Publications by authors named "Alexandra J Greenberg"

We and others have shown increased risk of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in first-degree relatives of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Whether familial risk of MGUS differs by the MM proband's age at onset, tumor or clinical characteristics is unknown. MM and smoldering MM (SMM) cases (N = 430) were recruited from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota between 2005-2015.

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The contemporary healthcare system can help improve health literacy outcomes in two ways: first, by nurturing the skills and motivations needed for patients to be actively engaged in their own health and healthcare decisions; and, second, by creating a prepared and proactive healthcare system that adapts to patients' capacities and needs in efficacious ways. In 2001, the National Cancer Institute launched the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) as a way for researchers and planners to understand how the public is interacting with a rapidly changing health information environment. Original iterations of the HINTS national probability sampling strategies took place on a biennial basis, but in subsequent years the protocol moved to a yearly administration.

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Background: In the United States, national incentives for offering access to electronic personal health records (ePHRs) through electronic means are geared toward creating a culture of patient engagement. One group of patients who stand to benefit from online access to ePHRs is the growing population with multiple chronic conditions (MCC). However, little is known about the current availability and use of ePHRs and patient portals among those managing MCC.

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Use of the internet for seeking and managing health information in the U.S., Europe, and emerging and developing nations is growing.

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Purpose: The increase in use of health information technologies (HIT) presents new opportunities for patient engagement and self-management. Patients in rural areas stand to benefit especially from increased access to health care tools and electronic communication with providers. We assessed the adoption of 4 HIT tools over time by rural or urban residency.

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Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) aims to improve population health outcomes through several objectives, including health communication and health information technology. We used 7 administrations of the Health Information National Trends Survey to examine HP2020 goals toward access to the Internet through broadband and mobile devices (N = 34 080). We conducted descriptive analyses and obtained predicted marginals, also known as model-adjusted risks, to estimate the association between demographic characteristics and use of mobile devices.

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The Internet is a valuable tool that continues to revolutionize many aspects of our lives; however, the ability to disseminate diverse data across populations and nations presents both opportunities and challenges. Online resources are increasingly used in health care, providing wider access to information for patients, researchers, and clinicians. At the turn of the millennium, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) predicted that Internet-based technologies would create a revolution in communication for oncology professionals and patients with cancer.

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Purpose: Most prostate cancer patients also have comorbidities that are treated with both prescription and nonprescription medications; furthermore, many use dietary supplements. We assess their association with prognosis after prostate cancer diagnosis, and we discuss methodological challenges and clinical implications.

Methods: We reviewed high-quality observational studies investigating the association of commonly used medications and supplements with prostate cancer-specific mortality.

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Little quantitative data exist concerning barriers that impede translation from bench to bedside. We systematically reviewed synthetic or biosynthetic polymer nerve scaffolds for peripheral nerve repair to study a defined research area that is beyond the discovery phase and has potential for clinical application. Using electronic and manual search methods, we identified published English language articles, where scaffolds were tested in preclinical animal models.

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Background: Percent mammographic density (PD) estimates the proportion of stromal, fat, and epithelial breast tissues on the mammogram image. Adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI), PD is one of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer. Inherited factors are hypothesized to explain between 30 and 60% of the variance in this trait.

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Objective: To determine the prognosis of patients with non-secretory myeloma. Methods: We studied 124 patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma who had no monoclonal protein detected on serum and urine immunofixation at diagnosis and on all subsequent follow up testing (non-secretory myeloma). The overall survival (OS) of patients with non-secretory myeloma was compared with 7075 patients with typical myeloma seen during the same time period in whom a monoclonal protein was detected at the time of diagnosis.

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Objective: To determine the prognosis of patients with non-secretory myeloma.

Methods: We studied 124 patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma who had no monoclonal protein detected on serum and urine immunofixation at diagnosis and on all subsequent follow-up testing (non-secretory myeloma). The overall survival (OS) of patients with non-secretory myeloma was compared with 6953 patients with typical myeloma seen during the same time period in whom a monoclonal protein was detected at the time of diagnosis.

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Translational stories range from straightforward to complex. In this commentary, the story of the rapid and successful translation of rituximab therapy for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) is examined. Development of this monoclonal antibody therapy began in the late 1980s.

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Electrical stimulation of the brain has a 2000 year history. Deep brain stimulation (DBS), one form of neurostimulation, is a functional neurosurgical approach in which a high-frequency electrical current stimulates targeted brain structures for therapeutic benefit. It is an effective treatment for certain neuropathologic movement disorders and an emerging therapy for psychiatric conditions and epilepsy.

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The introduction of novel immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) has dramatically improved the survival of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). While it has been shown that patients with specific cytogenetic subtypes, namely t(4;14), have the best outcomes when treated with bortezomib-based regimens, the relationship between cytogenetic subtypes and response to IMiDs remains unclear. Using DNA synthesis assays, we investigated the relationship between cytogenetic subtype and lenalidomide response in a representative panel of human myeloma cell lines (HMCLs).

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We previously reported an increased risk of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) in first-degree relatives of MGUS and multiple myeloma patients. Here, we examine whether primary cytogenetic categories of myeloma differ between patients with and without a family history of MGUS or myeloma. We studied 201 myeloma patients with available data on family history and molecular cytogenetic classification.

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Previously, we reported increased risk of heavy-chain (HC) monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) among first-degree (1°) relatives of multiple myeloma (MM) or HC-MGUS probands. This study investigated whether there was comparable risk for light-chain (LC) MGUS among 911 relatives of the same HC-MGUS/MM probands versus a reference population of 21 463. Seventeen 1° relatives had LC-MGUS (adjusted prevalence = 1·7%, 95% CI = 0·9–2·6%).

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Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a precursor to multiple myeloma (MM), is one of the most common premalignant conditions in the general population. The cause of MGUS is largely unknown. Recent studies show that there is an increased prevalence of MGUS in blood relatives of persons with lymphoproliferative and plasma cell proliferative disorders, suggesting presence of shared underlying genetic influences.

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Objectives/hypothesis: To investigate the relationship between the expression of FOXM1, CEP55, and HELLS in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma to human papillomavirus (HPV), smoking, and tumor stage.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: Transcriptome data were analyzed from matched tumor-normal samples taken from patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

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The journey of gene transfer from laboratory to clinic has been slow and fraught with many challenges and barriers. Despite the development of the initial technology in the early 1970s, a standard clinical treatment involving "gene therapy" remains to be seen. Furthermore, much was written about the technology in the early 1990s, but since then, not much has been written about the journey of gene transfer.

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