Background

Several studies have found that Hispanics and Non-Hispanic Blacks have statistically significantly higher adjusted odds ratios for cancer screening tests compared to Non-Hispanic Whites, even though their crude percentages were lower than, or about equal to, those for the Non-Hispanic Whites. Most documentation is for mammography. This paper investigates the prevalence of such unadjusted-to-adjusted “reversed associations” (RAs) for Pap, colorectal, and prostate testing. We also investigate large-percent-changes (LPCs) to the unadjusted odds ratios.

Methods

Data were from the 2004/2006/2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the 2000/2003/2005/2008 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Analyses used a consistent set of covariates.

Results

RAs were more common for Non-Hispanic Blacks than Hispanics, but Hispanics had a greater number of LPCs. RAs and LPCs occurred more often for Pap testing than colorectal and prostate testing. However, results from the BRFSS and NHIS were often not consistent.

Conclusions

Attention should be given to the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, as well as public programs addressing other cancers, as possible contributors to RAs and LPCs. Hispanics may show more RAs in analyses of future data. Discrepancies between the BRFSS and the NHIS also must be recognized and explained.

Impact

This research highlights the need for vigilance regarding the results of analyses to identify race/ethnicity as a correlate of cancer screening. Results also direct attention to aspects of the results of multivariable analysis other than odds ratios and confidence intervals.

Background

Carcinomas of the renal pelvis and ureter are rare diseases, accounting for only about 1% of all urogenital malignancies. Previous reports suggest that squamous cell histology is associated with inferior survival. We present the largest population based analysis to date of survival in patients with upper urinary tract malignancies.

Methods

We analyzed the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database for cancer specific survival rates in patients with renal pelvis and ureteral malignancies who were diagnosed between 1973 and 2003 in the SEER catchment geographic areas. The primary exposure of interest was the underlying histology, squamous cell versus transitional cell differentiation. We performed descriptive statistics, non parametric survival analysis, and cox proportional hazard analysis.

Results

We identified 13,213 eligible patients, 7,716 renal pelvis and 5,497 ureteral carcinomas. Among this cohort, 179 patients had squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 12,395 had transitional cell carcinoma (TCC), including 121 papillary, and 619 had other histologies. Overall, patients with SCC histology fared worse. The median overall survival time was 10 months for SCC and 63 months for TCC. The cox analysis revealed a HR 3.7 (95% CI 3.0–4.5) for SCC when compared to TCC and corrected for decade of diagnosis, age, gender, prior treatment, and race. The difference between the two groups was entirely attributable to survival differences in patients with loco-regional disease. However, when stratified by lymph node involvement this difference disappeared for patients with locally involved lymph nodes (P = 0.84) and for patients with clear lymph nodes (P = 0.92).

Conclusions

SCCs of the upper urinary tract present at a higher clinical stage and appear to represent more aggressive disease when compared to other histologies. However, when appropriately staged according to lymph node status, the survival of TCC and SCC of the upper urinary tract is identical when compared stage by stage.

Objective

Several papers have found that Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Black women have higher adjusted odds ratios for recent mammography when compared with Non-Hispanic White women, even though their crude percentages were lower than, or about equal to, Non-Hispanic White women’s. This paper investigates the existence of “reversals” of association for recent mammography and describes an analysis strategy for identifying variables that might produce them.

Methods

We used every-other-year data for women aged 40–80 from the 1996–2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the 1999, 2000, 2003, and 2005 National Health Interview Survey. A consistent set of covariates was used across all datasets.

Results

Reversals were found in almost all survey years for Hispanic women. Non-Hispanic Black women often had unadjusted rates comparable to Non-Hispanic Whites, but their adjusted odds ratios were significantly higher in most surveys. A limited number of variables contributed strongly to reversals, and differed somewhat for Hispanic and Black women.

Conclusions

Reversed associations found in adjusted analyses present a challenge for interpretation, but could also denote success of programs to increase screening rates. Users of population-level surveys should be alert for reversals and attempt to find explanations.

Background

Hysterectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the United States. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between socioeconomic indicators and hysterectomy.

Study Design

We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey database. The effect of multiple socioeconomic exposures (education level, annual income, and employment status) on hysterectomy status was evaluated. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios between the multiple exposures and the outcome of hysterectomy status.

Results

Our analytic sample included 180,982 women. Prior hysterectomy was reported by 26.4%. After adjusting for confounders, women who had not graduated from high school had 1.75 times higher odds (95% CI 1.68 to 1.83) of having a hysterectomy compared to women who were college graduates; and women with an annual household income of less than $15,000 had 1.06 times higher odds (95% CI 1.02 to 1.10) of having a hysterectomy compared to women who reported an income of greater than $50,000/year. Women who were unemployed did not have higher odds of having a hysterectomy than women who were employed.

Conclusion

Socioeconomic indicators of education level and income are associated with hysterectomy status, however employment status is not.

Objectives

To describe sociodemographics, sexual risk behavior, and estimate HIV and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevalence among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Mumbai, India.

Methods

Eight hundred thirty-one MSM attending voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services at the Humsafar Trust, answered a behavioral questionnaire and consented for Venereal Disease Research Laboratory and HIV testing from January 2003 through December 2004. Multivariate logistic regression was performed for sociodemographics, sexual risk behavior, and STIs with HIV result as an outcome.

Results

HIV prevalence among MSM was 12.5%. MSM who were illiterate [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.28; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08 to 4.84], married (AOR 2.70; 95% CI: 1,56 to 4.76), preferred male partners (AOR 4.68; 95% CI: 1.90 to 11.51), had partners of both genders (AOR 2.73; 95% CI: 1.03 to 7.23), presented with an STI (AOR 3.31; 95% CI: 1.96 to 5.61); or presented with a reactive venereal disease research laboratory test (AOR 4.92; 95% CI: 2.55 to 9.53) at their VCT visit were more likely to be HIV infected.

Conclusions

MSM accessing VCT services in Mumbai have a high risk of STI and HIV acquisition. Culturally appropriate interventions that focus on sexual risk behavior and promote condom use among MSM, particularly the bridge population of bisexual men, are needed to slow the urban Indian AIDS epidemic.

Study Objective

To evaluate regression rates among adolescents (aged ≤21) with CIN 2 managed expectantly and to determine factors associated with disease regression.

Design

Cohort study using a colposcopic database of 2,996 women seen between August 1999 and November 2005

Setting

Colposcopy clinic in urban, tertiary care medical center

Participants

Adolescents with CIN 2. Routine management consisted of two options: immediate treatment or repeat colposcopic evaluation in 6 months.

Main Outcome Measures

For those managed conservatively, regression was defined either as a subsequent normal colposcopy and/or biopsy and at least 2 smears read as negative for epithelial abnormality or at least 3 consecutive negative smears if repeat colposcopy was not performed. Demographic information, including age, was assessed to determine possible associations with disease regression.

Results

Of the 93 adolescents, 53 (57%) elected to undergo immediate treatment with a diagnostic excisional procedure, and 40 (43%) chose management with colposcopic follow-up. Of those treated, high-grade disease (CIN 2+) was found in 40 (75%). Of the 36 young women followed conservatively (4 were lost to follow-up), regression after a median follow-up time of 378 days was documented in 14 (39%). Of the 22 adolescents not fulfilling our criteria for regression, only 3 had evidence of CIN 2 or worse during follow-up. The remaining 19 had either CIN 1 or mildly abnormal cytologic results. Kaplan-Meier survival estimates indicated younger age (≤16 years) tended to be associated with decreased time to regression.

Conclusion

Based on significant regression of CIN 2 among adolescent women, primary management in this population should consist of cytologic and colposcopic follow-up.