Bradley D. McDowell

Neuropsychological characteristics of patients in a hospital-based eating disorder program

The existence of cognitive deficits associated with eating disorders has been debated for some time. The present study investigated cognitive impairments in a large sample of patients with anorexia nervosa from an inpatient treatment program. Fifty-nine women with anorexia nervosa were given a battery of neuropsychological tests assessing multiple cognitive domains. Over half of the patients had mild cognitive impairments in two or more neuropsychological tasks and approximately one-third failed two or more tasks. Depression level and body mass were not associated with cognitive impairment. Whether effective restoration of weight and resolution of core psychopathology contribute to reversal of cognitive deficits requires further research.

Stability of neuropsychological performance in anorexia nervosa

INTRODUCTION We investigated the stability of neuropsychological performance and eating disorder (EDO) symptoms before, immediately after, and 2 years after inpatient treatment. We also examined relationships between neuropsychological and EDO measures. METHODS Sixteen women who were admitted for inpatient treatment of anorexia nervosa participated in three evaluations: (1) at admission to the hospital, (2) at discharge, and (3) at a follow-up exam approximately two years after discharge. RESULTS Body mass index increased significantly from each testing session to the next. Endorsement of eating disorder symptoms was significantly decreased at discharge and at follow-up compared to admission. In terms of cognitive performance, total scores on a brief neuropsychological battery (RBANS) were significantly greater at follow-up than at admission. We found no relationships between EDO symptoms and cognitive function at any of the three sessions. CONCLUSIONS The current findings suggest that EDO symptoms and cognitive performance in anorexia nervosa patients can show improvement as long as two years after hospitalization, but there is no evidence that EDO symptoms are related to neuropsychological performance.

Concordance between the CVLT and the WMS-III word lists test

The California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) and the Word Lists Test (WLT) from the Wechsler Memory Scale-III are widely used tests of verbal learning and memory. To examine concordance between these popular tests, we administered both to a diagnostically diverse group of 25 patients. As expected, measures from the two tests were highly correlated, although level of concordance was not as high as might be expected. When diagnostic outcomes were discordant for free recall measures, the CVLT indicated impairment more often than did the WLT.

RABL6A Promotes Oxaliplatin Resistance in Tumor Cells and Is a New Marker of Survival for Resected Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Patients.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by early recurrence following pancreatectomy, rapid progression, and chemoresistance. Novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers are urgently needed to both stratify patients for clinical trials and select patients for adjuvant therapy regimens. This study sought to determine the biological significance of RABL6A (RAB, member RAS oncogene family-like protein 6 isoform A), a novel pancreatic protein, in PDAC. Analyses of RABL6A protein expression in PDAC specimens from 73 patients who underwent pancreatic resection showed that RABL6A levels are altered in 74% of tumors relative to adjacent benign ductal epithelium. Undetectable RABL6A expression, found in 7% (5/73) of patients, correlated with improved overall survival (range 41 to 118 months with 3/5 patients still living), while patients with RABL6A expression had a worse outcome (range 3.3 to 100 months, median survival 20.3 months) (P = 0.0134). In agreement with those findings, RABL6A expression was increased in pancreatic cancer cell lines compared to normal pancreatic epithelial cells, and its knockdown inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. Moreover, RABL6A depletion selectively sensitized cells to oxaliplatin-induced arrest and death. This work reveals that RABL6A promotes the proliferation, survival, and oxaliplatin resistance of PDAC cells, whereas its loss is associated with extended survival in patients with resected PDAC. Such data suggest RABL6A is a novel biomarker of PDAC and potential target for anticancer therapy.

Is Travel Time to Colonoscopy Associated With Late-Stage Colorectal Cancer Among Medicare Beneficiaries in Iowa?

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening has been shown to decrease the incidence of late-stage colorectal cancer, yet a substantial proportion of Americans do not receive screening. Those in rural areas may face barriers to colonoscopy services based on travel time, and previous studies have demonstrated lower screening among rural residents. Our purpose was to assess factors associated with late-stage CRC, and specifically to determine if longer travel time to colonoscopy was associated with late-stage CRC among an insured population in Iowa. METHODS SEER-Medicare data were used to identify individuals ages 65 to 84 years old diagnosed with CRC in Iowa from 2002 to 2009. The distance between the centroid of the ZIP code of residence and the ZIP code of colonoscopy was computed for each individual who had continuous Medicare fee-for-service coverage for a 3- to 4-month period prior to diagnosis, and a professional claim for colonoscopy within that time frame. Demographic characteristics and travel times were compared between those diagnosed with early- versus late-stage CRC. Also, demographic differences between those who had colonoscopy claims identified within 3-4 months prior to diagnosis (81%) were compared to patients with no colonoscopy claims identified (19%). RESULTS A total of 5,792 subjects met inclusion criteria; 31% were diagnosed with early-stage versus 69% with late-stage CRC. Those divorced or widowed (vs married) were more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage CRC (OR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.06-1.37). Travel time was not associated with diagnosis of late-stage CRC. DISCUSSION Among a Medicare-insured population, there was no relationship between travel time to colonoscopy and disease stage at diagnosis. It is likely that factors other than distance to colonoscopy present more pertinent barriers to screening in this insured population. Additional research should be done to determine reasons for nonadherence to screening among those with access to CRC screening services, given that over two-thirds of these insured individuals were diagnosed with late-stage CRC.

Use of active surveillance methodologies to examine over‐reporting of stillbirths on fetal death certificates

BACKGROUND Data from Iowa fetal death certificates (FDCs) suggest that reportable stillbirths (unintended fetal deaths ≥ 20 weeks gestation and/or weighing ≥ 350 grams) occur in about 1 in 200 deliveries. In 2005, the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders (IRCID) collaborated with other state stakeholders to establish the Iowa Stillbirth Surveillance Project. The goal of this project was to use population-based, active surveillance methodologies to identify reportable stillbirths delivered by Iowa residents since January 1, 2000. METHODS To conduct stillbirth surveillance, the IRCID expanded its existing public health authority and electronic abstract application for birth defects surveillance. The expanded application was piloted using a random sample (n = 250 of 989) of FDCs reported from January 2000 through December 2004. RESULTS IRCID procedures for active case finding and medical record abstraction verified 192 (76.8%) as reportable stillbirths. Stillbirths not verified as reportable were due to findings of elective terminations (n = 30), live births (n = 3), induced deliveries (n = 2), and FDC entries for gestational age and/or delivery weight that were either inaccurately recorded (n = 13) or accurately recorded but did not meet Iowa FDC reporting criteria (n = 9); medical records for one FDC were unavailable. Infant malformations were more common among unverified stillbirths, whereas the cause of death due to maternal-related conditions was higher among verified stillbirths. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that over-reporting limits the use of FDCs as a primary ascertainment source for stillbirth surveillance in Iowa. Continued expansion of the IRCID active surveillance methodologies to monitor stillbirths in Iowa is recommended.

Updating survival estimates in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) based on treatment-free interval length

Abstract We hypothesized that the length of treatment-free survival following (a) initial diagnosis and (b) first-line treatment would be associated with improved subsequent five-year relative survival (RS5) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). 19,879 patients incident CLL/SLL cases (median age = 76 years) were identified from SEER-Medicare. RS5 improved from 0.73 (95% CI: 0.72, 0.74) at diagnosis to 0.81 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.82) at year 1 and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.83, 0.96) at year 10 among those who had not received treatment. In our analysis of survival patterns following first-line treatment, RS5 improved from 0.55 (95% CI: 0.53, 0.57) at initiation of first-line treatment to 0.84 (95% CI: 0.75, 0.92) among patients who had not been retreated at year 5 following first-line therapy. Longer periods of treatment-free survival following initial diagnosis and first-line treatment were both predictive of meaningfully improved prognosis in CLL/SLL patients.

Insurance Status Is Related to Receipt of Therapy and Survival in Patients with Early-Stage Pancreatic Exocrine Carcinoma

Objectives. The study objective was to determine how insurance status relates to treatment receipt and overall survival for patients with early-stage pancreatic exocrine carcinoma. Methods. SEER data were evaluated for 17,234 patients diagnosed with Stage I/II pancreatic exocrine carcinoma. Multivariate regression models controlled for personal characteristics to determine whether insurance status was independently associated with overall survival and receipt of radiation/surgery. Results. Odds of receiving radiation were 1.50 and 1.75 times higher for insured patients compared to Medicaid and uninsured patients, respectively (p < 0.01). Insured patients had 1.68 and 1.57 times increased odds of receiving surgery compared to Medicaid and uninsured patients (p < 0.01). Risk of death was 1.33 times greater (p < 0.01) in Medicaid patients compared to insured patients; when further adjusted for treatment, the risk of death was attenuated but remained significant (HR = 1.16, p < 0.01). Risk of death was 1.16 times higher for uninsured patients compared to insured patients (p = 0.02); when further adjusted for treatment, the risk of death was no longer significant (HR = 1.01, p = 0.83). Conclusions. Uninsured and Medicaid-insured patients experience lower treatment rates compared to patients who have other insurances. The increased likelihood of treatment appears to explain the insured groups survival advantage.

Changing incidence of esophageal cancer among white women: analysis of SEER data (1992–2010)

Aim of the study To analyse trends in the incidence rates of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus (ACE and SCC, respectively) in white women between 1992 and 2010. Material and methods We used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER program to identify cases of esophageal cancer). Age adjusted incidence rates (IR) were calculated for ACE and SCC for two different time periods (1992–1996 and 2006–2010) and stratified by age, stage, and histologic type. We used joinpoint analysis to detect changes in rates between 1992 and 2010. Results Between the time periods 1992–1996 and 2006–2010, the age-adjusted incidence rates for SCC in white women decreased from 1.2/100,000 to 0.8/100,000 personyears, and for ACE it increased from 0.5/100,000 to 0.7/100,000 personyears. Similar to white men, the increase in the incidence of ACE was consistent for all stages and all age groups in white women. However, it was most pronounced in women aged 45–59 years, where the incidence of ACE (0.9/100,000 person-years) in 2006–2010 exceeded the incidence of SCC (0.6/100,000 person-years). On joinpoint regression analysis, an inflection point was seen in 1999 for ACE, indicating a slower rate of increase for ACE after 1999 (annual percentage change of 8.00 before 1999 vs. 0.88 starting in 1999). Conclusions The incidence of ACE is increasing in white women, irrespective of age or stage. Indeed, ACE is now more common than SCC in white women between 45 and 59 years of age.

Variation in coordination of care reported by breast cancer patients according to health literacy

BackgroundHealth literacy is the ability to perform basic reading and numerical tasks to function in the healthcare environment. The purpose of this study is to describe how health literacy is related to perceived coordination of care reported by breast cancer patients.MethodsData were retrieved from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute-sponsored “Share Thoughts on Breast Cancer” Study including demographic factors, perceived care coordination and responsiveness of care, and self-reported health literacy obtained from a mailed survey completed by 62% of eligible breast cancer survivors (N = 1221). Multivariable analysis of variance was used to characterize the association between presence of a single healthcare professional that coordinated care (“care coordinator”) and perceived care coordination, stratified by health literacy level.ResultsHealth literacy was classified as low in 24% of patients, medium in 34%, and high in 42%. Women with high health literacy scores were more likely to report non-Hispanic white race/ethnicity, private insurance, higher education and income, and fewer comorbidities (all p < 0.001). The presence of a care coordinator was associated with 17.1% higher perceived care coordination scores among women with low health literacy when compared to those without a care coordinator, whereas a coordinator modestly improved perceived care coordination among breast cancer survivors with medium (6.9%) and high (6.2%) health literacy.ConclusionThe use of a single designated care coordinator may have a strong influence on care coordination in patients with lower levels of health literacy.