Statin Use With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Survival in Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer.

Objective: To determine the association between concurrent statin use with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and lung cancer-specific and overall mortality in patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: SEER-Medicare was used to conduct a retrospective study of Medicare beneficiaries ≥65 years of age diagnosed with NSCLC between 2007 and 2017 treated with an ICI. Patients were followed from date of first ICI claim until death, 1 month from last ICI claim, or 12/31/2018, whichever came first.

Application of Intersectionality Framework andArea-level Indicators in Machine Learning Analysisof Depression Disparities in All of Us ResearchProgram Data.

Background/objective: Depression is a complex mental health disorder influenced by various social determinants of health (SDOH) at individual and community levels. Area-level factors and intersectionality framework, which considers overlapping personal identities, are used in this paper to get a nuanced picture of depression disparities.

Methods: This cross-sectional study uses electronic health records data from the All of Us research network.

Blood Pressure, Hypertension, and Antihypertensive Medication Use and Risk of Total and Fatal Prostate Cancer in Black and White Men in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

Black men are disproportionately burdened by hypertension and prostate cancer (PCa), and some cohorts suggest hypertension is associated with increased PCa risk. We investigated the association of hypertension and antihypertensive use with total (N = 889; 290 Black, 599 White) and fatal (N = 127; 42 Black, 85 White) PCa risk in 6658 (1578 Black, 5080 White) men in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. In adjusted Cox models, time-updated untreated stage 1 hypertension (systolic/diastolic blood pressure 130-139/80-89 mmHg) was associated with a higher risk of fatal PCa compared to untreated normal blood pressure (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.

Total-, LDL-, and HDL-cholesterol, apolipoproteins, and triglycerides with risk of total and fatal prostate cancer in Black and White men in the ARIC study.

Background: Cholesterol reduction is considered a mechanism through which cholesterol-lowering drugs including statins are associated with a reduced aggressive prostate cancer risk. While prior cohort studies found positive associations between total cholesterol and more advanced stage and grade in White men, whether associations for total cholesterol, low (LDL)- and high (HDL)-density lipoprotein cholesterol, apolipoprotein B (LDL particle) and A1 (HDL particle), and triglycerides are similar for fatal prostate cancer and in Black men, who experience a disproportionate burden of total and fatal prostate cancer, is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study of 1553 Black and 5071 White cancer-free men attending visit 1 (1987-1989) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Lipid-Lowering Drug Use and Cancer Incidence and Mortality in the ARIC Study.

Background: Lipid-lowering drugs, particularly statins, are associated with reduced incidence of certain cancers in some studies. Associations with cancer mortality are not well studied, and whether associations are similar across race is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a prospective analysis of 12 997 cancer-free participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study who were never users at visit 1 (1987-1989).

An umbrella review of the evidence associating diet and cancer risk at 11 anatomical sites.

There is evidence that diet and nutrition are modifiable risk factors for several cancers, but associations may be flawed due to inherent biases. Nutritional epidemiology studies have largely relied on a single assessment of diet using food frequency questionnaires. We conduct an umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies to evaluate the strength and validity of the evidence for the association between food/nutrient intake and risk of developing or dying from 11 primary cancers.

Association between pre-diagnostic circulating adipokines and colorectal cancer and adenoma in the CLUE II cohort.

Objective: Obesity is a known risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC) and adenoma. Obese individuals have higher circulating concentrations of certain endocrine and immune factors produced by adipocytes thought to partially underlie the association between obesity and colorectal neoplasia. Thus, we evaluated the association of plasma concentrations of adiponectin, leptin, and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-2 (sTNFR2) with CRC and adenoma.

Use of Aspirin and Statins in Relation to Inflammation in Benign Prostate Tissue in the Placebo Arm of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial.

Aspirin and statin use may lower the risk of advanced/fatal prostate cancer, possibly by reducing intraprostatic inflammation. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the association of aspirin and statin use with the presence and extent of intraprostatic inflammation, and the abundance of specific immune cell types, in benign prostate tissue from a subset of men from the placebo arm of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial. Men were classified as aspirin or statin users if they reported use at baseline or during the 7-year trial.

Hyperglycemia, Classified with Multiple Biomarkers Simultaneously in Men without Diabetes, and Risk of Fatal Prostate Cancer.

The association between hyperglycemia and prostate cancer risk is inconsistent, and its association with prostate cancer mortality is understudied. Thus, we investigated the association between hyperglycemia and prostate cancer risk and mortality using multiple biomarkers simultaneously to classify hyper- and normoglycemia. We conducted a prospective analysis of 5,162 cancer-free men attending visit 2 (1990-1992) of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study followed for total ( = 671) and lethal ( = 69) prostate cancer incidence and prostate cancer mortality ( = 64) through 2012.

Adding the Team into T1 Translational Research: A Case Study of Multidisciplinary Team Science in the Evaluation of Biomarkers of Prostate Cancer Risk and Prognosis.

Background: Given translational research challenges, multidisciplinary team science is promoted to increase the likelihood of moving from discovery to health effect. We present a case study documenting the utility of multidisciplinary team science in prostate cancer tissue biomarker validation.

Methods: We used primary data generated by a team consisting of a pathologist, cancer biologists, a biostatistician, and epidemiologists.

When Is Enough, Enough? When Are More Observational Epidemiologic Studies Needed to Resolve a Research Question: Illustrations Using Biomarker-Cancer Associations.

Background: Research reproducibility is vital for translation of epidemiologic findings. However, repeated studies of the same question may be undertaken without enhancing existing knowledge. To identify settings in which additional research is or is not warranted, we adapted research synthesis metrics to determine number of additional observational studies needed to change the inference from an existing meta-analysis.

Autologous serum eye drops for dry eye.

Background: Theoretically, autologous serum eye drops (AS) offer a potential advantage over traditional therapies on the assumption that AS not only serve as a lacrimal substitute to provide lubrication but contain other biochemical components that allow them to mimic natural tears more closely. Application of AS has gained popularity as second-line therapy for patients with dry eye. Published studies on this subject indicate that autologous serum could be an effective treatment for dry eye.

Population-Based Precision Cancer Screening: A Symposium on Evidence, Epidemiology, and Next Steps.

Precision medicine, an emerging approach for disease treatment that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle, is under consideration for preventive interventions, including cancer screening. On September 29, 2015, the National Cancer Institute sponsored a symposium entitled "Precision Cancer Screening in the General Population: Evidence, Epidemiology, and Next Steps". The goal was two-fold: to share current information on the evidence, practices, and challenges surrounding precision screening for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers, and to allow for in-depth discussion among experts in relevant fields regarding how epidemiology and other population sciences can be used to generate evidence to inform precision screening strategies.

A 22 Gene-expression Assay, Decipher® (GenomeDx Biosciences) to Predict Five-year Risk of Metastatic Prostate Cancer in Men Treated with Radical Prostatectomy.

Among the estimated 230,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in the US each year there has been a rise in the number of radical prostatectomies (RP). There is some debate over the value of immediate adjuvant therapy following RP in men with high-risk pathological features versus delayed salvage radiation therapy when signs of disease progression are observed. Thus, it would be potentially useful to inform post-RP management strategies by more clearly identifying those patients at higher risk of progression and death from prostate cancer.

Blood pressure control for diabetic retinopathy.

Background:: Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes and a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness. Research has established the importance of blood glucose control to prevent development and progression of the ocular complications of diabetes. Simultaneous blood pressure control has been advocated for the same purpose, but findings reported from individual studies have supported varying conclusions regarding the ocular benefit of interventions on blood pressure.

Opportunities for translational epidemiology: the important role of observational studies to advance precision oncology.

Within current oncology practice, several genomic applications are being used to inform treatment decisions with molecularly targeted therapies in breast, lung, colorectal, melanoma, and other cancers. This commentary introduces a conceptual framework connecting the full spectrum of biomedical research disciplines, including fundamental laboratory research, clinical trials, and observational studies in the translation of genomic applications into clinical practice. The conceptual framework illustrates the contribution that well-designed observational epidemiologic studies provide to the successful translation of these applications, and characterizes the role observational epidemiology plays in driving the dynamic and iterative bench-to-bedside, and bedside-to-bench translation continuum.

Blood pressure control for diabetic retinopathy.

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes and a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness. Research has established the importance of blood glucose control to prevent development and progression of the ocular complications of diabetes. Simultaneous blood pressure control has been advocated for the same purpose, but findings reported from individual studies have supported varying conclusions regarding the ocular benefit of interventions on blood pressure.

Clinical utility of gene-expression profiling in women with early breast cancer: an overview of systematic reviews.

Purpose: This overview systematically evaluates the clinical utility of using Oncotype DX and MammaPrint gene-expression profiling tests to direct treatment decisions in women with breast cancer. The findings are intended to inform an updated recommendation from the Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention Working Group.

Methods: Evidence reported in systematic reviews evaluating the clinical utility of Oncotype DX and MammaPrint, as well as the ability to predict treatment outcomes, change in treatment decisions, and cost-effectiveness, was qualitatively synthesized.

Multi-marker Solid Tumor Panels Using Next-generation Sequencing to Direct Molecularly Targeted Therapies.

In contemporary oncology practices there is an increasing emphasis on concurrent evaluation of multiple genomic alterations within the biological pathways driving tumorigenesis. At the foundation of this paradigm shift are several commercially available tumor panels using next-generation sequencing to develop a more complete molecular blueprint of the tumor. Ideally, these would be used to identify clinically actionable variants that can be matched with available molecularly targeted therapy, regardless of the tumor site or histology.

Autologous serum eye drops for dry eye.

Background: =Theoretically, autologous serum eye drops (AS) have a potential advantage over traditional therapies based on the assumption that ASserve not only as a lacrimal substitute to provide lubrication, but also contain other biochemical components mimicking natural tears more closely. The application of AS in dry eye treatment has gained popularity as a second-line therapy in the treatment of dry eye.Published studies on the subject indicate that autologous serum could be an effective treatment for dry eye.

Use of genomic panels to determine risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the general population: a targeted evidence-based review.

This evidence review addresses whether type 2 diabetes genomic risk panels improve health outcomes (e.g., reduce rates of developing type 2 diabetes) in low- or high-risk adults; two clinical scenarios promulgated by commercial companies offering such testing.

Improving the efficiency and relevance of evidence-based recommendations in the era of whole-genome sequencing: an EGAPP methods update.

To provide an update on recent revisions to Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention (EGAPP) methods designed to improve efficiency, and an assessment of the implications of whole genome sequencing for evidence-based recommendation development. Improvements to the EGAPP approach include automated searches for horizon scanning, a quantitative ranking process for topic prioritization, and the development of a staged evidence review and evaluation process. The staged process entails (i) triaging tests with minimal evidence of clinical validity, (ii) using and updating existing reviews, (iii) evaluating clinical validity prior to analytic validity or clinical utility, (iv) using decision modeling to assess potential clinical utility when direct evidence is not available.

Fecal DNA testing for Colorectal Cancer Screening: the ColoSure™ test.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Screening has been shown to be effective in reducing colorectal cancer incidence and mortality. Colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, and fecal occult blood tests are all recommended screening tests that have widespread availability.

Short and longer-term effects of creatine supplementation on exercise induced muscle damage.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if creatine supplementation assisted with reducing the amount of exercise induced muscle damage and if creatine supplementation aided in recovery from exercise induced muscle damage. Two groups of subjects (group 1 = creatine; group 2 = placebo) participated in an eccentric exercise protocol following 7 and 30 days of creatine or placebo supplementation (20 g.d(-1) for 7 d followed by 6g.