Influenza vaccine uptake in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: a multi-centre cross-sectional study.

While most countries provide safe and effective influenza vaccines for at-risk groups, influenza vaccine coverage among children with rheumatic diseases remains uncertain. This study investigated influenza vaccination rates in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) during the 2019-2020 season and assessed the knowledge and attitudes of caregivers of children with JIA regarding influenza vaccination. The secondary aims were to identify barriers to vaccination and explore strategies to improve vaccination rates.

Performance of Claims-Based Algorithms for Adherence to Positive Airway Pressure Therapy in Commercially Insured Patients With OSA.

Background: Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is first-line therapy for OSA, but consistent use is required for it to be effective. Previous studies have used Medicare fee-for-service claims data (eg, device, equipment charges) as a proxy for PAP adherence to assess its effects. However, this approach has not been validated in a US commercially insured population, where coverage rules are not standardized.

Healthcare resource utilisation and costs in patients with treated obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent yet underdiagnosed disease that creates a large economic burden on the United States healthcare system. In this retrospective study, we tested the hypothesis that adherence to positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, the 'gold standard' treatment for OSA, is associated with reduced healthcare resource utilisation and costs. We linked de-identified payer-sourced medical claims and objective PAP usage data for patients newly diagnosed with OSA.

Blood inflammatory markers and mortality in the US population: A Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) analysis.

A potential direct correlation between systemic inflammation and physiological aging has been suggested, along with whether there is a higher expression of inflammatory markers in otherwise healthy older adults. Cross-sectional data were extracted from the publicly available 2016 Health and Retirement Survey, a nationally representative survey of older adults in the United States. A subset of participants (n = 9934) consented to a blood draw at the time of recruitment and were measured for high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), Interleukin (IL-6, IL-10, IL-1RA), soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor (sTNFR-1) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1).

Personal and clinical characteristics associated with immunotherapy effectiveness in stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Immunotherapy response rates in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are low and survival varies significantly. Factors like age, sex, race, and histology may modulate immunotherapy response. Existing analyses are limited to clinical trials, with limited generalizability, and meta-analyses where adjustment for potential confounders cannot be performed.

Effect of stage shift and immunotherapy treatment on lung cancer survival outcomes.

Objectives: Non-small-cell lung cancer mortality has declined at a faster rate than incidence due to multiple factors, including changes in smoking behaviour, early detection which shifts diagnosis, and novel therapies. Limited resources require that we quantify the contribution of early detection versus novel therapies in improving lung cancer survival outcomes.

Methods: Non-small-cell lung cancer patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare data were queried and divided into: (i) stage IV diagnosed in 2015 (n = 3774) and (ii) stage I-III diagnosed in 2010-2012 (n = 15 817).

Trends in prostate cancer incidence among Black men in the Caribbean and the United States.

Background: Prostate cancer incidence is highest for Black men of the African diaspora in the United States and Caribbean. Recent changes in recommendations for prostate cancer screening have been shown to decrease overall prostate cancer incidence and increase the likelihood of late stage disease. However, it is unclear how trends in prostate cancer characteristics among high risk Black men differ by geographic region during the changes in screening recommendations.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma characteristics and outcomes: A SEER-Medicare analysis.

Background: Pleural mesothelioma is rare cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Previous research has indicated that female individuals have better survival than male individuals, but this has never been examined in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database.

Materials And Methods: Malignant pleural mesothelioma cases diagnosed from 1992 to 2015 were queried from the linked SEER-Medicare database.

Dose-Response Relationship between Obstructive Sleep Apnea Therapy Adherence and Healthcare Utilization.

Clear definition of optimal positive airway pressure therapy usage in patients with obstructive sleep apnea is not possible because of scarce data on the relationship between usage hours and major clinical outcomes. To investigate the dose-response relationship between positive airway pressure usage and healthcare resource utilization and determine the minimum device usage required for benefit. A linked data set combined deidentified payer-sourced administrative medical/pharmacy claims data from more than 100 U.

The Scan, the Needle, or the Knife? National Trends in Diagnosing Stage I Lung Cancer.

Objective: Indeterminate lung nodules have been increasingly discovered since the expansion of lung cancer screening programs. The diagnostic approach for suspicious nodules varies based on institutional resources and preferences. The aim of this study is to analyze factors associated with diagnostic modalities used for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methodological Considerations on COVID-19 Mortality in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Patients with cancer are at risk for severe COVID-19. Previous studies examining mortality in cancer patients with COVID-19 have produced inconclusive results. Several published meta-analyses have aimed to estimate this association; however, because of methodological limitations in study selection and data aggregation, these studies do not reliably estimate the independent association between cancer and COVID-19 mortality.

Ecologic study of influenza vaccination uptake and COVID-19 death rate in New York City.

Background: The aim of this ecological study was to assess the area-level relationship between cumulative death rate for COVID-19 and historic influenza vaccination uptake in the New York City population.

Methods: Predictors of COVID-19 death included self-reported influenza vaccination in 2017, as well as four CDC-defined risk factors of severe COVID-19 infection available at the ecological level, which were diabetes, asthma, BMI 30-100 () and hypertension, in addition to race and age (65 + years).

Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, for every one-unit increase in influenza vaccination uptake for each zip code area, the rate of COVID-19 deaths decreased by 5.

Association of Personal Characteristics and Effectiveness of Immunotherapy in Late-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Background: Although immunotherapy can increase survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), response rates are low. It is unclear which characteristics contribute to variability in immunotherapy efficacy and survival. Research is needed to identify reasons for heterogeneity in response rates to better tailor treatments.

PET imaging of mitochondrial function in acute doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity: a proof-of-principle study.

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role in doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC). In this proof-of-principle study, we investigated whether PET mapping of cardiac membrane potential, an indicator of mitochondrial function, could detect an acute cardiotoxic effect of doxorubicin (DOX) in a large animal model. Eight Yucatan pigs were imaged dynamically with [F](4-Fluorophenyl)triphenylphosphonium ([F]FTPP) PET/CT.

Global DNA methylation of WTC prostate cancer tissues show signature differences compared to non-exposed cases.

There is increased incidence of prostate cancer (PC) among World Trade Center (WTC)-exposed responders and community members, with preliminary evidence suggestive of more aggressive disease. While previous research is supportive of differences in DNA methylation and gene expression as a consequence of WTC exposure, as measured in blood of healthy individuals, the epigenetics of WTC PC tissues has yet to be explored. Patients were recruited from the World Trade Center Health Program.

Modulation of chemoimmunotherapy efficacy in non-small cell lung cancer by sex and histology: a real-world, patient-level analysis.

Background: It has been postulated that patient's sex impacts response to immunotherapy. Sex modulation of immunotherapy benefit, however, has not yet been explored using patient-level data, where potential confounders, as well as histologic type, can be accounted for. Here we investigated the association between sex and chemoimmunotherapy efficacy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using a large, nation-wide dataset.

Disparities in clinical and demographic characteristics among Asian/Pacific Islander and Non-Hispanic White newly diagnosed lung cancer patients.

Purpose: Racial disparities persist among lung cancer patients but have not been adequately studied among Asian/Pacific Islander (API) subgroups, which are heterogeneous. This study compared clinical and demographic characteristics at diagnosis of API subgroups and NHW patients.

Methods: NHW and API adults diagnosed with lung cancer were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1990-2015).

Trends for In- and Outpatient Thyroid Cancer Surgery in Older Adults in New York State, 2007-2017.

Background: In view of the 2013 American Thyroid Association consensus statement on outpatient thyroidectomy, the present study assessed the trends and factors associated with thyroid cancer surgery setting in older adults, using the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database.

Materials And Methods: There were 14,495 patients with surgically treated thyroid cancer in New York State between 2007 and 2017. Trends were plotted over time and stratified by surgery type.

Association of Stage Shift and Population Mortality Among Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Importance: Early detection by computed tomography and a more attention-oriented approach to incidentally identified pulmonary nodules in the last decade has led to population stage shift for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This stage shift could substantially confound the evaluation of newer therapeutics and mortality outcomes.

Objective: To investigate the association of stage shift with population mortality among patients with NSCLC.

A national profile of health-focused caregiving activities prior to a new cancer diagnosis.

Background: Little is known about how unpaid family caregivers may already be engaged in caregiving activities prior to their care recipient's cancer diagnosis. We examined pre-cancer diagnosis caregiving patterns and their association with caregiving strain.

Methods: We conducted a population-based analysis of 2011-2017 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) linked with the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) and Medicare claims data.

Assessing influenza vaccination success to inform COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Given recent downward trends in daily rates of COVID-19 vaccinations, it is important to reassess strategies to reach those most vulnerable. The success and efficacy of vaccination campaigns for other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza, may help inform messaging around COVID-19 vaccinations. This cross-sectional study examines the individual-level factors associated with, and the spatial distribution of, predictors of COVID-19 severity, and uptake of influenza and hepatitis B (as a negative control) vaccines across NYC.

Analyzing disparities in COVID-19 testing trends according to risk for COVID-19 severity across New York City.

Background: Given the interplay between race and comorbidities on COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, it is vital that testing be performed in areas of greatest need, where more severe cases are expected. The goal of this analysis is to evaluate COVID-19 testing data in NYC relative to risk factors for COVID-19 disease severity and demographic characteristics of NYC neighborhoods.

Methods: COVID-19 testing and the racial/ethnic composition of NYC Zip Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTA) were obtained from the NYC Coronavirus data repository and the American Community Survey, respectively.

A Neighborhood Analysis of Time Trends in COVID-19 Infection in NYC.

To understand how observed COVID-19 diagnostic testing disparities across New York City (NYC) have impacted infection rates and COVID-19 spread, we examined neighborhood-level factors associated with, and the spatial distribution of, antibody test and infection rates, and compared changes over time by NYC ZIP code tabulation area (ZCTA). Data were obtained from 2019 American Community Survey 5-year estimates to create an SES index by ZCTA. Other predictors obtained from 2018 census data were the proportions of white residents, Hispanic residents and residents ≥ 65 years old.