Project description:ImportanceSexual minority men have reported higher rates of both indoor tanning and skin cancer than heterosexual men, and sexual minority women have reported lower or equal rates of both indoor tanning and skin cancer compared with heterosexual women. Bisexual men, in particular, have reported higher rates of indoor tanning bed use than heterosexual men; however, no study has investigated skin cancer prevalence among gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals as separate groups.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between sexual orientation and lifetime prevalence of skin cancer.Design, setting, and participantsThis cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2014-2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys of a noninstitutionalized population in the United States that included 877 650 adult participants who self-identified as being heterosexual, gay, lesbian, or bisexual.Main outcomes and measuresSelf-reported lifetime history of skin cancer.ResultsThe study included 877 650 participants, including 364 833 heterosexual men (mean age, 47.7; 95% CI, 47.5-47.8), 7823 gay men (mean age, 42.7; 95% CI, 41.8-43.6), 5277 bisexual men (mean age, 39.4; 95% CI, 38.4-40.5), 484 341 heterosexual women (mean age, 49.7; 95% CI, 49.6-49.8), 5609 lesbian women (mean age, 41.8; 95% CI, 40.6-43.0), and 9767 bisexual women (mean age, 32.8; 95% CI, 32.3-33.3). The adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of skin cancer prevalence were significantly higher among both gay (AOR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.03-1.50; P = .02) and bisexual men (AOR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.01-2.10; P = .04) compared with heterosexual men. The AORs of skin cancer were statistically significantly lower among bisexual women (AOR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.60-0.95; P = .02) but not among gay or lesbian women (AOR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.77-1.33; P = .95) compared with the AORs of skin cancer among heterosexual women.Conclusions and relevanceIn this study, gay and bisexual men had an increased self-reported lifetime prevalence of skin cancer compared with the prevalence among heterosexual men. Patient education and community outreach initiatives focused on reducing skin cancer risk behaviors among gay and bisexual men may help reduce the lifetime development of skin cancer in this population. Continued implementation of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System's sexual orientation and gender identity module is imperative to improve understanding of the health and well-being of sexual minority populations.
Project description:BackgroundIn U.S. women, lifetime risk of ovarian cancer is 1.37%, but some women are at a substantially lower or higher risk than this average.MethodsWe have characterized the distribution of lifetime risk in the general population. Published data on the relative risks and their variances for five well-accepted risk and protective factors for ovarian cancer, oral contraceptive use, parity, tubal ligation, endometriosis, and first-degree family history of ovarian cancer in conjunction with a genetic risk score using genome-wide significant common, low penetrance variants were used. The joint distribution of these factors (i.e., risk/protective factor profiles) was derived using control data from four U.S. population-based studies, providing a broad representation of women in the United States.ResultsA total of 214 combinations of risk/protective factors were observed, and the lifetime risk estimates ranged from 0.35% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.29-0.42] to 8.78% (95% CI, 7.10-10.9). Among women with lifetime risk ranging from 4% to 9%, 73% had no family history of ovarian cancer; most of these women had a self-reported history of endometriosis.ConclusionsProfiles including the known modifiable protective factors of oral contraceptive use and tubal ligation were associated with a lower lifetime risk of ovarian cancer. Oral contraceptive use and tubal ligation were essentially absent among the women at 4% to 9% lifetime risk.ImpactThis work demonstrates that there are women in the general population who have a much higher than average lifetime risk of ovarian cancer. Preventive strategies are available. Should effective screening become available, higher than average risk women can be identified.
Project description:BackgroundThis study examined associations of sexual orientation and gender identity with prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs) and co-occurring multiple SUDs in the past 12-months during young adulthood in a United States longitudinal cohort.MethodsQuestionnaires self-administered in 2010 and 2015 assessed probable past 12-month nicotine dependence, alcohol abuse and dependence, and drug abuse and dependence among 12,428 participants of an ongoing cohort study when they were ages 20-35 years. Binary or multinomial logistic regressions using generalized estimating equations were used to estimate differences by sexual orientation and gender identity in the odds of SUDs and multiple SUDs, stratified by sex assigned at birth.ResultsCompared with completely heterosexuals (CH), sexual minority (SM; i.e., mostly heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian/gay) participants were generally more likely to have a SUD, including multiple SUDs. Among participants assigned female at birth, adjusted odds ratios (AORs) for SUDs comparing SMs to CHs ranged from 1.61 to 6.97 (ps<.05); among participants assigned male at birth, AORs ranged from 1.30 to 3.08, and were statistically significant for 62% of the estimates. Apart from elevated alcohol dependence among gender minority participants assigned male at birth compared with cisgender males (AOR: 2.30; p < .05), gender identity was not associated with prevalence of SUDs.ConclusionsSexual and gender minority (SGM) young adults disproportionately evidence SUDs, as well as co-occurring multiple SUDs. Findings related to gender identity and bisexuals assigned male at birth should be interpreted with caution due to small sample sizes. SUD prevention and treatment efforts should focus on SGM young adults.
Project description:BackgroundGender differences have been documented among patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC). It is still not clear, however, how these differences have changed over the past 30 years and if these differences vary by geographic areas. We examined trends in CRC incidence between 1975 and 2006.MethodsThe study population consisted of 373,956 patients ≥40 years diagnosed with malignant CRC between 1975 and 2006 who resided in one of the nine Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) regions of the United States. Age-adjusted incidence rates over time were reported by gender, race, CRC subsite, stage, and SEER region.ResultsOverall, CRC was diagnosed in roughly equal numbers of men (187,973) and women (185,983). Men had significantly higher age-adjusted CRC incidence rates across all categories of age, race, tumor subsite, stage, and SEER region. Gender differences in CRC age-adjusted incidence rates widened slightly from 1975 to 1988, reached a peak in 1985-1988, and have narrowed over time since 1990. The largest gap and decline in CRC incidence rates between men and women were observed among those ≥80 years (p<0.001), followed by those 70-79 and then 60-69 years. Gender differences in CRC incidence rates for the 40-49 and 50-59 age categories were small and increased only slightly over time (p=0.003).ConclusionsHigher CRC age-adjusted incidence among men than among women has persisted over the past 30 years. Although gender differences narrowed in the population ≥60 years, especially from 1990 to 2006, gender gaps, albeit small ones, in those younger than 60 increased over time. Future studies may need to examine the factors associated with these differences and explore ways to narrow the gender gap.
Project description:ObjectiveTo determine the lifetime and phase-specific cost of anal cancer management and the economic burden of anal cancer care in elderly (66 y and older) patients in the United States.Patients and methodsFor this study, we used Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare linked database (1992 to 2009). We matched newly diagnosed anal cancer patients (by age and sex) to noncancer controls. We estimated survival time from the date of diagnosis until death. Lifetime and average annual cost by stage and age at diagnosis were estimated by combining survival data with Medicare claims. The average lifetime cost, proportion of patients who were elderly, and the number of incident cases were used to estimate the economic burden.ResultsThe average lifetime cost for patients with anal cancer was US$50,150 (N=2227) (2014 US dollars). The average annual cost in men and women was US$8025 and US$5124, respectively. The overall survival after the diagnosis of cancer was 8.42 years. As the age and stage at diagnosis increased, so did the cost of cancer-related care. The anal cancer-related lifetime economic burden in Medicare patients in the United States was US$112 million.ConclusionsAlthough the prevalence of anal cancer among the elderly in the United States is small, its economic burden is considerable.
Project description:Adolescent violence, including sexual violence, homophobic name-calling, and teen dating violence, are public health problems that cause harm to many adolescents in the United States. Although research on the perpetration of these forms of adolescent violence has increased in recent years, little is known about perpetration rates across gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. To address this gap, the current study descriptively examined perpetration rates between and across different identities, including self-identified race/ethnicity, sexual identity, and gender identity. In Fall 2017, 9th - 11th grade students (N = 4782) at 20 high schools in Colorado (United States) completed a survey that assessed demographics (e.g., race/ethnicity, sexual identity, and gender identity) and various forms of violence perpetration. Compared to female adolescents, male adolescents reported significantly higher perpetration rates for: any sexual violence (27% vs. 17%); sexual harassment (26% vs. 15%); unwanted sexual contact (8% vs. 4%); and homophobic name-calling (61% vs. 38%). Differences in perpetration rates were also observed among various racial/ethnic, sexual, and gender minority students compared to non-minority students. This emphasizes a need for more research on how minority stress that results from the dynamics of intersecting identities and societal systems of power-including racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia-contributes to violence perpetration. Evidence-based violence prevention approaches, particularly strategies targeted at changing social norms about violence, gender, and sexuality, need to be tailored and evaluated for students with diverse cultural and social identities to ensure safe school climates for all students.
Project description:Lung cancer ranks as one of the top malignancies and the leading cause of cancer death in both males and females in the US. Using a cancer database covering the entire population, this study was to determine the gender disparities in lung cancer incidence during 2001-2019. Cancer patients were obtained from the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. The SEER*Stat software was applied to calculate the age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIR). Temporal changes in lung cancer incidence were analyzed by the Joinpoint software. A total of 4,086,432 patients (53.3% of males) were diagnosed with lung cancer. Among them, 52.1% were 70 years or older, 82.7% non-Hispanic white, 39.7% from the South, and 72.6% non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The AAIR of lung cancer continuously reduced from 91.0 per 100000 to 59.2 in males during the study period, while it increased from 55.0 in 2001 to 56.8 in 2006 in females, then decreased to 48.1 in 2019. The female to male incidence rate ratio of lung cancer continuously increased from 2001 to 2019. Gender disparities were observed among age groups, races, and histological types. In those aged 0-54 years, females had higher overall incidence rates of lung cancer than males in recent years, which was observed in all races (except non-Hispanic black), all regions, and adenocarcinoma and small cell (but not squamous cell). Non-Hispanic black females aged 0-54 years had a faster decline rate than males since 2013. API females demonstrated an increased trend during the study period. Lung cancer incidence continues to decrease with gender disparities among age groups, races, regions, and histological types. Continuous anti-smoking programs plus reduction of related risk factors are necessary to lower lung cancer incidence further.
Project description:PurposeWe determined the proportion of cancer survivors who met each of five health behavior guidelines recommended by the American Cancer Society (ACS), including consuming fruits and vegetables at least five times/day, maintaining a body mass index (BMI) < 30 kg/m2, engaging in 150 min or more of physical activity weekly, not currently smoking, and not excessively drinking alcohol.MethodsUsing data from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), 42,727 survey respondents who reported a previous diagnosis of cancer (excluding skin cancer) were included. Weighted percentages with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated for the five health behaviors accounting for BRFSS' complex survey design.ResultsThe weighted percentage of cancer survivors who met ACS guidelines was 15.1% (95%CI: 14.3%, 15.9%) for fruit and vegetable intake; 66.8% (95%CI: 65.9%, 67.7%) for BMI < 30 kg/m2; 51.1% (95%CI: 50.1%, 52.1%) for physical activity; 84.9% (95%CI: 84.1%, 85.7%) for not currently smoking; and 89.5% (95%CI: 88.8%, 90.3%) for not drinking excessive alcohol. Adherence to ACS guidelines among cancer survivors generally increased with increasing age, income, and education.ConclusionsWhile the majority of cancer survivors met the guidelines for not smoking and limiting alcohol drinking, one-third had elevated BMI, almost half did not meet recommended physical activity levels, and the majority had inadequate fruit and vegetable intake.Implications for cancer survivorsAdherence to guidelines was lowest among younger cancer survivors and those with lower income and education, suggesting these may be populations where resources could be targeted to have the greatest impact.