Research Priorities for Interventions to Address Health Disparities in Lung Nodule Management: An Official American Thoracic Society Research Statement.

Lung nodules are common incidental findings, and timely evaluation is critical to ensure diagnosis of localized-stage and potentially curable lung cancers. Rates of guideline-concordant lung nodule evaluation are low, and the risk of delayed evaluation is higher for minoritized groups. To summarize the existing evidence, identify knowledge gaps, and prioritize research questions related to interventions to reduce disparities in lung nodule evaluation.

Amplifying Their Voices: Advice, Guidance, and Perceived Value of Cancer Biobanking Research Among an Older, Diverse Cohort.

The use of biobanks may accelerate scientists' chances of developing cures and treatments that are tailored to individuals' biological makeup-a function of the precision medicine movement. However, given the underrepresentation of certain populations in biobanks, the benefits of these resources may not be equitable for all groups, including older, multi-ethnic populations. The objective of this study was to better understand older, multi-ethnic populations' (1) perceptions of the value of cancer biobanking research, (2) study design preferences, and (3) guidance on ways to promote and increase participation.

Access to internet, smartphone usage, and acceptability of mobile health technology among cancer patients.

Purpose: The use of mobile health (mHealth) technologies to augment patient care enables providers to communicate remotely with patients enhancing the quality of care and patient engagement. Few studies evaluated predictive factors of its acceptance and subsequent implementation, especially in medically underserved populations.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 151 cancer patients was conducted at an academic medical center in the USA.

Prevalence of disability among adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2016-2017.

Background: The prevalence of disabilities is rising steadily, reflecting an aging population and an increasing burden of chronic conditions affecting quality of life. There are scant national data on the prevalence of disability among individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The main objective was to estimate the prevalence of common disabilities among US-based individuals diagnosed with COPD.

Association Between the Timing of Goals-of-Care Discussion and Hospitalization Outcomes in Patients With Metastatic Cancer.

Background: Patients with cancer often require acute hospitalizations, many of which are unplanned. These hospitalizations have been shown to increase in frequency near the end of life. The American College of Physicians recommends that goals-of-care (GOC) discussions be initiated early for metastatic cancers.

Author Correction: Association study in African-admixed populations across the Americas recapitulates asthma risk loci in non-African populations.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Community Engagement to Address Cancer Health Disparities: A Process EVALUATION using the Partnership Self-Assessment Tool.

Background: African Americans suffer disproportionately from cancer health disparities, and population-level prevention is needed.

Objectives: A community-academic partnership to address cancer health disparities in two predominately African American jurisdictions in Maryland was evaluated.

Methods: The Partnership Self-Assessment Tool (PSAT) was used in a process evaluation to assess the partnership in eight domains (partnership synergy, leadership, efficiency, management, resources, decision making, participation, and satisfaction).

Author Correction: Assembly of a pan-genome from deep sequencing of 910 humans of African descent.

In the version of this article initially published, the statement "there are no pan-genomes for any other animal or plant species" was incorrect. The statement has been corrected to "there are no reported pan-genomes for any other animal species, to our knowledge." We thank David Edwards for bringing this error to our attention.

Assembly of a pan-genome from deep sequencing of 910 humans of African descent.

We used a deeply sequenced dataset of 910 individuals, all of African descent, to construct a set of DNA sequences that is present in these individuals but missing from the reference human genome. We aligned 1.19 trillion reads from the 910 individuals to the reference genome (GRCh38), collected all reads that failed to align, and assembled these reads into contiguous sequences (contigs).

A genome-wide association and admixture mapping study of bronchodilator drug response in African Americans with asthma.

Short-acting β-adrenergic receptor agonists (SABAs) are the most commonly prescribed asthma medications worldwide. Response to SABAs is measured as bronchodilator drug response (BDR), which varies among racial/ethnic groups in the United States. However, the genetic variation that contributes to BDR is largely undefined in African Americans with asthma.

An American Thoracic Society/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Workshop Report: Addressing Respiratory Health Equality in the United States.

Health disparities related to race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status persist and are commonly encountered by practitioners of pediatric and adult pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine in the United States. To address such disparities and thus progress toward equality in respiratory health, the American Thoracic Society and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened a workshop in May of 2015. The workshop participants addressed health disparities by focusing on six topics, each of which concluded with a panel discussion that proposed recommendations for research on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

Breastfeeding associated with higher lung function in African American youths with asthma.

Objective: In the United States, Puerto Ricans and African Americans have lower prevalence of breastfeeding and worse clinical outcomes for asthma compared with other racial/ethnic groups. We hypothesize that the history of breastfeeding is associated with increased forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV) % predicted and reduced asthma exacerbations in Latino and African American youths with asthma.

Methods: As part of the Genes-environments & Admixture in Latino Americans (GALA II) Study and the Study of African Americans, asthma, Genes & Environments (SAGE II), we conducted case-only analyses in children and adolescents aged 8-21 years with asthma from four different racial/ethnic groups: African Americans (n = 426), Mexican Americans (n = 424), mixed/other Latinos (n = 255), and Puerto Ricans (n = 629).

A continuum of admixture in the Western Hemisphere revealed by the African Diaspora genome.

The African Diaspora in the Western Hemisphere represents one of the largest forced migrations in history and had a profound impact on genetic diversity in modern populations. To date, the fine-scale population structure of descendants of the African Diaspora remains largely uncharacterized. Here we present genetic variation from deeply sequenced genomes of 642 individuals from North and South American, Caribbean and West African populations, substantially increasing the lexicon of human genomic variation and suggesting much variation remains to be discovered in African-admixed populations in the Americas.

The Relationship Between Education and Prostate-Specific Antigen Testing Among Urban African American Medicare Beneficiaries.

Purpose: We examined the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) cancer screening among older African American men.

Methods: We analyzed baseline data from a sample of 485 community-dwelling African American men who participated in the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Demonstration Trial. The outcome was receipt of PSA screening within the past year.

Mobilizing social support networks to improve cancer screening: the COACH randomized controlled trial study design.

Background: Disadvantaged populations face many barriers to cancer care, including limited support in navigating through the complexities of the healthcare system. Family members play an integral role in caring for patients and provide valuable care coordination; however, the effect of family navigators on adherence to cancer screening has not previously been evaluated. Training and evaluating trusted family members and other support persons may improve cancer outcomes for vulnerable patients.

Effect of Patient Navigation on Breast Cancer Screening Among African American Medicare Beneficiaries: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: There is growing evidence that patient navigation improves breast cancer screening rates; however, there are limited efficacy studies of its effect among African American older adult women.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of patient navigation on screening mammography among African American female Medicare beneficiaries in Baltimore, MD.

Design: The Cancer Prevention and Treatment Demonstration (CPTD), a multi-site study, was a randomized controlled trial conducted from April 2006 through December 2010.

A Model of Cancer Clinical Trial Decision-making Informed by African-American Cancer Patients.

Background: Clinical trials are critical to advancing cancer treatment. Minority populations are underrepresented among trial participants, and there is limited understanding of their decision-making process and key determinants of decision outcomes regarding trial participation.

Methods: To understand research decision-making among clinical trial-eligible African-American cancer patients at Johns Hopkins, we conducted seven focus groups (n=32) with trial-offered patients ≥ 18 years diagnosed with lung, breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer ≤ 5 years.

Effect of patient navigation on colorectal cancer screening in a community-based randomized controlled trial of urban African American adults.

Purpose: In recent years, colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates have increased steadily in the USA, though racial and ethnic disparities persist. In a community-based randomized controlled trial, we investigated the effect of patient navigation on increasing CRC screening adherence among older African Americans.

Methods: Participants in the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Demonstration were randomized to either the control group, receiving only printed educational materials (PEM), or the intervention arm where they were assigned a patient navigator in addition to PEM.

Genome-wide association study and admixture mapping reveal new loci associated with total IgE levels in Latinos.

Background: IgE is a key mediator of allergic inflammation, and its levels are frequently increased in patients with allergic disorders.

Objective: We sought to identify genetic variants associated with IgE levels in Latinos.

Methods: We performed a genome-wide association study and admixture mapping of total IgE levels in 3334 Latinos from the Genes-environments & Admixture in Latino Americans (GALA II) study.

Examination of race disparities in physical inactivity among adults of similar social context.

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine whether race disparities in physical inactivity are present among urban low-income Blacks and Whites living in similar social context.

Design: This analysis included Black and White respondents ( > or = 18 years) from the Exploring Health Disparities in Integrated Communities-Southwest Baltimore (EHDIC-SWB; N=1350) Study and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS; N = 67790). Respondents who reported no levels of moderate or vigorous physical activity, during leisure time, over a usual week were considered physically inactive.

Human genetics. The genetics of Mexico recapitulates Native American substructure and affects biomedical traits.

Mexico harbors great cultural and ethnic diversity, yet fine-scale patterns of human genome-wide variation from this region remain largely uncharacterized. We studied genomic variation within Mexico from over 1000 individuals representing 20 indigenous and 11 mestizo populations. We found striking genetic stratification among indigenous populations within Mexico at varying degrees of geographic isolation.

State-of-the-science of patient navigation as a strategy for enhancing minority clinical trial accrual.

Background: Patient navigation programs are emerging that aim to address disparities in clinical trial participation among medically underserved populations, including racial/ethnic minorities. However, there is a lack of consensus on the role of patient navigators within the clinical trial process as well as outcome measures to evaluate program effectiveness.

Methods: A review of the literature was conducted of PubMed, Medline, CINHAL, and other sources to identify qualitative and quantitative studies on patient navigation in clinical trials.