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Rodler S, Maruccia S, Abreu A, Murphy D, Canes D, Loeb S, Malik RD, Bagrodia A, Cacciamani GE. Readability Assessment of Patient Education Materials on Uro-oncological Diseases Using Automated Measures. Eur Urol Focus 2024:S2405-4569(24)00117-2. [PMID: 39048402 DOI: 10.1016/j.euf.2024.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Readability of patient education materials is of utmost importance to ensure understandability and dissemination of health care information in uro-oncology. We aimed to investigate the readability of the official patient education materials of the European Association of Urology (EAU) and American Urology Association (AUA). METHODS Patient education materials for prostate, bladder, kidney, testicular, penile, and urethral cancers were retrieved from the respective organizations. Readability was assessed via the WebFX online tool for Flesch Kincaid Reading Ease Score (FRES) and for reading grade levels by Flesch Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Gunning Fog Score (GFS), Smog Index (SI), Coleman Liau Index (CLI), and Automated Readability Index (ARI). Layperson readability was defined as a FRES of ≥70 and with the other readability indexes <7 according to European Union recommendations. This study assessed only objective readability and no other metrics such as understandability. KEY FINDINGS AND LIMITATIONS Most patient education materials failed to meet the recommended threshold for laypersons. The mean readability for EAU patient education material was as follows: FRES 50.9 (standard error [SE]: 3.0), and FKGL, GFS, SI, CLI, and ARI all with scores ≥7. The mean readability for AUA patient material was as follows: FRES 64.0 (SE: 1.4), with all of FKGL, GFS, SI, and ARI scoring ≥7 readability. Only 13 out of 70 (18.6%) patient education materials' paragraphs met the readability requirements. The mean readability for bladder cancer patient education materials was the lowest, with a FRES of 36.7 (SE: 4.1). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Patient education materials from leading urological associations reveal readability levels beyond the recommended thresholds for laypersons and may not be understood easily by patients. There is a future need for more patient-friendly reading materials. PATIENT SUMMARY This study checked whether health information about different cancers was easy to read. Most of it was too hard for patients to understand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Severin Rodler
- USC Institute of Urology and Catherine and Joseph Aresty Department of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Artificial Intelligence Center at USC Urology, USC Institute of Urology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Urology, University Hospital of LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Serena Maruccia
- Department of Urology, ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, San Paolo Hospital, Milano, Italy
| | - Andre Abreu
- USC Institute of Urology and Catherine and Joseph Aresty Department of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Artificial Intelligence Center at USC Urology, USC Institute of Urology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Declan Murphy
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David Canes
- Division of Urology, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington, MA, USA
| | - Stacy Loeb
- Department of Urology and Population Health, New York University and Manhattan Veterans Affairs, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rena D Malik
- Division of Urology, Long Beach VA Hospital in Long Beach, CA, USA
| | - Aditya Bagrodia
- Department of Urology, University of California-San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Urology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Giovanni E Cacciamani
- USC Institute of Urology and Catherine and Joseph Aresty Department of Urology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Artificial Intelligence Center at USC Urology, USC Institute of Urology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Zhang FG, Sheni R, Zhang C, Viswanathan S, Fiori K, Mehta V. Association Between Social Determinants of Health and Cancer Treatment Delay in an Urban Population. JCO Oncol Pract 2024:OP2400118. [PMID: 38959443 DOI: 10.1200/op.24.00118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Delays in oncologic time to treatment initiation (TTI) independently and adversely affect disease-specific mortality. Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) are increasingly recognized as significant contributors to patients' disease management and health outcomes. Our academic center has validated a 10-item SDoH screener, and we elucidated which specific needs may be predictive of delayed TTI. METHODS This is a retrospective cohort study at an urban academic center of patients with a SDoH screening and diagnosis of breast, colorectal, endocrine/neuroendocrine, GI, genitourinary, gynecologic, head and neck, hematologic, hepatobiliary, lung, or pancreatic cancer from 2018 to 2022. Variables of interest included household income, tumor stage, and emergency department (ED) or inpatient admission 30 days before diagnosis. Factors associated with delayed TTI ≥45 days were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS Among 2,328 patients (mean [standard deviation] age, 64.0 (12.8) years; 66.6% female), having >1 unmet social need was associated with delayed TTI (odds ratio [OR], 1.68; 95% CI, 1.54 to 1.82). The disparities most associated with delay were legal help, transportation, housing stability, and needing to provide care for others. Those with ED (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.54) or inpatient (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.58) admission 30 days before diagnosis were less likely to experience delay. CONCLUSION Delays in oncologic TTI ≥45 days are independently associated with unmet social needs. ED or inpatient admissions before diagnosis increase care coordination, leading to improved TTI. Although limitations included the retrospective nature of the study and self-reporting bias, these findings more precisely identify targets for intervention that may more effectively decrease delay. Patients with SDoH barriers are at higher risk of treatment delay and could especially benefit from legal, transportation, caregiver, and housing assistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Risha Sheni
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Chenxin Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Shankar Viswanathan
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Kevin Fiori
- Department of Family and Social Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Vikas Mehta
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
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Antar RM, Xu VE, Adesanya O, Drouaud A, Longton N, Gordon O, Youssef K, Kfouri J, Azari S, Tafuri S, Goddard B, Whalen MJ. Income Disparities in Survival and Receipt of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer. Curr Oncol 2024; 31:2566-2581. [PMID: 38785473 PMCID: PMC11119047 DOI: 10.3390/curroncol31050192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is a potentially fatal disease, especially in the setting of locally advanced or node-positive disease. Adverse outcomes have also primarily been associated with low-income status, as has been reported in other cancers. While the adoption of neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy (NAC) followed by radical cystectomy (RC) and pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) has improved outcomes, these standard-of-care treatments may be underutilized in lower-income patients. We sought to investigate the economic disparities in NAC and PLND receipt and survival outcomes in MIBC. Methods: Utilizing the National Cancer Database, a retrospective cohort analysis of cT2-4N0-3M0 BCa patients with urothelial histology who underwent RC was conducted. The impact of income level on overall survival (OS) and the likelihood of receiving NAC and PLND was evaluated. Results: A total of 25,823 patients were included. This study found that lower-income patients were less likely to receive NAC and adequate PLND (≥15 LNs). Moreover, lower-income patients exhibited worse OS (Median OS 55.9 months vs. 68.2 months, p < 0.001). Our findings also demonstrated that higher income, treatment at academic facilities, and recent years of diagnosis were associated with an increased likelihood of receiving standard-of-care modalities and improved survival. Conclusions: Even after controlling for clinicodemographic variables, income independently influenced the receipt of standard MIBC treatments and survival. Our findings identify an opportunity to improve the quality of care for lower-income MIBC patients through concerted efforts to regionalize multi-modal urologic oncology care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan M. Antar
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA; (V.E.X.); (A.D.); (K.Y.); (J.K.); (S.A.); (S.T.); (B.G.); (M.J.W.)
| | - Vincent E. Xu
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA; (V.E.X.); (A.D.); (K.Y.); (J.K.); (S.A.); (S.T.); (B.G.); (M.J.W.)
| | | | - Arthur Drouaud
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA; (V.E.X.); (A.D.); (K.Y.); (J.K.); (S.A.); (S.T.); (B.G.); (M.J.W.)
| | - Noah Longton
- College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Olivia Gordon
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA; (V.E.X.); (A.D.); (K.Y.); (J.K.); (S.A.); (S.T.); (B.G.); (M.J.W.)
| | - Kirolos Youssef
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA; (V.E.X.); (A.D.); (K.Y.); (J.K.); (S.A.); (S.T.); (B.G.); (M.J.W.)
| | - Jad Kfouri
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA; (V.E.X.); (A.D.); (K.Y.); (J.K.); (S.A.); (S.T.); (B.G.); (M.J.W.)
| | - Sarah Azari
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA; (V.E.X.); (A.D.); (K.Y.); (J.K.); (S.A.); (S.T.); (B.G.); (M.J.W.)
| | - Sean Tafuri
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA; (V.E.X.); (A.D.); (K.Y.); (J.K.); (S.A.); (S.T.); (B.G.); (M.J.W.)
| | - Briana Goddard
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA; (V.E.X.); (A.D.); (K.Y.); (J.K.); (S.A.); (S.T.); (B.G.); (M.J.W.)
| | - Michael J. Whalen
- Department of Urology, School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA; (V.E.X.); (A.D.); (K.Y.); (J.K.); (S.A.); (S.T.); (B.G.); (M.J.W.)
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Djatisoesanto W, Azmi YA, Yatindra IBGTY. The relationship between income, health insurance, and employment status as prognostic indicators of bladder cancer: A survival analysis. Arch Ital Urol Androl 2024; 96:12305. [PMID: 38451257 DOI: 10.4081/aiua.2024.12305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the health problems. Socioeconomic status (SES) may correlate with patient treatment, possibly impacting patient prognosis. This study aimed to determine the relationship between income, health insurance, and employment status as prognostic indicators of BC. METHODS A retrospective observational study for patients diagnosed with BC in a hospital during the 5-year period between January 2019 and December 2023. Kaplan-Meier test analysis was used to generate overall survival curves stratified by income, employment status, and health insurance. Multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression was used to identify factors associated with worse overall survival. RESULTS The results of the analysis on 219 patients showed no difference in patient survival based on income (p>0.05), while employment status and health insurance showed significant difference in patient survival (p<0.05). Moreover, there were 99 (45.2%) patients died, with the average patient being 58 years old and dominant in male patients. CONCLUSIONS Prevention of poor outcomes in patients needs to pay attention to certain characteristics, particularly for the loweconomic patients without appropriate national health insurance coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wahjoe Djatisoesanto
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga; Dr. Soetomo General-Academic Hospital, Surabaya, East Java.
| | - Yufi Aulia Azmi
- Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga; Dr. Soetomo General-Academic Hospital, Surabaya, East Java.
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Toren P, Wilkins A, Patel K, Burley A, Gris T, Kockelbergh R, Lodhi T, Choudhury A, Bryan RT. The sex gap in bladder cancer survival - a missing link in bladder cancer care? Nat Rev Urol 2024; 21:181-192. [PMID: 37604983 DOI: 10.1038/s41585-023-00806-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
The differences in bladder cancer outcomes between the sexes has again been highlighted. Uncommon among cancers, bladder cancer outcomes are notably worse for women than for men. Furthermore, bladder cancer is three to four times more common among men than among women. Factors that might explain these sex differences include understanding the importance of haematuria as a symptom of bladder cancer by both clinicians and patients, the resultant delays in diagnosis and referral of women with haematuria, and health-care access. Notably, these factors seem to have geographical variation and are not consistent across all health-care systems. Likewise, data relating to sex-specific treatment responses for patients with non-muscle-invasive or muscle-invasive bladder cancer are inconsistent. The influence of differences in the microbiome, bladder wall thickness and urine dwell times remain to be elucidated. The interplay of hormone signalling, gene expression, immunology and the tumour microenvironment remains complex but probably underpins the sexual dimorphism in disease incidence and stage and histology at presentation. The contribution of these biological phenomena to sex-specific outcome differences is probable, albeit potentially treatment-specific, and further understanding is required. Notwithstanding these aspects, we identify opportunities to harness biological differences to improve treatment outcomes, as well as areas of fundamental and translational research to pursue. At the level of policy and health-care delivery, improvements can be made across the domains of patient awareness, clinician education, referral pathways and guideline-based care. Together, we aim to highlight opportunities to close the sex gap in bladder cancer outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Toren
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anna Wilkins
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The Royal Marsden Hospitals NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Keval Patel
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Amy Burley
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Typhaine Gris
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Roger Kockelbergh
- University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK
- Action Bladder Cancer UK, Tetbury, UK
| | - Taha Lodhi
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Ananya Choudhury
- Division of Cancer Sciences, University of Manchester and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Richard T Bryan
- Action Bladder Cancer UK, Tetbury, UK.
- Bladder Cancer Research Centre, Institute of Cancer & Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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Rostoft S, Thomas MJ, Slaaen M, Møller B, Nesbakken A, Syse A. Hospital use and cancer treatment by age and socioeconomic status in the last year of life: A Norwegian population-based study of patients dying of cancer. J Geriatr Oncol 2024; 15:101683. [PMID: 38065011 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgo.2023.101683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cancer is the leading cause of death in Norway. In this nationwide study we describe the number and causes of hospital admissions and treatment in the final year of life for patients who died of cancer, as well as the associations to age and socioeconomic status (SES). MATERIALS AND METHODS From nationwide registries covering 2010-2014, we identified all patients who were diagnosed with cancer 12-60 months before death and had cancer as their reported cause of death. We examined the number of overnight hospital stays, causes of admission, and treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgical procedures) offered during the last year of life by individual (age, sex, comorbidity), cancer (type, stage, months since diagnosis), and socioeconomic variables (co-residential status, income, education). RESULTS The analytical sample included 17,669 patients; 8,247 (47%) were female, mean age was 71.7 years (standard deviation 13.7). At diagnosis, 31% had metastatic disease, while 29% had an intermediate or high comorbidity burden. Altogether, 94% were hospitalized during their final year, 82% at least twice, and 33% six times or more. Patients spent a median of 23 days in hospital (interquartile range 11-41), and altogether 38% died there. Younger age, bladder and ovarian cancer, not living alone, and higher income were associated with having ≥6 hospitalizations. Cancer-related diagnoses were the main causes of hospitalizations (65%), followed by infections (11%). Around 51% had ≥1 chemotherapy episode, with large variations according to patient age and SES; patients who were younger, did not live alone, had high education, and high income received more chemotherapy. Radiotherapy was received by 15% and declined with age, and the variation according to SES characteristics was minor. Of the 12,940 patients with a cancer type where surgery is a main treatment modality, only 835 (6%) underwent surgical procedures for their primary tumor in the last year of life. DISCUSSION Most patients who die of cancer are hospitalized multiple times during the last year of life. Hospitalizations and treatment decline with advancing age. Living alone and having low income is associated with fewer hospitalizations and less chemotherapy treatment. Whether this indicates over- or undertreatment across various groups warrants further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siri Rostoft
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | | | - Marit Slaaen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; The Research Center for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Ottestad, Norway
| | - Bjørn Møller
- Department of Registration, Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway
| | - Arild Nesbakken
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Astri Syse
- Department of Health and Inequality, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
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Sociodemographic Disparities in Access to Chemotherapy for Bladder Cancer. Clin Genitourin Cancer 2021; 20:e140-e150. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clgc.2021.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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