Gonzalez, Crystal

ABSTRACT Introduction Breast cancer remains a leading cause of death among Latinas. Although breast cancer risk assessment models exist and show promise in reducing mortality, few studies have elicited women's interest in and perceptions around breast cancer risk assessment, particularly among underserved populations, like Latinas, who are susceptible to disparities in breast cancer outcomes. These disparities stem from factors such as limited access to healthcare services, lower rates of screening utilization, language barriers, and socioeconomic challenges, all of which compound their risk and hinder effective engagement with risk assessment tools. This qualitative study aims to explore Latinas' perspectives regarding breast cancer risk assessment and implications on future behaviors. Methods Twenty‐three under‐ or uninsured Latinas aged 45–65 with no personal history of breast cancer took part in either a focus group ( n = 3, 15 participants) or individual interviews (8 participants). Guided by health behavior theories (Theory of Planned Behavior and Health Belief Model), data were transcribed, translated, and analyzed using a deductive‐inductive approach to thematic content analysis, resulting in four themes. Results Latinas expressed high interest in knowing their breast cancer risk and reported that the benefits of knowing one's risk outweighed the harms. Latinas also stated that they would continue screening as recommended if found to be at low risk, but that they would speak with their provider or increase screening frequency if found to be at increased risk. Moreover, Latinas described the pivotal role of providers and social networks in influencing interest and perceptions around breast cancer risk assessment and preventive behaviors. Conclusion Underserved Latinas viewed breast cancer risk assessment positively and underscored the need for multilevel, culturally tailored strategies to improve breast cancer risk assessment. This study yielded four distinct themes: (1) Interest and Awareness of Personal Breast Cancer Risk, (2) Benefits and Barriers of Knowing Personal Breast Cancer Risk, (3) Screening Implications of Knowing Personal Breast Cancer Risk, and (4) Provider Influence on Breast Cancer Risk Assessment and Behaviors. Potential strategies include efforts to improve provider engagement and communication and leveraging social networks to increase awareness and encourage preventive behaviors. Trial Registration NCI‐2023‐00465

Background: Latinas with mammographic dense breasts are at increased risk of breast cancer. This randomized controlled trial tests the effectiveness of three breast density (BD) educational approaches on adherence to subsequent mammography screening among Latinas receiving care at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Measure(s): Adherence was ascertained using electronic health record and survey responses. Kaplan–Meier estimates of the time to subsequent mammogram were used to obtain adherence rates at 1- and 2-years post baseline mammogram. Cox modeling assessed whether adherence differed by patient characteristics or group assignment. Results: This analysis was limited to Latinas enrolled between October 27, 2016, and December 21, 2018 ( n = 946; 66.1% <50 years of age, 53.5% with dense breasts). Adherence rates at 1 year was 24.8% increasing to 51.7% by year 2. Latinas randomized to the Promotora + brochure + letter arm (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.09 [95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.87 to 1.36]) or brochure + letter (HR: 1.03 [95% CI 0.82 to 1.29]) arm were not more likely to be adherent to subsequent mammography compared to the letter only arm ( p = 0.76) . Adjusting for age and study group, having more prior mammograms, being “extremely likely” to get an annual mammogram, and having more confidence to get an annual mammogram at baseline were significant drivers of subsequent adherence. Conclusion: Informational interventions targeting BD education alone are unlikely to significantly improve adherence to subsequent mammography among Latinas receiving care in FQHCs.

Purpose The Sangre Por Salud (SPS) Biobank was established to facilitate biomedical research opportunities for the Latino community by creating an easily accessible prospective cohort for scientists interested in studying health conditions and health disparities in this population. Participants Individuals self-identifying as Latino, aged 18–85 years, were prospectively recruited from the primary care Internal Medicine clinic at Mountain Park Health Center in Phoenix, Arizona. After obtaining informed consent, detailed medical history questionnaires were captured, and blood samples were obtained for common laboratory tests. Participants authorised the research team to access their electronic health records for research purposes. In addition, participants had serum, plasma and DNA samples isolated and stored at the Mayo Clinic Arizona Biorepository Laboratory for long-term storage and future access. As part of the study, participants consented and agreed to be contacted for potential participation in future research studies. Findings to date 3756 participants provided informed consent, of whom 3733 completed all study questionnaires, an oral glucose tolerance test and had blood collected and stored. The SPS cohort is predominantly composed of females (72%), with a median age at time of consent of 42 years. All participants self-identified as Hispanic/Latino, 45% were married, 53% were employed for wages and 60% had less than a high school degree. Around 25% of participants met diagnostic criteria for overweight (BMI 25–29 kg/m 2 ), and 49% met for obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m 2 ). At time of recruitment, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and depression affected 22%, 20% and 13% of the cohort, respectively. Future plans We plan to regularly update the participants’ electronic health records and self-reported health data to longitudinal research. Additionally, we plan to obtain a more comprehensive genomic analysis on the entire cohort, ensuring greater research interest and investigation into the underlying genetic factors that contribute to disease susceptibility in this cohort.

Importance Hispanic adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) are more likely to develop complications and die from the disease than the US general population. Digital storytelling interventions are narrative-based videos elicited through a community-based participatory research approach to surface the authentic voices of participants overcoming obstacles to health-promoting behaviors that perpetuate health inequities; research on the effect of digital storytelling on T2D outcomes among Hispanic adults is lacking. Objective To assess the impact of a digital storytelling intervention on glycemic control and its acceptability among Hispanic patients with poorly controlled T2D. Design, Setting, and Participants This was a multicenter, randomized clinical trial conducted within 2 primary care networks in Minnesota and Arizona among Hispanic adults with poorly controlled T2D (hemoglobin A 1c level ≥8%). Enrollment and follow-up were conducted between February 14, 2019, and November 1, 2023. Intervention The intervention group viewed a 12-minute digital storytelling video. The video included 4 Spanish-language stories that reinforced 4 diabetes self-management behavioral goals (healthful diet for diabetes, physical activity, medication adherence, and glucose self-monitoring). The control group received printed, culturally tailored T2D education materials. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was the mean change from baseline to 3 months for hemoglobin A 1c levels, adjusting for baseline hemoglobin A 1c , age, gender, education, and income. Acceptability and narrative quality of the intervention were assessed through questionnaires. Results There were 451 study participants, with 227 (mean [SD] age, 54.3 [9.3] years; 158 [69.3%] women) randomized to the intervention group and 224 (mean [SD] age, 54.5 [9.1] years; 156 [69.3%] women) to the control group. Of these, 390 completed 3-month follow-up of the primary outcome (86% retention). There was a small improvement in the mean (SD) hemoglobin A 1c level in the intervention group compared with the control group in the adjusted model (9.1% [1.7] to 8.4% [1.6] vs 9.4% [1.8] to 8.8% [2.0]; P = .04] but not in the unadjusted model. Acceptability and narrative quality of the intervention were high. Conclusions and Relevance In this randomized clinical trial, a digital storytelling intervention developed with and for Hispanic adults with T2D was highly acceptable and feasibly implemented within primary care settings and resulted in a modest improvement of glycemic control. This was a highly scalable intervention that may be integrated into clinical practice as part of a longitudinal diabetes self-management program for Hispanic adults. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03766438

Abstract INTRODUCTION Disparities in breast cancer (BC) screening are observed between Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women and stronger amongst Hispanic women with under- and uninsured statuses.1-2 Risk-based screening has been recommended by professional societies, including American Cancer Society, starting at age 30 and may be an important strategy for reducing disparities.3 The purpose of the study was to characterize whether women had been told their personal risk of BC and to identify differences in characteristics of patients informed of their personal risk. METHODS This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from a supplemental self-reported survey to an NIH-funded randomized trial conducted at a large Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Arizona (R01 MD09682-05). The survey was sent to a randomized 600 of the 1,356 participants. Between November 2022 and April 2023, 177 women completed the survey (response rate 29.5%). Participants were asked if a doctor or other healthcare provider had ever talked to them about their personal risk for BC. Differences between those who recalled being told their personal risk for BC and those who did not were assessed using Fisher exact test. RESULTS Overall, 66.3% were 50 years or older, 81.8% who speak primarily Spanish, and 64.8% of respondents had less than a high school education. Also, 22.4% reported a family history of BC, 27.4% have been previously recalled for additional imaging, 10.8% have had a history of prior breast biopsy, 59.9% stated having a regular provider, and 53.1% were found to have dense breast category C or D at screening visit. 40% did not report having a regular doctor although all participants received care at an FQHC. 30.5% of respondents stated that a healthcare professional had ever talked to them about their personal risk for BC. There was a trend toward women with a main doctor being more likely to recall being told their personal risk for BC as compared to those without a main doctor (38.5% vs 22.5%, p=0.06). CONCLUSIONS In this cohort of primarily Spanish-speaking Hispanic women who have had mammography screening and written report of their breast density, about a third of respondents recall being informed of their personal BC risk. These observations need to be confirmed in a larger population with greater response rate, but these results suggest that there is a cohort of patients who need different approaches for conveying risk. REFERENCES 1. Jadav, S., Rajan, S. S., Abughosh, S., & Sansgiry, S. S. (2015). The Role of Socioeconomic Status and Health Care Access in Breast Cancer Screening Compliance Among Hispanics. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 21(5), 467–476. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48517175 2. American Cancer Society. (2017). Breast cancer facts & figures 2017-2018. Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society, Inc. 3. ACS Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines. (2022, January 14). https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/american-cancer-society-recommendations-for-the-early-detection-of-breast-cancer.htm Citation Format: Jhenitza P. Raygoza Tapia, Sarah M. Jenkins, Jennifer L. Ridgeway, Aaron D. Norman, Crystal R. Gonzalez, Valentina Hernandez, Bhavika K. Patel, Celine M. Vachon, Jessica D. Austin. Communicating breast cancer risk to Spanish-speaking Hispanic women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr C126.

Abstract Mammographic breast density (MBD) has been shown to be a strong, independent risk factor for breast cancer (BC) irrespective of race/ethnicity. Given the risk association of MBD and its potential to mask tumors on a mammogram, state and federal laws have mandated that women receive information regarding their personal MBD in their mammography reports. However, concerns have been raised regarding the impact of MBD notification on patient anxiety, especially written information for women who experience health disparities such as racial/ethnic minorities, lower health literacy, limited English proficiency and lower socioeconomic status. We performed a randomized controlled clinical trial to examine the impact of three different written and interpersonal approaches to MBD notification on patient anxiety, BC worry, and self-perceived BC risk, among Latinas receiving routine mammography screening at a federally qualified medical center (FQHC). We hypothesized that interpersonal education would reduce anxiety and worry, relative to the written notifications alone. The study was performed at the Baseline Clinic of Mountain Park Health Center, a FQHC in Phoenix, AZ. Women between ages 40 and 74 years presenting for screening mammogram were eligible. After providing signed informed consent, participants were randomized equally to usual care (UC- mailed notification letter); enhanced care (notification letter and MBD educational brochure designed for this study): interpersonal care (notification letter, brochure, promotora education via telephone). A stratified block randomization procedure was used with age &gt; 50 years (yes vs no), ethnicity (Hispanic vs non-Hispanic), and language preference (Spanish vs. English) as strata. Study participants completed surveys at the time of enrollment/pre-intervention (T0), at two weeks to six months after intervention was delivered (T1), and about one year after randomization (T2). Anxiety state was measured using the state anxiety subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory scale (STAI-S) (range from 20-80). BC worry was probed using the question: “How frequently do you worry about getting breast cancer someday”. The self-perceived lifetime risk of BC was rated between 0% (no chance of BC) to 100% (definitely will get BC). The proportion of participants with an increase or persistence of higher level for each outcome between time points was compared between the three study groups. The study was approved by the Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board. 1332 Latina women were enrolled and randomized between October 2016 and October 2019. All completed the baseline (T0) survey, 928 completed T1, 632 completed T2, and 516 completed both T1 and T2 surveys. At study entry, majority of the participants were young (64.1% between age 40-49 years), had no family history of breast cancer (81.0%), had less than high school education (68.8%), and were married or partnered (67.8%). At T0, the mean (SD) anxiety STAI score was 32.5 (11.1); 51.8% with moderate or severe anxiety (score &gt; 30). With regard to BC worry, 41.3% reported worrying “sometimes”, “often”, or “almost all the time”. Further, 25.4% reported a self-perceived lifetime risk of developing BC of &gt;10% while only 6.6% had a Gail model estimated lifetime risk score of &gt;10%. There was no significant difference in changes in anxiety, BC worry or self-perceived risk from T0 to either T1 or T2 surveys between the intervention groups. In summary, this study found high levels of baseline anxiety and BC worry (despite the majority being 40-49 years old and having no family history of BC) which persisted regardless of how notification and education were delivered. Future work is needed to improve the understanding of factors that could lower anxiety and BC worry and improve risk perception in this population. Citation Format: Karthik Ghosh, Sarah Jenkins, Jennifer Ridgeway, Jessica D. Austin, Bijan Borah, Bhavika K. Patel, Deborah Rhodes, Aaron Norman, Edna P. Ramos, Matt Jewett, Crystal Gonzalez, Valentina Hernandez, Davinder Singh, Vera Suman, Celine Vachon. Breast Density Notification: Impact on anxiety, breast cancer worry, and self-perceived risk among Latinas at a federally qualified medical center. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2022 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(5 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-05-38.

Abstract Context Metformin is the first-line drug for treating diabetes but has a high failure rate. Objective To identify demographic and clinical factors available in the electronic health record (EHR) that predict metformin failure. Methods A cohort of patients with at least 1 abnormal diabetes screening test that initiated metformin was identified at 3 sites (Arizona, Mississippi, and Minnesota). We identified 22 047 metformin initiators (48% female, mean age of 57 ± 14 years) including 2141 African Americans, 440 Asians, 962 Other/Multiracial, 1539 Hispanics, and 16 764 non-Hispanic White people. We defined metformin failure as either the lack of a target glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (&lt;7%) within 18 months of index or the start of dual therapy. We used tree-based extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) models to assess overall risk prediction performance and relative contribution of individual factors when using EHR data for risk of metformin failure. Results In this large diverse population, we observed a high rate of metformin failure (43%). The XGBoost model that included baseline HbA1c, age, sex, and race/ethnicity corresponded to high discrimination performance (C-index of 0.731; 95% CI 0.722, 0.740) for risk of metformin failure. Baseline HbA1c corresponded to the largest feature performance with higher levels associated with metformin failure. The addition of other clinical factors improved model performance (0.745; 95% CI 0.737, 0.754, P &lt; .0001). Conclusion Baseline HbA1c was the strongest predictor of metformin failure and additional factors substantially improved performance suggesting that routinely available clinical data could be used to identify patients at high risk of metformin failure who might benefit from closer monitoring and earlier treatment intensification.

BackgroundThe objective of this randomized trial was to evaluate the short‐term effect of bilingual written and interpersonal education regarding mammographic breast density (MBD).MethodsLatinas aged 40 to 74 years who were presenting for screening mammography were recruited and randomized 1:1:1 to receive a letter with their mammogram and MBD results (usual care [UC]), a letter plus a brochure (enhanced care [ENH]), or a letter plus a brochure and telephonic promotora education (interpersonal care [INT]). Surveys were administered at enrollment (T0) and 2 weeks to 6 months after intervention delivery (T1). Differences were assessed with χ2, Kruskal‐Wallis, and McNemar tests and pairwise comparisons as appropriate. INT metrics and audio recordings were analyzed with descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.ResultsBetween October 2016 and October 2019, 943 of 1108 Latina participants (85%) completed both surveys. At T1, INT participants were more likely (P < .001) to report seeing their MBD results in the letter (70.2%) than UC (53.1%) or ENH participants (55.1%). The percentage of INT women who reported speaking with a provider about MBD (29.0%) was significantly greater (P < .001) than the percentage of UC (14.7%) or ENH participants (15.6%). All groups saw significant (P < .001) but nondifferential improvements in their knowledge of MBD as a masking and risk factor. In the INT group, the promotora delivered education to 77.1% of the 446 participants randomized to INT and answered questions at 28.3% of the encounters for an average of $4.70 per participant.ConclusionsAmong Latinas in a low‐resource setting, MBD knowledge may increase with written or interpersonal education, but with modest investment, interpersonal education may better improve MBD awareness and prompt patient‐provider discussions.