Background Advances in early diagnosis and curative treatment have reduced high mortality rates associated with non‐small cell lung cancer. However, racial disparity in survival persists partly because Black patients receive less curative treatment than White patients. Methods We performed a 5‐year pragmatic, trial at five cancer centers using a system‐based intervention. Patients diagnosed with early stage lung cancer, aged 18‐85 were eligible. Intervention components included: (1) a real‐time warning system derived from electronic health records, (2) race‐specific feedback to clinical teams on treatment completion rates, and (3) a nurse navigator. Consented patients were compared to retrospective and concurrent controls. The primary outcome was receipt of curative treatment. Results There were 2841 early stage lung cancer patients (16% Black) in the retrospective group and 360 (32% Black) in the intervention group. For the retrospective baseline, crude treatment rates were 78% for White patients vs 69% for Black patients (P < 0.001); difference by race was confirmed by a model adjusted for age, treatment site, cancer stage, gender, comorbid illness, and income‐odds ratio (OR) 0.66 for Black patients (95% CI 0.51‐0.85, P = 0.001). Within the intervention cohort, the crude rate was 96.5% for Black vs 95% for White patients (P = 0.56). Odds ratio for the adjusted analysis was 2.1 (95% CI 0.41‐10.4, P = 0.39) for Black vs White patients. Between group analyses confirmed treatment parity for the intervention. Conclusion A system‐based intervention tested in five cancer centers reduced racial gaps and improved care for all.

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The presence of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) in family members of cancer patients was investigated. An epidemiological questionnaire including family history of cancer and congenital oral cleft malformations was administered to 168 cancer survivors and a population-based sample of 170 healthy subjects. In the control group, 1.2% reported a family member with CL/P; among cancer survivors the figure was 4.2% (odds ratio: 3.7; 95% confidence interval: 0.75–17.8; p = .07). Among cancer survivors with a family member with CL/P, there was an apparent excess of testicular cancer and melanoma in comparison with the cancer survivors with no family history of CL/P. These preliminary results suggest a common etiologic background for cancer and CL/P.

Background: The United States (US) Food & Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine with the purpose of reducing the risk of cervical cancers caused by HPV 16 and HPV 18. It is important that the general population be educated about HPV and the HPV vaccine in order to make the appropriate decision whether or not to vaccinate against this virus. Participants from the adult US general population of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and Hampton, Virginia, USA (18+ years old) were surveyed to determine their knowledge about HPV and the HPV vaccine, and to evaluate their perception of the vaccine efficacy and safety.