was associated with a lower likelihood of undergoing operative intervention (OR 0.89,p = 0.009). Black patients were more likely to undergo resection (OR 1.23,p < 0.001) and less likely to undergo transplantation (OR 0.60,p < 0.001). Marginal standardization models demonstrated Black race was associated with increased probability of resection in patients >50yrs, with private insurance/Medicare, and lower probability of transplantation regardless of age or insurance payor. CONCLUSION: Black race is associated with lower rates of hepatic transplantation and higher rates of hepatic resection for early HCC regardless of age or insurance payor. The etiology of these disparities is multifactorial and correcting the root causes represents a critical area for improvement.

Incidence of Kidney Stones in the United States: The Continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

PURPOSE: The incidence of kidney stones in the United States is currently unknown. Here, we assessed the incidence of kidney stones using recent, nationally representative data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2015 to 2018. During this time participants were asked, "Have you ever had a kidney stone?" and "In the past 12 months, have you passed a kidney stone?" Demographics analyzed include age, race, gender, body mass index, history of smoking, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and gout. Multivariable models were used to assess the independent impact of subject characteristics on kidney stone prevalence and incidence. RESULTS: Data were available on 10,521 participants older than age 20. The prevalence of kidney stones was 11.0% (95% CI 10.1-12.0). The 12-month incidence of kidney stones was 2.1% (95% CI 1.5-2.7), or 2,054 stones per 100,000 adults. We identified significant relationships between stone incidence and subject age, body mass index, race and history of hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Here we find a substantially higher 12-month incidence of kidney stones than previous reports. We also validate known risk factors for stone prevalence as associated with incidence. The remarkable incidence and prevalence of stones is concerning and has implications for disease prevention and allocation of medical resources.

Prostate Cancer Screening and Young Black Men: Can Early Communication Avoid Later Health Disparities?

This study aims to determine if younger men, across racial and ethnic groups, discussed the benefits/risks/harms of PSA screening with health care professionals. Publicly available data were obtained from the Health Information National Trends Survey https://hints.cancer.gov/ in March 2019. Cross-sectional analysis of 518 men between the ages of 18 and 49 years from men who completed the survey between October 2011 and February 2012 (HINTS cycle 4) was performed. We used logistic regression to evaluate the association between race/ethnicity and discussions around PSA. Less than 10% of the participants reported a prior PSA; Black and Hispanic men were more likely compared with White men. Compared with White men, Black and other race men reported receiving less communications from some doctors recommending PSA screening (ORblack: 0.16, 95% CIblack: 0.07-0.38; ORother: 0.10, 95% CIother: 0.04-0.25), and that no one is sure PSA testing saves lives (ORblack: 0.49, 95% CIblack: 0.04-6.91; ORother: 0.17, 95% CIother: 0.06-0.48). Minority men, while more likely to have had a PSA, were less likely to be told of the harms and benefits of PSA testing, compared with White men. Increasing communication surrounding screening advantages and disadvantages between providers and patients can increase awareness and knowledge among younger men. In a post-COVID-19 environment, communication regarding the return to preventative screenings within vulnerable populations is an important message to convey. Research shows preventive screenings have dropped across all population groups due to the pandemic yet the decline disproportionately affects Black and other minority men.

Weight loss during neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer does not predict poor outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Weight changes during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for pancreatic cancer (PDAC) are not well studied. We hypothesized that weight loss may predict poor outcomes. METHODS: Weight change from NAC initiation to pancreatectomy was grouped: gain (≥5%), stable, and loss (≥5%). Pathologic, postoperative, and survival outcomes were compared. RESULTS: 95 patients were included: 31.6% lost weight, 58.9% maintained weight, and 9.5% gained weight. There were no differences in chemotherapeutic regimens. Median recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were similar between patients with stable weight and those who lost weight (RFS: 9.6vs14.0months; OS: 25.8vs26.7months). Among those who gained weight, RFS (29.5months) and OS (38.4months) were greater relative to the other weight categories. On multivariable regression, weight gain was associated with improved RFS compared to loss (HR = 0.16). CONCLUSION: Most patients maintain or lose weight during NAC, and weight loss does not predict poor outcomes. Weight gain may predict improved RFS.