Disentangling the relationships of body mass index and circulating sex hormone concentrations in mammographic density using Mendelian randomization.

PURPOSE: Mammographic density phenotypes, adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI), are strong predictors of breast cancer risk. BMI is associated with mammographic density measures, but the role of circulating sex hormone concentrations is less clear. We investigated the relationship between BMI, circulating sex hormone concentrations, and mammographic density phenotypes using Mendelian randomization (MR). METHODS: We applied two-sample MR approaches to assess the association between genetically predicted circulating concentrations of sex hormones [estradiol, testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG)], BMI, and mammographic density phenotypes (dense and non-dense area). We created instrumental variables from large European ancestry-based genome-wide association studies and applied estimates to mammographic density phenotypes in up to 14,000 women of European ancestry. We performed analyses overall and by menopausal status. RESULTS: Genetically predicted BMI was positively associated with non-dense area (IVW: ß = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.58, 2.00; p = 9.57 × 10-63) and inversely associated with dense area (IVW: ß = - 0.37; 95% CI = - 0.51,- 0.23; p = 4.7 × 10-7). We observed weak evidence for an association of circulating sex hormone concentrations with mammographic density phenotypes, specifically inverse associations between genetically predicted testosterone concentration and dense area (ß = - 0.22; 95% CI = - 0.38, - 0.053; p = 0.009) and between genetically predicted estradiol concentration and non-dense area (ß = - 3.32; 95% CI = - 5.83, - 0.82; p = 0.009), although results were not consistent across a range of MR approaches. CONCLUSION: Our findings support a positive causal association between BMI and mammographic non-dense area and an inverse association between BMI and dense area. Evidence was weaker and inconsistent for a causal effect of circulating sex hormone concentrations on mammographic density phenotypes. Based on our findings, associations between circulating sex hormone concentrations and mammographic density phenotypes are weak at best.

Severe anal intraepithelial neoplasia trends and subsequent invasive anal cancer in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade III is a precursor to squamous cell carcinoma of the anus for which rates are nearly 20-fold higher in people with HIV than in the general population in the United States. We describe trends in anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade III diagnosis and risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus following anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade III by HIV status and sex. METHODS: We used data from a population-based linkage between cancer and HIV registries in 11 US states; Puerto Rico; and Washington, DC, during 1996-2019. We identified all individuals with a diagnosis of anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade III and determined their HIV status. We estimated the average annual percentage change of anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade III using Poisson regression stratified by HIV status and sex. We estimated the 5-year cumulative incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus following an anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade III diagnosis stratified by sex, HIV status, and prior AIDS diagnosis. RESULTS: Among people with HIV, average annual percentage changes for anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade III were 15% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 12% to 17%) per year among females and 12% (95% CI = 11% to 14%) among males. Average annual percentage changes for those without HIV were 8% (95% CI = 7% to 8%) for females and 8% (95% CI = 6% to 9%) for males. Among people with HIV, a prior AIDS diagnosis was associated with a 2.7-fold (95% CI = 2.23 to 3.40) and 1.9-fold (95% CI = 1.72 to 2.02) increased risk of anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade III diagnosis for females and males, respectively. Five-year cumulative incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the anus following anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade III for people with HIV with a prior AIDS diagnosis were 3.4% and 3.7% for females and males, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade III diagnoses have increased since 1996, particularly for people with HIV, likely influenced by increased screening. A prior AIDS diagnosis was strongly associated with risk of anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade III diagnosis.

Assessing the associations between known genetic variants and substance use in people with HIV in the United States.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of substance use in people with HIV (PWH) in the United States is higher than in the general population and is an important driver of HIV-related outcomes. We sought to assess if previously identified genetic associations that contribute to substance use are also observed in a population of PWH. METHODS: We performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of alcohol, smoking, and cannabis use phenotypes in a multi-ancestry population of 7,542 PWH from the Center for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS). We conducted multi-ancestry GWAS for individuals of African (n = 3,748), Admixed American (n = 1,334), and European (n = 2,460) ancestry. Phenotype data were self-reported and collected using patient reported outcomes (PROs) and three questions from AUDIT-C, an alcohol screening tool. We analyzed nine phenotypes: 1) frequency of alcohol consumption, 2) typical number of drinks on a day when drinking alcohol, 3) frequency of five or more alcoholic drinks in a 30-day period, 4) smoking initiation, 5) smoking cessation, 6) cigarettes per day, 7) cannabis use initiation, 8) cannabis use cessation, 9) frequency of cannabis use during the previous 30 days. For each phenotype we considered a) variants previously identified as associated with a substance use trait and b) novel associations. RESULTS: We observed evidence for effects of previously reported single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to alcohol (rs1229984, p = 0.001), tobacco (rs11783093, p = 2.22E-4), and cannabis use (rs2875907, p = 0.005). We also report two novel loci (19p13.2, p = 1.3E-8; and 20p11.21, p = 2.1E-8) associated with cannabis use cessation. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses contribute to understanding the genetic bases of substance use in a population with relatively higher rates of use compared to the general population.

Cumulative incidence of anal cancer since HIV or AIDS diagnosis in the United States.

Treatment of screen-detected anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions has been shown to effectively reduce the incidence of invasive anal cancer in people with HIV. We provide population-based estimates of cumulative incidence of anal cancer by risk group and age at HIV or AIDS diagnosis. The 0- to 10-year cumulative incidence of anal cancer for men who have sex with men and are younger than 30 years of age at HIV diagnosis was 0.17% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.13% to 0.20%) compared with 0.04% (95% CI = 0.02% to 0.06%) in other men and 0.03% (95% CI = 0.01% to 0.04%) in women. For men who have sex with men and have a diagnosis of AIDS and are younger than 30 years of age, the 0- to 10-year cumulative incidence was 0.35% (95% CI = 0.28% to 0.41%). Among people with HIV, men who have sex with men are at the greatest risk of anal cancer, and those with a diagnosis of AIDS had higher risk than those without AIDS. These estimates may inform recommendations for priority populations that could benefit most from anal cancer screening and treatment.

Interactions between folate intake and genetic predictors of gene expression levels associated with colorectal cancer risk.

Observational studies have shown higher folate consumption to be associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). Understanding whether and how genetic risk factors interact with folate could further elucidate the underlying mechanism. Aggregating functionally relevant genetic variants in set-based variant testing has higher power to detect gene-environment (G × E) interactions and may provide information on the underlying biological pathway. We investigated interactions between folate consumption and predicted gene expression on colorectal cancer risk across the genome. We used variant weights from the PrediXcan models of colon tissue-specific gene expression as a priori variant information for a set-based G × E approach. We harmonized total folate intake (mcg/day) based on dietary intake and supplemental use across cohort and case-control studies and calculated sex and study specific quantiles. Analyses were performed using a mixed effects score tests for interactions between folate and genetically predicted expression of 4839 genes with available genetically predicted expression. We pooled results across 23 studies for a total of 13,498 cases with colorectal tumors and 13,918 controls of European ancestry. We used a false discovery rate of 0.2 to identify genes with suggestive evidence of an interaction. We found suggestive evidence of interaction with folate intake on CRC risk for genes including glutathione S-Transferase Alpha 1 (GSTA1; p = 4.3E-4), Tonsuko Like, DNA Repair Protein (TONSL; p = 4.3E-4), and Aspartylglucosaminidase (AGA: p = 4.5E-4). We identified three genes involved in preventing or repairing DNA damage that may interact with folate consumption to alter CRC risk. Glutathione is an antioxidant, preventing cellular damage and is a downstream metabolite of homocysteine and metabolized by GSTA1. TONSL is part of a complex that functions in the recovery of double strand breaks and AGA plays a role in lysosomal breakdown of glycoprotein.

Trends and risk of lung cancer among people living with HIV in the USA: a population-based registry linkage study.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is a common cancer in people living with HIV, but the risk of cancer in this group has not been investigated for over a decade. We investigated trends in relative and absolute risk of lung cancer among people living with HIV of various age groups in the USA. METHODS: In this population-based registry linkage study, we used 2001-16 data from the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match study, which links data from HIV and cancer registries from 13 regions in the USA. We included non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic individuals living with HIV aged 20-89 years in our study population. Average annual percentage changes in lung cancer rates were estimated with multivariable Poisson regression, and standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) and excess absolute risks were estimated comparing people living with HIV with the general US population. We used non-parametric cumulative incidence curves to estimate the 5-year cumulative incidence of lung cancer and two AIDS-defining cancers (non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Kaposi sarcoma). FINDINGS: There were 3426 lung cancers in 4 310 304 person-years of follow-up in our study population. Age-standardised lung cancer incidence rates in people living with HIV declined by 6% per year (95% CI -7 to -5) during 2001-16, with greater declines in the 20-29 age group (-11%, -16 to 6) than in the older age groups (eg, -3% [-6 to 1] in those aged 70-89 years). During 2013-16, the SIR of lung cancer in people living with HIV was 2·01 (95% CI 1·52 to 2·61) in those aged 40-49 years, and 1·31 (1·12 to 1·52) in those aged 60-69 years, whereas the excess absolute risk among people living with HIV was 11·87 (3·95 to 21·89) per 100 000 person-years for those aged 40-49 years and 48·23 (6·88 to 95·47) per 100 000 person-years for those aged 60-69 years. Beginning in 2011, the 5-year cumulative incidence for lung cancer (1·36%, 95% CI 1·17 to 1·53) surpassed that of Kaposi sarcoma (0·12%, 0·06 to 0·17) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (0·45%, 0·35 to 0·56) for people living with HIV aged 60-69 years. INTERPRETATION: Between 2001 and 2016, the risk of lung cancer decreased for people living with HIV aged 20-69 years, but remained substantially elevated compared with the general population, probably due to a combination of smoking and immunosuppression. For people living with HIV aged 60 years and older, the risk of lung cancer exceeds that of two of the most common AIDS-defining cancers, highlighting the importance of lung cancer among the growing older population of people living with HIV. FUNDING: Intramural Research Program of the US National Cancer Institute.

Environmental scan of family chart linking for genetic cascade screening in a U.S. integrated health system.

Background: An alternative to population-based genetic testing, automated cascade genetic testing facilitated by sharing of family health history, has been conceptualized as a more efficient and cost-effective approach to identify hereditary genetic conditions. However, existing software and applications programming interfaces (API) for the practical implementation of this approach in health care settings have not been described. Methods: We reviewed API available for facilitating cascade genetic testing in electronic health records (EHRs). We emphasize any information regarding informed consent as provided for each tool. Using semi-structured key informant interviews, we investigated uptake of and barriers to integrating automated family cascade genetic testing into the EHR. Results: We summarized the functionalities of six tools related to utilizing family health history to facilitate cascade genetic testing. No tools were explicitly capable of facilitating family cascade genetic testing, but few enterprise EHRs supported family health history linkage. We conducted five key informant interviews with four main considerations that emerged including: 1) incentives for interoperability, 2) HIPAA and regulations, 3) mobile-app and alternatives to EHR deployment, 4) fundamental changes to conceptualizing EHRs. Discussion: Despite the capabilities of existing technology, limited bioinformatic support has been developed to automate processes needed for family cascade genetic testing and the main barriers for implementation are nontechnical, including an understanding of regulations, consent, and workflow. As the trade-off between cost and efficiency for population-based and family cascade genetic testing shifts, the additional tools necessary for their implementation should be considered.

Accuracy of tumor registry versus pharmacy dispensings for breast cancer adjuvant endocrine therapy.

PURPOSE: Accounting for endocrine therapy use for breast cancer treatment is important for studies of survivorship. We evaluated the accuracy of Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) breast cancer endocrine therapy data compared with pharmacy dispensings from an integrated health system. METHODS: We included women with non-metastatic hormone receptor positive primary breast cancer diagnosed between 1995 and 2017 enrolled in Kaiser Permanente Washington, linking their data with SEER. We used pharmacy dispensings for endocrine therapy within one year following diagnosis as our reference standard. We calculated kappa (concordance), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) overall and stratified by woman and tumor characteristics of interest. RESULTS: Of 5,055 women, mean age at diagnosis was 62 years (interquartile range = 53-71); 53% had localized stage, 56% received lumpectomy with radiation, and 31% received chemotherapy. SEER data alone identified 67% of women as having received endocrine therapy; this increased to 75% with pharmacy dispensings. SEER's concordance with pharmacy dispensings was 0.68 (PPV = 91%; NPV = 76%). PPV did not vary by tumor or women characteristics; however, NPV declined with younger age at diagnosis (64% in < 45 years vs. 86% in 75+ years), increasing tumor stage (49% in regional stage vs. 91% in DCIS), and chemotherapy treatment (41% in those with chemotherapy vs. 83% in those without chemotherapy). CONCLUSION: Pharmacy dispensings enable more complete endocrine therapy capture, particularly in women with more advanced tumors or who receive chemotherapy. We determined woman, tumor, and treatment characteristics that contribute to underascertainment of endocrine therapy use in tumor registries.

Cross-ancestry Genome-wide Association Studies of Sex Hormone Concentrations in Pre- and Postmenopausal Women.

OBJECTIVE: Concentrations of circulating sex hormones have been associated with a variety of diseases in women and are strongly influenced by menopausal status. We investigated the genetic architectures of circulating concentrations of estradiol, testosterone, and SHBG by menopausal status in women of European and African ancestry. METHODS: Using data on 229 966 women from the UK Biobank, we conducted genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of circulating concentrations of estradiol, testosterone, and SHBG in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. We tested for evidence of heterogeneity of genetic effects by menopausal status and genetic ancestry. We conducted gene-based enrichment analyses to identify tissues in which genes with GWAS-enriched signals were expressed. RESULTS: We identified 4 loci (5q35.2, 12q14.3, 19q13.42, 20p12.3) that were associated with detectable concentrations of estradiol in both pre- and postmenopausal women of European ancestry. Heterogeneity analysis identified 1 locus for testosterone (7q22.1) in the CYP3A7 gene and 1 locus that was strongly associated with concentrations of SHBG in premenopausal women only (10q15.1) near the AKR1C4 gene. Gene-based analysis of testosterone revealed evidence of enrichment of GWAS signals in genes expressed in adipose tissue for postmenopausal women. We did not find any evidence of ancestry-specific genetic effects for concentrations of estradiol, testosterone, or SHBG. CONCLUSIONS: We identified specific loci that showed genome-wide significant evidence of heterogeneity by menopausal status for testosterone and SHBG. We also observed support for a more prominent role of genetic variants located near genes expressed in adipose tissue in determining testosterone concentrations among postmenopausal women.

Association Between Genetic Predictors for C-Reactive Protein and Venous Thromboembolism With Severe Adverse Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outcomes.

To assess if genetic predictors for C-reactive protein and risk of venous thromboembolism are associated with severe outcomes among individuals who tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: U.K. Biobank. PATIENTS OR SUBJECTS: U.K. Biobank participants with European ancestry who were recorded to have a positive polymerase chain reaction test result for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 between March 16, 2020, and August 14, 2020. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We constructed separate genetic risk scores for C-reactive protein and venous thromboembolism consisting of 56 and 37 genetic variants that have been significantly associated with venous thromboembolism and C-reactive protein, respectively. Among 1,126 individuals who were diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019, 48% had a coronavirus disease 2019-related hospitalization, 16% received critical care support, 10% had critical respiratory support, and 21% died from coronavirus disease 2019. Genetic predisposition to high C-reactive protein concentrations was marginally associated with a lower risk of death from coronavirus disease 2019 (odds ratio, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73-1.00; p = 0.05). No other associations were significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support associations between polygenic risk for elevated blood C-reactive protein concentrations or venous thromboembolism and severe coronavirus disease 2019 health outcomes. Thus, considering genetic predisposition associated with C-reactive protein concentrations or venous thromboembolism risk is not meaningful for predicting severe coronavirus disease 2019 health outcomes.

Usefulness of mobile apps for communication of genetic test results to at-risk family members in a U.S. integrated health system: a qualitative approach from user-testing.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the usefulness a mobile based application to send genetic test results to at-risk family members in a U.S. integrated health system. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured in-person interviews with members of Kaiser Permanente Washington who had enrolled in a prospective study and received genetic test results. Participants were given the task to use the app and comment on the experience. The moderator asked participants to share perspectives on the usefulness of a mobile based app and their lived experiences of sharing their test results with family members. RESULTS: Fourteen study participants who had undergone genetic testing were interviewed. Four primary themes emerged as relevant to the use of mobile-based apps as a tool for communicating genetic test results to at-risk family members: (i) Participants felt a sense of obligation to share positive test results with relatives; (ii) Participants felt that the advantages of using email were similar to those of the app; (iii) Participants felt that younger individuals would be more comfortable with an app; and, (iv) Participants felt they could use the app independently and in their own time. CONCLUSION: A mobile based app could be used as a tool to improve cascade screening for pathogenic/likely pathogenic test results. The benefits of such a tool are likely greatest among relatives still at the stage of family planning, as well as among family members with strained relationships. There would be minimal burden on the system to offer a mobile based app as a tool.

Surveillance for second breast cancer events in women with a personal history of breast cancer using breast MRI: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Women with personal history of breast cancer (PHBC) are currently recommended to receive annual mammography for surveillance of breast cancer recurrence or new primary. However, given issues in accuracy with mammography, there is a need for evolving evidence-based surveillance recommendations with supplemental imaging. In this systematic review, we compiled and compared existing studies that describe the test performance of surveillance breast MRI among women with PHBC. METHODS: We searched PubMed and EMBASE using MeSH terms for studies (2000-2019) that described the diagnostic characteristics of breast MRI in women with PHBC. Search results were reviewed and included based on PICOTS criteria; quality of included articles was assessed using QUADAS-2. Meta-analysis of single proportions was conducted for diagnostic characteristics of breast MRI, including tests of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Our review included 11 articles in which unique cohorts were studied, comprised of a total of 8338 women with PHBC and 12,335 breast MRI done for the purpose of surveillance. We predict intervals (PI) for cancer detection rate per 1000 examinations (PI 9-15; I2 = 10%), recall rate (PI 5-31%; I2 = 97%), sensitivity (PI 58-95%; I2 = 47%), specificity (PI 76-97%; I2 = 97%), and PPV3 (PI 16-40%; I2 = 44%). CONCLUSIONS: Studies addressing performance of breast MRI are variable and limited in population-based studies. The summary of evidence to date is insufficient to recommend for or against use of breast MRI for surveillance among women with PHBC.

Time to fecal immunochemical test completion for colorectal cancer screening.

OBJECTIVES: Fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) can efficiently screen for colorectal cancer (CRC), but little is known on the timing to their completion. We investigate the time to return of a FIT following an order and describe patient characteristics associated with FIT return. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: We identified 63,478 members of Kaiser Permanente Washington, aged 50 to 74 years, who received a FIT order from 2011 through 2012. Patient characteristics were ascertained through administrative and electronic health record data sources. We compared time from FIT order to return by patient characteristics using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods. RESULTS: About half (53.7%) of members completed a FIT. Median time from order to return was 13 days (mean, 44.5 days; interquartile range, 6-42 days). There was higher completion of FITs among Asian patients (hazard ratio [HR], 1.43; 95% CI, 1.38-1.48), black patients (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.08-1.19), and Hispanic patients (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.04-1.16) compared with white patients; among patients with recent CRC testing (vs no testing in past 2 years; HR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.86-1.95); and among patients with Medicare insurance (vs commercial; HR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.24-1.37). Factors associated with decreased FIT completion included younger age (50-54 years vs 70-74 years; HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.82-0.92), obesity (vs normal body mass index; HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.86-0.91), and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index score (≥3 vs 0; HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.79-0.87). CONCLUSIONS: Time to return of FIT varies by patient characteristics. We observed greater FIT completion among people of color, suggesting that racial disparities in CRC may not be due to patient completion of the test after an order is received.