Utilization of the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry to evaluate lung cancer outcomes

Brain tumors in United States military veterans

BACKGROUND

Comprehensive analysis of brain tumor incidence and survival in the Veteran population has been lacking.

METHODS

Veteran data were obtained from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Medical Centers via VHA Corporate Data Warehouse. Brain tumor statistics on the overall US population were generated from the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the US data. Cases were individuals (≥18 years) with a primary brain tumor, diagnosed between 2004 and 2018. The average annual age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIR) and 95% confidence intervals were estimated per 100 000 population and Kaplan-Meier survival curves evaluated overall survival outcomes among Veterans.

RESULTS

The Veteran population was primarily white (78%), male (93%), and between 60 and 64 years old (18%). Individuals with a primary brain tumor in the general US population were mainly female (59%) and between 18 and 49 years old (28%). The overall AAIR of primary brain tumors from 2004 to 2018 within the Veterans Affairs cancer registry was 11.6. Nonmalignant tumors were more common than malignant tumors (AAIR:7.19 vs 4.42). The most diagnosed tumors in Veterans were nonmalignant pituitary tumors (AAIR:2.96), nonmalignant meningioma (AAIR:2.62), and glioblastoma (AAIR:1.96). In the Veteran population, survival outcomes became worse with age and were lowest among individuals diagnosed with glioblastoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Differences between Veteran and US populations can be broadly attributed to demographic composition differences of these groups. Prior to this, there have been no reports on national-level incidence rates and survival outcomes for Veterans. These data provide vital information that can drive efforts to understand disease burden and improve outcomes for individuals with primary brain tumors.

More intensive therapy as more effective treatment for frail patients with multiple myeloma [corrected]

Although randomized controlled trial data suggest that the more intensive triplet bortezomib-lenalidomide-dexamethasone (VRd) is superior to the less intensive doublet lenalidomide-dexamethasone (Rd) in patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM), guidelines have historically recommended Rd over VRd for patients who are frail and may not tolerate a triplet. We identified 2573 patients (median age, 69.7 years) newly diagnosed with MM who were initiated on VRd (990) or Rd (1583) in the national US Veterans Affairs health care System from 2004 to 2020. We measured frailty using the Veterans Affairs Frailty Index. To reduce imbalance in confounding, we matched patients for MM stage and 1:1 based on a propensity score. Patients who were moderate-severely frail had a higher prevalence of stage III MM and myeloma-related frailty deficits than patients who were not frail. VRd vs Rd was associated with lower mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-0.94) in the overall matched population. Patients who were moderate-severely frail demonstrated the strongest association (HR 0.74; 95% CI, 0.56-0.97), whereas the association weakened in those who were mildly frail (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.61-1.05) and nonfrail (HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.67-1.10). VRd vs Rd was associated with a modestly higher incidence of hospitalizations in the overall population, but this association weakened in patients who were moderate-severely frail. Our findings confirm the benefit of VRd over Rd in US veterans and further suggest that this benefit is strongest in patients with the highest levels of frailty, arguing that more intensive treatment of myeloma may be more effective treatment of frailty itself.

Risk of Cardiovascular Events Among Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

Importance

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer due to shared risk factors and exposure to potentially cardiotoxic cancer therapy. However, our understanding of CV risk in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is limited.

Objective

To define CV risk profiles, incident stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), and mortality in patients with HNSCC.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This retrospective, population-based cohort study included 35 897 US veterans with newly diagnosed HNSCC from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2020. Data were analyzed from May 2022 to January 2023.

Exposures

Demographic, cancer-specific, and treatment characteristics.

Main Outcomes

Prevalence of CV risk factors, medication use, and control at HNSCC diagnosis; cumulative incidence of stroke and MI; and all-cause death.

Results

Of 35 857 US veterans with HNSCC (median [IQR] age, 63 [58-69] years; 176 [0.5%] American Indian or Alaska Native, 57 [0.2%] Asian, 5321 [16.6%] Black, 207 [0.6%] Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 26 277 [82.0%] White individuals), there were high rates of former or current smoking (16 341 [83%]), hypertension (24 023 [67%]), diabetes (7988 [22%]), and hyperlipidemia (18 421 [51%]). Although most patients were taking risk-lowering medications, 15 941 (47%) had at least 1 uncontrolled CV risk factor. Black race was associated with increased risk of having uncontrolled CV risk factor(s) (relative risk, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03-1.09), and patients with larynx cancer had higher rates of prevalent and uncontrolled risk factors compared with other cancer subsites. Considering death as a competing risk, the 10-year cumulative incidence of stroke and MI was 12.5% and 8.3%, respectively. In cause-specific hazards models, hypertension, diabetes, carotid artery stenosis, coronary artery disease, and presence of uncontrolled CV risk factor(s) were significantly associated with stroke and MI. In extended Cox models, incident stroke and MI were associated with a 47% (95% CI, 41%-54%) and 71% (95% CI, 63%-81%) increased risk of all-cause death, respectively.

Conclusion

The results of this cohort study suggest that in HNSCC, the burden of suboptimally controlled CV risk factors and incident risk of stroke and MI are substantial. Modifiable CV risk factors are associated with risk of adverse CV events, and these events are associated with a higher risk of death. These findings identify populations at risk and potentially underscore the importance of modifiable CV risk factor control and motivate strategies to reduce CV risk in HNSCC survivorship care.

Prognostic value of the veterans affairs frailty index in older patients with non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Older patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are a heterogeneous population with varying degrees of frailty. An electronic frailty index such as the Veterans Affairs Frailty Index (VA-FI) can potentially help identify vulnerable patients at high risk of poor outcomes.

METHODS

NSCLC patients ≥65 years old and diagnosed in 2002-2017 were identified using the VA Central Cancer Registry. The VA-FI was calculated using administrative codes from VA electronic health records data linked with Medicare and Medicaid data. We assessed associations between the VA-FI and times to mortality, hospitalization, and emergency room (ER) visit following diagnosis by Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariable stratified Cox models. We also evaluated the change in discrimination and calibration of reference prognostic models after adding VA-FI.

RESULTS

We identified a cohort of 42,204 older NSCLC VA patients, in which 55.5% were classified as frail (VA-FI >0.2). After adjustment, there was a strong association between VA-FI and the risk of mortality (HR = 1.23 for an increase of four deficits or, equivalently, an increase of 0.129 on VA-FI, p < 0.001), hospitalization (HR = 1.16 for four deficits, p < 0.001), and ER visit (HR = 1.18 for four deficits, p < 0.001). Adding VA-FI to baseline prognostic models led to statistically significant improvements in time-dependent area under curves and did not have a strong impact on calibration.

CONCLUSION

Older NSCLC patients with higher VA-FI have significantly elevated risks of mortality, hospitalizations, and ER visits following diagnosis. An electronic frailty index can serve as an accessible tool to identify patients with vulnerabilities to inform clinical care and research.