Background We assessed attitudes of breast cancer patients regarding molecular testing for personalized therapy and research. Methods A questionnaire was given to female breast cancer patients presenting to a cancer center. Associations between demographic, clinical variables and attitudes towards molecular testing were evaluated. Results 308 patients were approached and 100 completed the questionnaire (32% response rate). Most participants were willing to undergo molecular testing to assist in selection of approved drugs (81%) and experimental therapy (59%) if testing was covered by insurance. Most participants were white (71%). Even if testing was financially covered, non-white participants were less willing to undergo molecular testing for selection of approved drugs (nonwhites vs. whites, 54% vs. 90%, OR=0.13; p=0.0004) or experimental drugs (35% vs. 68%, OR=0.26; p=0.0072). Most participants (75%) were willing to undergo a biopsy to guide therapy, and 46% were willing to undergo research biopsies. Non-white participants were less willing to undergo research biopsies (17% vs. 55%, OR=0.17; p=0.0033). Most participants wanted to be informed when research results had implications for treatment (91%), new cancer risk (90%), and other preventable/treatable diseases (87%). Conclusions Most patients are willing to undergo molecular testing and minimally invasive procedures to guide approved or experimental therapy. There are significant differences in attitudes towards molecular testing between racial groups; non-whites are less willing to undergo testing even if the results would guide their own therapy. Novel approaches are needed to prevent disparities in delivery of genomically informed care and to increase minority participation in biomarker-driven trials.

Background Understanding patients’ knowledge and prior information-seeking regarding personalized cancer therapy (PCT) may inform future patient information systems, consent for molecular testing and PCT protocols. We evaluated breast cancer patients’ knowledge and information-seeking behaviors regarding PCT. Methods Newly registered female breast cancer patients (n=100) at a comprehensive cancer center completed a self-administered questionnaire prior to their first clinic visit. Results Knowledge regarding cancer genetics and PCT was moderate (mean 8.7 +/− 3.8 questions correct out of 16). A minority of patients (27%) indicated that they had sought information regarding PCT. Higher education (p=0.009) and income levels (p=0.04) were associated with higher knowledge scores and with seeking PCT information (p=0.04). Knowledge was not associated with willingness to participate in PCT research. Conclusion Educational background and financial status impact patient knowledge as well as information-seeking behavior. For most patients, clinicians are likely to be patients’ initial source of information about PCT. Understanding patients’ knowledge deficits at presentation may help inform patient education efforts.

Patients generally expressed low levels of concern regarding privacy of genomic data, and many expressed willingness to consent to sharing their genomic data with researchers.

Background: Childhood obesity is one of the foremost threats to population health in the United States (U.S.) leading to the emergence of co-morbidities and increased healthcare cost. We explore the influence of selected social determinants of health (SDOH) on overweight and obesity among U.S. children. Methods: We utilized the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) 2016-17 dataset for this analysis. Overweight was defined as Body Mass Index (BMI) ? 85 th to<95 th , while obesity was defined as BMI ?95 th percentile for age and sex. Based on the literature and pathway plausibility, we examined several SDOH variables as predictors of childhood overweight or obesity in the US. Survey log-binomial regression models were built to generate prevalence ratio (PR) estimates to capture the associations between SDOH and overweight or obesity. Results: About 30.6 million children were surveyed of which 9.5 million (31.0%) were either overweight or obese. The likelihood of obesity was elevated among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic children (PR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.01-2.31) and (PR = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.18-1.90) respectively. Overweight was more frequent in younger children, children of single parents, and children who lived in a neighborhood with no amenities. Parental attainment of college education, health insurance coverage, female gender, and language spoken in home other than Spanish were protective against overweight or obesity. Conclusions and Global Health Implications: SDOH represent markers of overweight or obesity in children. We recommend the development of innovative interventions using SDOH risk and protective pathways as guide to address the current epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity. Key words: • Social determinants • Obesity • Overweight • SDOH • Children • United States   Copyright © 2020 Yusuf et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Background and Objectives: Preventive, adjunctive and curative properties of lactoferrin have been evaluated since the first wave of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), a viral respiratory disease, emerged 18 years ago. Despite the discovery of new vaccine candidates, there is currently no widely approved treatment for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Strict adherence to infection prevention and control procedures, as well as vaccines, can, however, prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of lactoferrin treatment in improving clinical symptoms and laboratory indices among individuals with mild to moderate coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). Materials and Method: A randomized, prospective, interventional pilot study conducted between 8 July and 18 September 2020 used a hospital-based sample of 54 laboratory-confirmed participants with mild to moderate symptoms of COVID-19. Randomization into a control and two treatment groups ensured all groups received the approved Egyptian COVID-19 management protocol; only treatment group participants received lactoferrin at different doses for seven days. Clinical symptoms and laboratory indices were assessed on Days 0, 2 and 7 after starting treatments. Mean values with standard deviation and one-way analysis of variance with least significant difference of demographic and laboratory data between control and treatment groups were calculated. Results: Our study showed no statistically significant difference among studied groups regarding recovery of symptoms or laboratory improvement. Conclusions: Further research into therapeutic properties particularly related to dosage, duration and follow-up after treatment with lactoferrin in individuals with COVID-19 is required.