Variations in Age-Adjusted Prostate Cancer Incidence Rates by Race and Ethnicity After Changes in Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening Recommendation.

Importance: After publication of US Preventive Task Force Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) screening guidelines in 2008 and 2012, there have been documented associations with incidence and stage distributions of prostate cancer. It is unclear if these changes were temporary or differed by age or race and ethnicity.

Objective: To assess the association of 2008 and 2012 PSA guidelines with prostate cancer incidence by age and race and ethnicity in the US.

The need to study rural cancer outcome disparities at the local level: a retrospective cohort study in Kansas and Missouri.

Background: Rural residence is commonly thought to be a risk factor for poor cancer outcomes. However, a number of studies have reported seemingly conflicting information regarding cancer outcome disparities with respect to rural residence, with some suggesting that the disparity is not present and others providing inconsistent evidence that either urban or rural residence is associated with poorer outcomes. We suggest a simple explanation for these seeming contradictions: namely that rural cancer outcome disparities are related to factors that occur differentially at a local level, such as environmental exposures, lack of access to care or screening, and socioeconomic factors, which differ by type of cancer.

A Midwest Tri-State Study of Overall Survival in Ovarian Cancer with Adjuvant Chemotherapy.

Background: Overall survival associated with National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) adjuvant chemotherapy treatment guideline using population-based surveillance data is limited. This study examined overall survival and compliance to the NCCN guideline for adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: The Midwest Ovarian Cancer Study was a collaborative project between 3 state cancer registries (Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri), Westat, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Improving the efficiency of clinical trials by standardizing processes for Investigator Initiated Trials.

Early phase clinical trials are the first step in testing new medications and therapeutics developed by clinical and biomedical investigators. These trials aim to find a safe dose of a newly targeted drug (phase I) or find out more about the side effects and early signals of treatment efficacy (phase II). In a research institute, many biomedical investigators in oncology are encouraged to initiate such trials early in their careers as part of developing their research portfolio.

Impact of Adding Telephone-Based Care Coordination to Standard Telephone-Based Smoking Cessation Counseling Post-hospital Discharge: a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Cessation counseling and pharmacotherapy are recommended for hospitalized smokers, but better coordination between cessation counselors and providers might improve utilization of pharmacotherapy and enhance smoking cessation.

Objective: To compare smoking cessation counseling combined with care coordination post-hospitalization to counseling alone on uptake of pharmacotherapy and smoking cessation.

Design: Unblinded, randomized clinical trial PARTICIPANTS: Hospitalized smokers referred from primarily rural hospitals INTERVENTIONS: Counseling only (C) consisted of telephone counseling provided during the hospitalization and post-discharge.

Subgroup identification of early preterm birth (ePTB): informing a future prospective enrichment clinical trial design.

Background: Despite the widely recognized association between the severity of early preterm birth (ePTB) and its related severe diseases, little is known about the potential risk factors of ePTB and the sub-population with high risk of ePTB. Moreover, motivated by a future confirmatory clinical trial to identify whether supplementing pregnant women with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has a different effect on the risk subgroup population or not in terms of ePTB prevalence, this study aims to identify potential risk subgroups and risk factors for ePTB, defined as babies born less than 34 weeks of gestation.

Methods: The analysis data (N = 3,994,872) were obtained from CDC and NCHS' 2014 Natality public data file.

Changes in Postural Control After a Ball-Kicking Balance Exercise in Individuals With Chronic Ankle Instability.

Context: Rehabilitation programs for patients with chronic ankle instability (CAI) generally involve balance-perturbation training (BPT). Anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) and compensatory postural adjustments (CPAs) are the primary strategies used to maintain equilibrium during body perturbations. Little is known, however, about how APAs and CPAs are modified to promote better postural control for individuals with CAI after BPT.

Impact of Telephone-Based Care Coordination on Use of Cessation Medications Posthospital Discharge: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: Smokers benefit from ongoing cessation support upon leaving the hospital and returning to their home environment. This study examined the impact of telephone-delivered care coordination on utilization of and adherence to cessation pharmacotherapy after hospital discharge.

Methods: Inpatient smokers (n = 606) were randomized to receive counseling with care coordination (CCC) or counseling alone (C) for smoking cessation.

Role of outpatient physicians in reporting of hematopoietic malignancies for statewide surveillance.

Background: The role of physicians in outpatient setting in reporting of hematopoietic malignancies is not well known.

Objectives: This study described the approaches that Kansas Cancer Registry (KCR) used to ascertain completeness of hematopoietic malignancies reporting at the state level. Our study also examined the role of hematologists, oncologists and primary care physicians (PCP) in outpatient setting in reporting of hematopoietic malignancies.

Short-term soy isoflavone intervention in patients with localized prostate cancer: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Purpose: We describe the effects of soy isoflavone consumption on prostate specific antigen (PSA), hormone levels, total cholesterol, and apoptosis in men with localized prostate cancer.

Methodology/principal Findings: We conducted a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to examine the effect of soy isoflavone capsules (80 mg/d of total isoflavones, 51 mg/d aglucon units) on serum and tissue biomarkers in patients with localized prostate cancer. Eighty-six men were randomized to treatment with isoflavones (n=42) or placebo (n=44) for up to six weeks prior to scheduled prostatectomy.

Impact of patient-level risk adjustment on the findings about nurse staffing and 30-day mortality in veterans affairs acute care hospitals.

Background: Studies about nurse staffing and patient outcomes often lack adequate risk adjustment because of limited access to patient information.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of patient-level risk adjustment on the associations of unit-level nurse staffing and 30-day inpatient mortality.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 284,097 patients discharged during 2007-2008 from 446 acute care nursing units at 128 Veterans Affairs medical centers.

Identifying incident oral and pharyngeal cancer cases using Medicare claims.

Background: Baseline and trend data for oral and pharyngeal cancer incidence is limited. A new algorithm was derived using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database to create an algorithm to identify incident cases of oral and pharyngeal cancer using Medicare claims.

Methods: Using a split-sample approach, Medicare claims' procedure and diagnosis codes were used to generate a new algorithm to identify oral and pharyngeal cancer cases and validate its operating characteristics.

Clinicopathologic correlation of vitamin D receptor expression with retinoid X receptor and MIB-1 expression in primary and metastatic osteosarcoma.

Vitamin D, in addition to its effects on bone, is important in cell cycle regulation. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) has been identified in breast, prostate, and colon cancers, as well as in canine and human osteosarcoma (OS) cell lines; however, it has not been well investigated in human OS-archived specimens. We correlated VDR, retinoid X receptor (RXR), and MIB-1 (Ki-67) expression in 110 archived OS cases with several clinicopathologic parameters including patient's age, sex, tumor location, tumor grade, and type and metastatic status.

Effect of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 1 α,25 dihydroxyvitamin D3 on differentiation and apoptosis of human osteosarcoma cell lines.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignant bone tumor predominantly affecting children and adolescents. OS has a 60% survival rate with current treatments; hence, there is a need to identify novel adjuncts to chemotherapeutic regimens. In this pilot study, we investigated the dose-response to 1α,25-dihdroxyvitamin D(3) (1,α 25(OH)(2) D(3)) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D(3) (25(OH)D(3)) by human OS cell lines, SaOS-2, and 143B.

Effect of the staging schema on melanoma cancer reporting, 1999 to 2006.

Background: Staging schemas have changed multiple times over the past 10 years.

Objective: We sought to examine the impact of staging schemas on the distribution of stages at diagnosis over time.

Methods: We examined the stage at diagnosis for melanoma cancer cases diagnosed between 1999 and 2006 using data provided by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) programs.

Comparing patient and nurse specialist reports of causative factors of depression related to heart failure.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare participants' and a psychiatric nurse specialist's reports on factors precipitating depression and to validate a depression screening instrument.

Design And Methods: Participants were screened for and asked to self-report causative factors of their depression. Participants with moderately severe and severe depressive symptoms received a psychiatric nurse specialist assessment.

High accuracy of narrow band imaging without magnification for the real-time characterization of polyp histology and its comparison with high-definition white light colonoscopy: a prospective study.

Objectives: Standard white light colonoscopy has limited ability to differentiate between polyp types (adenomatous vs. hyperplastic). Narrow band imaging (NBI) highlights the superficial mucosal/vascular patterns on polyps and may facilitate real-time characterization of polyp histology.

Recognition of surface mucosal and vascular patterns of colon polyps by using narrow-band imaging: interobserver and intraobserver agreement and prediction of polyp histology.

Background: The 2 main types of colon polyps are adenomas and hyperplastic. Pit patterns on the surface of polyps have been described by using magnification chromoendoscopy, which can help differentiate between polyp types. Narrow band imaging (NBI) is a novel technology that enhances the visualization of surface mucosal and vascular patterns on the polyp surface.

Evaluating the Completeness of the SEER-Medicare Linked Database for Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer.

Oral and pharyngeal cancer is a persistent oral health problem. Baseline and trend data to measure progress are lacking. Our long-term goal is to create an algorithm using Medicare claims to identify oral and pharyngeal cancer cases among those ages 65 and older.

Depressive symptoms and independence in BADL and IADL.

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and time courses in achieving independence in basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL).

Methods: At baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months after stroke, 459 stroke patients were prospectively assessed. We used the Geriatric Depression Scale to determine depressive status.

Sex differences in stroke recovery.

Introduction: This study examined differences between men and women in the ability to perform basic activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, and higher physical functioning after stroke. The objective of the study was to determine whether sex differences in stroke recovery can be explained by depressive status beyond older age, stroke severity, prestroke physical functioning, and other medical comorbidities.

Methods: A total of 459 stroke patients were recruited from acute and subacute facilities in an urban midwestern community.