Impact of observability period on the classification of COPD diagnosis timing among Medicare beneficiaries with lung cancer.

Background: Investigators often use claims data to estimate the diagnosis timing of chronic conditions. However, misclassification of chronic conditions is common due to variability in healthcare utilization and in claims history across patients.

Objective: We aimed to quantify the effect of various Medicare fee-for-service continuous enrollment period and lookback period (LBP) on misclassification of COPD and sample size.

Development and Evaluation of a Multisource Approach to Extend Mortality Follow-Up for Older Adults With Advanced Cancer Enrolled in Randomized Trials.

Purpose: Mortality data can complement primary end points from cancer clinical trials. Yet, identifying deaths after trial completion is challenging, as timely and comprehensive vital status data are unavailable in the United States. We developed and evaluated a multisource approach to capture death data after clinical trial completion.

The Carolina hysterectomy cohort (CHC): a novel case series of reproductive-aged hysterectomy patients across 10 hospitals in the US south.

Background: Hysterectomy is a common surgery among reproductive-aged U.S. patients, with rates highest among Black patients in the South.

Risk Factors for Return to the Emergency Department and Readmission in Patients With Hospital-Diagnosed Advanced Lung Cancer.

Background: Advanced lung cancer (ALC) is a symptomatic disease often diagnosed in the context of hospitalization. The index hospitalization may be a window of opportunity to improve care delivery.

Objectives: We examined the patterns of care and risk factors for subsequent acute care utilization among patients with hospital-diagnosed ALC.

Comparison of Approaches for Measuring Adherence and Persistence to Oral Oncologic Therapies in Patients Diagnosed with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Adherence and persistence studies face several methodologic difficulties, including short-term mortality. We compared approaches to quantify adherence and persistence to first line (1L) oral targeted therapy (TT) in patients diagnosed with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC).

Methods: Patients with mRCC ages 66 years or more who initiated TTs within 4 months of diagnosis were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Medicare-linked database (2007-2015).

Predicting positive outcomes and successful completion in an online parenting program for parents of children with disruptive behavior: An integrated data analysis.

Online delivery of parenting support is steadily increasing, yet the factors that influence program engagement and efficacy are still understudied. This study used an integrated data analysis approach to identify family and program-related factors that influence outcomes. We combined individual data from seven published efficacy trials of the web-based version of the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program.

Evaluating the Contribution of Patient-Provider Communication and Cancer Diagnosis to Racial Disparities in End-of-Life Care Among Medicare Beneficiaries.

Background: The quality of end-of-life (EOL) care in the USA remains suboptimal, with significant variations in care by race and across disease subgroups. Patient-provider communication may contribute to racial and disease-specific variations in EOL care outcomes.

Objective: We examined racial disparities in EOL care, by disease group (cancer vs.

Effectiveness of adjuvant FOLFOX vs 5FU/LV in adults over age 65 with stage II and III colon cancer using a novel hybrid approach.

Purpose: Estimates of cancer therapy effects can differ in clinical trials and clinical practice, partly due to underrepresentation of certain patient subgroups in trials. We utilize a hybrid approach, combining clinical trial and real-world data, to estimate the comparative effectiveness of two adjuvant chemotherapy regimens for colon cancer.

Methods: We identified patients aged 66 and older enrolled in the Multicenter International Study of Oxaliplatin/5FU-LV in the Adjuvant Treatment of Colon Cancer.

Association between Concomitant Use of Hydrochlorothiazide and Adverse Chemotherapy-Related Events among Older Women with Breast Cancer Treated with Cyclophosphamide.

Background: The pharmacy reference database, Micromedex, lists concomitant hydrochlorothiazide and cyclophosphamide use as a potential, major drug-drug interaction (DDI), although only one small, single-center study supports this claim. Our objective was to estimate associations between this potential DDI and two adverse chemotherapy-related events, neutropenia-related hospitalizations and treatment regimen discontinuation, among a cohort of women with breast cancer initiating adjuvant chemotherapy containing cyclophosphamide.

Methods: Using linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER)-Medicare data, we included women 66 years and older with breast cancer diagnosis between 2007 and 2011, who initiated a regimen containing cyclophosphamide.

Acute pancreatitis as an early marker of pancreatic cancer and cancer stage, treatment, and prognosis.

Background: We aimed to examine the association between acute pancreatitis, a potential early symptom of pancreatic cancer, and pancreatic cancer stage, treatment, and prognosis.

Methods: We conducted a cohort study of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during 2004-2017 using population-based registry data from Denmark and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data linked with Medicare claims from the United States (US), which include individuals aged 65 + . We ascertained information on acute pancreatitis diagnoses up to 90 days before pancreatic cancer and followed them for a maximum of five years.

Evaluating Surveillance Patterns after Chemoradiation-Only Compared with Conventional Management for Older Patients with Rectal Cancer.

Background: Upfront chemoradiation with omission of surgery (CR-only) is increasingly being used to treat rectal cancer. When CR-only is used with curative intent, intense surveillance is recommended. We hypothesized that in practice, few patients treated with CR-only receive intensive post-treatment surveillance.