How Timely Is Diagnosis of Lung Cancer? Cohort Study of Individuals with Lung Cancer Presenting in Ambulatory Care in the United States.

The diagnosis of lung cancer in ambulatory settings is often challenging due to non-specific clinical presentation, but there are currently no clinical quality measures (CQMs) in the United States used to identify areas for practice improvement in diagnosis. We describe the pre-diagnostic time intervals among a retrospective cohort of 711 patients identified with primary lung cancer from 2012-2019 from ambulatory care clinics in Seattle, Washington USA. Electronic health record data were extracted for two years prior to diagnosis, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) applied to identify symptoms/signs from free text clinical fields.

Patient and tumour characteristics of screening-age adults diagnosed with screen-detected versus symptomatic colon cancer.

Aim: International studies have shown that most colon cancers are diagnosed among people with symptoms, but research is limited in the United States. Here, we conducted a retrospective study of adults aged 50-85 years diagnosed with stage I-IIIA colon cancer between 1995 and 2014 in two US healthcare systems.

Methods: Mode of detection (screening or symptomatic) was ascertained from medical records.

Effects of Message Framing on Cervical Cancer Screening Knowledge and Intentions Related to Primary HPV Testing.

Numerous national guidelines now include primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as a recommended screening option for cervical cancer in the United States yet little is known regarding screening intentions for this specific screening strategy or interventions that may increase uptake. Gain- and loss-framed messaging can positively impact health behaviors; however, there is mixed evidence on which is more effective for cervical cancer screening, with no published evidence examining HPV testing. To help address this gap, this study compared the effects of message framing on screening knowledge and intentions related to primary HPV testing.

Negative cancer beliefs: Socioeconomic differences from the awareness and beliefs about cancer survey.

Objective: Socioeconomic gaps in cancer mortality may be driven partially by poorer uptake of early detection behaviors among lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups. Lower SES groups may hold both fewer positive and more negative cancer beliefs that discourage these behaviors. We examined SES differences in positive and negative cancer beliefs in US adults.

A Proposal to Improve the Early Diagnosis of Symptomatic Cancers in the United States.

Many people are diagnosed with cancer after presenting with signs and symptoms of their disease to a healthcare provider. Research from developed countries suggests that, in addition to indicating later-stage disease, symptoms can also indicate earlier-stage disease, leading to investment in research and quality improvement efforts in the early detection of symptomatic cancers. This approach, labeled early diagnosis of symptomatic cancers, focuses on identifying cancer at the earliest possible stage in patients with potential signs and symptoms of cancer, and subsequently diagnosing and treating the cancer without delay.

Cancer symptom awareness in the US: Sociodemographic differences in a population-based survey of adults.

Symptom awareness may improve cancer outcomes by prompting timely help-seeking and diagnosis. Research in the UK has shown lower symptom awareness among sociodemographic groups at higher risk of poor cancer outcomes; however, no population-based surveys in the US have assessed whether cancer symptom awareness varies across sociodemographic groups. We therefore examined associations between sociodemographic factors and recognition of 11 cancer symptoms using a novel population-based survey of US adults.

Cancer Symptom Recognition and Anticipated Delays in Seeking Care Among U.S. Adults.

Introduction: Early stage diagnosis strongly predicts cancer survival. Recognition of potential symptoms of cancer may improve survival by reducing time to seeking care.

Methods: Telephone interviews with a population-representative sample of English-speaking adults (aged ≥50 years) in the U.

Cancer screening: health impact, prevalence, correlates, and interventions.

Cancer screening tests have helped to reduce cancer deaths. We provide an overview of recent research pertaining to the definition, health impact, and prevalence of several screening tests. We also discuss the multilevel correlates and determinants of screening and interventions designed to increase uptake.

Is There a Spillover Effect of Targeted Dietary Change on Untargeted Health Behaviors? Evidence From a Dietary Modification Trial.

. The gateway behavior hypothesis posits that change in a health behavior targeted for modification may promote positive changes in other untargeted health behaviors; however, previous studies have shown inconsistent results. .

Psychosocial predictors of mammography history among Chinese American women without a recent mammogram.

Chinese American women have lower rates of mammography screening compared with non-Hispanic White women. Although the extent of perceived barriers, as conceptualized by the Health Belief Model, have been shown to distinguish between currently non-adherent Chinese American women who have ever and never had a mammogram, it is less clear which types of perceived barriers differentiate them. One hundred twenty-eight Chinese American women in the New York metropolitan area who had not had a mammogram in the past year completed baseline assessments for a mammography framing intervention study.

Social integration and survival after diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

Background: Although larger social networks have been associated with lower all-cause mortality, few studies have examined whether social integration predicts survival outcomes among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The authors examined the association between social ties and survival after CRC diagnosis in a prospective cohort study.

Methods: Participants included 896 women in the Nurses' Health Study who were diagnosed with stage I, II, or III CRC between 1992 and 2012.

Why Psychology Matters in Veterinary Medicine.

As companion animals become more central to individuals and families, there are countless ways that veterinary medical practice can benefit from understanding human psychology. This article highlights how insights from the fields of health psychology and behavioral medicine might hold the potential to improve veterinary practice. We focus on key areas of care for companion animals that are integrally linked to their human caregivers׳ psychological reactions and behavior, including health maintenance, managing illness, and end-of-life care.

Promoting mammography screening among Chinese American women using a message-framing intervention.

Objectives: This study examined the role of women's perceptions about the relative pros versus cons (decisional balance) of mammography in moderating Chinese American women's responses to gain- and loss-framed messages that promote mammography.

Methods: One hundred and forty-three Chinese American women who were currently nonadherent to guidelines for receiving annual screening mammograms were randomly assigned to read either a gain- or loss-framed culturally appropriate print brochure about mammography screening. Mammography screening was self-reported at a 2-month follow-up.

Barriers to screening mammography.

Breast cancer (BRCA) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the USA, and mammography is an effective means for the early detection of BRCA. Identifying the barriers to screening mammography can inform research, policy and practice aiming to increase mammography adherence. A literature review was conducted to determine common barriers to screening mammography adherence.

Mediators of change in psychosocial interventions for cancer patients: a systematic review.

Careful reviews and meta-analyses have made valuable contributions to understanding the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for cancer patients. An important next step is to determine the mediators that explain the influence of efficacious interventions on outcomes. This systematic review summarizes tests of mediating variables from twenty-two projects conducted from 1989-2010.