Cancer-Related Cognitive Outcomes Among Older Breast Cancer Survivors in the Thinking and Living With Cancer Study.

Purpose: To determine treatment and aging-related effects on longitudinal cognitive function in older breast cancer survivors.

Methods: Newly diagnosed nonmetastatic breast cancer survivors (n = 344) and matched controls without cancer (n = 347) 60 years of age and older without dementia or neurologic disease were recruited between August 2010 and December 2015. Data collection occurred during presystemic treatment/control enrollment and at 12 and 24 months through biospecimens; surveys; self-reported Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function; and neuropsychological tests that measured attention, processing speed, and executive function (APE) and learning and memory (LM).

Long-term trajectories of self-reported cognitive function in a cohort of older survivors of breast cancer: CALGB 369901 (Alliance).

Background: The number of survivors of breast cancer aged ≥65 years ("older") is growing, but to the authors' knowledge, little is known regarding the cognitive outcomes of these individuals.

Methods: A cohort of cognitively intact older survivors with nonmetastatic, invasive breast cancer was recruited from 78 sites from 2004 through 2011; approximately 83.7% of the survivors (1280 survivors) completed baseline assessments.

Motivators and barriers to Latinas' participation in clinical trials: the role of contextual factors.

Objective: Latinas are underrepresented in clinical trials despite the rise in Hispanic population. This study examines the factors associated with Latinas' willingness to participate in preventive breast cancer randomized clinical trials (RCTs).

Methods: Women self-identifying as Latina, over age 40, with no prior history of breast cancer were eligible.

Preliminary Development and Evaluation of an Algorithm to Identify Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Toxicities Using Electronic Medical Records and Administrative Data.

Purpose: Breast cancer chemotherapy toxicity is not well documented outside of randomized trials. We developed and conducted preliminary evaluation of an algorithm to detect grade 3 and 4 toxicities using electronic data from a large integrated managed care organization.

Methods: The algorithm used administrative, pharmacy, and electronic data from outpatient, emergency room, and inpatient records of 99 women diagnosed with breast cancer from 2006 to 2009 who underwent chemotherapy.

Associations among survivorship care plans, experiences of survivorship care, and functioning in older breast cancer survivors: CALGB/Alliance 369901.

Purpose: Survivorship care plans (SCP) are recommended for all cancer patients and could be especially useful to survivors 65 years and over ("older"). This study examined receipt of SCPs among older breast cancer survivors and whether SCPs were associated with improved patient-reported outcomes.

Methods: Three hundred and twenty-eight older women diagnosed with invasive, nonmetastatic breast cancer between 2007-2011 were recruited from 78 cooperative-group sites.

Cognitive impairment in older patients with breast cancer before systemic therapy: is there an interaction between cancer and comorbidity?

Purpose: To determine if older patients with breast cancer have cognitive impairment before systemic therapy.

Patients And Methods: Participants were patients with newly diagnosed nonmetastatic breast cancer and matched friend or community controls age > 60 years without prior systemic treatment, dementia, or neurologic disease. Participants completed surveys and a 55-minute battery of 17 neuropsychological tests.

A planned, prospective comparison of short-term quality of life outcomes among older patients with breast cancer treated with standard chemotherapy in a randomized clinical trial vs. an observational study: CALGB #49907 and #369901.

Objectives: Patients ≥ 65 years old ("older") are often not included in randomized clinical trials (RCT), but when they are, care in an RCT might improve quality of life (QoL). We conducted a prospective comparison of QoL among older women receiving standard chemotherapy from the same cooperative group physicians in an RCT vs. an observational study ("off-trial").

Authoritative parenting and cigarette smoking among multiethnic preadolescents: the mediating role of anti-tobacco parenting strategies.

Introduction: Parenting has been shown to affect smoking among children in U.S. majority groups, but less is known about this association among multiethnic urban populations.

Knowledge and willingness to provide research biospecimens among foreign-born Latinos using safety-net clinics.

Latinos tend to be under-represented in cancer research and in bio-repositories. We conducted a Spanish-language, interviewer-administered cross-sectional survey of 331 foreign-born Latinos from Central and South America attending safety-net clinics in order to describe factors associated with knowledge about and intention to provide bio-specimens for research purposes. We used logistic regression and multiple imputation methods to evaluate associations between socio-cultural measures, medical trust, demographics, as well as knowledge about and intentions to provide bio-specimens.

Hospice knowledge and intentions among Latinos using safety-net clinics.

Background: Hospice use is low in Latinos but we know little about explanations for this pattern.

Objective: To describe factors associated with knowledge of and intention to use hospice for cancer care.

Methods: We conducted a Spanish-language, interviewer-administered cross-sectional survey of 331 Latino immigrants from Central and South America in safety-net clinics.

Patient and provider factors associated with colorectal cancer screening in safety net clinics serving low-income, urban immigrant Latinos.

Background: Latinos have lower colorectal cancer screening rates than Whites.

Methods: We reviewed a random sample of charts between July 2009 and February 2010 of safety-net clinic of 840 immigrants (50 years and older) from Central and South America receiving care. Logistic regression evaluated associations of ever vs.

Information channels associated with awareness of human papillomavirus infections and vaccination among Latino immigrants from safety net clinics.

We report on information channels associated with awareness about human papillomavirus (HPV) among immigrant Central and South American Latinos. We conducted a survey of 1,334 Latino ≥ 21 years attending safety-net clinics in 2007-2008. Logistic regression analyses evaluated associations with HPV awareness.

Assessing the awareness of and willingness to participate in cancer clinical trials among immigrant Latinos.

Clinical trials are considered the gold standard of evidence about the efficacy of cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment interventions. A paucity of data exists on determinants of clinical trial participation in the growing US Latino population despite poor cancer outcomes in this group. This study seeks to describe correlates of awareness of and willingness to participate in clinical trials among largely Central, North, and South American Latinos using safety-net clinics.

Associations of physical activity with quality of life and functional ability in breast cancer patients during active adjuvant treatment: the Pathways Study.

Physical activity can improve quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer survivors but little is known about associations of physical activity and QOL during active cancer therapy. We examine associations between activity levels and QOL in a large cohort of breast cancer patients. Women with invasive, non-metastatic breast cancer (n=2,279) were enrolled between 2006 and 2009 from a managed care organization; assessment were done during active therapy.

Breast cancer adjuvant chemotherapy decisions in older women: the role of patient preference and interactions with physicians.

Purpose: Breast cancer chemotherapy decisions in patients > or = 65 years old (older) are complex because of comorbidity, toxicity, and limited data on patient preference. We examined relationships between preferences and chemotherapy use.

Methods: Older women (n = 934) diagnosed with invasive (> or = 1 cm), nonmetastatic breast cancer from 2004 to 2008 were recruited from 53 cooperative group sites.

Prevalence of hip symptoms and radiographic and symptomatic hip osteoarthritis in African Americans and Caucasians: the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.

Objective: To report contemporary estimates of the prevalence of hip-related osteoarthritis (OA) outcomes in African Americans and Caucasians aged>or=45 years.

Methods: Weighted prevalence estimates and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals for hip symptoms, radiographic hip OA, symptomatic hip OA, and severe radiographic hip OA were calculated using SUDAAN for age, race, and sex subgroups among 3068 participants (33% African Americans, 38% men) in the baseline examination (1991-97) of The Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, a population-based study of OA in North Carolina. Radiographic hip OA was defined as Kellgren-Lawrence radiographic grade>or=2, moderate/severe radiographic hip OA as grades 3 and 4, and symptomatic hip OA as hip symptoms in a hip with radiographic OA.

Lifetime risk of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

Objective: To estimate the lifetime risk of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA), overall and stratified by sex, race, education, history of knee injury, and body mass index (BMI).

Methods: The lifetime risk of symptomatic OA in at least 1 knee was estimated from logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations among 3,068 participants of the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, a longitudinal study of black and white women and men age >or=45 years living in rural North Carolina. Radiographic, sociodemographic, and symptomatic knee data measured at baseline (1990-1997) and first followup (1999-2003) were analyzed.

Prevalence of knee symptoms and radiographic and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis in African Americans and Caucasians: the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.

Objective: To report contemporary estimates of the prevalence of knee-related osteoarthritis (OA) outcomes in African Americans and Caucasians aged > or = 45 years.

Methods: Weighted prevalence estimates for knee symptoms, radiographic knee OA, symptomatic knee OA, and severe radiographic knee OA were calculated for age, ethnic, and sex subgroups, in 3018 participants (33% African Americans, 38% men) in the baseline examination (1991-97) of The Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, a population-based study of OA in North Carolina. Radiographic knee OA was defined as Kellgren-Lawrence radiographic grade > or = 2, severe radiographic knee OA as grades 3 and 4, and symptomatic knee OA as knee symptoms in a knee with radiographic OA.

Serum hyaluronan levels and radiographic knee and hip osteoarthritis in African Americans and Caucasians in the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.

Objective: Serum hyaluronan (HA) has been proposed as a potential biomarker of osteoarthritis (OA). We examined associations between serum HA and radiographic OA in an ethnically diverse, population-based sample.

Methods: Participants were selected from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, using stratified simple random sampling to achieve balance according to radiographic knee OA status, ethnic group, sex, and age group.

A case-control study of serum tocopherol levels and the alpha- to gamma-tocopherol ratio in radiographic knee osteoarthritis: the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.

Tocopherols are lipid-soluble antioxidants that may protect against some conditions of aging. The authors examined associations between radiographic knee osteoarthritis and serum levels of alpha-, delta-, and gamma-tocopherol and the alpha:gamma-tocopherol ratio in African-American and White adults from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project (North Carolina, 1991-1997). Two hundred cases with radiographic knee osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence grades > or = 2) and 200 controls (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 0) were randomly selected and matched by age, ethnicity, and sex.

Ethnic and sex differences in serum levels of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein: the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.

Objective: Previous descriptions of potential biomarkers of osteoarthritis (OA) have been limited to Caucasians. In the present study, we examined associations between serum levels of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and ethnicity (African American or Caucasian) and sex in the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, a population-based study of OA in rural North Carolina.

Methods: All African Americans and a randomly selected sample of Caucasians who had available sera and either no radiographic evidence of knee or hip OA according to the Kellgren/Lawrence (K/L) system (K/L grade 0) or radiographic evidence of knee OA (K/L grade 2 or higher) were included.