Influence of chronic comorbidities on periodic colorectal cancer screening participation: A population-based cohort study

Factors Associated With Use of the Preventive Health Inventory in US Veterans

Importance

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant declines in the quality of preventive and chronic disease care. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) used the Preventive Health Inventory (PHI), a multicomponent care management intervention, to catch up on care disrupted by the pandemic.

Objective

To identify key factors associated with PHI use.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cohort study of veterans receiving primary care used administrative data from national VHA primary care clinics for February 1, 2021, through February 1, 2022.

Exposure

Patient PHI receipt.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcomes were patient, practitioner, and clinic factors associated with PHI receipt. Binomial generalized linear models with fixed effects for clinic were used to analyze factors associated with receipt of PHI. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator procedures were used for variable selection.

Results

A total of 4 358 038 veterans (mean [SD] age, 63.7 [16.0] years; 90% male; 76% non-Hispanic White) formed the study cohort, of whom 389 757 (9%) received the PHI. Veterans who received the PHI had higher mean Care Assessment Need (CAN) scores, which indicate the likelihood of hospitalization or death within 1 year (mean [SD], 51.9 [28.6] vs 47.2 [28.6]; standardized mean difference [SMD], -0.16). They were also more likely to live in urban areas (77% vs 64%; SMD, 0.28) and have a shorter drive distance to primary care (mean [SD], 13.2 [12.4] vs 15.7 [14.6] miles; SMD, 0.19). The mean outpatient use was higher among PHI recipients compared with non-PHI recipients (mean [SD], 18.4 [27.8] vs 15.1 [24.1] visits; SMD, -0.13). In addition, veterans with primary care practitioners with higher caseloads were more likely to receive the PHI (mean [SD], 778 [231] vs 744 [249] patients; SMD, -0.14), and they were more likely to be seen at larger clinics (mean [SD], 9670 [6876] vs 8786 [6892] patients; SMD, -0.13). Prior outpatient use and CAN score were associated with PHI receipt in the final model.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cohort study of the VHA's PHI, patients with higher CAN scores and more outpatient use in the previous year were more likely to receive the PHI. This study identifies potential intervention points to improve care coordination for veterans.

The impact of diabetes on cancer detection during the prevalence round of a national screening program for colorectal cancer

AIMS

Diabetes is associated with a higher risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and inferior survival after CRC. Screening may enable the early detection of CRC. We aimed to assess the impact of diabetes on cancer detection and disease stage during the prevalence round of a national CRC screening program.

METHODS

We performed a register-based cohort study based on the randomized procedure for inviting Danish residents aged 50-74 years to the prevalence round of national CRC screening program in 2014-2017. By comparing the random half of the population who had been invited by 1 May 2016 with the not yet invited half, the effect of screening was assessed by the detection of CRC and disease stage among individuals with and without diabetes. Further, the impact of diabetes on the screening participation rate was calculated.

RESULTS

By randomisation, 504,673 individuals had been invited to the CRC screening by 1 May 2016, and 549,359 individuals had not yet been invited. The diabetes prevalence was 10% in both groups. When comparing those not yet invited to those invited, the effect of screening on the number of detected cancers per 100,000 individuals was higher in those with diabetes (from 207 to 494 cancers) than in those without diabetes (from 147 to 364 cancers), and screening resulted in overall higher proportions of stage I cancer. Among those invited to screening, the participation rate was 9.1% lower (95% CI: 8.7%-9.5%) in individuals with versus without diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite a lower participation rate, the effect of CRC screening was higher in individuals with diabetes.

Subsequent participation in organized FIT based screening following screen-derived colonoscopy - A Danish nationwide cohort study

Introduction

In the Danish National Colorectal Cancer (CRC) screening program, participants with screen-detected low-risk adenomas are invited to a new faecal immunochemical test (FIT) screening after two years. However, participation rate in next FIT screening is unknown. We aimed to investigate this subsequent participation rate within the Danish CRC screening program.

Methods

This nationwide register-based study included participants aged 50-72 years registered with FIT screening in the Danish CRC screening program between January 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017. Participants were included if their index FIT was negative or if it was positive and the subsequent colonoscopy detected low-risk adenomas. Invitees were categorized as subsequent participants if they returned a FIT within 135 days following the invitation to screening. We estimated the relative risk for participation depending on screening outcome, age, and sex.

Result

415,107 with a negative result and 5,550 with low-risk adenomas were included. 86.0% (85.9;86.1) of the invitees with a negative result participated in the subsequent screening, while 71.8% (70.6;73.0) of the invitees with low-risk adenomas participated subsequently. The risk of participation in the subsequent screening was significantly lower among all age groups of men and women with low-risk adenomas compared to similar groups with negative results.

Conclusion

Invitees with low-risk adenomas detected at their initial colonoscopy are less likely to participate in the subsequent screening than invitees with negative results. This association was found in all age groups and for both sexes. Further studies are necessary to assess whether non-attendance is more pronounced in specific subgroups.

Mental illness and participation in colorectal cancer screening: a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Compared with the background population, persons with mental illness have increased colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality. Screening has the potential to alleviate the increased cancer mortality due to mental illness, but the extent to which persons with mental illness participate in CRC screening programs is uncertain. This scoping review aims to summarize the literature on CRC screening participation among persons with mental illness.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We searched four databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, Embase, and the Cochrane Library) to identify published literature on mental illness and participation in CRC screening programs. We included full-text papers available in English, published before February 2021, and excluded papers on dementia, intellectual disabilities, and developmental disabilities.

RESULTS

In total, we included 17 studies and categorized the findings according to severity of mental illness. Across varying study designs, the studies found that persons with severe mental illness, e.g. schizophrenia, participate less in CRC screening compared with the background population. The results were ambiguous for common mental illness, such as depression and anxiety. In general, studies were small or lacked comparison groups and the estimates were imprecise.

CONCLUSION

This is the first scoping review to evaluate participation in CRC screening programs among persons with mental illness. Overall, the existing literature lacks high quality evidence from large population-based studies and comparison groups based on organized screening programs.

Effect of Chronic Comorbidities on Follow-up Colonoscopy After Positive Colorectal Cancer Screening Results: A Population-Based Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION

Fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs) are colorectal cancer screening tests used to identify individuals requiring further investigation with colonoscopy. Delayed colonoscopy after positive FOBT (FOBT+) is associated with poorer cancer outcomes. We assessed the effect of comorbidity on colonoscopy receipt within 12 months after FOBT+.

METHODS

Population-based healthcare databases from Ontario, Canada, were linked to assemble a cohort of 50-74-year-old individuals with FOBT+ results between 2008 and 2017. The associations between comorbidities and colonoscopy receipt within 12 months after FOBT+ were examined using multivariable cause-specific hazard regression models.

RESULTS

Of 168,701 individuals with FOBT+, 80.5% received colonoscopy within 12 months. In multivariable models, renal failure (hazard ratio [HR] 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62-0.82), heart failure (HR 0.77, CI 0.75-0.80), and serious mental illness (HR 0.88, CI 0.85-0.92) were associated with the lowest colonoscopy rates, compared with not having each condition. The number of medical conditions was inversely associated with colonoscopy uptake (≥4 vs 0: HR 0.64, CI 0.58-0.69; 3 vs 0: HR 0.75, CI 0.72-0.78; and 2 vs 0: HR 0.87, CI 0.85-0.89). Having both medical and mental health conditions was associated with a lower colonoscopy uptake relative to no comorbidity (HR 0.88, CI 0.87-0.90).

DISCUSSION

Persons with medical and mental health conditions had lower colonoscopy rates after FOBT+ than those without these conditions. Better strategies are needed to optimize colorectal cancer screening and follow-up in individuals with comorbidities.

Periodic screening for breast and cervical cancer in women with diabetes: a population-based cohort study

PURPOSE

Diabetes is associated with poorer cancer outcomes. Screening for breast and cervical cancer is recommended by clinical guidelines; however, utilization of these tests in people with diabetes has been unclear due to methodological limitations in the evidence base. We used administrative data to determine the association between diabetes and the rates of becoming up-to-date with periodic breast and cervical cancer screening over a 20-year period.

METHODS

Healthcare databases from Ontario, Canada, were linked to assemble two population-based cohorts of 50-70 and 21-70 year-olds between 1994 and 2011, eligible for breast and cervical cancer screening, respectively. Using age as the time scale, multivariable recurrent events models were implemented to examine the association between the presence of diabetes and the rates of becoming up-to-date with the recommended cancer screenings.

RESULTS

In each of the breast and cervical cancer screening cohorts, there were, respectively, 1,516,302 (16% had diabetes at baseline) and 4,751,220 (9.5% had diabetes at baseline) screen-eligible women. In multivariable models, prevalent diabetes (duration ≥ 2 years) was associated with lower rates of becoming up-to-date with cervical (hazard ratio, HR 0.85, 95% confidence interval, CI 0.84-0.85) and breast (HR 0.94, CI 0.93-0.94) cancer screening, compared to no diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Having diabetes is associated with decreased rates of becoming up-to-date with two recommended periodic cancer screenings, with a bigger reduction in the rates of becoming up-to-date with cervical cancer screening. Greater attention to cervical cancer preventive services is needed in women with diabetes.