Published studies regarding patient navigation (PN) and cancer were reviewed to assess quality, determine gaps, and identify avenues for future research. The PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched for studies investigating the efficacy and cost‐effectiveness of PN across the cancer continuum. Each included article was scored independently by 2 separate reviewers with the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. The current review identified 113 published articles that assessed PN and cancer care, between August 1, 2010, and February 1, 2018, 14 of which reported on the cost‐effectiveness of PN programs. Most publications focused on the effectiveness of PN in screening (50%) and diagnosis (27%) along the continuum of cancer care. Many described the effectiveness of PN for breast cancer (52%) or colorectal cancer outcomes (51%). Most studies reported favorable outcomes for PN programs, including increased uptake of and adherence to cancer screenings, timely diagnostic resolution and follow‐up, higher completion rates for cancer therapy, and higher rates of attending medical appointments. Cost‐effectiveness studies showed that PN programs yielded financial benefits. Quality assessment showed that 75 of the 113 included articles (65%) had 2 or more weak components. In conclusion, this review indicates numerous gaps within the PN and cancer literature where improvement is needed. For example, more research is needed at other points along the continuum of cancer care outside of screening and diagnosis. In addition, future research into the effectiveness of PN for understudied cancers outside of breast and colorectal cancer is necessary along with an assessment of cost‐effectiveness and more rigorous reporting of study designs and results in published articles.

Context:Body fat and body composition distribution patterns affect diabetes risk and glycemic control, but most studies use proxy measures (e.g., body mass index).Objective:This study examined the association of percent body fat and lean mass with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in US adults.Design:The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a program of cross-sectional studies that enroll nationally representative samples of the US civilian noninstitutionalized population.Setting:NHANES is designed to assess the health status of adults and children throughout the United States.Participants:This study included 11,125 participants aged 18 to 69 years from the 1999 through 2006 NHANES, comprising 846 persons with diagnosed diabetes and 10,125 without diabetes.Main Outcome Measures:Total and abdominal (trunk) percent body fat and lean mass were measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to examine their association with HbA1c.Results:Among those without diagnosed diabetes, total and trunk percent body fat, as well as trunk and total lean mass, were strongly associated with elevated HbA1c; odds ratios per 5% increment for the association of percent body fat with HbA1c >5.7% (39 mmol/mol) ranged from 1.60 to 2.01 across age and sex categories. Among adults with diabetes, higher total percent fat was associated with higher HbA1c in males age <40 years and higher trunk fat was associated with higher HbA1c in females across age categories.Conclusions:Lifestyle interventions to lower HbA1c should consider targeting both weight loss and body composition.

Despite recent notable advances in societal equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, youth who identify as trans* or gender nonconforming, in particular, continue to experience significant challenges accessing the services they need to grow into healthy adults. This policy perspective first offers background information describing this population, their unique healthcare needs, and obstacles when seeking care, including case study examples. The authors then provide recommendations for medical education, health systems, and insurance payers, as well as recommendations for school systems and broader public policy changes to improve the health and well-being of gender nonconforming youth.

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