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Deutsches Arzteblatt International May 2018Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. The German S3 guideline of 2012 has now been updated to take account of advances in the early detection, diagnostic...
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. The German S3 guideline of 2012 has now been updated to take account of advances in the early detection, diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and follow-up care of this disease.
METHODS
The updating process was based on the adaptation of identified source guidelines and on reviews of the scientific evidence. A systematic search in multiple literature databases was carried out, and the full texts of the selected articles were evaluated. Suggested recommendations were then proposed by interdisciplinary working groups and modified and graded in a nominal consensus procedure.
RESULTS
The value of mammographic screening is confirmed in the updated guideline. As for the diagnostic evaluation of breast cancer, computed tomography is recommended for staging in patients with a high risk of recurrence, in addition to conventional methods. As for surgical treatment, the evidence supporting locoregional surgery for primary breast cancer now affords an opportunity for de-escalation: complete resection yields the best outcome, but a safety margin of several millimeters is not necessary. Axillary dissection is no longer recommended except in certain defined situations. Radiotherapeutic approaches consist of hypofractionated applications. Adjuvant systemic therapy is indicated for patients in certain high-risk situations defined by a constellation of factors including tumor grade, patient age, node status, Ki-67 antigen expression, hormone receptor status, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status. All patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer should receive endocrine therapy. The indication for chemotherapy and/or anti-HER2 therapy should be determined in consideration of the expected benefit and side effects.
CONCLUSION
Consistent implementation of the recommendations in the newly updated guideline can help lessen morbidity and mortality from breast cancer. The actual extent to which breast cancer guidelines are implemented should be a topic of future research.
Topics: Aftercare; Aged; Biopsy, Needle; Breast Neoplasms; Drug Therapy; Female; Germany; Guidelines as Topic; Humans; Mammography; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Oncology Nursing; Radiography; Surgical Procedures, Operative; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 29807560
DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2018.0316 -
The British Journal of Radiology Oct 2018Health screening can only be applied to populations, not individuals. For it to be effective, the initial screening test must be acceptable and reasonably accurate, the...
Health screening can only be applied to populations, not individuals. For it to be effective, the initial screening test must be acceptable and reasonably accurate, the disease must be treatable with better outcomes when treated early and the harm and cost associated with screening must not outweigh its benefits. Robust evidence is therefore required before systematic screening is implemented. Surveillance implies the testing of people at high risk of disease and is therefore distinct from screening in both scale (smaller) and intensity (greater). In both cases, however, clear information must be provided to potential participants so that they can weigh up the balance of benefit and harm before deciding on whether or not to engage in the process.
Topics: Adult; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Humans; Mass Screening
PubMed: 29589964
DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20180200 -
Annals of the Academy of Medicine,... Aug 2022Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death among women, and its age-standardised incidence rate is one of the highest in Asia. We aimed to review studies on... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death among women, and its age-standardised incidence rate is one of the highest in Asia. We aimed to review studies on barriers to breast cancer screening to inform future policies in Singapore.
METHOD
This was a literature review of both quantitative and qualitative studies published between 2012 and 2020 using PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane databases, which analysed the perceptions and behaviours of women towards breast cancer screening in Singapore.
RESULTS
Through a thematic analysis based on the Health Belief Model, significant themes associated with low breast cancer screening uptake in Singapore were identified. The themes are: (1) high perceived barriers versus benefits, including fear of the breast cancer screening procedure and its possible outcomes, (2) personal challenges that impede screening attendance and paying for screening and treatment, and (3) low perceived susceptibility to breast cancer.
CONCLUSION
Perceived costs/barriers vs benefits of screening appear to be the most common barriers to breast cancer screening in Singapore. Based on the barriers identified, increasing convenience to get screened, reducing mammogram and treatment costs, and improving engagement with support groups are recommended to improve the screening uptake rate in Singapore.
Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Mammography; Mass Screening; Singapore
PubMed: 36047524
DOI: 10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2021329 -
Health Informatics Journal Dec 2019Autism spectrum disorder is associated with significant healthcare costs, and early diagnosis can substantially reduce these. Unfortunately, waiting times for an autism... (Review)
Review
Autism spectrum disorder is associated with significant healthcare costs, and early diagnosis can substantially reduce these. Unfortunately, waiting times for an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis are lengthy due to the fact that current diagnostic procedures are time-consuming and not cost-effective. Overall, the economic impact of autism and the increase in the number of autism spectrum disorder cases across the world reveal an urgent need for the development of easily implemented and effective screening methods. This article proposes a new mobile application to overcome the problem by offering users and the health community a friendly, time-efficient and accessible mobile-based autism spectrum disorder screening tool called ASDTests. The proposed ASDTests app can be used by health professionals to assist their practice or to inform individuals whether they should pursue formal clinical diagnosis. Unlike existing autism screening apps being tested, the proposed app covers a larger audience since it contains four different tests, one each for toddlers, children, adolescents and adults as well as being available in 11 different languages. More importantly, the proposed app is a vital tool for data collection related to autism spectrum disorder for toddlers, children, adolescent and adults since initially over 1400 instances of cases and controls have been collected. Feature and predictive analyses demonstrate small groups of autistic traits improving the efficiency and accuracy of screening processes. In addition, classifiers derived using machine learning algorithms report promising results with respect to sensitivity, specificity and accuracy rates.
Topics: Autistic Disorder; Early Diagnosis; Humans; Machine Learning; Mass Screening; Mobile Applications
PubMed: 30230414
DOI: 10.1177/1460458218796636 -
Journal of the American College of... Mar 2022Given the higher rates of tobacco use along with increased mortality specific to lung cancer in rural settings, low-dose CT (LDCT)-based lung cancer screening could be...
OBJECTIVE
Given the higher rates of tobacco use along with increased mortality specific to lung cancer in rural settings, low-dose CT (LDCT)-based lung cancer screening could be particularly beneficial to such populations. However, limited radiology facilities and increased geographical distance, combined with lower income and education along with reduced patient engagement, present heightened barriers to screening initiation and adherence.
METHODS
In collaboration with community leaders and stakeholders, we developed and implemented a community-based lung cancer screening program, including telephone-based navigation and tobacco cessation counseling support, serving 18 North Texas counties. Funding was available to support clinical services costs where needed. We collected data on LDCT referrals, orders, and completion.
RESULTS
To raise awareness for lung cancer screening, we leveraged our established collaborative network of more than 700 community partners. In the first year of operation, 107 medical providers referred 570 patients for lung cancer screening, of whom 488 (86%) were eligible for LDCT. The most common reasons for ineligibility were age (43%) and insufficient tobacco history (20%). Of 381 ordered LDCTs, 334 (88%) were completed. Among screened patients, 61% were current smokers and 36% had insurance coverage for the procedure. The program cost per patient was $430.
DISCUSSION
Implementation, uptake, and completion of LDCT-based lung cancer screening is feasible in rural settings. Community outreach, health promotion, and algorithm-based navigation may support such efforts. Given low lung cancer screening rates nationally and heightened lung cancer risk in rural populations, similar programs in other regions may be particularly impactful.
Topics: Early Detection of Cancer; Humans; Lung Neoplasms; Mass Screening; Rural Population; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 35143786
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2021.12.003 -
Social Science & Medicine (1982) Sep 2016Men have poorer health status and are less likely to attend health screening compared to women. (Review)
Review
RATIONALE
Men have poorer health status and are less likely to attend health screening compared to women.
OBJECTIVE
This systematic review presents current evidence on the barriers and facilitators to engaging men in health screening.
METHODS
We included qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method studies identified through five electronic databases, contact with experts and reference mining. Two researchers selected and appraised the studies independently. Data extraction and synthesis were conducted using the 'best fit' framework synthesis method.
RESULTS
53 qualitative, 44 quantitative and 6 mixed-method studies were included. Factors influencing health screening uptake in men can be categorized into five domains: individual, social, health system, healthcare professional and screening procedure. The most commonly reported barriers are fear of getting the disease and low risk perception; for facilitators, they are perceived risk and benefits of screening. Male-dominant barriers include heterosexual -self-presentation, avoidance of femininity and lack of time. The partner's role is the most common male-dominant facilitator to screening.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of barriers and facilitators to health screening in men including the male-dominant factors. The findings are particularly useful for clinicians, researchers and policy makers who are developing interventions and policies to increase screening uptake in men.
Topics: Adult; Health Services Accessibility; Humans; Male; Mass Screening; Men's Health; Patient Acceptance of Health Care
PubMed: 27511617
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.07.023 -
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Mar 2015
Topics: Colorectal Neoplasms; Healthcare Disparities; Humans; Mass Screening
PubMed: 25724168
DOI: 10.1007/s10620-015-3603-2 -
Health Expectations : An International... Jun 2019Although narratives have been found to affect decisions about preventive behaviours, including participation in cancer screening, the underlying mechanisms of narratives... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Although narratives have been found to affect decisions about preventive behaviours, including participation in cancer screening, the underlying mechanisms of narratives remain unclear.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to summarize and synthesize existing literature on narrative interventions in the context of colorectal cancer screening. Our main research question was as follows: How, when and for whom do narratives work context of decision making about colorectal cancer screening participation?
METHODS
We undertook a realist review to collect evidence on narratives in the context of colorectal cancer screening. A search of the literature was performed in Embase, MEDLINE/PubMed, Cinahl and PsycINFO. We included empirical evaluations (qualitative or quantitative) of narrative interventions. In total, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. A content-based taxonomy of patient narrative types in decision aids formed the basis for our initial programme theory.
MAIN RESULT
We identified four mechanisms: (a) process narratives that address perceived barriers towards screening lead to improved affective forecasting, (b) experience narratives that demonstrate the screening procedure lead to increased self-efficacy, (c) experience narratives that depict experiences from similar others lead to more engagement and (d) outcome narratives that focus on outcomes of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening decision decrease or increase fear of colorectal cancer. The evidence was limited on which narrative type may facilitate or bias informed decision making in colorectal cancer screening.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The findings indicate the importance of more detailed descriptions of narrative interventions in order to understand how mechanisms may facilitate or bias informed decision making in colorectal cancer screening.
Topics: Colorectal Neoplasms; Decision Making; Early Detection of Cancer; Humans; Mass Screening; Narration; Patient Acceptance of Health Care
PubMed: 31025444
DOI: 10.1111/hex.12892 -
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer... Jul 2023The low screening coverage and reluctance of women in participation lead to low uptake in cervical screening tests. Hence the majority of cervical cancer patients... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The low screening coverage and reluctance of women in participation lead to low uptake in cervical screening tests. Hence the majority of cervical cancer patients visiting the hospitals are diagnosed at advanced stage, often leading to poor survival rate. This paper aims to review and compile available cancer screening devices so that more people in this field will adopt suitable devices in cervical cancer screening routine depending on requirements which may encourage the uptake in cervical screening tests.
METHODS
This paper reviews devices invented for different cervical cancer screening methods, which are Pap smear test, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) or Lugol's iodine (VILI), and HPV (human papillomavirus)-DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) self-test in terms of functionality, performance in solving the limitations of screening procedure and additionally where applicable, the cervical cell collection efficacy and abnormality detection accuracy. The devices are either available in the market, published in research articles or published in international patent databases.
RESULT
The reviewed devices either simplified the screening procedure to improve the clinical efficiency and accuracy in screening, reduced the pain and discomfort experienced by women during screening procedures, or achieved both outcomes.
CONCLUSION
Many devices have been invented to improve the screening procedures which may potentially improve the uptake in cervical screening tests and encourage the organization of screening campaigns to reduce cervical cancer incidence.
Topics: Humans; Female; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Early Detection of Cancer; Vaginal Smears; Mass Screening; Cervix Uteri; Human Papillomavirus Viruses; Acetic Acid; Iodides; Uterine Cervical Dysplasia; Papillomavirus Infections
PubMed: 37505749
DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2023.24.7.2207 -
Medical Decision Making : An... Aug 2022We evaluate the construct validity of a proposed procedure for eliciting lay preferences among health care policy options, suited for structured surveys. It is...
BACKGROUND
We evaluate the construct validity of a proposed procedure for eliciting lay preferences among health care policy options, suited for structured surveys. It is illustrated with breast cancer screening, a domain in which people may have heterogeneous preferences.
METHODS
Our procedure applies behavioral decision research principles to eliciting preferences among policy options expressed in quantitative terms. Three-hundred women older than 18 y without a history of breast cancer were recruited through Amazon MTurk. Participants evaluated 4 screening options for each of 4 groups of women, with varying risk of breast cancer. Each option was characterized by estimates of 3 primary outcomes: breast cancer deaths, false alarms, and overdiagnosis resulting in unnecessary treatment of cancers that would not progress. These estimates were based on those currently being developed by the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium. For each risk group, participants stated how frequently they would wish to receive screening, if the predicted outcomes applied to them.
RESULTS
A preregistered test found that preferences were robust enough to be unaffected by the order of introducing and displaying the outcomes. Other tests of construct validity also suggested that respondents generally understood the task and expressed consistent preferences. Those preferences were related to participants' age and mammography history but not to measures of their numeracy, subjective numeracy, or demographics. There was considerable heterogeneity in their preferences.
CONCLUSIONS
Members of the public can be engaged more fully in informing future screening guidelines if they evaluate the screening options characterized by the expected health outcomes expressed in quantitative terms. We offer and evaluate such a procedure, in terms of its construct validity with a diverse sample of women.
HIGHLIGHTS
A novel survey method for eliciting lay preferences for breast cancer screening is proposed and evaluated in terms of its construct validity.Participants were generally insensitive to irrelevant task features (e.g., order of presentation) and sensitive to relevant ones (e.g., quantitative estimates of breast cancer risk, harms from screening).The proposed method elicits lay preferences in terms that can inform future screening guidelines, potentially improving communication between the public and policy makers.
Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Humans; Mammography; Mass Screening; Risk Factors
PubMed: 35067067
DOI: 10.1177/0272989X211073320