Disparities in Lung Cancer Screening in Hispanic Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.

Effective cancer screening is essential for early detection and improved survival outcomes. Cancer is a leading cause of death for Hispanics/Latinx, who represent the largest minority group in the U.S.

Disparities in Electronic Cigarette Use: A Narrative Review.

The prevalence of electronic cigarette use has been declared an epidemic by the U.S. Surgeon General in 2018, particularly among youth aged 18-24 years old.

Going Back Home: Understanding Physician Migration to the United States.

In 2021, US foreign-born population reached a high of 14.2% of the total US population. Up to 28% of US working immigrants are physicians.

Implementing physician education to increase lung cancer screening uptake.

Aim: Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The US Preventive Services Task Force and National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommend annual low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) for eligible adults. We conducted a study to assess physician LDCT referral patterns.

One size does not fit all: Evaluating disparities in lung cancer screening eligibility amongst the Hispanic population.

Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer death among Hispanic men. We assessed the tendencies for screening eligibility amongst Hispanic prior to LC diagnosis according to the NCCN and The USPSTF guidelines available at the time of diagnosis. We conducted an observational study in patients diagnosed with LC from 2016 to 2019.

Proyecto ELEVAR: Evaluating the Latinx Experience With the Health Care System Through Variables on Access and Resources.

Purpose: Hispanic/Latinx communities encounter disparities in access and availability of appropriate timely health care services, negatively affecting cancer outcomes. Limited data exist on the role of these factors in personal experiences of Hispanic/Latinx with health care systems. We aim to better understand Hispanic/Latinx experience with the health care system, focusing on the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and applications to clinical practice in patients diagnosed with cancer.

HOLA COVID-19 Study: Evaluating the Impact of Caring for Patients With COVID-19 on Cancer Care Delivery in Latin America.

Purpose: The HOLA COVID-19 study sought to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on oncology practices across Latin America (LATAM), challenges faced by physicians, and how practices and physicians adapted while delivering care to patients with cancer.

Methods: This international cross-sectional study of oncology physicians in LATAM included a 43-item anonymous online survey to evaluate changes and adaptations to clinical practice. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association of caring for patients with COVID-19 and changes to clinical practice.

Missed Opportunities? An Observational Analysis of Lung Cancer Screening Utilization Amongst Patients With Lung Cancer.

Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The U.S.

A deep dive into CDK4/6 inhibitors: Evaluating real world toxicities and treatment paradigms in the elderly population.

Background: Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors have become part of the standard of care in the treatment of hormone receptor positive, Her2Neu negative metastatic breast cancer. There is concern regarding the efficacy and potential increased cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors toxicity in the geriatric population in the community compared to the clinical trial population.

Methods: We evaluated patients treated with cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors from 2015 to 2019 and stratified according to age ≥70 and <70 years.

Forming the Hematology-Oncology Collaborative Videoconferencing (CO-VID) Learning Initiative: Experiential Lessons Learned From a Novel Trainee-Led Multidisciplinary Virtual Learning Platform.

Purpose: COVID-19 challenged medical practice and graduate medical education. Building on previous initiatives, we describe and reflect on the formative process and goals of the Hematology-Oncology Collaborative Videoconferencing Learning Initiative, a trainee-led multi-institutional virtual COVID-19 learning model.

Methods: Clinical fellows and faculty from 13 US training institutions developed consensus needs, goals, and objectives, recruited presenters, and generated a multidisciplinary COVID-19 curriculum.

First Analysis of Same-day Pegfilgrastim Use with Concurrent Capecitabine-based Regimens in Patients with Gastrointestinal Malignancies.

Background: Pegfilgrastim is administered 24 hours. after chemotherapy to reduce risks of myelosuppression. This requires an additional clinic visit, which can be difficult for some patients (pts) due to work and transportation issues.

Attenuated regimen of biweekly gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in patients aged 65 years or older with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Background: Treatment with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel confers a survival benefit over gemcitabine monotherapy in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (APC). However, such treatment can be associated with significant toxicities especially in older patients and carries practical disadvantages related to a weekly schedule along with financial cost. We retrospectively analyzed patients >65 years of age with APC who received a modified biweekly regimen of gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel to evaluate efficacy and toxicity.

The HOLA COVID-19 Study: An International Effort to Determine How COVID-19 Has Impacted Oncology Practices in Latin America.

Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have become hotspots of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, exacerbating socioeconomic inequalities and overwhelming fragmented health systems. Studies from the United States and Europe have highlighted the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on patients with cancer and the disruption it has caused on cancer care delivery. The HOLA COVID-19 Study aims to understand how cancer care in Latin American countries has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis versus cytokine release syndrome in severe COVID-19 patients.

Severe COVID-19 associated pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome has recently been described with life-threatening features of cytokine storm and loosely referred to as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) or macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). Although a recent report indicated favorable responses to the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, anakinra in eight patients with COVID-19 secondary HLH diagnosed using the HScore calculation, others have suggested that the diagnosis of secondary HLH is uncommon and that the use of the HScore has limited value in guiding immunomodulatory therapy for COVID-19. Here, we provide additional perspective on this important controversy based upon comparisons between 14 COVID-19 cytokine storm patients and 10 secondary HLH patients seen immediately prior to the pandemic.

Optimizing Tissue Use: A Step-wise Approach to Diagnosing Squamous Cell Lung Carcinoma on Small Biopsies.

Background: Histologic subtyping of lung cancer has significant implications for treatment planning. Accurate diagnosis based on cytology/small biopsy specimens is challenging and frequently determined by morphology, as material is often not sufficient for immunohistochemical studies (IHC). We investigated the concordance between the rates of diagnosis from cytology/small biopsies compared with surgical specimens in patients with squamous cell lung cancer (SCC) and the utility of IHC for diagnostic precision in lung cancer subtyping.

Cancer Care for All? Tales of Caring for Undocumented Patients with Cancer.

This commentary describes the barriers undocumented immigrants to the United States face when trying to access health care and highlights the downstream consequences of these barriers on the health system and on health care providers.