Feasibility and Colonoscopy Yield Using the Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)-Based Colorectal Cancer Screening in a Latin America Country.

Background & Aims: Organized colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is not widely practiced in Latin America and the results of regional studies may help overcome barriers for implementation of national screening programs. We aimed to describe the implementation and findings of a fecal immunochemical test (FIT)-based program in Brazil.

Methods: In a prospective population-based study, asymptomatic individuals (50-75 years old) from Sao Paulo city were invited to undergo FIT for CRC screening.

Attendance for diagnostic colposcopy among high-risk human papillomavirus positive women in a Brazilian feasibility study.

Objective: To investigate factors associated with colposcopy attendance in HPV-positive women in São Paulo, Brazil.

Methods: We analyzed data from a prospective cohort of women positive for high-risk HPV (hr-HPV) undergoing cervical cancer screening in primary care services in São Paulo, Brazil. Non-pregnant women attending routine screening between December 2014 and March 2016 were offered an hr-HPV test, and those testing positive and aged 25 years or older were invited for colposcopy.

A Bispecific Molecule Targeting CD40 and Tumor Antigen Mesothelin Enhances Tumor-Specific Immunity.

Agonistic CD40 monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have demonstrated some clinical activity, but with dose-limiting toxicity. To reduce systemic toxicity, we developed a bispecific molecule that was maximally active in the presence of a tumor antigen and had limited activity in the absence of the tumor antigen. LB-1 is a bispecific molecule containing single-chain Fv domains targeting mouse CD40 and the tumor antigen mesothelin.

High-Risk HPV Testing in Primary Screening for Cervical Cancer in the Public Health System, São Paulo, Brazil.

Every year there are approximately 16,000 new cases of cervical cancer in Brazil. Novel screening technologies may reduce this number by expanding the population coverage but also by improving the detection rate of precursor lesions. We aimed to evaluate human papillomaviruses (HPV)-DNA testing in the context of routine cervical cancer screening in the public health system of the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

Influence of Prior Knowledge of Human Papillomavirus Status on the Performance of Cytology Screening.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of prior knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV) status in cervical cytopathology readings.

Methods: Participants comprised 2,376 women who underwent parallel cytology and HPV-DNA testing. Smears were read twice by the same team, first with previous knowledge of HPV-DNA status.

Critical Analyses of the Introduction of Liquid-Based Cytology in a Public Health Service of the State of São Paulo, Brazil.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the performance of the current conventional Pap smear with liquid-based cytology (LBC) preparations.

Study Design: Women routinely undergoing their cytopathological and histopathological examinations at Fundação Oncocentro de São Paulo (FOSP) were recruited for LBC. Conventional smears were analyzed from women from other areas of the State of São Paulo with similar sociodemographic characteristics.

eLearning to enhance physician patient communication: a pilot test of "doc.com" and "WebEncounter" in teaching bad news delivery.

Background: Physician-patient communication skills help determine the nature and quality of diagnostic information elicited from patients, the quality of the physician's counseling, and the patient's adherence to treatment. In spite of their importance, surveys have demonstrated a wide variability and deficiencies in the teaching of these skills.

Aim: Describe two specific methodologies for teaching physician-patient communication skills developed at our institution and pilot test them for effectiveness.

The impact of the changing health care environment on the health and well-being of faculty at four medical schools.

Purpose: Increased pressure for clinical and research productivity and decreased control over the work environment have been reported to have adverse impacts on academic faculty in limited studies. The authors examined whether work-related stressors in academic medicine negatively affected the physical and mental health, as well as life and job satisfaction, of academic medical school faculty.

Method: A 136-item self-administered anonymous questionnaire modified from a small 1984 study was distributed to 3,519 academic faculty at four U.

Evaluating surgeons' informed decision making skills: pilot test using a videoconferenced standardised patient.

Background: Standardised patients (SPs) are effective in evaluating communication skills, but not every training site may have the resources to develop and maintain SP programmes.

Objectives: To test whether videoconferencing technology (VT) could enable an interaction between an SP and an orthopaedic surgeon that would allow the SP to accurately evaluate the surgeon's informed decision making (IDM) skills. We also assessed whether this sort of interaction was acceptable to orthopaedic surgeons as a means of learning IDM skills.

A survey of residents' attitudes and practices in screening for, managing, and documenting domestic violence.

Objective: We conducted this study to identify residents' limitations in screening for, documenting, and managing domestic violence (DV) and to focus future educational interventions.

Methods: We administered a detailed survey to 103 internal medicine residents from 4 university-affiliated programs to ascertain their attitudes about and practices in screening for, documenting, and managing DV.

Results: Most residents agreed that DV is a significant health care problem (87%) and one in which physicians can intervene effectively (77%), yet 37% reported not screening for DV.

A pilot test of WebOSCE: a system for assessing trainees' clinical skills via teleconference.

WebOSCE is a computer-based system that allows a student at an affiliate site to participate in a 10-station standardized patient-based exam using a videoconference interface, while nine other students take the exam on-site. We pilot-tested this system during a required year-end objective structured clinical exam. We compared performance data between the 26 distance students taking the exam via WebOSCE with 221 on-site students.

An assessment of residents' abilities to detect and manage domestic violence.

Despite increased awareness of domestic violence (DV), little is known about residents' preparedness to diagnose and respond appropriately to abuse victims. We designed a pilot study to examine this. Seventy-one internal medicine residents participated in a 10-station standardized patient-based Clinical Skills Assessment.