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A prospective longitudinal cohort of individuals at high-risk of developing lung cancer was established to build a biorepository of carefully annotated biological specimens and low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) chest images for derivation and validation of candidate biomarkers for early detection of lung cancer.

The goal of this study is to characterize individuals with high-risk for lung cancer, accumulating valuable biospecimens and LDCT chest scan longitudinally over five years.

Participants 55-80 years of age and with a 5-year estimated risk of developing lung cancer greater than 1.5% were recruited and enrolled from clinics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the Veteran Affairs Medical Center, and Meharry Medical Center. Individual demographic characteristics were assessed via questionnaire at baseline. Participants underwent a LDCT scan, spirometry, sputum cytology, and research bronchoscopy at the time of enrollment. Participants will be followed yearly for five years. Positive LDCT scansicalTrials.gov (NCT01475500).

We established a unique prospective cohort of individuals at high-risk for lung cancer, enrolled at three institutions for which full clinical data, well-annotated LDCT and biospecimens are being collected longitudinally. This repository will allow for the derivation of independent validation of clinical, imaging and molecular biomarkers of risk or diagnosis of lung cancer. Clinical trial registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01475500).Background Although clinic-based palliative care (PC) services have spread in the United States, little is known about how they function, and no studies have examined clinics that predominantly serve safety net populations. Objectives To describe the PC clinics operating in safety net institutions in California. Design Survey completed by PC program leaders Setting/Subjects PC programs in California, USA, safety net medical centers. Measurements Descriptive statistics regarding staffing, clinic processes, patients served, and finances. Results Twelve of 15 programs responded; 10 clinics that met inclusion criteria. All 10 programs use multiple disciplines to deliver care. Average full-time equivalent (FTE) used to staff an average of 2.75 half-day clinics per week includes 0.69 physician FTE, 0.51 nurse practitioner FTE, 1.37 nurse FTE, 0.79 social worker FTE, and 0.52 chaplain FTE. Clinic session schedules include an average of 1.88 new patient appointment slots (standard deviation [SD] = 0.44) and four follow-up appointment slots (SD = 1.95). The nine programs that reported on clinic volumes see 1081 patients annually combined, with an annual average of 120 (SD = 48.53) per program. Encounters per patient averaged 3.04 (SD = 1.59; eight programs reporting). BAY 2416964 solubility dmso All reported offering seven core PC services pain/symptom management, comprehensive assessment, care coordination, advance care planning, PC plan of care, emotional support, and social service referrals. An average of 77.4% (SD = 26.81) of clinic financing came from the health systems. Conclusions Our respondents report using an interdisciplinary team approach to deliver guideline-concordant specialty PC. More research is needed to understand the most effective and efficient staffing models for meeting the PC needs of the safety net population.

The goal of this study was to understand how condom use self-efficacy varies based on sexual experience, cannabis and CBD use.

A cross-sectional survey was implemented through Qualtrics. A total of 455 undergraduate students were surveyed at a large U.S. northeastern university.

Findings suggested that sexual experience itself and sexual experience with cannabis and CBD are associated with a person’s condom use self-efficacy. Precisely, non-sexually active and cannabis or CBD nonusers perceived themselves as less efficacious in their future use of condoms compared with sexually active adolescents.

Implications for health interventions are discussed, such as the importance of giving attention to non-sexually active adolescents and strengthening their condom use self- efficacy. It is critical to promote healthy sexual behaviors among future sexually active college students and reinforce healthy sexual behaviors among sexually active adolescents.

Implications for health interventions are discussed, such as the importance of giving attention to non-sexually active adolescents and strengthening their condom use self- efficacy. It is critical to promote healthy sexual behaviors among future sexually active college students and reinforce healthy sexual behaviors among sexually active adolescents.

Critical illness is common in hematological malignancy (HM) patients. Advance care planning (ACP) can allow these patients to express their care preferences prior to life-threatening illnesses. The objective of this study was to evaluate physicians’ perspectives surrounding ACP in HM patients.

We administered a survey to intensivists and hematologic oncologists who care for patients with HM across Canada and the United Kingdom. Potential respondents were identified from institutions that have a hematologic oncology program. The survey was disseminated electronically.

111 physicians completed the survey with a response rate of 19% (39% across those who opened the email); 52% of respondents were intensivists and 48% hematologic oncologists. 15.5% of physicians reported that ACP happens routinely at their institution, while 8.3% of physicians stated that code status is routinely discussed. ACP discussions were most commonly reported at the onset of critical illness (84.3% of respondents), during disease recurrence (52.9% of respondents), or during transition to a strictly palliative approach (54.9% of respondents). Commonly cited barriers to ACP centred on physicians’ concern about the reaction of the patient or family.

This study emphasizes the need for earlier and more frequent ACP discussions in this high-risk population with a variety of barriers identified.

This study emphasizes the need for earlier and more frequent ACP discussions in this high-risk population with a variety of barriers identified.