Non-elderly Women Research Articles

Association of Medicaid Expansion With Timely Receipt of Treatment and Survival Among Patients With HR-Negative, HER2-Positive Breast Cancer.

Hormone receptor (HR)-negative, HER2-positive (also called HER2-enriched) breast cancer has no worse prognosis than other breast cancers if it is treated with HER2-targeted therapy. Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been shown to be associated with improved access to care and outcomes for many cancers, but its association with receipt of care for HR-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer is unknown. We examined the association of Medicaid expansion with receipt of guideline-concordant treatment, time to treatment initiation, and survival among nonelderly women newly diagnosed with HR-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer. Women aged 18 to 62 years newly diagnosed with HR-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer between 2010 and 2018 were identified from the National Cancer Database. Outcomes included receipt of stage-based guideline-concordant treatment, timely initiation of treatment (<30 days, <60 days, <90 days from diagnosis), and stage-specific 2-year overall survival. A difference-in-differences (DID) analytic approach compared outcome changes following Medicaid expansion in expansion versus nonexpansion states. Multivariable linear probability models were used to estimate treatment outcomes, and flexible parametric survival models were used to evaluate survival, adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical confounders. A total of 31,401 patients were included. Medicaid expansion was associated with an increase of 0.58 percentage points (ppt; 95% CI, 0.01-1.16) in receipt of guideline-concordant treatment overall, a 2.43-ppt (95% CI, 0.68-4.18) increase in initiating guideline-concordant treatment <60 days after diagnosis, and a 1.17-ppt (95% CI, 0.02-2.32) increase in 2-year survival rate. The increase in 2-year survival associated with Medicaid expansion was most prominent for patients with stage III disease (DID, 3.81; 95% CI, 0.82-6.80). Medicaid expansion was associated with improved care and survival for patients with HR-negative, HER2-positive breast cancer, an aggressive cancer type for which prognosis largely depends on access to effective treatment.

Association between exposure to air pollution and increased ischaemic stroke incidence: a retrospective population-based cohort study (EP-PARTICLES study)

Abstract Aims Short-term effects of Polish smog, particularly benzo(alpha)pyrene [B(a)P], are unclear. We aimed to examine the association between short-term exposure to air pollution and ischaemic stroke (IS) incidence. Methods and results We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study including an EP-PARTICLES cohort of 8 million inhabitants in the years 2011–20 (80 million person-years of observation). Individual clinical data on emergency hospitalizations due to IS (ICD-10: I63.X) was analysed. We used quasi-Poisson models to examine municipality-specific associations between air pollutants and IS, considering various covariates. We recorded 146 262 cases of IS with a dominance of females (51.8%) and people over 65 years old (77.6%). In the overall population, exposure to PM2.5, NO2, B(a)P, and SO2 increased the risk of IS onset on the day of exposure by 2.4, 1, 0.8, and 0.6%, respectively. Age and sex were modifying variables for PM2.5, NO2, and B(a)P exposure with more pronounced effects in non-elderly individuals and women (all Pinteraction &amp;lt; 0.001). Residents of regions with high tobacco and alcohol consumption were more sensitive to the effects of PM2.5 and SO2. The slopes of response–effect curves were non-linear and steeper at lower concentrations. Conclusion Exposure to air pollution may be associated with higher IS incidence, particularly posing a higher risk to non-elderly women. Harmful lifestyle habits might exacerbate its impact. Exposure to even low levels of air pollutants had negative effects. Registration The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05198492).

Comparison of BRCA genetic testing and subsequent treatment with PARP inhibitors (PARPi) for ederly vs non-elderly women with non-mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC): A large prospective cohort study from the Australian National Gynaecology Oncology Registry (NGOR).

e17566 Background: The 5-year survival rate for elderly women (≥ 75 years) with ovarian cancer is 25%. Germline mutations in BRCA1/BRCA2 are identified in approximately 15% of newly diagnosed women with ovarian cancer and have implications for prognosis and predicted benefit of both platinum chemotherapy and PARPi therapy. Objectives: To compare differences in, and subsequent management of Elderly (aged ≥75 years) vs Non-elderly (aged &lt;75 years) women with non-mucinous EOC who underwent germline and somatic BRCA1/BRCA2 testing across the Australian NGOR sites from 2017 – 2022. Methods: Clinical data were sourced from NGOR patient databases and assessed to confirm accuracy prior to analysis. Results: Data on 1579 eligible women between May 2017 and July 2022 across 21 hospitals were collected. Patient characteristics are summarised in Table 1. The rates of germline testing in Elderly women was 51% compared to 71% in Non-elderly women and this difference was statistically significant (p&lt;0.001). The rates of somatic testing in Elderly women was 28% compared to 33% in Non-elderly women although this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.2). In Elderly women with either germline or somatic pathogenic BRCA mutations and Stage III/IV disease, 67% received PARPi within 8 weeks of chemotherapy completion compared to 53% in Non-elderly women. In a multi-variate analysis, the most significant characteristic associated with reduced germline testing was the ‘Elderly’ compared to ‘Non-elderly’ group (OR 0.41, 95% CI: 0.30-0.58, p &lt; 0.001). Germline testing was more likely to be conducted in postcodes associated with higher Socioeconomic status (SES) quintiles 2-5 compared to quintile 1 (OR 2.06, 95% CI: 1.50-2.81, p&lt; 0.001) and in those women receiving operative and chemotherapy treatment compared to chemotherapy alone (OR 1.84, 95% CI: 1.08-3.11, p=0.024). Conclusions: The rates of germline and somatic BRCA testing are lower than anticipated, particularly germline testing in Elderly women. Women known to have pathogenic germline or somatic BRCA mutations may have received PARPi at lower rates than expected. Further studies are required to understand the cause of such variations, including accounting for the advent of government funded BRCA testing, PARPi funding and correlating effects on survival. [Table: see text]

Patterns of ovarian cancer care in an elderly population in Australia: A prospective cohort study from the National Gynaecology Oncology Registry (NGOR).

5572 Background: Elderly women with ovarian cancer are often undertreated in comparison to best practice. The National Gynae-Oncology Registry (NGOR) is Australia’s first country-wide clinical quality registry (CQR) measuring compliance with optimal care defined by a set of clinical quality indicators (CQIs). Objectives: To assess compliance with a predefined set of CQIs for elderly women with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer aged &gt; 75 compared to non-elderly women aged &lt;75 years of age from the NGOR sites. Methods: All women with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer from May 2017 – July 2022 were eligible for inclusion. Data were collected from medical records and relevant hospital linked databases by expert data managers. Results: A total of 1590 women were eligible for inclusion from 21 hospitals across 5 Australian states. The CQI data were subsequently aggregated and are summarised in the table. The proportion of elderly women receiving first-line chemotherapy with a platinum and taxane doublet was significantly lower compared to non-elderly (60% vs 89%, p &lt; 0.001). The proportion of women with sub-optimally debulked or Stage IV cancer who received first-line chemotherapy with a platinum/taxane doublet and bevacizumab was significantly lower in elderly women compared to non-elderly (10% vs 30%, p &lt; 0.001) . Enrolment in clinical trials or translational research was significantly lower in elderly women compared to non-elderly (13% vs 21%, p=0.002). The remaining CQIs showed no significant differences between the age groups. Conclusions: In this cohort, most measures of best practice were not significantly different between elderly and non-elderly women, with the exception of elderly women receiving less first line doublet chemotherapy, less doublet chemotherapy with bevacizumab in sub-optimally debulked or Stage IV cancer, and less likely to be enrolled in clinical trials or translational research. While these 3 CQIs represent a minority of the overall list of CQIs, such lack of compliance may result in significant differences in quality of life and overall survival for elderly women with ovarian cancer. Subsequent investigation is therefore warranted to confirm and explain these findings. [Table: see text]

Association of Medicaid expansion with timely receipt of treatment and survival among patients with HER2-enriched breast cancer.

6539 Background: HER2-enriched breast cancer (estrogen and progesterone receptors negative and HER2-positive) has no worse prognosis than other breast cancers if it is treated with HER2-targeted therapy. Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been shown to be associated with improved access to care and outcomes for many cancers, but its impact on care for HER2-enriched breast cancer is unknown. To fill this gap, we examined the association of Medicaid expansion with receipt of guideline-concordant treatment, time to treatment, and survival among newly diagnosed nonelderly women with HER2-enriched breast cancer. Methods: Women aged 18-62 years newly diagnosed with HER2-enriched breast cancer between 2010 and 2018 were identified from the National Cancer Database. Our primary outcomes included receipt of stage-based guideline-concordant treatment, initiation of treatment &lt;60 days, and stage-specific 2-year overall survival. A difference-in-differences (DD) approach compared outcome changes following the expansion in Medicaid expansion vs. non-expansion states. A linear probability model estimated treatment outcome, and a flexible parametric survival model evaluated survival. All models were clustered at the state level and adjusted for age group, race/ethnicity, rurality of residence, zip code-level income, comorbidity, and diagnosis year. Results: A total of 31,354 patients with HER2-enriched breast cancer were included, including 19,255 in expansion states and 12,099 in non-expansion states. Compared to patients in expansion states, patients in non-expansion states were more likely to be racial/ethnic minorities, uninsured, and diagnosed at late-stage. Medicaid expansion was not significantly associated with changes in receipt of surgery for stage I-III disease but was associated with an increase of 4.42 percentage points (ppt, 95% CI: 0.09, 8.74) in receipt of chemotherapy/targeted therapy for stage IV disease, with an increase from 90.4% pre-expansion to 92.8% post-expansion in expansion states and a decrease from 93.7% to 91.9% in non-expansion states. Medicaid expansion was also significantly associated with a 2.41 ppt increase in initiating guideline-concordant treatment within 60 days (95% CI: 0.66, 4.17; 83.5% to 82.5% in expansion states vs. 86.6% to 83.7% in non-expansion states), and a 1.18 ppt increase in two-year survival rate (95% CI: 0.03, 2.33; 94.0% to 94.9% in expansion states vs. 94.3% to 94.1% in non-expansion states). The increase in two-year survival associated with Medicaid expansion was most prominent for stage III patients (DD=3.63 ppt; 95% CI: 0.64, 6.62). Conclusions: Medicaid expansion was associated with increased receipt of timely treatment and improved 2-year survival among nonelderly women newly diagnosed with HER2-enriched breast cancer.

Efficacy of breast reconstruction in elderly women (>60 years) using deep inferior epigastric perforator flaps: A comparative study

The indications for microsurgical breast reconstruction remain debated, particularly concerning the safety of deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps in elderly women. Free tissue transfer still carries a risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality in elderly patients. We conducted this comparative study to clarify this issue. This retrospective cohort study included all unilateral DIEP breast reconstructions performed at a single institution. Patients were divided into two groups based on age: an elderly (60 years or older) and a non-elderly cohort (younger than 60 years). Demographic and comorbidity data were secondary predictor variables. The primary outcomes were complete flap loss, partial flap loss, and the need for flap re-exploration. The secondary outcomes included surgical site occurrences, such as wound healing-related complications, seroma, and others. We included 214 flaps, 177 in the non-elderly and 37 in the elderly cohort. Elderly women had slightly higher comorbidity rates than those of non-elderly women, although these differences were not statistically significant. BMI was significantly lower in elderly women than in non-elderly women. The incidence of total or partial flap loss did not differ significantly between the two cohorts (2.7% vs 1.1%, p = 0.459% and 0.0% vs 5.1%, p = 0.161), nor did the flap re-exploration (8.1% vs 10.1%, p = 0.937). Similarly, postoperative complication rates did not differ significantly between the two groups (45.9% vs 61.8%, p = 0.074). On logistic regression, being elderly was not a risk factor for complete flap loss, nor for any complications. The overall success rate for the non-elderly cohort was 98.7%, whereas that for the elderly cohort was 97.3%. Microsurgical breast reconstruction using DIEP is safe in elderly patients, as it achieves outcomes and complications rates comparable to those observed in a younger population. Patients should not be denied DIEP flaps because of their age alone.

Association between fibrinogen/albumin ratio and arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Fibrinogen albumin ratio (FAR) is significantly correlated with the severity and prognosis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Arterial stiffness is an early lesion of CVD, but no studies have examined the correlation between arterial stiffness and FAR. This study aimed to examine the relationship between FAR and arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), as measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). Methods: In this cross-sectional investigation, patients with T2D were enrolled between January 2021 and April 2022. In each patient, the levels of fibrinogen and albumin in the serum, and baPWV in the serum were measured. A baPWV greater than 1800cm/s was utilized to diagnose arterial stiffness. Results: The study included 413 T2D patients. The mean age of these participants was 52.56 ± 11.53years, 60.8% of them were male, and 18.6% of them had arterial stiffness. There were significant differences in baPWV level and proportion of arterial stiffness (p < .001) between the four subgroups categorized by the FAR quartile. The relationships between the FAR and baPWV and arterial stiffness were significantly favorable in the overall population and subgroups of elderly men and non-elderly men (p < .01), while they were insignificant in subgroups of elderly and non-elderly women (p > .05). To investigate the correlation between the FAR and baPWV, the arterial stiffness and the FAR in male T2D patients, respectively, multivariable logistic regression analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were developed. The lnFAR and lnbaPWV had a significant relationship in the multiple linear regression analysis fully adjusted model. After adjusting for potential covariables, multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the FAR was independently associated with arterial stiffness [OR (95% CI), 1.075 (1.031-1.120)]. In addition, receiver operating characteristic analysis indicated that the best FAR cutoff value for detecting arterial stiffness in male T2D patients was 76.67mg/g. Conclusion: The level of FAR had an independent and positive correlation with baPWV and arterial stiffness in male patients with T2D, but not in female patients.

Validation of age- and sex-dependent association of uric acid and incident hypertension in rural areas

BackgroundA previous study based on urban areas suggested the age- and sex-dependent association of uric acid (UA) and incident hypertension. We aimed to investigate whether this association is valid even in rural areas with different lifestyle.MethodsData from the cardiovascular disease association study, a prospective cohort study based on rural residents, was analyzed. A total of 4,592 subjects (mean age, 60.1 ± 9.5 years; men, 37.7%) without hypertension were included. We first investigated whether UA was a risk factor for incident hypertension using Cox regression, and then compared the relative risk by stratification according to age and sex.ResultsDuring the follow-up period (mean, 2.0 years), 579 subjects (12.6%) were newly diagnosed with hypertension. The risk factors for incident hypertension were age (Hazard ratios [HR] for ≥ 65, 1.26), systolic blood pressure (HR per 1 mmHg increase, 1.07), and serum UA concentration (HR per 1 mmHg increase, 1.10). The risk of UA-related incident hypertension was higher in the non-elderly than in the elderly for both men and women (HR, 1.74 for non-elderly men; 1.88 for non-elderly women; 1.66 for elderly men; 1.10 for elderly women). Even after adjusting for multiple confounders, the risk of UA-related incident hypertension was significantly higher in non-elderly women (HR, 1.59; P < 0.05).ConclusionsAge- and sex-dependent association of UA with incident hypertension suggested in cohort study based on urban areas was consistently found in rural areas as well. In particular, non-elderly women were at a higher risk for UA-related incident hypertension.

Analysis results of 169 cases of chorionic villus samples of missed abortion using high throughput sequencing.

This study aimed to evaluate the use of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology to detect chromosomes in chorionic villus samples of missed abortion embryos and investigate its utility in the genetic diagnosis of missed abortion. HTS was used to assess chorionic villus samples obtained from 169 patients with missed abortions from August 2020 to March 2022, at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University. The test results were statistically analyzed. To investigate the impact of advanced age on the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities, the patients were divided into two groups: elderly (≥35 years) and nonelderly pregnant women (<35 years). (1) Among the samples of 169 patients, 100 (59.17%) cases of chromosomal abnormalities were detected. Among these 100, 90 (90%) had chromosomal numerical abnormalities and 10 (10%) had chromosomal structural abnormalities. (2) Chromosomal numerical abnormality was abnormalities mainly included aneuploidy (92.22%, 83/90), with trisomy (62.22%, 56/90) and monosomy (22.22%, 20/90) accounting for the majority. The top three numerical abnormalities included 18 cases of Turner syndrome (monosomy X; 20%, 18/90), 10 cases of trisomy 16 (11.11%, 10/90), and 10 cases of trisomy 22 (11.11%, 10/90). (3) Villous chromosomal abnormalities were found in 48 (70.59%) elderly pregnant women, and 52 (51.48%) nonelderly pregnant women, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). (1) Chromosomal abnormality is an important cause of missed abortion, it majorly includes chromosomal numerical abnormality, of which most cases are of aneuploidy. (2) Advanced age may increase the risk of embryonic chromosomal abnormalities. (3) Villus chromosome detection using HTS has a positive value and can be used for analyzing and determining the causes of missed abortion.

Characteristics of serum lipid levels in patients with hypertension: a hospital-based retrospective descriptive study

BackgroundDyslipidaemia is different among patients with hypertension in different populations. The serum lipid profiles among Hakka patients with hypertension in southern China are still unclear.Methods35 448 patients with hypertension were...

Sleep-disordered breathing and risk of the breast cancer: A meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) has been related to a higher risk of breast cancer whereas the results of previous studies are inconsistent. We, therefore, performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between SDB and subsequent risk of breast cancer in women. Cohort studies that investigated the temporal relationship between SDB and breast cancer incidence were obtained via search of PubMed, Embase and Web of Science from inception to 30 January 2021. Only studies with multivariate analyses were included. A fixed or a randomised effect model was applied according to the heterogeneity. Eight cohort studies with 1398113 women were included. Pooled results with a randomised-effect model showed that compared with women without SDB at baseline, women with SDB had a significantly increased risk of breast cancer (risk ratio [RR]: 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08 to 1.71, P=.01) with significant heterogeneity (P for Cochrane's Q test<.001, I2 =95%). Subgroup analyses showed that SDB seemed to confer a more remarkably increased risk of breast cancer in elderly women (RR: 3.00, 95% CI: 1.33 to 6.76, P=.008) than that in non-elderly women (RR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.29, P=.02; P for subgroup difference=.04). However, the association was not significantly affected by country of the study, study design, diagnostic strategy for SDB or adjustment of obesity (P for subgroup analyses all>.05). SDB may be an independent risk factor for breast cancer in women, particularly in elderly females.

Breast Cancer Treatment Following Health Reform: Evidence From Massachusetts.

There are well-documented differences in breast cancer treatment by insurance status. Insurance expansions provide a context to assess the relationship between insurance and patterns of breast cancer care. We examine the association of Massachusetts health reform with use of breast conserving surgery, reconstruction, and adjuvant radiation using data from the Massachusetts Cancer Registry and Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results registries for 2001-2013 and a difference-in-differences approach. We observe statistically significant increases in breast conserving surgery among nonelderly women in Massachusetts relative to trends in states and age groups not affected by health reform. We also observe relative increases in reconstruction and adjuvant radiation, though trends in these outcomes were not the same across states prior to reform, limiting our ability to draw conclusions about the relationship between reform and these outcomes. Our results suggest that health reform was associated with some improvements in breast cancer treatment.

Utilization of preoperative breast MRI among women with newly diagnosed breast cancer.

1546 Background: The use of preoperative (pre-op) breast MRI remains controversial. Current practice may rely on patient characteristics and providers’ clinical judgment. This national study examined factors associated with pre-op breast MRI among women with newly diagnosed breast cancer (BC) and explored sources of variations. Methods: We applied the Nattinger algorithm to identify women with incident BC diagnosed between Mar 2008 and Dec 2018 from OPTUM Clinformatics database. Patients who had 26 months of full enrollment, 14 months before and 12 months after the first (index) BC surgery, and no pre-op radiotherapy were included. We defined pre-op MRI as patients who had an MRI between the date of BC diagnosis and date of index surgery. We conducted multivariable logistic regression models to examine factors associated with pre-op MRI and performed separate analyses for elderly (age &gt; = 65) and non-elderly (age &lt; 65) women. Results: 61,865 women (non-elderly: 27,309, elderly: 34,556) were included in the analysis. The crude rate of pre-op MRI increased from 7.4% in 2008 to 14.6% in 2018 (p-value &lt;.001). For the non-elderly, women who were older (adjusted rates: 60-64, 10% vs 20-49, 12.1%), had no distant metastasis (10.6% vs. 12.3% with metastasis), no neoadjuvant chemotherapy (9.9% vs 15.0% with neoadjuvant), and 2 or more comorbidities (9.0% vs. 11.1% with zero comorbidity) were less likely to undergo pre-op MRI (all p-value &lt;.001). Compared to white women (adjusted rate 10.6%), African Americans were more likely to have pre-op MRI (12.7%, p &lt;.001) and Hispanics were less likely (8.14%, P &lt;.001). There was no association between Health Management Organization (HMO) status and receipt of pre-op MRI among non-elderly. For elderly women, older age, more comorbidities, no distant metastasis, and no neoadjuvant chemotherapy were similarly associated with less pre-op MRI use. There was no significant association between race and receipt of pre-op MRI. Moreover, elderly women with HMO insurance were less likely to receive pre-op MRI. In both age groups, we observed wide geographic variations, with significant interaction between census division and HMO enrollment among elderly group only (Table). Conclusions: The use of pre-op MRI nearly doubled from 2008 and 2018. In addition to demographic and clinical characteristics, regional practice pattern variations and insurance type played a key role in the receipt of pre-op MRI among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Future study to understand this phenomenon is warranted.[Table: see text]

Perioperative outcomes of cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in elderly women with epithelial ovarian cancer: analysis of a prospective registry

ObjectiveTo evaluate perioperative outcomes in elderly versus non-elderly women with advanced or recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer undergoing surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).MethodsA single-institution prospective registry was analyzed for women...

Differences in clinicopathologic features and subtype distribution of invasive breast cancer between elderly and non-elderly women.

This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathologic features and subtype distribution of invasive breast cancer in elderly women (≥70 years of age). This retrospective study of 1,130 women compared the clinicopathologic characteristics and subtype distribution of invasive breast cancer in elderly (≥70 years) versus non-elderly (<70 years) women. Tumors were classified into five distinct subtypes based on the immunohistochemistry status of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), Ki67, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). The two patient groups did not differ significantly regarding ER and HER2 status. Breast cancers in elderly women were more likely to have negative PR status (40.4% vs. 32.6%, P=0.033) and low Ki67 expression (62.0% vs. 54.4%, P=0.047) than those in non-elderly women. Elderly women were less likely to undergo axillary lymph node dissection and axillary surgery (P<0.001). Consequently, unknown node status was more common in elderly women than non-elderly women (11.1% vs. 1.4%, respectively, P<0.001), while node involvement was less common in elderly women than non-elderly women (26.9% vs. 37.7%, respectively, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the distribution of subtypes between the two groups. Breast cancers in elderly women were less frequently node positive and more frequently PR negative and with low Ki67 expression than those in non-elderly women. Moreover, there was no difference in subtype distribution between the two age groups.

Impact of Medicaid expansion on women with gynecologic cancer: a difference-in-difference analysis

Women with gynecologic cancer face socioeconomic disparities in care that affect survival outcomes. The Affordable Care Act offered states the option to expand Medicaid enrollment eligibility criteria as a means of improving timely and affordable access to care for the most vulnerable. The variable uptake of expansion by states created a natural experiment, allowing for quasi-experimental methods that offer more unbiased estimates of treatment effects from retrospective data than the traditional regression adjustment. To use a quasi-experimental, difference-in-difference framework to create unbiased estimates of impact of Medicaid expansion on women with gynecologic cancer. We performed a quasi-experimental retrospective cohort study from the National Cancer Database files for women with invasive cancers of the uterus, ovary and fallopian tube, cervix, vagina, and vulva diagnosed from 2008 to 2016. Using a marker for state Medicaid expansion status, we created difference-in-difference models to assess the impact of Medicaid expansion on the outcomes of access to and timeliness of care. We excluded women aged <40 years owing to the suppression of the state Medicaid expansions status in the data and women aged ≥65 years owing to the universal Medicare coverage availability. Our primary outcome was the rate of uninsurance at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes included Medicaid coverage, early-stage diagnosis, treatment at an academic facility, and any treatment or surgery within 30 days of diagnosis. Models were run within multiple subgroups and on a propensity-matched cohort to assess the robustness of the treatment estimates. The assumption of parallel trends was assessed with event study time plots. Our sample included 335,063 women. Among this cohort, 121,449 were from nonexpansion states and 213,614 were from expansion states, with 79,886 posttreatment cases diagnosed after the expansion took full effect in expansion states. The groups had minor differences in demographics, and we found occasional preperiod event study coefficients diverging from the mean, but the outcome trends were generally similar between the expansion and nonexpansion states in the preperiod, satisfying the necessary assumption for the difference-in-difference analysis. In a basic difference-in-difference model, the Medicaid expansion in January 2014 was associated with significant increases in insurance at diagnosis, treatment at an academic facility, and treatment within 30 days of diagnosis (P<.001 for all). In an adjusted model including all states and accounting for variable expansion implementation time, there was a significant treatment effect of Medicaid expansion on the reduction in uninsurance at diagnosis (-2.00%; 95% confidence interval,-2.3 to-1.7; P<.001), increases in early-stage diagnosis (0.80%; 95% confidence interval, 0.2-1.4; P=.02), treatment at an academic facility (0.83%; 95% confidence interval, 0.1-1.5; P=.02), treatment within 30 days (1.62%; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-2.3; P<.001), and surgery within 30 days (1.54%; 95% confidence interval, 0.8-2.3; P<.001). In particular, large gains were estimated for women living in low-income zip codes, Hispanic women, and women with cervical cancer. Estimates from the subgroup and propensity-matched cohorts were generally consistent for all outcomes besides early-stage diagnosis and treatment within 30 days. Medicaid expansion was significantly associated with gains in the access and timeliness of treatment for nonelderly women with gynecologic cancer. The implementation of Medicaid expansion could greatly benefit women in nonexpansion states. Gynecologists and gynecologic oncologists should advocate for Medicaid expansion as a means of improving outcomes and reducing socioeconomic and racial disparities.

Sex differences in the impact of Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion on colorectal cancer screening

Access to care varies by sex such that interactions with insurance status result in mixed patterns of preventive services utilization. We examined sex-specific effects of ACA Medicaid expansions on receipt of CRC screening. We used Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data (2008–2016) for adults aged 50–64 years with household income ≤138% of federal poverty level to examine self-reported lifetime use of guideline-recommended CRC screening services overall and by screening modality. We employed difference-in-difference models comparing changes in CRC screening in 20 Medicaid expansion states before and after the ACA to changes in 18 states that did not expand Medicaid during our study period. We divided the expansion period into implementation (2014) and post-expansion (2016) periods to account for possible lagged effects. We observed time-varying effects of Medicaid expansion that revealed relative increases in CRC screening occurring during the post-expansion period. Heterogeneous effects by sex and by screening modality were also observed: there was a significant relative increase of 16.2 percentage points (95% CI [2.2, 30.2]; p-value = 0.023) in lifetime colonoscopy use among women in expansion states relative to non-expansion states in the post-expansion period. There were no significant effects of Medicaid expansion among men. Health insurance expansion had a lagged but significant effect on CRC screening among low-income non-elderly women in Medicaid expansion states, but no effect for men. The observed increase in CRC screening among women suggests that barriers to CRC screening may differ by sex, and tailored interventions to increase CRC screening improve outcomes.

The effect of Medicaid expansion on prescriptions for breast cancer hormonal therapy medications.

To quantify the effects of the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion on prescriptions for effective breast cancer hormonal therapies (tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors) among Medicaid enrollees. Medicaid State Drug Utilization Database (SDUD) 2011-2018, comprising the universe of outpatient prescription medications covered under the Medicaid program. Differences-in-differences and event-study linear models compare population rates of tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitor (anastrozole, exemestane, and letrozole) use in expansion and nonexpansion states, controlling for population characteristics, state, and time. Relative to nonexpansion states, Medicaid-financed hormonal therapy prescriptions increased by 27.2 per 100000 nonelderly women in a state. This implies a 28.8 percent increase from the pre-expansion mean of 94.2 per 100000 nonelderly women in expansion states. The event-study model reveals no evidence of differential pretrends in expansion and nonexpansion states and suggests use grew to 40 or more prescriptions per 100000 nonelderly women 3-5years postexpansion. Medicaid expansion may have had a meaningful impact on the ability of lower-income women to access effective hormonal therapies used to treat breast cancer.

Survival disparities in vulvar cancer patients in Commission on Cancer®-accredited facilities

ObjectivesTo investigate survival disparities and prognostic factors in vulvar cancer by age at diagnosis. MethodsWomen who underwent surgery and were diagnosed with stage I-IV vulvar cancer from 2004 to 2014 in the National Cancer Database were eligible. Proportions were compared using Chi-Square test. Survival was evaluated using Cox analysis. ResultsThere were 18,207 eligible women. Median age at diagnosis was 64 years, and 31% diagnosed ≥75 years old were categorized as elderly. Most vulvar cancers were diagnosed at stage I and with squamous histology. Diagnosis with higher stage or non-squamous histology was more common in elderly vs. non-elderly patients (P < 0.001). Survival was 3.5 times worse in the elderly than the non-elderly (P < 0.0001). Risk of death for each 5-year increment in age increased by 22% for non-elderly and 43% for elderly patients (P < 0.0001). The prognostic value of comorbidity score, stage, regional node assessment and histology was smaller in elderly vs. non-elderly women (each P < 0.05). Adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CTRT) use in the elderly vs. non-elderly was rare for stage I-II disease (3% vs. 2%) and more common for stage III-IV disease (6% vs. 43%), respectively (P < 0.0001). The survival disadvantage for elderly patients persisted following no adjuvant therapy, radiotherapy or chemotherapy alone, or CTRT (P < 0.0001). In stage III-IV disease, survival was superior following CTRT vs. radiotherapy when diagnosed <75 years (HR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.69–0.93) but not in the elderly (HR = 0.99, P > 0.05). ConclusionsAge-associated risk of death increased at different rates in vulvar cancer and was larger in elderly vs. non-elderly patients. The impact of other prognostic factors was smaller in elderly vs. non-elderly women. The survival benefit of CTRT over radiotherapy in stage III-IV did not extend to the elderly.

Electroacupuncture for stress-related urinary incontinence in elderly women: data analysis from two randomised controlled studies

ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) in elderly and non-elderly women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) or stress-predominant mixed urinary incontinence (MUI).MethodsThis study was a secondary analysis of two...