However, there are limited smartphone apps for the long-term health management of chronic diseases. More smartphone apps need to be developed to help people manage chronic diseases.
Rural Appalachians are faced with poorer cancer-related health outcomes across the continuum of cancer care. A systematic effort is needed to reduce the burden of cancer for rural Appalachia. Additional research should explore reasons for the disparities that were observed.
BACKGROUND: Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is an alternative to surgery for clinical stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but comparing its effectiveness is difficult because of differences in patient selection and staging. METHODS: Two databases were combined which contained patients treated from 1999 to 2008 by lobectomy (LR, n 5 132), sublobar resection (SLR, n 5 48), and SBRT (n 5 137) after negative staging. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed for survival (OS), total recurrence control (TRC comprises local-regional and distant control), and locoregional control (LRC) in our entire population. A matchedpair analysis was also performed that compared surgery and SBRT results. Median follow-up for the entire study population was 25.8 months. RESULTS: On univariate analysis, OS was significantly worse with SBRT and also correlated with histology, the Charlson comorbidity index, tumor size, and aspirin use; TRC correlated only with histology; and no variable significantly correlated with LRC. OS was significantly poorer for SBRT in the matched-pair analysis than for patients treated with surgery, but TRC and LRC were not significantly different between these groups. Multivariate analyses including propensity score as a covariate (controlling for all factors affecting treatment selection) found that OS correlated only with Charlson comorbidity index, and TRC correlated only with tumor grade. LRC correlated only with tumor size with or without propensity score correction. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study has demonstrated similar OS, LRC, and TRC with SBRT or surgery after controlling for prognostic and patient selection factors. Randomized clinical trials are needed to better compare the effectiveness of these treatments. Cancer 2013;119:2683-91.
Objective
To model the relationship of an area-based measure of a breast cancer screening and geographic area deprivation on the incidence of later stage breast cancer (LSBC) across a diverse region of Appalachia.
Data Source
Central cancer registry data (2006–2008) from three Appalachian states were linked to Medicare claims and census data.
Study Design
Exploratory spatial analysis preceded the statistical model based on negative binomial regression to model predictors and effect modification by geographic subregions.
Principal Findings
Exploratory spatial analysis revealed geographically varying effects of area deprivation and screening on LSBC. In the negative binomial regression model, predictors of LSBC included receipt of screening, area deprivation, supply of mammography centers, and female population aged > 75 years. The most deprived counties had 3.31 times rate of LSBC compared to the least deprived. Effect of screening on LSBC was significantly stronger in northern Appalachia than elsewhere in the study region, found mostly for high population counties.
Conclusions
Breast cancer screening and area deprivation are strongly associated with disparity in LBSC in Appalachia. The presence of geographically varying predictors of later stage tumors in Appalachia suggests the importance of place-based health care access and risk.
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