Publications by authors named "Erin Kobetz"

Background: To evaluate the impact of Hispanic ethnic enclaves (EE) on the relationship between neighborhood disadvantage and overall survival (OS) in breast cancer (BCa) patients.

Methods: Data from BCa patients with stage I-IV disease diagnosed between 2005-2017 was used to analyze the effects of Area Deprivation Index (ADI) scores, a measure of neighborhood disadvantage, and census-tract level Hispanic density, a measure of EE, on OS using mixed-effects Cox regression models. The final model included the following individual-level factors (age, income, race, Hispanic/Latino origin, nativity, insurance status, and comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, and body mass index) and clinical factors (National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline-concordant treatment, stage, and receptor subtype).

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Background: Despite United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations, low uptake of lung cancer screening (LCS) highlights the need for measures to promote adoption. This scoping review aims to outline the global landscape of mobile low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) platforms, summarizing research and evaluating efficacy in screening at-risk populations.

Methods: We comprehensively searched Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science for articles published between 2017 and 2023.

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Objectives: The aims of the study are to characterize Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) firefighters' perceptions of occupational exposure, health impacts, and decontamination practices and describe barriers to effective gear cleaning.

Methods: A convergent parallel mixed methods design was employed, collecting and analyzing quantitative survey data ( n = 81) and qualitative focus group data ( n = 52) from ARFF firefighters at three Florida airports.

Results: ARFF firefighters expressed concerns about chronic exposure to hazardous materials and perceived a heightened cancer risk.

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Article Synopsis
  • Community-based mobile clinics in Miami-Dade County are shown to effectively increase access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), particularly for underrepresented groups.
  • The study involved over 1,800 clients from fixed and mobile clinics over nearly five years, revealing that mobile clinics successfully reached more cisgender women, Black clients, and older individuals compared to fixed locations.
  • Clients using the mobile clinics, especially uninsured and male individuals, demonstrated a higher likelihood of continuing PrEP treatment over 48 weeks, indicating the importance of these services in sustaining care engagement.
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  • Wastewater can help scientists understand public health by showing how germs and viruses are present in communities over time and space.
  • Researchers studied wastewater in Miami Dade County from 2020 to 2022 to track different viruses and bacteria, linking them to COVID-19 cases in hospitals and universities.
  • They found harmful germs and bacteria in the water, showing connections between wastewater, human health, and the use of antibiotics, which can help improve public health decisions in the future.
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Background: Previous survival studies on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by etiology are limited to hospital-based series, restricted cohorts, and monolithic etiologic categories. We studied population-based survival by seven mutually exclusive HCC etiologic groups-standalone hepatitis-C virus (HCV), hepatitis-B virus (HBV), alcohol-related liver disease (ALD), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and dual etiology HCV-HBV, HCV-ALD, and HBV-ALD-accounting for clinical and sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods: All HCC cases diagnosed during 2005 to 2018 from the Florida Cancer Registry were linked for etiology using statewide discharge and viral hepatitis data.

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Objective: Determine whether volunteer firefighters in Florida are at increased odds of developing cancer compared with nonfirefighters.

Methods: A case-control study design was implemented to assess the odds of developing cancer among male and female volunteer firefighters in Florida. Gender-specific age and calendar year-adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated.

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers often find mixed results when studying links between occupational exposures and cancer, making it essential to analyze these findings closely.
  • Meta-analysis faces various challenges, such as differences in how studies measure effects, the assumption of study independence, and inconsistencies in cancer definitions.
  • The paper showcases real examples from a meta-analysis of firefighter cancer data and offers practical tips for addressing these issues in future studies.
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Background: Exposures to polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contribute to cancer in the fire service. Fire investigators are involved in evaluations of post-fire scenes. In the US, it is estimated that there are up to 9000 fire investigators, compared to approximately 1.

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The prioritization of English language in clinical research is a barrier to translational science. We explored promising practices to advance the inclusion of people who speak languages other than English in research conducted within and supported by NIH Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) hubs. Key informant interviews were conducted with representatives ( = 24) from CTSA hubs ( = 17).

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The University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Community Outreach and Engagement Office has developed an algorithm to aid in identifying catchment area relevant trials. We have developed this tool to capture a catchment area (South Florida) that represents the most racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse region in the US. Unfortunately, the area's tumor burden is also significant with many notable disparities, necessitating a prioritization of trials within Sylvester's catchment area.

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Objective: Identify predictors of overall survival (OS) after hypopharyngeal/laryngeal cancer in Florida.

Material And Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the Florida Cancer Data System (FCDS) on patients diagnosed with hypopharyngeal or laryngeal cancer from 2010-2017. Primary outcome was OS.

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  • A study analyzed prostate cancer cases from firefighters in Florida (2004-2014) and compared them to the general population, revealing firefighters had a higher five-year survival rate (96.1% vs. 94.2%).
  • While younger firefighters and those with localized cancers tend to have better outcomes, older firefighters with advanced stages of the disease exhibited a higher risk of death compared to the general population.
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Objective: To determine the association between objective (geospatial) and subjective (perceived) measures of neighborhood disadvantage (ND) and aggressive breast cancer tumor biology, defined using validated social adversity-associated transcription factor (TF) activity and clinical outcomes.

Background: ND is associated with shorter breast cancer recurrence-free survival (RFS), independent of individual, tumor, and treatment characteristics, suggesting potential unaccounted biological mechanisms by which ND influences RFS.

Methods: We quantified TF-binding motif prevalence within promoters of differentially expressed genes for 147 tissue samples prospectively collected on the protocol.

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Introduction: Despite having a high risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections, people who inject drugs (PWID) often do not receive recommended HPV screenings due to barriers to healthcare. Guideline-based cervical HPV screening and vaccination can prevent cervical cancer. Low-cost, low-barrier methods for cancer screening and prevention are important for vulnerable communities such as PWID.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is used to monitor COVID-19 infections by detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater, with the effectiveness possibly changing due to virus mutations over time.
  • - This study examined wastewater samples from the University of Miami and Miami-Dade County across different COVID-19 variant periods, comparing RNA levels to clinical COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
  • - While correlations were generally strong, they varied by variant; the Omicron period showed a steeper relationship between wastewater RNA levels and case numbers, while the Initial wave had the strongest correlation for hospitalizations.
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Background And Objectives: Neighborhood social cohesion (NSC) has been associated with a variety of health outcomes, but limited research has examined its impact on behaviors that support cancer control. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between NSC and guideline-concordant breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening.

Methods: Data are from a cross-sectional survey administered to 716 adults in South Florida from 2019 to 2020.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Conducted between 2020 and 2023, the research involved patients with invasive breast cancer from both an underserved hospital and a cancer center, analyzing data collected through a social needs screening tool.
  • * Results showed that 76% of patients with access to city-funded mammograms underwent screening, but those at the underserved hospital were more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage of cancer.
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Clinical testing has been a vital part of the response to and suppression of the COVID-19 pandemic; however, testing imposes significant burdens on a population. College students had to contend with clinical testing while simultaneously dealing with health risks and the academic pressures brought on by quarantines, changes to virtual platforms, and other disruptions to daily life. The objective of this study was to analyze whether wastewater surveillance can be used to decrease the intensity of clinical testing while maintaining reliable measurements of diseases incidence on campus.

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Background: Previous studies on disparities in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) focus on race/ethnicity, with few exploring the impact of contextual factors such as neighborhood-level income. This study evaluates the effect of neighborhood-level income on disparities in TNBC among a racially and ethnically diverse cohort, after accounting for granular individual-level risk factors of TNBC.

Patients And Methods: Patients with stage I-IV breast cancer from 2005 to 2017 were identified from our local tumor registry.

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Background & Aims: The main causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) include chronic hepatitis C and B viral infections (HCV, HBV), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and alcohol-related disease (ALD). Etiology-specific HCC incidence rates and temporal trends on a population-basis are needed to improve HCC control and prevention.

Methods: All 14,420 HCC cases from the Florida statewide cancer registry were individually linked to data from the hospital discharge agency and the viral hepatitis department to determine the predominant etiology of each case diagnosed during 2010 to 2018.

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Introduction: Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer incidence and death in the United States. Although most firefighters are fit and do not smoke, they are exposed to many known carcinogens during and in the aftermath of firefighting activities. Comprehensive epidemiologic investigations on lung cancer survival for both career and volunteer firefighters have not been undertaken.

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Neighborhoods have been identified as important determinants of health-related outcomes, but limited research has assessed the influence of neighborhood context along the cancer continuum. This study used census tract-level data from the United States Census Bureau and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to characterize Miami-Dade County census tracts (n = 492) into social vulnerability clusters and assess their associated breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening participation rates. We identified disparities by social vulnerability cluster in cancer screening participation rates.

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