Anne Marie McCarthy

Coverage and uptake of systematic postal screening for genital Chlamydia trachomatis and prevalence of infection in the United Kingdom general population: cross sectional study

Abstract Objective To measure the coverage and uptake of systematic postal screening for genital Chlamydia trachomatis and the prevalence of infection in the general population in the United Kingdom. To investigate factors associated with these measures. Design Cross sectional survey of people randomly selected from general practice registers. Invitation to provide a specimen collected at home. Setting England. Participants 19 773 men and women aged 16-39 years invited to participate in screening. Main outcome measures Coverage and uptake of screening; prevalence of chlamydia. Results Coverage of chlamydia screening was 73% and was lower in areas with a higher proportion of non-white residents. Uptake in 16-24 year olds was 31.5% and was lower in men, younger adults, and practices in disadvantaged areas. Overall prevalence of chlamydia was 2.8% (95%confidence interval 2.2% to 3.4%) in men and 3.6% (3.1% to 4.9%) in women, but it was higher in people younger than 25 years (men 5.1%; 4.0% to 6.3%; women 6.2%; 5.2% to 7.8%). Prevalence was higher in the subgroup of younger women who were harder to engage in screening. The strongest determinant of chlamydial infection was having one or more new sexual partners in the past year. Conclusions Postal chlamydia screening was feasible, but coverage was incomplete and uptake was modest. Lower coverage of postal screening in areas with more non-white residents along with poorer uptake in more deprived areas and among women at higher risk of infection could mean that screening leads to wider inequalities in sexual health.

Screening Outcomes Following Implementation of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis in a General-Population Screening Program

BACKGROUND Early data on breast cancer screening utilizing digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) combined with digital mammography (DM) have shown improvements in false-positive and false-negative screening rates compared with DM alone. However, these trials were performed at sites where conventional mammographic screening was concurrently performed, possibly leading to selection biases or with complex, multireader algorithms not reflecting general clinical practice. Our study reports the impact on screening outcomes for DBT screening implemented in an entire clinic population. METHODS Recall rates, cancer detection, and positive predictive values of screening were compared for 15571 women screened with DBT and 10728 screened with DM alone prior to DBT implementation at a single breast imaging center. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for recall rate adjusted for age, race, presence of prior mammograms, breast density and reader. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS DBT screening showed a statistically significant reduction in recalls compared to DM alone. For the entire population, there were 16 fewer recalls (8.8% vs 10.4%, P <.001, adjusted OR = 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.74 to 0.88, P < .001) and 0.9 additional cancers detected per 1000 screened with DBT compared to DM alone. There was a statistically significant increase in PPV1 (6.2% vs 4.4%, P = .047). In women younger than age 50 years screened with DBT, there were 17 fewer recalls (12.3% vs 14.0%, P = .02) and 3.6 additional cancer detected per 1000 screened (5.7 vs 2.2 per 1000, P = .02). CONCLUSIONS Our data support the clinical implementation of DBT in breast cancer screening; however, larger prospective trials are needed to validate our findings in specific patient subgroups.

Immediate Postnatal Growth Is Associated With Blood Pressure in Young Adulthood: The Barry Caerphilly Growth Study

There is a consistent inverse association between birth weight and systolic blood pressure; however, few studies have been able to examine the immediate postnatal period. We have examined whether accelerated postnatal growth predicts adult systolic and diastolic blood pressure. We followed up participants from the Barry Caerphilly Growth Study. Blood pressure data were obtained on 679 of the original 951 subjects (73%) aged ≈25 years. Both multivariable linear regression and spline models were used to examine the association among weight, length, and growth velocities with systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Both statistical approaches showed that birth weight was inversely associated with systolic blood pressure. Only the spline models found that immediate (0 to 5 months) weight gain (&bgr; coefficient: 1.29 mm Hg; 95% CI: 0.36 to 2.23; P=0.007) and weight gain between 1 year and 9 months to 5 years (&bgr; coefficient: 1.44 mm Hg; 95% CI: 0.31 to 2.57; P=0.01) were independently associated with systolic blood pressure, whereas only immediate weight gain (&bgr; coefficient: 0.74 mm Hg; 95% CI: 0.08 to 1.41; P=0.03) was associated with diastolic blood pressure. This is the first study to demonstrate that only immediate postnatal growth predicts diastolic blood pressure in term births, whereas it adds further evidence that both birth weight and postnatal growth are associated with systolic blood pressure in support of both the fetal origins and growth acceleration hypotheses.

Partner notification of chlamydia infection in primary care: randomised controlled trial and analysis of resource use

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a practice nurse led strategy to improve the notification and treatment of partners of people with chlamydia infection. Design Randomised controlled trial. Setting 27 general practices in the Bristol and Birmingham areas. Participants 140 men and women with chlamydia (index cases) diagnosed by screening of a home collected urine sample or vulval swab specimen. Interventions Partner notification at the general practice immediately after diagnosis by trained practice nurses, with telephone follow up by a health adviser; or referral to a specialist health adviser at a genitourinary medicine clinic. Main outcome measures Primary outcome was the proportion of index cases with at least one treated sexual partner. Specified secondary outcomes included the number of sexual contacts elicited during a sexual history, positive test result for chlamydia six weeks after treatment, and the cost of each strategy in 2003 sterling prices. Results 65.3% (47/72) of participants receiving practice nurse led partner notification had at least one partner treated compared with 52.9% (39/68) of those referred to a genitourinary medicine clinic (risk difference 12.4%, 95% confidence interval −1.8% to 26.5%). Of 68 participants referred to the clinic, 21 (31%) did not attend. The costs per index case were £32.55 for the practice nurse led strategy and £32.62 for the specialist referral strategy. Conclusion Practice based partner notification by trained nurses with telephone follow up by health advisers is at least as effective as referral to a specialist health adviser at a genitourinary medicine clinic, and costs the same. Trial registration Clinical trials: NCT00112255.

Prenatal and Postnatal Milk Supplementation and Adult Insulin-like Growth Factor I: Long-term Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: Insulin-like growth factors (IGF) are increasingly recognized as important determinants of adult health, in particular risk of certain cancers. However, little is known about the determinants of adult IGFs and to what degree they may be programmed by early life influences. Design: Randomized controlled trial of prenatal and postnatal milk supplementation among 951 subjects born in 1972 to 1974 in South Wales. Main outcome measure: Measures of IGF-I, IGF binding protein 3, and the molar ratio. Results: Data on adult IGFs were available from 663 subjects at a mean age of 25 years. Subjects in the intervention arm had lower IGF-I (−8.5 ng/mL; 95% confidence interval, −15.1 to −1.8, P = 0.01) and ratio (−1.20; 95% confidence interval, −2.33 to −0.04, P = 0.04). These differences could not be explained by follow-up bias or confounding factors. Conclusions: These results provide experimental data on the role of early life programming either in the intrauterine or postnatal period that may have long-term influences on the IGF axis, with potential implications for disease risk.

Vulvovaginal-Swab or First-Catch Urine Specimen To Detect Chlamydia trachomatis in Women in a Community Setting?

ABSTRACT Screening for chlamydia in women is widely recommended. We evaluated the performance of two nucleic acid amplification tests for detecting Chlamydia trachomatis in self-collected vulvovaginal-swab and first-catch urine specimens from women in a community setting and a strategy for optimizing the sensitivity of an amplified enzyme immunoassay on vulvovaginal-swab specimens. We tested 2,745 paired vulvovaginal-swab and urine specimens by PCR (Roche Cobas) or strand displacement amplification (SDA; Becton Dickinson). There were 146 women infected with chlamydia. The assays detected 97.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 93.1 to 99.2%) of infected patients with vulvovaginal-swab specimens and 91.8% (86.1 to 95.7%) with urine specimens. We tested 2,749 vulvovaginal-swab specimens with both a nucleic acid amplification test and a polymer conjugate-enhanced enzyme immunoassay with negative-gray-zone testing. The relative sensitivities obtained after retesting specimens in the negative gray zone were 74.3% (95% CI, 62.8 to 83.8%) with PCR and 58.3% (95% CI, 46.1 to 69.8%) with SDA. In community settings, both vulvovaginal-swab and first-catch urine specimens from women are suitable substrates for nucleic acid amplification tests, but enzyme immunoassays, even after negative-gray-zone testing, should not be used in screening programs.

Health Care Segregation, Physician Recommendation, and Racial Disparities in BRCA1/2 Testing Among Women With Breast Cancer

PURPOSE Racial disparities in BRCA1/2 testing have been documented, but causes of these disparities are poorly understood. The study objective was to investigate whether the distribution of black and white patients across cancer providers contributes to disparities in BRCA1/2 testing. PATIENTS AND METHODS We conducted a population-based study of women in Pennsylvania and Florida who were 18 to 64 years old and diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2007 and 2009, linking cancer registry data, the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile, and patient and physician surveys. The study included 3,016 women (69% white, 31% black), 808 medical oncologists, and 732 surgeons. RESULTS Black women were less likely to undergo BRCA1/2 testing than white women (odds ratio [OR], 0.40; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.48; P < .001). This difference was attenuated but not eliminated by adjustment for mutation risk, clinical factors, sociodemographic characteristics, and attitudes about testing (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.81; P < .001). The care of black and white women was highly segregated across surgeons and oncologists (index of dissimilarity 64.1 and 61.9, respectively), but adjusting for clustering within physician or physician characteristics did not change the size of the testing disparity. Black women were less likely to report that they had received physician recommendation for BRCA1/2 testing even after adjusting for mutation risk (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.54 to 0.82; P < .001). Adjusting for physician recommendation further attenuated the testing disparity (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.57 to 1.02; P = .06). CONCLUSION Although black and white patients with breast cancer tend to see different surgeons and oncologists, this distribution does not contribute to disparities in BRCA1/2 testing. Instead, residual racial differences in testing after accounting for patient and physician characteristics are largely attributable to differences in physician recommendations. Efforts to address these disparities should focus on ensuring equity in testing recommendations.

Baseline Screening Mammography: Performance of Full-Field Digital Mammography Versus Digital Breast Tomosynthesis

OBJECTIVE Baseline mammography studies have significantly higher recall rates than mammography studies with available comparison examinations. Digital breast tomosynthesis reduces recalls when compared with digital mammographic screening alone, but many sites operate in a hybrid environment. To maximize the effect of screening digital breast tomosynthesis with limited resources, choosing which patient populations will benefit most is critical. This study evaluates digital breast tomosynthesis in the baseline screening population. MATERIALS AND METHODS Outcomes were compared for 10,728 women who underwent digital mammography screening, including 1204 (11.2%) baseline studies, and 15,571 women who underwent digital breast tomosynthesis screening, including 1859 (11.9%) baseline studies. Recall rates, cancer detection rates, and positive predictive values were calculated. Logistic regression estimated the odds ratios of recall for digital mammography versus digital breast tomosynthesis for patients undergoing baseline screening and previously screened patients, adjusted for age, race, and breast density. RESULTS In the baseline subgroup, recall rates for digital mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis screening were 20.5% and 16.0%, respectively (p = 0.002); digital breast tomosynthesis screening in the baseline subgroup resulted in a 22% reduction in recall compared with digital mammography, or 45 fewer patients recalled per 1000 patients screened. Digital breast tomosynthesis screening in the previously screened patients resulted in recall reduction of 14.3% (p < 0.001; p for interaction = 0.21). The recall rate reduction for baseline screening was especially pronounced in women younger than 50 years (p = 0.005). DBT implementation resulted in an increase in cancer detection in the baseline subgroup of 40.5% versus an increase in the previously screened subgroup of 17.4%. DBT implementation resulted in an increase in PPV1 in the baseline subgroup of 85% versus 35.3% in the previously screened subgroup, although the p-interaction was not significant. CONCLUSION If resources are limited, women younger than 50 years who are undergoing baseline screening or do not have prior available mammograms may benefit more from digital breast tomosynthesis than from digital mammography alone.

Increasing disparities in breast cancer mortality from 1979 to 2010 for US black women aged 20 to 49 years.

Racial disparities in breast cancer mortality persist, and young Black women have higher disease incidence compared with White women. We compared trends in breast cancer mortality for young Black and White women with mortality trends for other common diseases from 1979 to 2010. In contrast to other cancers, ischemic heart disease, and stroke, the breast cancer mortality disparity has widened over the past 30 years, suggesting that unique aspects of disease biology, prevention, and treatment may explain persistent racial differences for young women.

Bilateral oophorectomy, body mass index, and mortality in U.S. women aged 40 years and older.

Bilateral oophorectomy is used as a risk reduction strategy in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, although data on long-term side effects are not yet available. In the general population, oophorectomy, particularly at a young age, has been associated with increased overall and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. The mechanisms for this association are not well understood. We examined the association between prior bilateral oophorectomy, obesity, and all-cause, cancer, and CVD mortality. Our study population included women ages 40 and above from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), a nationally representative survey with enrollment from 1988 to 1994 and prospective mortality follow-up through December 31, 2006. We excluded women with a history of reproductive cancer or missing oophorectomy status, yielding a study population of 4,040. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to estimate HR for all-cause and cause-specific mortality. In multivariate analyses, body mass index (BMI) significantly modified the association between oophorectomy and mortality (Pinteraction = 0.04). Women who were obese at the time of interview and who had an oophorectomy at less than 40 years were more than twice as likely to die [HR, 2.23; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25–3.98], particularly of CVD (HR, 2.77; 95% CI, 0.91–8.41), than nonobese women with intact ovaries. These associations persisted after excluding women who used estrogen therapy and women who had oophorectomy before 35 years of age. The joint effect of obesity and early oophorectomy on mortality was significantly greater than expected, given the independent effects of both exposures. Our results suggest that minimizing weight gain after oophorectomy and addressing cardiovascular risk factors could beneficially impact mortality. Cancer Prev Res; 5(6); 847–54. ©2012 AACR.