Searched for: in-biosketch:true
person:loebs01
Genetic Risk Prediction for Prostate Cancer: Implications for Early Detection and Prevention
Seibert, Tyler M; Garraway, Isla P; Plym, Anna; Mahal, Brandon A; Giri, Veda; Jacobs, Michelle F; Cheng, Heather H; Loeb, Stacy; Helfand, Brian T; Eeles, Rosalind A; Morgan, Todd M
CONTEXT:Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of death and partially heritable. Genetic risk prediction might be useful for strategies to reduce PCa mortality through early detection and prevention. OBJECTIVE:To review evidence for genetic risk prediction for PCa. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION:A collaborative literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar. Search terms included genetic, risk, prediction, and "prostate cancer". Articles addressing screening, early detection, or prevention were prioritized, as were studies involving diverse populations. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS:Rare pathogenic mutations (RPMs), especially in DNA damage repair genes, increase PCa risk. RPMs in BRCA2 are most clearly deleterious, conferring 2-8.6 times higher risk of PCa and a higher risk of aggressive disease. Common genetic variants can be combined into genetic risk scores (GRSs). A high GRS (top 20-25% of the population) confers two to three times higher risk of PCa than average; a very high GRS (top 1-5%) confers six to eight times higher risk. GRSs are not specific for aggressive PCa, possibly due to methodological limitations and/or a field effect of an elevated risk for both low- and high-grade PCa. It is challenging to disentangle genetics from structural racism and social determinants of health to understand PCa racial disparities. GRSs are independently associated with a lethal PCa risk after accounting for family history and race/ancestry. Healthy lifestyle might partially mitigate the risk of lethal PCa. CONCLUSIONS:Genetic risk assessment is becoming more common; implementation studies are needed to understand the implications and to avoid exacerbating healthcare disparities. Men with a high genetic risk of PCa can reasonably be encouraged to adhere to a healthy lifestyle. PATIENT SUMMARY:Prostate cancer risk is inherited through rare mutations and through the combination of hundreds of common genetic markers. Some men with a high genetic risk (especially BRCA2 mutations) likely benefit from early screening for prostate cancer. The risk of lethal prostate cancer can be reduced through a healthy lifestyle.
PMID: 36609003
ISSN: 1873-7560
CID: 5737962
Top 100 Urology Influencers on Twitter: Is Social Media Influence Associated with Academic Impact?
Corsi, Nicholas; Nguyen, David-Dan; Butaney, Mohit; Majdalany, Sami E; Corsi, Matthew P; Malchow, Taylor; Piontkowski, Austin J; Trinh, Quoc-Dien; Loeb, Stacy; Abdollah, Firas
BACKGROUND:Social media use in medicine has exploded, with uptake by most physicians and patients. There is a risk of dissemination of inaccurate information about urological conditions on social media. Physicians, as key opinion leaders, must play a role in sharing evidence-based information through social media. OBJECTIVE:To identify and describe the top 100 urology influencers on the Twitter social media platform and to correlate Twitter influence with academic impact in urology. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS/METHODS:Twitter influence scores for the search topic "urology" were collected in April 2022 using published methodology. The top 100 personal accounts with the highest computed scores were linked to individuals' names, all-time h index, geographic location, specialty, attributed sex, and board certification status in this cross-sectional study. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS/METHODS:We examined the correlation between influence rank and h index. RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS/CONCLUSIONS:Of the top 100 Twitter influencers on the topic of urology, the majority are from the USA (64%), male (85%), and practicing urologists (91%). Some 93% of US urology influencers are board-certified. Only 22 of the 50 US states are represented. The second most frequent country is the UK, with ten urology influencers. The median all-time h index is 42 (interquartile range 28.25-58). There is a weak positive correlation between influence rank and h index (r = 0.23; p = 0.02). Limitations of the study include the inability to validate the accuracy of the proprietary ranking algorithm and investigation of just one social media platform. CONCLUSIONS:The top Twitter influencers in urology are mostly board-certified US urologists. Collectively, influencers have a relatively greater academic impact in comparison to the average urologist, although there is a weak positive correlation between Twitter influence and h index among top Twitter influencers. PATIENT SUMMARY/RESULTS:Given the explosion of medical information on Twitter, we report the personal accounts with the greatest impact for the topic of "urology". We found that most urology influencers on Twitter are US board-certified urologists with a strong research history.
PMID: 36210295
ISSN: 2405-4569
CID: 5351872
Accuracy of prostate cancer screening recommendations for high-risk populations on YouTube and TikTok
Abramson, Max; Feiertag, Nathan; Javidi, Darius; Babar, Mustufa; Loeb, Stacy; Watts, Kara
OBJECTIVES/UNASSIGNED:This study aimed to evaluate content quality and racial/ethnic representation, particularly of high-risk cohorts, of prostate cancer screening videos on YouTube (YT) and TikTok (TK). MATERIALS AND METHODS/UNASSIGNED:The top 50 videos populated for the search term 'prostate cancer screening' on YT and TK that met inclusion criteria were retrieved in a cache-cleared browser. Three reviewers analysed all videos using validated criteria for the quality of consumer health information (DISCERN and Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool [PEMAT]). High quality was defined as follows: DISCERN ≥ 4, PEMAT understandability ≥75% and PEMAT actionability ≥75%. A 5-point Likert scale was used to demonstrate the level of misinformation compared to American Urological Association and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. Perceived race and ethnicity of people in the videos were assessed by consensus approach. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED: = 0.03) than YT videos. Perceived Black and Hispanic representation was present in 10% and 6% of YT videos and 20% and 12% of TK videos, respectively. High-risk racial/ethnic groups were explicitly discussed in 46% of YT videos and 8% of TK videos. A total of 98% of YT videos and 100% of TK videos had low- to moderate-quality consumer health information, and 88% of YT videos and 100% of TK videos had moderate to high levels of misinformation based on screening guidelines. CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:YT and TK videos about prostate cancer screening are widely viewed but do not provide quality consumer health information. Black and Hispanic men remain under-represented on both platforms, and high-risk racial groups were not discussed in most videos despite the importance for screening criteria. The low understandability and actionability, significant misinformation and lack of diversity in online videos support the need for higher quality videos with adequate attention to high-risk ethnic cohorts.
PMCID:9931542
PMID: 36816146
ISSN: 2688-4526
CID: 5737992
Sleep disturbances are underappreciated in prostate cancer survivorship
Gong, Fred; Loeb, Stacy; Siu, Katherine; Myrie, Akya; Orstad, Stephanie; Kenfield, Stacey A; Morgans, Alicia; Thakker, Sameer; Robbins, Rebecca; Carter, Patricia; Jean-Louis, Girardin; Nolasco, Tatiana Sanchez; Byrne, Nataliya; Gupta, Natasha
BACKGROUND:The prevalence of sleep disturbances among prostate cancer (PCa) survivors, and extent of urologist involvement in sleep care are not well-studied. METHODS:PCa survivors (n = 167) and urologists (n = 145) were surveyed about sleep disturbances and survivorship care practices. RESULTS:Most PCa survivors had sleep disturbances, including 50.9% with poor sleep quality, 18.0% with clinical/severe insomnia, and 36.5% at high-risk for sleep apnea. Few urologists routinely screened for sleep disturbances, as recommended in national cancer survivorship guidelines. CONCLUSIONS:Optimal PCa survivorship care should incorporate screening for sleep disturbances, addressing comorbid factors affecting sleep and referring to sleep medicine when appropriate.
PMID: 36543892
ISSN: 1476-5608
CID: 5395012
Use of Monitoring Tests Among Patients With Localized Prostate Cancer Managed With Observation
Leapman, Michael S; Wang, Rong; Loeb, Stacy; Seibert, Tyler M; Gaylis, Franklin D; Lowentritt, Ben; Brown, Gordon A; Chen, Ronald; Lin, Daniel; Witte, John; Cooperberg, Matthew R; Catalona, William J; Gross, Cary P; Ma, Xiaomei
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE:It is unknown whether compliance with recommended monitoring tests during observation of localized prostate cancer has changed over time. MATERIALS AND METHODS/METHODS:We performed a retrospective cohort study of Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer in 2004-2016 who were initially managed with observation for a minimum of 12 months. The primary objective was to examine rates of PSA testing, prostate biopsy, and prostate MRI. We used multivariable mixed effects Poisson regression to determine whether rates of PSA testing and prostate biopsy increased over time. In addition, we identified clinical, sociodemographic, and provider factors associated with the frequency of monitoring tests during observation. RESULTS:We identified 10,639 patients diagnosed at a median age of 73 (IQR 69-77) years. The median follow-up time was 4.3 (IQR 2.7-6.6) years after diagnosis. Among patients managed without treatment for 5 years, 98% received at ≥1 PSA test, 48.0% ≥1 additional prostate biopsy, and 31.0% ≥1 prostate MRI. Among patients managed with observation for ≥12 months, mixed effects Poisson regression revealed that rates of PSA testing and biopsy increased over time (per calendar year: RR 1.02, 95% CI: 1.02-1.03 and RR 1.10, 95% CI: 1.08-1.11, respectively). Clinical and sociodemographic factors including age, clinical risk, race/ethnicity, census tract poverty, and region were associated with rates of biopsy and PSA testing. CONCLUSIONS:Use of recommended monitoring tests including repeat prostate biopsy remains low among Medicare beneficiaries undergoing observation for low and intermediate-risk prostate cancer.
PMID: 36753746
ISSN: 1527-3792
CID: 5420882
spectrum of prostate cancer
Loeb, Stacy
SCOPUS:85179974755
ISSN: 0093-9722
CID: 5622042
A Study to Compare a CHW-Led Versus Physician-Led Intervention for Prostate Cancer Screening Decision-Making among Black Men
Martinez-Lopez, Natalia; Makarov, Danil V; Thomas, Jerry; Ciprut, Shannon; Hickman, Theodore; Cole, Helen; Fenstermaker, Michael; Gold, Heather; Loeb, Stacy; Ravenell, Joseph E
INTRODUCTION/UNASSIGNED:Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men in the United States and harms Black men disproportionately. Most US men are uninformed about many key facts important to make an informed decision about prostate cancer. Most experts agree that it is important for men to learn about these problems as early as possible in their lifetime. OBJECTIVES/UNASSIGNED:To compare the effect of a community health worker (CHW)-led educational session with a physician-led educational session that counsels Black men about the risks and benefits of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening. METHODS/UNASSIGNED:One hundred eighteen Black men recruited in 8 community-based settings attended a prostate cancer screening education session led by either a CHW or a physician. Participants completed surveys before and after the session to assess knowledge, decisional conflict, and perceptions about the intervention. Both arms used a decision aid that explains the benefits, risks, and controversies of PSA screening and decision coaching. RESULTS/UNASSIGNED:There was no significant difference in decisional conflict change by group: 24.31 physician led versus 30.64 CHW led (P=.31). The CHW-led group showed significantly greater improvement on knowledge after intervention, change (SD): 2.6 (2.81) versus 5.1 (3.19), P<.001). However, those in the physician-led group were more likely to agree that the speaker knew a lot about PSA testing (P<.001) and were more likely to trust the speaker (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS/UNASSIGNED:CHW-led interventions can effectively assist Black men with complex health decision-making in community-based settings. This approach may improve prostate cancer knowledge and equally minimize decisional conflict compared with a physician-led intervention.
PMCID:11152150
PMID: 38846259
ISSN: 1945-0826
CID: 5669882
Attitudes, Perceptions, and Use of Cancer-based Genetic Testing Among Healthy U.S. Adults and Those With Prostate or Breast/Ovarian Cancer
Thakker, Sameer; Loeb, Stacy; Giri, Veda N; Bjurlin, Marc A; Matulewicz, Richard S
INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:Differences in public awareness and uptake of genetic testing among patients with inheritable cancers are not well understood. The purpose of this study is to examine self-reported rates of undergoing cancer-specific genetic testing in patients with breast/ovarian cancer vs prostate cancer from a nationally representative sample of U.S. PATIENTS/METHODS:Secondary objectives include examining sources of genetic testing information and perceptions of genetic testing for both patient populations as well as the general public. METHODS:testing was used to compare differences among categorical variables. RESULTS:= .003). Health care professionals were the most common source of genetic testing information for patients with breast/ovarian cancer whereas the Internet was the most common source for patients with prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS:Our results suggest a lack of awareness and limited utilization of genetic testing among patients with prostate cancer relative to breast/ovarian cancer. Patients with prostate cancer cite the Internet and social media as sources of information, which may be an avenue for more optimal dissemination of evidence-based information.
PMID: 37103438
ISSN: 2352-0787
CID: 5465322
Wake-Up Call to Address Sleep Health in Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: Underappreciated Contributor to Poor Quality of Life
Wang, Elizabeth Y; Armas-Phan, Manuel; Meng, Maxwell V; Loeb, Stacy; Kenfield, Stacey A; Porten, Sima P
BACKGROUND:Few studies have specifically examined sleep health in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Further study is warranted to inform future strategies in patients with NMIBC. OBJECTIVE:We aim to describe sleep health in a cohort of patients with NMIBC, and its relationship with quality of life (QOL). METHODS:We conducted an observational cross-sectional study in patients undergoing surveillance for NMIBC. The validated Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep health (scores from 0-21) in the overall study population as well as stratified. We assessed QOL among participants with and without poor sleep quality using the SF-12 and QLQ-NMIBC-24. RESULTS:In a cohort of 94 NMIBC patients, median age was 67 years (IQR: 58, 72) and median time since initial diagnosis was 27 months (IQR: 9, 41). The mean PSQI score was 6.3 (SD: 3.8) and 64% percent of participants met or exceeded the PSQI cut-off score of 5, with a score of 5 or more indicating overall poor sleep quality. In those with poor sleep quality, there were statistically significant detriments in multiple QOL domains. CONCLUSIONS:In patients undergoing surveillance for NMIBC, there is a substantial burden of sleep disturbances and resulting decrements in QOL. These data support the need for future interventions to support sleep quality and highlight the importance of addressing sleep health as part of NMIBC survivorship care to improve QOL in patients with NMIBC.
PMCID:10759800
PMID: 38174125
ISSN: 2352-3727
CID: 5737192
Susceptibility to SARS-Cov-2 infection and risk for severe COVID-19 in patients with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy
Gedeborg, Rolf; Loeb, Stacy; Styrke, Johan; Kiiski-Berggren, Ritva; Garmo, Hans; Stattin, Pär
Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been hypothesized to protect against COVID-19, but previous observational studies of men with prostate cancer on ADT have been inconsistent regarding mortality risk from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Using data from the Prostate Cancer data Base Sweden (PCBaSe), we identified a cohort of 114 547 men with prevalent prostate cancer on the start of follow-up in February 2020, and followed them until 16 December 2020 to evaluate the association between ADT and time to test positive for COVID-19. Among men testing positive for COVID-19, we used regression analyses to estimate the association between ADT and risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission/death from any cause within 30 days of the positive test. In total, 1695 men with prostate cancer tested positive for COVID-19. In crude analyses, exposure to ADT was associated with a 3-fold increased risk of both testing positive for COVID-19 infection and subsequent hospital admission/death. Adjustment for age, comorbidity and prostate cancer risk category substantially attenuated the associations: HR 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1-1.5) for testing positive for COVID-19, and OR 1.4 (95% CI: 1.0-1.9) for risk of subsequent hospital admission/death. In conclusion, although these results suggest increased risks of a positive COVID-19 test, and COVID-19-related hospital admission/death in men on ADT, these findings are likely explained by confounding by old age, cancer-associated morbidity and other comorbidities being more prevalent in men on ADT, rather than a direct effect of the therapy.
PMCID:9349425
PMID: 35802468
ISSN: 1097-0215
CID: 5402412