Naomi Ko

Can Patient Navigation Improve Receipt of Recommended Breast Cancer Care? Evidence From the National Patient Navigation Research Program

PURPOSE Poor and underserved women face barriers in receiving timely and appropriate breast cancer care. Patient navigators help individuals overcome these barriers, but little is known about whether patient navigation improves quality of care. The purpose of this study is to examine whether navigated women with breast cancer are more likely to receive recommended standard breast cancer care. PATIENTS AND METHODS Women with breast cancer who participated in the national Patient Navigation Research Program were examined to determine whether the care they received included the following: initiation of antiestrogen therapy in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer; initiation of postlumpectomy radiation therapy; and initiation of chemotherapy in women younger than age 70 years with triple-negative tumors more than 1 cm. This is a secondary analysis of a multicenter quasi-experimental study funded by the National Cancer Institute to evaluate patient navigation. Multiple logistic regression was performed to compare differences in receipt of care between navigated and non-navigated participants. RESULTS Among participants eligible for antiestrogen therapy, navigated participants (n = 380) had a statistically significant higher likelihood of receiving antiestrogen therapy compared with non-navigated controls (n = 381; odds ratio [OR], 1.73; P = .004) in a multivariable analysis. Among the participants eligible for radiation therapy after lumpectomy, navigated participants (n = 255) were no more likely to receive radiation (OR, 1.42; P = .22) than control participants (n = 297). CONCLUSION We demonstrate that navigated participants were more likely than non-navigated participants to receive antiestrogen therapy. Future studies are required to determine the full impact patient navigation may have on ensuring that vulnerable populations receive quality care.

Patient Navigation for Underserved Patients Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

The elimination of cancer disparities is critically important for lessening the burden of breast cancer (BC). Patient navigator programs (PNPs) have been shown to improve rates of BC screening in underserved communities, but there is a dearth of evidence regarding their benefits after the actual diagnosis of BC. We retrospectively examined sociodemographic characteristics, disease characteristics, and concordance to quality measures (QMs) of BC care among women participating in a PNP that services disadvantaged minority communities in the greater Boston area. Of the 186 PNP patients diagnosed with BC in 2001-2011 in three neighborhood community health centers, treatment data was available for 158 (85%) and race and disease stage information was available for 149 (80%). Regarding stage, 25% were diagnosed with in situ cancer, 32% had stage 1, 25% had stage 2, 13% had stage 3, and 5% had stage 4 BC. Guideline-indicated care was received by 70 of 74 patients (95%) for the hormonal therapy QM, 15 of 17 (88%) patients for the chemotherapy QM, and 65 of 71 (92%) patients for the radiation QM, all similar to published concordance rates at elite National Comprehensive Cancer Network institutions. These findings suggest that PNPs may facilitate evidence-based quality care for vulnerable populations. Future research should prospectively analyze quality metrics to assess measures to improve the process and outcomes of patient navigation in diverse underserved settings, compared with control non-navigated populations.

Racial and ethnic differences in patient navigation: Results from the Patient Navigation Research Program

Patient navigation was developed to address barriers to timely care and reduce cancer disparities. The current study explored navigation and racial and ethnic differences in time to the diagnostic resolution of a cancer screening abnormality.

Challenges in the Delivery of Quality Breast Cancer Care: Initiation of Adjuvant Hormone Therapy at an Urban Safety Net Hospital

PURPOSE Breast cancer treatment disparities in racial/ethnic minority and low-income populations are well documented; however, underlying reasons remain poorly understood. This study sought to identify barriers to the delivery of quality breast cancer treatment, addressing compliance with the National Quality Forum (NQF) quality metric for adjuvant hormone therapy (HT; administration of HT within 365 days of diagnosis in eligible patients) at an urban safety net hospital. METHODS This retrospective, observational study included women diagnosed with nonmetastatic, T1c or greater, estrogen and/or progesterone receptor-positive breast cancer from 2006 to 2008. Data sources included the hospital cancer registry and electronic medical record. Compliance with the NQF quality metric was defined as HT prescription within 365 days of diagnosis. Bivariate analysis compared compliant with noncompliant patients. Qualitative analysis assessed reasons for delayed compliance (HT at > 365 days) and never compliance (no HT at 4 years). RESULTS Of 113 eligible patients, the majority were racial/ethnic minority (56%), stage II (54%), unmarried (60%), and had public or no insurance (72%). Sixty-four percent were compliant, and 36% were noncompliant. Of the noncompliant, 78% had delayed compliance, and 22% were never compliant. Noncompliant patients were significantly more likely to be Black, Hispanic, foreign-born, and stage III at diagnosis. Ten reasons for delayed compliance were identified, including patient- and system-level barriers. Most patients (56%) had more than one reason contributing to delay. CONCLUSION Urgently needed interventions to reduce disparities in breast cancer treatment should take into account obstacles inherent among immigrant and indigent populations and complexities of multidisciplinary cancer care.

Cancer clinical trial enrollment of diverse and underserved patients within an urban safety net hospital.

BACKGROUND Enrollment rates onto cancer clinical trials are low and reflect a small subset of the population of which even fewer participants come from populations of racial or ethnic diversity or low socioeconomic status. There is a need to increase enrollment onto cancer clinical trials with a focus on recruitment of a diverse, underrepresented patient population. OBJECTIVE To use the electronic medical record (EMR) to understand the eligibility and enrollment rates for all available cancer trials in the ambulatory care setting at an urban safety net hospital to identify specific strategies for enhanced accrual onto cancer clinical trials of diverse and underserved patients. METHODS A clinical trial screening note was created for the EMR by the clinical trials office at an urban safety net hospital. 847 cancer clinical trial screening notes were extracted from the EMR between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010. During that time, 99 cancer trials were registered for accrual, including clinical treatment, survey, data repository, imaging, and symptom management trials. Data on eligibility, enrollment status, and relationship to sociodemographic status were compared. LIMITATIONS This is a single-institution and retrospective study. CONCLUSIONS The findings demonstrate that a formal process of tracking cancer clinical trial screens using an EMR can document baseline rates of institution-specific accrual patterns and identify targeted strategies for increasing cancer clinical trial enrollment among a vulnerable patient population. Offering nontreatment trials may be an important and strategic method of engaging this vulnerable population in clinical research.G enetic testing offers the opportunity to identify patients with an elevated risk for hereditary cancers and allows appropriate changes in medical management for these patients and their family members. Early detection of ovarian cancer is difficult owing to the anatomical location in the abdomen and growth pattern of the tumors. As a result, the majority of ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Genetic screening is of particular importance for cancers that are difficult to diagnose or that have historically poor prognoses, because it provides family members who may inherit the increased genetic risk the opportunity to use prevention options such as surgery or chemoprevention that might not be appropriate for the general-risk population. There is a strong hereditary risk of ovarian cancer, as women who have a first-degree relative with ovarian cancer have a twoto six-fold higher risk of developing the cancer themselves. Furthermore, mutations in hereditary cancer susceptibility genes account for 11%-15% of cases of epithelial ovarian cancer and up to 20% of all ovarian cancers, with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) and Lynch syndrome comprising the majority of these cases. Traditional single-syndrome genetic testing is reliant on clinical suspicion of a particular cancer syndrome susceptibility based on overt personal and/or family history. Today, all patients with epithelial ovarian cancer meet National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic testing. Women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations have a 23%-44% risk of developing ovarian cancer and a 6.8%-12.7% risk of developing ovarian cancer within 10 years of a breast cancer diagnosis. As a result, it is recommended that women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy after child bearing is complete. Thus, screening and early identification of hereditary ovarian cancer is key for successful clinical intervention. Although most health care providers associate ovarian cancer with only HBOC, the lifetime risk of ovarian cancer for women with Lynch syndrome

Polypharmacy and adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy for breast cancer

PURPOSE Many patients with breast cancer are treated for other conditions and experience polypharmacy with multiple concurrent medications. Our aim was to evaluate polypharmacy in relation to adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) in breast cancer. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of women with incident, invasive breast cancer initiating AET (tamoxifen, letrozole, anastrozole, exemestane) between 2009 and 2013 in the Truven Health MarketScan Database. Polypharmacy and pill burden were measured for commonly used concurrent medications, including lipid-lowering drugs, antihypertensives, oral diabetes medications, insulin analogs, antidepressants, anxiolytics/antipsychotics, and opioid-containing analgesics. Polypharmacy was defined as frequent use (three or more dispensings) of a given medication class and by pill burden (total dispensings). Medication possession ratios (MPR) were estimated for subsequent 12-month intervals. Multivariable generalized estimating equation models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and robust 95% CIs for associations with AET adherence (MPR ≥ 0.80). RESULTS Among 40,009 women, 74% were adherent in year +1 and continued to have high mean adherence (MPR = 0.79) among those continuing AET through year +3. Increasing polypharmacy ( P < .001) and pill burden ( P < .001) were associated with greater adherence, but effects differed by medication class. Frequent use of lipid-lowering drugs (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.36 to 1.49) and antihypertensives (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.20) were associated with higher odds of adherence; frequent use of opioid-containing analgesics (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.77 to 0.83), anxiolytics/antipsychotics (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91 to 0.99), antidepressants (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.82 to 0.89), and insulin therapy (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.72 to 0.95) were associated with lower odds of adherence. CONCLUSION Associations between polypharmacy and adherence in breast cancer may be better characterized by understanding specific classes of medications used concurrently. Comprehensive medication therapy management, including ongoing pain evaluation and psychoactive therapies, is warranted.

The impact of patient navigation on receipt of quality breast cancer treatment in the national patient navigation research program.

72 Background: The discrepancy in breast cancer outcomes for underserved populations has been linked to lack of receipt of quality treatment. Patient navigation programs are being rapidly adopted as a model to improve cancer outcomes for these vulnerable populations, yet the effect of navigation on their quality of cancer care is unknown. METHODS We conducted a secondary analysis of the National Patient Navigation Research Program (PNRP) data to assess the impact of navigation on receipt of quality care among women diagnosed with breast cancer. Data pooled from 7 PRNP sites were used to determine the proportion of newly diagnosed cancer patients whose care met National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) quality metrics: 1) hormonal therapy for HR+ patients 2) post-lumpectomy radiation therapy; and 3) chemotherapy for hormone negative, >1cm tumors, in patients <70 years of age. Chi-square tests were performed to compare probability of receiving recommended care among navigated and control patients. RESULTS A total of 1,006 breast cancer patients eligible for treatment were enrolled across all sites: 491 (49%) in the intervention arm, 515 (51%) in the control arm (mean age: 56 years; 38% African American, 23% Hispanic; 13% uninsured and 38% Medicaid). Among those eligible for hormone therapy, 283/357 (79%) navigated patients received hormonal therapy compared to 237/371 (64%) of controls (p < 0.001). Among those eligible for radiation therapy post lumpectomy, 235/277 (85%) of navigated patients received radiation compared to 270/324 (83%) of controls (p=0.62). Among those eligible for chemotherapy, 79/122 (65%) of navigated patients received chemotherapy compared to 81/100 (81%) of controls (p < 0.007). Logistic regression models to determine the odds of receiving recommended care for navigated and non-navigated patients, adjusting for patient demographics, will be conducted. CONCLUSIONS Navigation had a positive effect for receipt of hormonal therapy, but not for radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Future studies are needed to assess the role navigation may play in ensuring quality care for the most vulnerable.

Social Network Structures of Breast Cancer Patients and the Contributing Role of Patient Navigators

BACKGROUND Minority women in the U.S. continue to experience inferior breast cancer outcomes compared with white women, in part due to delays in care delivery. Emerging cancer care delivery models like patient navigation focus on social barriers, but evidence demonstrating how these models increase social capital is lacking. This pilot study describes the social networks of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and explores the contributing role of patient navigators. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-five women completed a one hour interview about their social networks related to cancer care support. Network metrics identified important structural attributes and influential individuals. Bivariate associations between network metrics, type of network, and whether the network included a navigator were measured. Secondary analyses explored associations between network structures and clinical outcomes. RESULTS We identified three types of networks: kin-based, role and/or affect-based, or heterogeneous. Network metrics did not vary significantly by network type. There was a low prevalence of navigators included in the support networks (25%). Network density scores were significantly higher in those networks without a navigator. Network metrics were not predictive of clinical outcomes in multivariate models. CONCLUSION Patient navigators were not frequently included in support networks, but provided distinctive types of support. If navigators can identify patients with poorly integrated (less dense) social networks, or who have unmet tangible support needs, the intensity of navigation services could be tailored. Services and systems that address gaps and variations in patient social networks should be explored for their potential to reduce cancer health disparities. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE This study used a new method to identify the breadth and strength of social support following a diagnosis of breast cancer, especially examining the role of patient navigators in providing support. While navigators were only included in one quarter of patient support networks, they did provide essential supports to some individuals. Health care providers and systems need to better understand the contributions of social supports both within and outside of health care to design and tailor interventions that seek to reduce health care disparities and improve cancer outcomes.

Impact of patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment type on treatment delay throughout breast cancer care at a diverse academic medical center

Purpose and objective The aim of this study was to examine the impact of patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment type on time to treatment (TTT) in patients with breast cancer treated at a safety net medical center with a diverse patient population. Patients and methods A total of 1,130 patients were diagnosed and treated for breast cancer between 2004 and 2014 at our institution. We retrospectively collected data on patient age at diagnosis, race/ethnicity, primary language spoken, marital status, insurance coverage, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, hormone receptor status, and treatment dates. TTT was determined from the date of breast cancer biopsy to treatment start date. Nonparametric Mann–Whitney U-test (or Kruskal–Wallis test when appropriate) and multivariable quantile regression models were employed to assess for significant differences in TTT associated with each factor. Results Longer median TTT was noted for Black (P=0.002) and single (P=0.002) patients. AJCC stage IV patients had shorter TTT (27.5 days) compared to earlier AJCC patients (36, 35, 37, 37 days for stage 0, I, II, III, respectively), P=0.028. Age, primary language spoken, insurance coverage, and hormone receptor status had no significant impact on TTT. On multivariate analysis, race/ethnicity remained the only significant factor with Black reporting longer TTT, P=0.025. However, race was not a significant factor for time from first to second treatment. More Black patients were noted to be single (P<0.0001) and received chemotherapy as first treatment (P=0.008) compared to White, Hispanic, or other race/ethnicity patients. Conclusion In this retrospective analysis, Black patients had longer TTT, were more likely to receive chemotherapy as first treatment, and have a single marital status. These patient factors will help identify vulnerable patients and guide further research to understand the barriers to care and the impact of treatment delays on outcomes.

Correction to "Barriers to Obtaining Sera and Tissue Specimens of African-American Women for the Advancement of Cancer Research".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.4137/CMWH.S34698.].