Improving colorectal cancer in Alberta, Canada: a qualitative study of patients and close contacts' perceptions on diagnosis following an emergency department presentation.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is globally the third most prevalent cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. In Alberta, Canada, a significant portion of CRC diagnoses occur following emergency department (ED) presentations. Gaps remain in understanding patient's perspectives on CRC diagnosis after an ED visit.

Association Between Diabetes and Risk of Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Purpose: Metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus may play a role in the development and progression of prostate cancer (PC); however, this association remains to be explored in the context of specific PC stages. The objective of this study was to systematically review the evidence for an association between diabetes and overall, early, or advanced PC risk.

Materials And Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis was performed (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL) from inception until September 2023.

Stage Shifting by Modifying the Determinants of Breast Cancer Stage at Diagnosis: A Simulation Study.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Canadian women; nearly 25% of women diagnosed with cancer have breast cancer. The early detection of breast cancer is a major challenge because tumours often grow without causing symptom. The diagnosis of breast cancer at an early stage (stages I and II) improves survival outcomes because treatments are more effective and better tolerated.

Overview of the Engagement Process to Develop the Future of Cancer Impact (FOCI) Report in Alberta: The Power of Collective Action.

This commentary provides a detailed overview of the extensive stakeholder engagement efforts critical to the development of the Future of Cancer Impact (FOCI) in Alberta report. The overarching aim of the FOCI report was to support informed and strategic discussions and actions that will help key stakeholders in the province prepare for a future with increasing cancer incidence and survival. Employing a comprehensive approach and a diverse range of engagement activities, insights from a wide spectrum of stakeholders were gathered and subsequently used to shape the content of the report.

Health-Related and Psychosocial Factors Associated with Prostate Cancer Stage at Diagnosis among Males Participating in Alberta's Tomorrow Project.

Prostate cancer (PCa) stage at diagnosis is an important predictor of cancer prognosis. In Canada, over one-quarter of males are diagnosed with advanced-stage PCa. Studies have identified several factors associated with PCa stage at diagnosis; however, evidence from Canada is limited.

Development and External Validation of Partial Proportional Odds Risk Prediction Models for Cancer Stage at Diagnosis among Males and Females in Canada.

Risk prediction models for cancer stage at diagnosis may identify individuals at higher risk of late-stage cancer diagnoses. Partial proportional odds risk prediction models for cancer stage at diagnosis for males and females were developed using data from Alberta's Tomorrow Project (ATP). Prediction models were validated on the British Columbia Generations Project (BCGP) cohort using discrimination and calibration measures.

Using care pathways for cancer diagnosis in primary care: a qualitative study to understand family physicians' mental models.

Background: Care pathways are tools that can help family physicians navigate the complexities of the cancer diagnostic process. Our objective was to examine the mental models associated with using care pathways for cancer diagnosis of a group of family physicians in Alberta.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative study using cognitive task analysis, with interviews in the primary care setting between February and March 2021.

Breast Cancer Patients' Preferred Source and Timing of Nutrition Information.

It is important that breast cancer patients know where they can access evidence-based nutrition information because misinformation may lead to confusion for patients regarding dietary requirements, as well as potentially causing harm to health. There are gaps in knowledge about where and when patients seek nutrition information. Our exploratory study used telephone interviews to investigate where patients with breast cancer obtained nutrition information pre and postdiagnosis, and their preferred sources and timing for receiving nutrition information.

Applying suggested new terminology and definitions for human milk feeding in the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) longitudinal pregnancy cohort.

The complexity of human milk-feeding behaviours may not be captured using simpler definitions of "exclusive" and "non-exclusive" breastfeeding. New definitions have been suggested to describe variation in these behaviours more fully but have not been widely applied. We applied the new definitions to data derived from 3-day human milk-feeding diaries.

Health-Related and Behavioral Factors Associated With Lung Cancer Stage at Diagnosis: Observations From Alberta's Tomorrow Project.

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Canada, with stage at diagnosis among the top predictors of lung cancer survival. Identifying factors associated with stage at diagnosis can help reduce lung cancer morbidity and mortality. This study used data from a prospective cohort study of adults living in Alberta, Canada to examine factors associated with lung cancer stage at diagnosis.

Pre-diagnosis lifestyle, health history and psychosocial factors associated with stage at breast cancer diagnosis - Potential targets to shift stage earlier.

Background: Early detection of breast cancer improves survival, so identifying factors associated with stage at diagnosis may help formulate cancer prevention messages tailored for higher risk women. The goal of this study was to evaluate associations between multiple potential risk factors, including novel ones, measured before a breast cancer diagnosis and stage at diagnosis in women from Alberta, Canada.

Methods: Women enrolled in Alberta's Tomorrow Project completed health and lifestyle questionnaires on average 7 years before their breast cancer diagnosis.

Body Composition and Prostate Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies.

Body composition parameters are not captured by measures of body mass, which may explain inconsistent associations between body weight and prostate cancer (PC) risk. The objective of this systematic review was to characterize the association between fat mass (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) parameters and PC risk. A search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science identified case-control and cohort studies that measured body composition in relation to PC risk.

Predictors of CRC Stage at Diagnosis among Male and Female Adults Participating in a Prospective Cohort Study: Findings from Alberta's Tomorrow Project.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Canada. CRC screening and other factors associated with early-stage disease can improve CRC treatment efficacy and survival. This study examined factors associated with CRC stage at diagnosis among male and female adults using data from a large prospective cohort study in Alberta, Canada.

Physician perspectives on delays in cancer diagnosis in Alberta: a qualitative study.

Background: Delays in cancer diagnosis have been associated with reduced survival, decreased quality of life after treatment, and suboptimal patient experience. The objective of the study was to explore the perspectives of a group of family physicians and other specialists regarding potentially avoidable delays in diagnosing cancer, and approaches that may help expedite the process.

Methods: We conducted a qualitative study using interviews with physicians practising in primary and outpatient care settings in Alberta between July and September 2019.

Oncology Patients' Experiences With Novel Electronic Patient Portals to Support Care and Treatment: Qualitative Study With Early Users and Nonusers of Portals in Alberta, Canada.

Background: With the current proliferation of clinical information technologies internationally, patient portals are increasingly being adopted in health care. Research, conducted mostly in the United States, shows that oncology patients have a keen interest in portals to gain access to and track comprehensive personal health information. In Canada, patient portals are relatively new and research into their use and effects is currently emerging.

Delayed Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Alberta: A Framework for Analyzing Barriers to Diagnosis and Generating Evidence to Support Health System Changes Aimed at Reducing Time to Diagnosis.

The frequency of colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis has decreased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Health system planning is needed to address the backlog of undiagnosed patients. We developed a framework for analyzing barriers to diagnosis and estimating patient volumes under different system relaunch scenarios.

Towards refining World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research cancer prevention recommendations for red and processed meat intake: insights from Alberta's Tomorrow Project cohort.

Current cancer prevention recommendations advise limiting red meat intake to <500 g/week and avoiding consumption of processed meat, but do not differentiate the source of processed meat. We examined the associations of processed meat derived from red v. non-red meats with cancer risk in a prospective cohort of 26 218 adults who reported dietary intake using the Canadian Diet History Questionnaire.

Nutrition and neurodevelopment: the search for candidate nutrients in the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study.

This review examines the role of nutrients in child development and outlines the key nutrients identified as potentially important to neurodevelopment among high fish consumers in the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study (SCDNS). It describes the clinical assessment of these nutrients in the blood and breast milk samples collected from the cohort of 300 pregnant women who were recruited, at their first antenatal visit, on the SCDNS. These key nutrients include the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), docosohexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA), both of which may affect neurodevelopment in the later stages of fetal growth.

Administering a combination of online dietary assessment tools, the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool, and Diet History Questionnaire II, in a cohort of adults in Alberta's Tomorrow Project.

Background: Evidence suggests that combining tools that gather short- and long-term dietary data may be the optimal approach for the assessment of diet-disease associations in epidemiologic studies. Online technology can reduce the associated burdens for researchers and participants, but feasibility must be demonstrated in real-world settings before wide-scale implementation.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and acceptability of combining web-based tools (the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment Tool [ASA24-2016] and the past-year Diet History Questionnaire II [DHQ-II]) in a subset of participants in Alberta's Tomorrow Project, a prospective cohort.

Development and implementation of a method to assess food and nutrient intakes in the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study.

Foods and nutrients may influence methyl mercury (MeHg) absorption and / or metabolism in humans. Consequently, epidemiological studies of MeHg exposure should assess dietary habits. The aim of this paper is to describe the development, implementation and preliminary results of the dietary assessment method used in the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study (SCDNS).

From symptom to cancer diagnosis: Perspectives of patients and family members in Alberta, Canada.

Background: Significant intervals from the identification of suspicious symptoms to a definitive diagnosis of cancer are common. Streamlining pathways to diagnosis may increase survival, quality of life post-treatment, and patient experience. Discussions of pathways to diagnosis from the perspective of patients and family members are crucial to advancing cancer diagnosis.

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, hemoglobin A1c and breast cancer risk: a nested case-control study from Alberta's Tomorrow Project cohort.

Purpose: Our aim is to examine the associations between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), common biomarkers of inflammation and insulin resistance, respectively, with breast cancer risk, while adjusting for measures of excess body size.

Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study within the Alberta's Tomorrow Project cohort (Alberta, Canada) including 197 incident breast cancer cases and 394 matched controls. The sample population included both pre- and postmenopausal women.