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Childhood environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is a risk factor for adverse health outcomes and may disproportionately burden lower socioeconomic status groups, exacerbating health disparities. We explored associations of demographic factors, stressful life events, and chemical co-exposures, with cotinine levels, among girls in the CYGNET Study. Data were collected from families of girls aged 6-8 years old in Northern California, through clinic exams, questionnaires and biospecimens (n = 421). Linear regression and factor analysis were conducted to explore predictors of urinary cotinine and co-exposure body burdens, respectively. In unadjusted models, geometric mean cotinine concentrations were higher among Black (0.59 ug/g creatinine) than non-Hispanic white (0.27), Asian (0.32), or Hispanic (0.34) participants. Following adjustment, living in a rented home, lower primary caregiver education, and lack of two biologic parents in the home were associated with higher cotinine concentrations. Girls who experienced parental separation or unemployment in the family had higher unadjusted cotinine concentrations. Higher cotinine was also associated with higher polybrominated diphenyl ether and metals concentrations. Our findings have environmental justice implications as Black and socio-economically disadvantaged young girls experienced higher ETS exposure, also associated with higher exposure to other chemicals. Efforts to reduce ETS and co-exposures should account for other disparity-related factors.

Background: Age at female puberty is associated with adult morbidities, including breast cancer and diabetes. Hormonally active chemicals are suspected of altering pubertal timing. We examined whether persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are associated with age at menarche in a longitudinal study., Methods: We analyzed data for females enrolled at age 6-8 years in the Breast Cancer and Environment Research Program from California and Ohio. Participants were followed annually 2004-2013 and provided serum (mean age 7.8 years) for measurement of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), organochlorine pesticide (OCP), and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) concentrations. Age of menarche was assigned based on parental and participant reported dates and ages of menarche. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for menarchal onset were calculated with Cox proportional regression. Body mass index (BMI), potentially on the causal pathway, was added to parallel analyses., Results: Age of menarche was later with higher summed PCB levels (median 11.9 years in quartile 1 [Q1] versus 12.7 in quartile 4 [Q4]) and OCP levels (12.1 years versus 12.4, respectively). When adjusting for all covariates except BMI, higher POP concentrations were associated with later age at menarche (Q4 versus Q1 aHRs: PBDEs 0.75 [95% CI 0.58, 0.97], PCBs 0.67 [95% CI 0.5, 0.89], and OCPs 0.66 [95% CI 0.50, 0.89]). Additional adjustment for BMI attenuated aHRs; PCB aHR approached the null., Conclusion: Findings revealed later onset of menarche with higher concentrations of certain POPs, possibly through an association with BMI. Altered pubertal timing may have long lasting effects on reproductive health and disease risk, so continued attention is important for understanding the biological processes affected by hormonally active chemicals., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Methods: We conducted a study of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance biomarkers, including PFOA, in girls from Greater Cincinnati (CIN, N = 353) and the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA, N = 351). PFOA was measured in the baseline serum sample collected in 2004-2007 of 704 girls at age 6-8 years. Mixed effects models were used to derive the effect of PFOA on BMI, waist-to-height and waist-to-hip ratios over increasing age in this longitudinal cohort., Results: Median PFOA serum concentrations were 7.3 (CIN) and 5.8 (SFBA) ng/mL, above the U.S. population median for children 12-19 years in 2005-2006 (3.8 ng/mL). Log-transformed serum PFOA had a strong inverse association with BMIz in the CIN girls (p = 0.0002) and the combined two-site data (p = 0.0008); the joint inverse effect of PFOA and Age*PFOA weakened at age at 10-11 years. However, in the SFBA group alone, the relationship was not significant (p = 0.1641) with no evidence of changing effect with age. The effect of PFOA on waist:height ratio was similar to BMIz at both sites, but we did not find a significant effect of PFOA on waist:hip ratio in either the CIN or SFBA girls., Conclusions: PFOA is associated with decreased BMI and waist:height ratio in young girls, but the strength of the relationship decreases with age. Site heterogeneity may be due to greater early life exposure in Cincinnati., Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the CDC, the Public Health Service, or the US Department of Health and Human Services., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: There are clearly documented inequalities in cancer incidence by socioeconomic position, but it is unclear whether this is due primarily to differences in tobacco exposure and screening practices or to other factors., Methods: Our study included 741,373 incident cases of invasive cancer from 2008 to 2012 in California. We calculated age-standardized incidence rates across twelve categories of census tract poverty as a measure of socioeconomic position (SEP) for (1) all cancer sites combined, (2) sites not strongly related to tobacco use, (3) sites not related to screening, and (4) sites not related to tobacco use or screening., Results: There was higher cancer incidence among those living in areas with higher levels of poverty for sites not strongly related to tobacco use or screening, among Whites, Blacks, and Asians, but not among Latinos. Among Whites there was no relationship with census tract poverty at lower levels of poverty-the relationship with cancer incidence was primarily among those in higher poverty. For Blacks and Asians, there is a more linear relationship with cancer incidence across levels of poverty., Conclusions: SEP gradients in cancer incidence remain after exclusion of cancer sites strongly related to tobacco use and screening. Our findings demonstrate a need for research on other environmental and social causes of cancer where exposures are differentially distributed by SEP.

Background: Although metals can adversely impact children's health, the distribution of exposures to many metals, particularly among vulnerable subpopulations, is not well characterized., Objectives: We sought to determine whether neighborhood deprivation was associated with urinary concentrations of thirteen metals and whether observed relationships varied by race/ethnicity., Methods: We obtained neighborhood characteristics from the 2005-2009 American Community Survey. Demographic information and urine samples from 400 healthy young girls in Northern California were obtained during a clinical visit. Urine samples were analyzed for metals using inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and levels were corrected for creatinine. We ran analysis of variance and generalized linear regression models to estimate associations of urinary metal concentrations with neighborhood deprivation and race/ethnicity and stratified multivariable models to evaluate possible interactions among predictors on metals concentrations., Results: Urinary concentrations of three metals (barium, lead, antimony) varied significantly across neighborhood deprivation quartiles, and four (barium, lead, antimony, tin) varied across race/ethnicity groups. In models adjusted for family income and cotinine, both race/ethnicity (F3,224=4.34, p=0.01) and neighborhood deprivation (F3,224=4.32, p=0.01) were associated with antimony concentrations, but neither were associated with lead, barium, or tin, concentrations. Examining neighborhood deprivation within race/ethnicity groups, barium levels (pinteraction<0.01) decreased with neighborhood deprivation among Hispanic girls (ptrend<0.001) and lead levels (pinteraction=0.06) increased with neighborhood deprivation among Asian girls (ptrend=0.04)., Conclusions: Our results indicate that children's vulnerability to some metals varies by neighborhood deprivation quartile and race/ethnicity. These differential distributions of exposures may contribute to environmental health disparities later in life., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Exposure to hormonally active chemicals could plausibly affect pubertal timing, so we are investigating this in the Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program., Objectives: Our goal was to examine persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in relation to pubertal onset., Methods: Ethnically diverse cohorts of 6- to 8-year-old girls (n = 645) provided serum for measure of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and lipids. Tanner stages [breast (B) and pubic hair (PH)], and body mass index (BMI) were measured at up to seven annual clinic visits. Using accelerated failure time models, we calculated time ratios (TRs) for age at Tanner stages 2 or higher (2+) and POPs quartiles (Q1-4), adjusting for confounders (race/ethnicity, site, caregiver education, and income). We also calculated prevalence ratios (PRs) of Tanner stages 2+ at time of blood sampling., Results: Cross-sectionally, the prevalence of B2+ and PH2+ was inversely related to chemical serum concentrations; but after adjustment for confounders, only the associations with B2+, not PH2+, were statistically significant. Longitudinally, the age at pubertal transition was consistently older with greater chemical concentrations; for example: adjusted TR for B2+ and Q4 for ΣPBDE = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.08, for ΣPCB = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.08, and for ΣOCP = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.14, indicating median ages of about 6 and 11 months older than least exposed, and with similar effect estimates for PH2+. Adjusting for BMI attenuated associations for PCBs and OCPs but not for PBDEs., Conclusions: This first longitudinal study of puberty in girls with serum POPs measurements (to our knowledge) reveals a delay in onset with higher concentrations.

Despite recent increased attention to healthcare performance and the burden of disease from cancer, measures of quality of cancer care are not readily available. In 2013, the California HealthCare Foundation convened an expert workgroup to explore the potential for leveraging data in the California Cancer Registry (CCR), one of the world's largest population-based cancer registries, for measuring and improving the quality of cancer care. The workgroup assessed current registry operations, the value to be gained by linking CCR data with health insurance claims or encounter data and clinical data contained in health system electronic health records, and potential barriers to these linkages. The workgroup concluded that: 1) The CCR mandate should be expanded to include use of its data for quality of cancer care measurement and public reporting; and 2) a system should be developed to support linkage of registry data with both claims data and provider electronic health record data., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Purpose: The Athena Breast Health Network collaboration is a University of California system-wide project initiated with the intent to drive innovation in breast cancer prevention, screening, and treatment. This qualitative research examines provider perceptions and expectations of posttreatment breast cancer care across five network sites with the goal of better understanding provider behavior during the posttreatment phase of the cancer care trajectory., Methods: Investigators at each site conducted semi-structured interviews with oncology specialists and primary care providers (PCPs). Interviews used case study examples and open- and closed-ended questions on the delivery of posttreatment breast cancer care. Informant responses were manually recorded by the interviewer, compiled in a database, then coded and analyzed using NVivo 9 software., Results: There were 39 key informants across the sites: 14 medical oncologists, 7 radiation oncologists, 11 surgeons, 3 oncology nurses, and 4 PCPs. Care coordination was a major unprompted theme identified in the interviews. There was a perceived need for greater care coordination across institutions in order to improve delivery of posttreatment health care services and a need for greater care coordination within oncology, particularly to help avoid duplication of follow-up care and services. Participants expect frequent follow-up visits and to use biomarker tests and advanced imaging services as part of routine surveillance care. Implementing survivorship care programs was perceived as a way to improve care delivery., Conclusions: These results identify a need for increased focus on care coordination during the posttreatment phase of breast cancer care within the University of California system and the potential for system and provider-level interventions that could help increase coordination of posttreatment care., Implications for Cancer Survivors: Breast cancer survivors do not always receive evidence-based care. This research helps to better understand what motivates provider behavior during the posttreatment phase and lays a foundation for targeted interventions to increase adherence to evidence-based recommendations.

Introduction: Lung cancer incidence is associated with markers of lower socioeconomic status (SES) in whites, blacks, and Asians but with markers of higher SES in Hispanics. The magnitude and etiology of this positive gradient in Hispanics remain undefined. We examined non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) incidence and ever-smoking rates among California Hispanics according to measures of SES., Methods: We computed neighborhood (n)SES-specific incidence rates by sex and race or ethnicity for 74,179 NSCLC cases in the California Cancer Registry, 1998-2002. Associations between nSES and NSCLC incidence were examined, using incidence rate ratios and linear trend tests, and stratified by age, stage, and histology. Ever-smoking rates among Hispanics were obtained from California Health Interview Survey 2001 data, and odds ratios for ever-smoking were calculated for measures of SES and acculturation., Results: Compared with the lowest nSES quintile, the NSCLC incidence in the highest quintile was 1.86 and 1.18 times higher for Hispanic women and men, respectively. The positive nSES gradients remained significant for all ages, stages, and nonsquamous histologies in women, and only for older age, local or regional stages, and adenocarcinoma histology in men. Ever-smoking rates were associated with English-speaking households and U.S.-born status for Hispanic women and low education and U.S.-born status for Hispanic men., Conclusions: For California Hispanics, higher nSES was strongly associated with increased NSCLC incidence in women, but weakly associated in men, and ever-smoking rates were strongly correlated with increased acculturation. This finding may portend an increasing burden of NSCLC in Hispanic women, given future trends in acculturation and SES.

Background: Little is known about the long-term impact of comorbidity among women with breast cancer., Methods: We studied a prospective cohort of 2,272 women with breast cancer, who were recruited following initial breast cancer treatment. Associations of the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) and hypertension with survival were evaluated in delayed entry Cox proportional hazards models., Results: During a median follow-up of nine years, higher CCI scores were independently associated with an increased risk of death from all causes [HR, 1.32; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13-1.54] and from nonbreast cancer causes (HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.19-2.02), but not from breast cancer (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.93-1.41). Hypertension was independently associated with an increased risk of death from all causes (HR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.20-1.99), from nonbreast cancer causes (HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.10-2.54), and from breast cancer (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.03-2.09), but these associations were no longer significant after adjustment for antihypertensive medication. The relationship between the CCI and overall survival was the strongest among women with stage I disease (stage I, HR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.26-2.16 vs. stage III, HR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.23-1.25)., Conclusion: The CCI was independently associated with lower overall and nonbreast cancer survival, but not with breast cancer-specific survival., Impact: Comorbidity may play an important role in breast cancer outcomes., (©2012 AACR)

Background: Hormonally active environmental agents may alter the course of pubertal development in girls, which is controlled by steroids and gonadotropins., Objectives: We investigated associations of concurrent exposures from three chemical classes (phenols, phthalates, and phytoestrogens) with pubertal stages in a multiethnic longitudinal study of 1,151 girls from New York City, New York, greater Cincinnati, Ohio, and northern California who were 6-8 years of age at enrollment (2004-2007)., Methods: We measured urinary exposure biomarkers at visit 1 and examined associations with breast and pubic hair development (present or absent, assessed 1 year later) using multivariate adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Modification of biomarker associations by age-specific body mass index percentile (BMI%) was investigated, because adipose tissue is a source of peripubertal hormones., Results: Breast development was present in 30% of girls, and 22% had pubic hair. High-molecular-weight phthalate (high MWP) metabolites were weakly associated with pubic hair development [adjusted PR, 0.94 (95% CI, 0.88-1.00), fifth vs. first quintile]. Small inverse associations were seen for daidzein with breast stage and for triclosan and high MWP with pubic hair stage; a positive trend was observed for low-molecular-weight phthalate biomarkers with breast and pubic hair development. Enterolactone attenuated BMI associations with breast development. In the first enterolactone quintile, for the association of high BMI with any development, the PR was 1.34 (95% CI, 1.23-1.45 vs. low BMI). There was no BMI association in the fifth, highest quintile of enterolactone., Conclusions: Weak hormonally active xenobiotic agents investigated in this study had small associations with pubertal development, mainly among those agents detected at highest concentrations.

Background: Levels of brominated flame retardants are increasing in US populations, yet little data are available on body burdens of these and other persistent hormonally active agents (HAAs) in school-aged children. Exposures to such chemicals may affect a number of health outcomes related to development and reproductive function., Objective: Determine the distribution of biomarkers of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organo-chlorinated pesticides (OCPs), such as DDT/DDE, in children, and their variation by key descriptor variables., Methods: Ethnically diverse cohorts of girls 6-8 y old at baseline are being followed for growth and pubertal development in a multi-site, longitudinal study. Nearly 600 serum samples from the California and Ohio sites were analyzed for lipids, 35 PCB congeners, 11 PBDE congeners, and 9 OCPs. The biomarker distributions were examined and geometric means compared for selected analytes across categories of age, race, site, body mass index (BMI), parental education, maternal age at delivery, and breast feeding in adjusted models., Results: Six PBDE congeners were detected among greater than 70% of samples, with BDE-47 having the highest concentration (median 42.2, range 4.9-855 ng/g lipid). Girls in California had adjusted geometric mean (GM) PBDE levels significantly higher than girls in Ohio. Furthermore, Blacks had significantly higher adjusted GMs of all six PBDE congeners than Whites, and Hispanics had intermediate values. GMs tended to be lower among more obese girls, while other variables were not strongly associated. In contrast, GMs of the six PCB congeners most frequently detected were significantly lower among Blacks and Hispanics than Whites. PCBs and the three pesticides most frequently detected were also consistently lower among girls with high BMI, who were not breast-fed, whose mothers were younger, or whose care-givers (usually parents) were less educated. Girls in California had higher GMs than in Ohio for the pesticides and most PCB congeners, but the opposite for CB-99 and -118., Conclusions: Several of these potential HAAs were detected in nearly all of these young girls, some at relatively high levels, with variation by geographic location and other demographic factors that may reflect exposure pathways. The higher PBDE levels in California likely reflect differences in fire regulation and safety codes, with potential policy implications., ((c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Differences in the epidemiology of lung cancer between Asians and non-Hispanic whites have brought to light the relative influences of genetic and environmental factors on lung cancer risk. We set out to describe the epidemiology of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) among Asians living in California, and to explore the effects of acculturation on lung cancer risk by comparing lung cancer rates between U.S.-born and foreign-born Asians., Methods: Age-adjusted incidence rates of NSCLC were calculated for Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and South Asians in California between 1988 and 2003 using data from the California Cancer Registry. Incidence rates were calculated and stratified by sex and nativity. We analyzed population-based tobacco smoking prevalence data to determine whether differences in rates were associated with prevalence of tobacco smoking., Results: Asians have overall lower incidence rates of NSCLC compared with whites (29.8 and 57.7 per 100,000, respectively). South Asians have markedly low rates of NSCLC (12.0 per 100,000). Foreign-born Asian men and women have an approximately 35% higher rate of NSCLC than U.S.-born Asian men and women. The incidence pattern by nativity is consistent with the population prevalence of smoking among Asian men; however, among women, the prevalence of smoking is higher among U.S.-born, which is counter to their incidence patterns., Conclusions: Foreign-born Asians have a higher rate of NSCLC than U.S.-born Asians, which may be due to environmental tobacco smoke or nontobacco exposures among women. South Asians have a remarkably low rate of NSCLC that approaches white levels among the U.S.-born. More studies with individual-level survey data are needed to identify the specific environmental factors associated with differential lung cancer risk occurring with acculturation among Asians.

Objective: To estimate squamous cell cervical cancer incidence within 3.5 years of 1, 2 and > or = 3 consecutive, normal cytologic tests., Study Design: Data were from a case-control study of cervical cancer screening efficacy. Long-term members of a prepaid health plan diagnosed with cancer from 1983 to 1995 (the cases) were grouped by number of prior conventional cytologic tests and by time from the last negative screening test to the diagnosis date. Women from the population at risk were estimated by multiplying the timated by multiplying the proportions of women without cancer (the matched controls) in each screening category by the numbers of long-term of the numbers of long-term female members enrolled from male members enrolled from 1983 to 1995., Results: Of an estimated 6,802,641 woman-years of observation, 129 cases were diagnosed within 3.5 years of > or = 21 negative screening test. After > or = 3 consecutive negative tests, incidence per 100,000 woman-years grouped by time from the last negative screening test were: 1.43 (26/1,813,552) 0-18 months later, 4.24 (17/400,584) 19-30 months later and 4.73 (10/211,217) 31- 42 months later., Conclusion: The first 18 months after the last negative screening Pap test in women with > or = 3 prior negative tests, cancer incidence increases to an estimated 4-5 per 100,000 woman-years in each of the subsequent 2 years.

We conducted a nested case-control study (177 cases, 550 controls) to assess the relation between retrospective magnetic field measures and clinical miscarriage among members of the northern California Kaiser Permanente medical care system. We also conducted a prospective substudy of 219 participants of the same parent cohort to determine whether 12-week and 30-week exposure assessments were similar. We evaluated wire codes, area measures, and three personal meter metrics: (1) the average difference between consecutive levels (a rate-of-change metric), (2) the maximum level, and (3) the time-weighted average. For wire codes and area measures we found little association. For the personal metrics (30 weeks after last menstrual period), we found positive associations. Each exposure was divided into quartiles, with the lowest quartile as referent. Starting with the highest quartile, adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were 3.1 (95% CI = 1.6-6.0), 2.3 (95% CI = 1.2-4.4), and 1.5 (95% CI = 0.8-3.1) for the rate-of-change metric; 2.3 (95% CI = 1.2-4.4), 1.9 (95% CI = 1.0-3.5), and 1.4 (95% CI = 0.7-2.8) for the maximum value; and 1.7 (95% CI = 0.9-3.3), 1.7 (95% CI = 0.9-3.3), and 1.7 (95% CI = 0.9-3.3) for the time-weighted average. The odds ratio conveyed by being above a 24-hour time-weighted average of 2 milligauss was 1.0 (95% CI = 0.5-2.1). Exposure assessment measurements at 12 weeks were poorly correlated with those taken at 30 weeks. Nonetheless, the prospective substudy results regarding miscarriage risk were consistent with the nested study results.

In a case-control study of urinalysis screening in the prevention of death from bladder cancer, hematuria was present in a higher proportion of cases than controls as long as five or six years before the diagnostic evaluation that led to the diagnosis of bladder cancer. In a separate cohort study data base that permitted the follow-up of 1046 persons with a physician's diagnosis of hematuria, 11 cases of bladder cancer were diagnosed more than two (mean 7.4) years after the hematuria diagnosis (4.3 cases expected; age-sex standardized morbidity ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-4.5). Bladder cancer was ruled out initially by cystoscopy in 8 of the 11 cases. Although we cannot be certain that preexisting bladder cancer or bladder cancer risk factors did not cause the bleeding, we hypothesize that hematuria can be a predictor as well as a manifestation of bladder cancer, based on a tendency for bladder mucosa with premalignant changes to bleed. The implications for screening and clinical practice remain to be determined.

The presence of concurrent health conditions (comorbidity) at the time of breast cancer diagnosis has an adverse effect on survival. It is unclear, however, whether the strength of the association between comorbidity and survival varies in different populations of breast cancer patients. It is necessary, therefore, to establish (1) whether a comorbidity index derived from a general population of patients (mostly white) would predict survival in a black population, and (2) whether comorbidity would have the same degree of relationship to mortality in black as in white populations. We studied 1196 breast cancer patients who were members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program and were diagnosed with local (n = 708), regional (n = 446), or remote (n = 49) stage breast cancer from 1973 to 1986. Mortality follow-up was completed to December 1994. Ten-year survival was studied in relation to the Charlson comorbidity index for black women and for white women, and for both groups of women combined. Compared to women with a Charlson comorbidity score of 0 (no comorbidity), patients with scores of 1, 2, and 3+ had risk ratios for ten-year mortality of 1.23 (P = 0.10), 2.58 (P < 0.001), and 3.44 (P < 0.001), respectively. This pattern of risk associated with comorbidity was similar to that found in the original Charlson study. The pattern of risk ratios for different levels of comorbidity was very similar for black and white patients. The results confirm previous studies indicating that comorbidity (in particular, the Charlson Comorbidity Index) predicts the survival of women with breast cancer, independently of other factors, such as stage of breast cancer at diagnosis. The Charlson index has prognostic significance for both black and white populations. Research is needed to determine whether the Charlson index can be improved by including health conditions that are particularly prevalent or severe in specific subgroups of women.

Diseases associated with Helicobacter pylori infection, such as peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer, afflict men more frequently than women. No study, however, has demonstrated any difference in sex-specific rates of H. pylori infection. In a healthy population undergoing multiphasic health evaluations in 1992-1993 as members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California, adults aged 20-39 years were screened for antibodies to H. pylori infection using a serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and were surveyed with regard to their demographic characteristics and health practices. Among 556 African-American, Hispanic, and white men and women, male sex was a significant risk factor for infection. Other risk factors included African-American race and Hispanic ethnicity, increasing age, living with children, birth in a developing country, and lower levels of income and education. Men consistently had a higher prevalence of antibodies across all strata of race/ethnicity, age, education, and income, and in multivariate analysis male sex remained significantly associated with infection (odds ratio = 2.0, 95% confidence interval 1.2-3.1). African-American race, Hispanic ethnicity, increasing age, lower levels of education, and birth in a developing country were also associated with infection in multivariate analysis. Data from previously reported seroprevalence studies support a tendency for men to have a higher risk of infection. The higher prevalence of infection among young males as observed in Northern California may account in part for the increased incidence of H. pylori-related diseases among men in later decades of life.

Background: Using the medical records of a large, prepaid health plan, our purpose was to assess the accuracy of self-reported data on cancer detection practices and to evaluate any differences in accuracy between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites., Methods: Data were collected on six procedures: mammography, clinical breast examination, Pap smear, sigmoidoscopy, fecal occult blood tests, and digital rectal examination. We audited the medical records of 815 randomly selected Hispanic and 483 non-Hispanic white members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Northern California. All responded to a telephone survey. Using a standardized form, we recorded any of the six target examinations that had been performed within 5 years of the telephone interview. We then compared the times of the most recent screening tests as reported in the telephone survey with those in the medical record., Results: For the 2 years before the telephone interview, self-reports for screening tests overestimated the actual rates at which these tests were performed as documented in the medical records. Lack of agreement between self-report and medical record audits was substantial for all screening procedures except sigmoidoscopy. Hispanic members had fewer procedures done for most tests, but the differences were not statistically significant. Overestimates in self-reported screening rates did not differ substantially between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites., Conclusions: Self-reported data on early cancer detection procedures can substantially overestimate their occurrence among both non-Hispanic white and Hispanic populations. These findings confirm earlier findings for Pap smear and affect decisions on cancer prevention procedures that rely on the accuracy of self-reported data.

Screening urine for microhematuria as an indicator of serious disease is controversial because of the low positive predictive value of such screening and the costs and risks of the associated evaluation. To further evaluate test properties, we retrospectively examined the outcomes of 20,571 men aged > or = 35 years and women aged > or = 55 years who voluntarily had a Personal Health Appraisal in 1980 as members of a large prepaid health plan. Hematuria was detected by dipstick in 876 cases (4.3%); 278 were excluded because of evidence of previous urological disease which could cause hematuria. Review of the medical records of 598 patients with asymptomatic microhematuria as shown by a positive dipstick result indicated that 99% had a follow-up evaluation within 3 months of positive test results for hematuria and had various levels of urological evaluation thereafter. However, urological cancers (2 prostate, 1 bladder) developed in only 3 patients within the next 3 years. On the basis of San Francisco-Oakland Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program data, rates of urological cancer were evaluated among patients whose test results were negative for hematuria, and these cancer rates were found to be almost the same as the rate among patients with asymptomatic microhematuria. Sensitivity of a single dipstick urinalysis result using microhematuria to indicate urological cancer within 3 years was 2.9%; specificity was 96.7%; and positive predictive value was 0.5%. Multivariate analysis which adjusted for age, gender, and race showed that the relative risk of 2.1 (95% confidence interval, 0.7-6.6) for urological cancer was not significantly elevated among patients with asymptomatic microhematuria compared with patients who had negative test results. These findings based on a single test are consistent with the current lack of recommendations for screening for microhematuria among asymptomatic adults.

Renal cell carcinoma has been linked to hypertension and antihypertensive medications. We investigated the association between renal cell carcinoma and the use of thiazide in a case-control study of 167 men and 90 women. Subjects were members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in northern California (United States) who had taken a multiphasic health check-up from 1964 through 1988 and who were evaluated for cancer until the end of 1989. Control subjects received the same check-up, were matched by gender, year of check-up, and age at check-up, and had to be in the health plan until the date on which renal cell carcinoma was diagnosed. Data on known and potential risk factors, including hypertension, body mass index (BMI), and smoking status, were collected from the record of the check-up. Thiazide use was abstracted from the medical chart, which was reviewed from the date of the first entry until the date on which the cancer was diagnosed or the equivalent date for control subjects. The mean follow-back to check-up was 11.3 years. Among women, we found a significantly elevated risk of 4.0 (95 percent confidence interval [CI] 1.5-10.8) associated with ever having used thiazide after we adjusted for smoking, BMI, hypertension, and history of kidney infection at check-up. We did not find a statistically significantly elevated risk in men. Smoking was related to renal cell carcinoma in men (odds ratio [OR] 2.5, CI = 1.1-5.4) for those who smoked at least one pack per day compared with those who had never smoked, but was not related in women.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Objective: To evaluate self-reported use of cancer screening tests by Latino and Anglo prepaid health plan members, we conducted telephone interviews about the knowledge of, use of, and reason for Papanicolaou (Pap) smear, clinical breast examination, mammogram, rectal examination, fecal occult blood test, and sigmoidoscopy., Methods: Cross-sectional telephone survey of randomly selected Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program members in San Francisco and Alameda Counties, California. A total of 844 Latinos (432 men and 412 women) and 510 Anglos (208 men and 302 women), between 35 and 74 years of age, completed the interview., Results: Overall, 97.4% of Latinas reported having had at least one Pap smear compared with 99.7% of Anglo women; 90% in each group reported a Pap smear within 3 years. A clinical breast examination within 2 years was reported by 87% of Latina and 90% of Anglo women. Seventy-six percent of Latina and 85% of Anglo women aged 35 years or more reported having had at least one mammogram; and 65% of Latina and 75% of Anglo women reported a mammogram within 2 years. Among members 40 to 74 years of age, a lower proportion of Latinos compared with Anglos reported having had at least one digital rectal examination (67% vs 80%) and one fecal occult blood test (46% vs 54%); among those 50 to 74 years of age, fewer Latinos reported at least one sigmoidoscopy (29% vs 41%). After adjusting for age, education, employment, perceived health status, marital status, and county of residence, Latinos were significantly less likely to report having had at least one digital rectal examination (odds ratio; 0.60, 95% confidence interval, 0.45, 0.79), fecal occult blood test (odds ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.59-1.01), and sigmoidoscopy (odds ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.52, 0.95). After adjusting for the same variables, Latinos were more likely than Anglos to claim forgetfulness/carelessness (75% vs 60%; odds ratio, 1.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.41-2.40) as a reason for not obtaining cancer screening tests., Conclusion: These data suggest that, within this prepaid health plan without direct financial barriers to cancer screening services, Latinos are less likely than Anglos to obtain selected recommended cancer screening tests.

Alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking have been suggested as possible causes of prostate cancer. We therefore examined this relation in a cohort of 43,432 men who were members of a prepaid health plan in northern California (United States) and who had received a health examination in the period from 1979 through 1985. Detailed information on demographic variables, alcohol consumption, smoking habits, medical complaints and conditions, occupation, and surgery (including vasectomy) was assessed. Symptoms of prostatism and a history of sexually transmitted diseases were abstracted from the medical records of all prostate cancer patients and of a matched subsample of randomly selected control-subjects. Alcohol consumption was associated with no elevated prostate cancer risk for the 238 men in our study in whom prostate cancer developed, but smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day was associated with an adjusted relative risk (RR) of 1.9 (95 percent confidence interval [CI] = 1.2-3.1). Prostate cancer risk for Black men was 2.2 (CI = 1.6-3.1) when compared with that for White men, and education level was associated positively in an increasing trend (P < 0.020) up to an RR of 1.4 (CI = 0.9-2.1) among men with postgraduate education. Symptoms of prostate hypertrophy were not associated with elevated risk of prostate cancer if they occurred two or more years before the diagnosis. The finding that smoking increased the risk of prostate cancer confirms the observations of others but needs cautious interpretation because we were unable to adjust for the potential confounding effect of dietary and hormonal factors.

We conducted an unlinked seroprevalence survey for human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) of 9821 persons who had a routine personal health appraisal examination in 1989 while members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in northern California. An outside laboratory performed enzyme immunoassay (EIA) analyses, and the California Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Laboratory confirmed EIA-reactive samples by immunofluorescent assay and Western blot assay. Only 20 specimens (0.2%) were confirmed as positive, and 18 were from men. These data suggest that, at the time of this survey, HIV-1 infection was not widespread in the northern California population represented by this health plan membership.

Although commonly thought to be an effective method of screening for prostatic cancer, digital rectal examinations have yet to be shown by controlled study to help prevent advanced forms of this disease. 139 men with metastatic (stage D) prostatic cancer (cases) were compared with an equal number of matched men free of this condition (controls), with respect to rectal examinations recorded in the medical records up to, on average, 23 years before the cases' initial diagnosis of prostatic cancer. Cases and controls were members of a large health maintenance organisation in northern California. In the 10 years before initial diagnosis (excluding the last three months) the average number of examinations for routine screening (2.45 vs 2.52) or to evaluate intestinal or rectal symptoms (0.44 in both) were similar in cases and controls, respectively. After adjustment for racial differences, the relative risk of metastatic prostatic cancer for men with one or more screening rectal examinations compared with men with none was 0.9 with a 95% confidence interval of 0.5-1.7. Screening by routine digital rectal examination appears to have little if any effect in preventing metastatic prostatic cancer. If there is a small benefit, it will be difficult to demonstrate by conventional epidemiological study.

Linkage of measures of the adequacy, content, and quality of prenatal care with pregnancy outcome is a long-standing research challenge. We attempted to improve on prior studies by developing a measure of prenatal care that encompasses the specific items thought to mediate its relationship with birthweight and by then examining the association of this measure with birthweight. An eight-item index of prenatal care was used to abstract information from the medical records of 63 white and 56 black women who gave birth to low-birthweight (less than 2500 g) infants and 61 white and 101 black women who gave birth to normal-weight (3000 + g) infants in 1987 at two Kaiser Permanente facilities. In univariate analyses the mean values for the index were higher in controls than in cases for both black and white women, but the difference was statistically significant only for blacks. In multivariate analysis the index was not significantly associated with the risk of low birthweight for whites or blacks. Prenatal care was extremely homogeneous in this population, which compromised the evaluation of the index as a correlate of low birthweight. We believe that this is a promising method for assessing the content of prenatal care and studying the association between content and outcome of care.

The safety and immunogenicity of the HbOC conjugate vaccine have been evaluated in a study population of 61,080 children in the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California. Half of the population served as controls. The vaccine was given as part of a three-dose regimen in the first year of life with the first dose given between 6 weeks and 6 months of age, a minimum interval of 1 month between doses and with the third dose given by 1 year of age. The vaccine was highly immunogenic with 97% of infants developing 1 microgram/ml or more of anti-polyribosyl phosphate antibody as measured by Farr assay 1 month after completion of the three-dose series and with 71% maintaining this concentration until a booster dose was given at approximately 18 months of age. There were three cases of Haemophilus influenzae type b disease after the first dose of vaccine and two of these children died. However, there was no statistically significant difference between either the incidence of H. influenzae type b disease or the mortality rate in infants after one dose of HbOC vaccine when compared with H. influenzae type b disease incidence and mortality in unvaccinated children of the same age. The rate of sudden infant death syndrome following HbOC vaccine was lower than that observed within the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program as a whole or in the three counties in which sudden infant death syndrome surveillance was tabulated. Immediate local and systemic reactions were evaluated by telephone interviews of 6887 infants within 72 hours of vaccine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

We examined the incidence of treated end-stage renal disease (ESRD) among the two million members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California from 1973 through 1985. The age-adjusted incidence rates rose from 33.9 to 81.7 per million person-years and showed no signs of stabilization. Rates were higher in men than in women and rose with age. Marked upward trends (p less than .001) in the rates of treated ESRD associated with diabetic nephropathy and hypertension were noted.

The relation of serum cholesterol to the development of cancer remains unclear. We have examined the incidence of cancer in 160,135 men and women who were health plan members of the Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program (KPMCP) and who had a multiphasic health examination in the period 1964 through 1972. In addition to all cancer, we examined individually the nine most common cancers in men and the 12 most common in women. Cancer diagnoses (N = 7477) recorded by the State of California Resource for Cancer Epidemiology Section and the health plan hospital discharge file were used to calculate incidence by quintile of serum cholesterol. Multivariate analysis adjusted for race, education, smoking status, alcohol consumption, body mass index and, in women, for age at menarche, parity, and menopausal status. No strong or consistent relation of low cholesterol to cancer incidence was found. Of the 21 cancers examined, only lymphoma in men and cervical cancer had significantly elevated risks at the lowest quintile of serum cholesterol compared with risks in the highest quintile. Cancer incidence in the first 2 years after the cholesterol measurement was consistently higher among persons whose cholesterol levels were in the lowest quintile. This prospective study did not find evidence that low cholesterol increased the risk of cancer but supports the idea that preclinical cancer in some way lowers serum cholesterol.

We studied the incidence of referral for treatment of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (KFHP) in northern California from 1972 through 1977. In this population of over 1 million persons, we found an age-adjusted annual incidence of 44.9 per million after 1973, when the Federal ESRD Program went into effect. Age-specific incidence was highest in in men greater than 70 years of age and in women in the 50- to 59-year age group; the male/female ratio was 1.4:1. The most common diagnoses of patients referred with ESRD were glomerulonephritis (11.4 per million per year), diabetic nephropathy (5.0 per million per year), primary hypertensive disease (3.1 per million per year), and polycystic kidney disease (2.4 per million per year). Estimated rates of referral for ESRD were highest for Blacks, lowest for Whites, and intermediate for Asians. Incidence varied by geographic area within the health plan service area and was highest where the percentage of the Black population was highest.

The authors prospectively studied the incidence of cancers of the colon and rectum in 106,203 men and women, both white and black, who supplied data at northern California Kaiser Permanente facilities about use of alcoholic beverages in 1978-1984. Analysis controlling for age, sex, race, body mass index, coffee use, total serum cholesterol, and education showed a positive association of alcohol use to both types of cancer, which was stronger for rectal cancer (trend test, p = 0.03) than for colon cancer (trend test, p = 0.11). When persons with a daily intake of three or more drinks were compared with abstainers, relative risk for rectal cancer was 3.17 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05-9.57) and relative risk for colon cancer was 1.71 (95% CI: 0.92-3.19). Women with a daily intake of three or more drinks had a relative risk for colon cancer of 2.56 (95% CI: 1.03-6.40) compared with 1.16 (95% CI: 0.46-2.90) for men. Among drinkers, preference for wine, beer, or hard liquor had no significant independent relation to either type of cancer; those who preferred beer were at slightly greater risk of rectal cancer, but those who preferred wine were more likely to develop colon cancer. These data suggest that total alcohol use, but no one specific beverage type, is associated with increased risk of rectal cancer.

The frequencies of kidney and urinary tract diseases (KUTD) in a defined population are presented. Rates of first hospitalizations with KUTD in the 5-year period, 1971 through 1975, were determined among over 1 million members of the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (KFHP) of Northern California. Cases were identified from computer-stored ICDA-coded final discharge diagnoses for hospitalizations. Kidney and other urinary tract diseases were final diagnoses in 35.7 first hospitalizations per 10,000 members per year in the period 1971 through 1975. Disease-specific rates were highest for urinary tract infections, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and renal and ureteral calculi. The frequency of KUTD in this population is compared to available rates from other sources.

Recent case-control studies have suggested that alcohol consumption may be associated with breast cancer incidence. This report is a retrospective cohort study of over 95,000 women who were members of the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Northern California. The stated alcohol consumption of these women was recorded at a multiphasic screening examination taken from 1964 to 1972 prior to any diagnosis of breast cancer. The incidence of breast cancer in this cohort was greater for women who drank, and among these drinkers, incidence increased in an irregular trend with heavier alcohol consumption. Control for the effects of race, education, smoking, and reproductive variables related to breast cancer all but eliminated the overall increased relative risk of drinkers compared with that of nondrinkers. However, the relatively small group of women who stated that they had three or more alcoholic drinks per day (5.2 per cent of the total) had a significantly elevated relative risk of 1.4 (p = 0.035) compared with nondrinkers, despite control for all available confounding variables. No significant interaction effect of smoking and alcohol was found. Women who had less than three drinks per day had no increased relative risk over nondrinkers. The results of this study might be explained either by an unrecognized carcinogenic effect of alcohol on breast tissue or by the confounding effect of other factors associated with heavy alcohol use.

From 1978 through 1984, the incidence of treated end-stage renal disease (ESRD) secondary to diabetic nephropathy increased from 3 to 19 per million population among the membership of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Northern California. Forty-eight percent had type II diabetes. Among 66 type II diabetics retinopathy was less severe and hypertension was more frequent than among 50 type I diabetics. Blacks were represented in a higher proportion than expected from their proportion of the health plan membership. Among type II diabetics who developed ESRD, once proteinuria occurred, nephropathy progressed at the same rate observed in type I diabetics. This observation suggests that the clinical progression of diabetic nephropathy may be similar for both types of diabetes after the development of proteinuria, but requires prospectively collected data for confirmation.

We investigated the hypothesis that the increased incidence of malignant melanoma at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California was associated with a difference in medical care received by its employees compared with that received by other residents of the same geographic area. From records of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, to which about half of the LLNL employees belonged, we confirmed that the incidence of melanoma at the laboratory was 3.2 times that among members served by the Kaiser Permanente medical center in Walnut Creek, a nearby community (95% CI, 1.7-6.0). Rates of biopsy showing junctional, compound, and dermal nevi in men were also higher in the LLNL employees than in the other health-plan members (relative risks, 3.2, 2.4, and 1.3, respectively). When LLNL employees without melanoma were compared with community controls, we found that the employees had substantially more skin biopsies. Although the excess number of skin biopsies existed among LLNL employees before publicity about the problem, this excess increased after the publicity. Exposure to some environmental agent(s) or personal risk factors may have caused clinically suspicious pigmented lesions that required LLNL employees to have more skin biopsies. On the other hand, awareness of the laboratory's excess melanoma incidence may have increased physicians' propensity to obtain biopsy specimens of pigmented lesions.

Survival analysis techniques were used in estimating lifetime inpatient utilization among patients diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) using data on 863 members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in the Northern California Region diagnosed with AIDS between January 1, 1981 and June 30, 1987. Using information on both deceased and living patients, we estimated means of 40.3 lifetime inpatient days and 3.3 hospitalizations among all AIDS patients. Those presenting with Kaposi's sarcoma experienced a mean of 7.6 fewer lifetime inpatient days than those presenting with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (95% confidence interval = .61, 14.6) and a mean of 11.0 (3.9, 18.6) fewer inpatient days than all other AIDS patients. Older patients had fewer hospital admissions than younger ones. Year of diagnosis does not appear to be related to lifetime utilization, and there is an indication that increased survival has been accompanied by decreased inpatient utilization intensity as measured on a per person-year basis. We recommend the use of survival analysis methods in the study of utilization among groups of patients with incomplete follow-up.

The epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease is described among the more than 1.5 million members of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program (KPMCP) in northern California. We reviewed a 20% random sample of the medical records of 2,067 persons first admitted to hospital in the period 1971 through 1982 with codes indicating inflammatory bowel disease. We also examined all new outpatient cases for a 1-year period from records at the Oakland KPMCP facility. Criteria used to establish valid cases adhered to standards used in previous studies but were revised to reflect current diagnostic methods. The disadvantages of using hospital discharge data have been identified and quantified. In this population, only 21% of ambulatory patients with inflammatory bowel disease were admitted to hospital in a 3 1/2-year period. There was no difference in the incidence of the disorder by sex or between whites and blacks, but it was rare in Asians. A bimodal age distribution was suggested for Crohn's disease but not for ulcerative colitis. During the 12 years of this study, rates of hospital admissions for ulcerative colitis decreased and for Crohn's disease were slightly increased.

Recent studies have suggested a role for dietary fat in the etiology of breast cancer. The relation of serum cholesterol and other serum lipid measures to breast cancer incidence was investigated in a cohort of 95, 179 women who had multiphasic health checkups from 1964 through 1972. Through 1977, 1,035 new breast cancer cases occurred in over 752,000 person-years of follow-up. Age-adjusted incidence rates were 1.45, 1.37, 1.31, and 1.40/1,000 person-years from the lowest to the highest quartile of serum cholesterol level, respectively. Similarly, no statistically significant relation was detected between beta-lipoprotein or total lipids and breast cancer. The sample size was sufficiently large to have detected a relative risk of 1.4 or larger with a probability of 99.9% at the 0.05 level of significance. The expected relation od breast cancer to established risk factors was confirmed by univariate analysis, and serum cholesterol and breast cancer were not associated after simultaneous consideration of nine other risk factors by multivariate analysis. These data suggest that the postulated causal relation between dietary fat and breast cancer does not act via an effect on circulating lipid levels.

The rate of occurrence of stones of the urinary tract was assessed in a large population served by the Northern California Kaiser Foundation Health Plan. The study involved three separate groups. First, data were obtained by questionnaire from approximately 175,000 adults who took a multiphasic health checkup in the period 1964-1972; of these generally well adult members, 26.2/1000 persons (32.0/1000 men and 21.0/1000 women) reported having ever been told by a physician that they had a urinary tract stone. Second, data were obtained from 139,000 persons served by the San Francisco outpatient facility in 1970-1972; 1.22/1000 per year (1.81/1000 men and 0.59/1000 women) had an initial diagnosis of a "new or recurrent" stone of the upper urinary tract. The third set of data was procured from the entire Northern California region in 1971-1975; 0.36/1000 (0.52/1000 men and 0.19/1000 women) were discharged from a hospital each year with a diagnosis of upper urinary tract stone. All rates were age-adjusted to the 1960 US Census population. Of these three rates, the rate derived from the outpatient visit record most closely estimates incidence, since nearly all persons who are hospitalized are first seen as outpatients. Rates of kidney stone diagnosis were three times more common in men and, although rare before 20 years of age, the frequency increased rapidly and peaked in the age group 40 to 59 years. Rates were approximately twice as high in whites as in blacks and Orientals; the frequency of stones was inversely related to socioeconomic status as measured by level of education. Over 90% of stones occurred in the upper urinary tract, and the majority contained calcium oxalate. Population-based rates of occurrence of kidney stones are not generally available in the United States. Comparisons with the few available studies indicate that rates in the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan population may be high.