Gender Bias in Letters of Recommendation: Relevance to Urology Match Outcomes and Pursuit of Fellowship Training/Academic Career

OBJECTIVE

To review applications to a single urology residency program to determine application characteristics predictive of (1) successful match into urology residency and (2) pursuit of fellowship training and/or academic practice after completion of residency. Our principal variables of interest were gender bias as assessed in letters of recommendation (LOR), personal statements, Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE), race, and gender.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Applications submitted to our urology residency program in the 2014 cycle were reviewed. Twenty-three variables were analyzed, including applicant demographics, application materials, and gender bias. Deidentified text from LOR, personal statements, and MSPE was evaluated for gender bias using an open-source gender bias calculator. A subanalysis of applicants who matched at a top 25 urology program was performed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify applicant variables associated with (1) match success and (2) fellowship training or academic employment as of September 2021.

RESULTS

Two hundred and twenty-two completed applications were analyzed. First authorship of a published manuscript was significantly associated with greater odds of matching. Female gender and top 25 medical school attendance were both significant predictors of matching at a top 25 urology program. The number of first-author publications was associated with completion of fellowship training or current employment in an academic position.

CONCLUSION

First-author publications are the most important preinterview determinant of match success and subsequent pursuit of academic practice/fellowship training. Certain applicant characteristics are associated with matching at highly ranked programs. Gender bias in application materials (including LOR) does not appear to exert a significant influence on match and early career outcomes.

Multivitamin use and risk of prostate cancer recurrence: Data from the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE)

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Background: Multivitamin (MV) use is common among men with prostate cancer (PCa). Yet, data on MV use and risk of PCa recurrence are limited. Methods: We conducted a prospective study among 1,373 men with non-metastatic PCa to examine whether MV use after diagnosis was associated with risk of recurrence. Participants completed a comprehensive lifestyle survey a median of 2 y after diagnosis and were followed through 2016. We defined an event of recurrence as the first of the following: PCa death, bone metastasis from PCa, biochemical recurrence, or initiation of secondary treatment. Multivariate Cox Proportional Hazards regression models were used to calculate hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between MV use and PCa recurrence. We adjusted for time between diagnosis and the survey, age at diagnosis, Gleason grade, clinical T-stage, PSA at diagnosis, smoking, BMI, walking pace, and primary treatment. We also explored whether age at diagnosis, BMI, time since diagnosis, smoking, or clinical features (grade, stage, treatment) modified the association between MV use and recurrence. Results: We observed 142 events of PCa recurrence over a median follow-up of 10 y; 858 (62%) men were current MV users, 216 (16%) were past users, and 299 (22%) were never users. Overall, MV use was not associated with risk of PCa recurrence (current vs. never HR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.45, 1.07; p-trend: 0.09). However, long-term MV users (≥10 y; n = 396) had a 56% lower risk of PCa recurrence compared to never users (HR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.78; p-trend: 0.006). Additionally, treatment modified the association between MV use and risk of PCa recurrence ( p-interaction: 0.02). Among the 845 men who had a radical prostatectomy (RP), current MV users had a 44% lower risk of PCa recurrence compared to past/never users (HR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.91; p-value: 0.02). MV use was not associated with risk of PCa recurrence among the 441 men who did not have a RP. Conclusions: Long-term MV use may be associated with lower risk of PCa recurrence.

Milk and other dairy foods in relation to prostate cancer progression: Data from the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CAPSURE)

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Background: Recent research suggests a positive relationship between intake of high-fat dairy, particularly whole milk, and prostate cancer (PC) mortality. However, data are limited in men after PC diagnosis. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study among 1336 men with non-metastatic PC in CaPSURE. The men answered a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in 2004-2005 (median time from diagnosis to the FFQ: 2 y) and were followed for PC progression until April 2016. PC progression was defined as: prostate cancer death, bone metastasis from PC, biochemical recurrence, or secondary treatment. Multivariate Cox Proportional Hazards regression was used to calculate hazards ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations between total, whole fat, and low-fat milk; total, high-fat, and low-fat dairy; and specific dairy items and PC progression. We adjusted for time from diagnosis to FFQ, calories, age at diagnosis, CAPRA score, smoking, BMI, walking pace, and primary PC treatment. Results: 314 events were observed (mean follow-up: 7.2 y). Whole milk was associated with an increased risk of PC progression when adjusting for age, calories, and time since diagnosis (HR ≥1 vs. <1 serving/wk: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.84; p-value: 0.03). This association was slightly attenuated, and not statistically significant, when adjusting for clinical and other lifestyle factors (HR: 1.27; 95% CI: 0.91, 1.77; p-value: 0.15). High-fat dairy intake also appeared associated with an increased risk of PC progression, but the association was not statistically significant (adjusted HR ≥4 vs. <1 servings/day: 1.40; 95% CI: 0.92, 2.13; p-trend: 0.18). Post-diagnostic intakes of low-fat milk and other dairy foods were not associated with PC progression. Conclusions: Post-diagnostic intake of milk and other dairy foods was not associated with PC progression. Research in populations with greater intake of whole milk is warranted to further investigate whether post-diagnostic whole milk intake increases risk of PC progression. Funding: This work was funded by the DOD Prostate Cancer Research Program (W81XWH-13-2-0074) and the NIH (K07CA197077).

Risks for incident human papillomavirus infection and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion development in young females

CONTEXT

Low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSILs) have been described as a benign cytological consequence of active human papillomavirus (HPV) replication. Several studies have reported that certain behavioral and biological risks exist for LSIL, suggesting that HPV alone is not sufficient for the development of LSIL. However, because most of these studies have been cross-sectional, it is not known whether behavioral and biological risks are simply risks for HPV infection itself.

OBJECTIVE

To prospectively examine risks of incident HPV infection in HPV-negative females and of incident LSIL development in females with HPV infection.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study conducted between 1990-2000, with a median follow-up of 50 months.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Females aged 13 to 21 years who attended 2 family planning clinics in the San Francisco bay area; 496 had prevalent HPV infection and 105 were HPV-negative.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Incident development of HPV infection and LSIL, analyzed by various demographic, behavioral, and clinical risk factors.

RESULTS

Fifty-four incident HPV infections occurred in the 105 females who were HPV-negative at study entry (median duration of follow-up for those who remained HPV-negative was 26 months). Multivariable analysis showed that risks of HPV included sexual behavior (relative hazard [RH], 10.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.24-31.50 per new partner per month), history of herpes simplex virus (RH, 3.54; 95% CI, 1.37-9.10), and history of vulvar warts (RH, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.27-5.87). Current use of oral contraceptives had a significantly protective effect (RH, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.28-0.86). Among the 496 individuals who were HPV-positive at baseline or in follow-up, there were 109 incident cases of LSIL during the follow-up interval, with a median follow-up time of 60 months for those who never developed LSIL. Human papillomavirus infection was the most significant risk factor for development of LSIL. The multivariable model showed the following risks for LSIL: HPV infection for less than 1 year (RH, 7.40; 95% CI, 4.74-11.57); HPV infection for 1 to 2 years (RH, 10.27; 95% CI, 5.64-18.69); HPV infection for 2 to 3 years (RH, 6.11; 95% CI, 1.86-20.06); and daily cigarette smoking (RH, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.12-2.48).

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate distinct risks for HPV and LSIL. In addition, most women with HPV infection in our study did not develop LSIL within a median follow-up period of 60 months. These findings underscore the hypothesis that certain biological risks thought to be associated with LSIL are, in fact, risks for acquisition of HPV. Cigarette smoking was a risk specific to LSIL, supporting the role of tobacco in neoplastic development.

Cost of treatment for onychomycosis. Data from a 9-month observational study

OBJECTIVES

To estimate component and total costs of treatment and to examine differences in cost and cost effectiveness between oral antifungal medication and local therapy for patients with toenail onychomycosis.

DESIGN

Prospective, observational study of patients with onychomycosis who visited dermatologists and podiatrists in the US. Physicians provided data on clinical management, disease severity, nail improvement and resource utilisation. Patients completed questionnaires on resource utilisation and symptoms at base-line, 4 and 9 months. To estimate costs, reported utilisation was multiplied by unit costs expressed in 1997 US dollars ($US) and derived in 2 ways: first, using Medicare fees; and second, using standard physician fees.

RESULTS

After adjustment for key demographic and clinical variables, participants receiving oral medication had higher total costs based on standard fees ($US794 vs $US575) and medication costs ($US564 vs $US109), lower procedure costs ($US0 vs $US122) and physician visit costs ($US200 vs $US330), and greater clinical effectiveness as measured by global improvement rating (86 vs 35%) and Toenail Symptom Index (94 vs 49%). For participants receiving oral medication, 90% of total costs were incurred during the first 4 months of follow-up, whereas for those receiving local therapy, costs were more evenly distributed throughout the study period. Incremental cost-effectiveness analysis showed $US304 to $US491 per additional case improved with oral medication over a 9-month timeframe. Extrapolation of these results using 2 time-points (months 4 and 9) suggested that cost equivalence would be reached 17 to 21 months following the initiation of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

During 9 months of follow-up in patients with toenail onychomycosis, the use of oral antifungal medication resulted in superior patient outcomes, but at higher total cost compared with local therapy.

The natural history of human papillomavirus infection as measured by repeated DNA testing in adolescent and young women

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this study were to describe the early natural history of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection by examining a cohort of young women positive for an HPV test and to define within this cohort (1) the probability of HPV regression, (2) the risk of having a squamous intraepithelial lesion, and (3) factors that were associated with HPV regression.

STUDY DESIGN

The study was a cohort analytic design. An inception cohort of 618 women positive for HPV participated. HPV testing, cytologic evaluation, and colposcopic evaluation were performed at 4-month intervals. HPV testing was characterized for two groups: low risk (five types rarely associated with cancers) and high risk (nine types most commonly associated with cancers).

RESULTS

Estimates provided by Kaplan-Meier curves showed that approximately 70% of women were found to have HPV regression by 24 months. Women with low-risk HPV type infections were more likely to show HPV regression than were women with high-risk HPV type infections (log rank test p = 0.002). The relative risk for the development of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) was 14.1 (95% confidence interval: 2.3, 84.5) for women with at least three positive tests for high-risk HPV preceding the development of the HSIL compared with that for women with negative tests for high-risk HPV. However, 88% of women with persistent positive HPV tests have not had HSIL to date. No factors associated with high-risk HPV type regression were identified except for a negative association with an incident history of vulvar condyloma (relative risk = 0.5 [95% confidence interval: 0.3 to 0.8]).

CONCLUSION

Most young women with a positive HPV test will become negative within a 24-month period. Persistent positive tests with oncogenic HPV types represented a significant risk for the development of HSIL. However, we found that most young women with persistent positive HPV tests did not have cytologically perceptible HSIL over a 2-year period. Factors thought to be associated with the development of HSIL were found not to be important in HPV regression.

Risks of human immunodeficiency virus infection among adolescents attending three diverse clinics

This study was performed to identify specific high-risk behaviors, such as unprotected oral, anal, and vaginal intercourse and substance abuse, associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection among adolescents attending three diverse clinics located in a localized geographic area: a university-based clinic, a Planned Parenthood clinic, and an inner-city public health clinic (PHC). Six hundred seventy-one female and 207 male adolescents attending one of the three clinics completed a structured questionnaire. Similarities among patients at the clinic sites included high rates of anal intercourse (21%), unprotected vaginal sex (95%), oral sex (73%), and poor communication skills (42%). Some differences appeared as well, including higher rates of homosexual experiences, no birth control use, and having multiple partners among adolescents attending the PHC (p < 0.001). In contrast, adolescents attending either the university-based clinic or the Planned Parenthood Clinic had higher rates of substance abuse around sexual activity than those who attended the PHC (p < 0.001). We conclude that adolescents attending general medical clinics in the San Francisco Bay area engage in high-risk behaviors that place them at risk for transmission of human immunodeficiency virus even though many have had previous education about acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and sexually transmitted disease. Specific risk factors include unprotected receptive anal intercourse, unprotected vaginal intercourse with new and unknown partners, experience in homosexual behavior, high rates of oral sex, multiple partners, poor communication skills, and frequent use of illicit substances in conjunction with sex. The differences found among sites indicate the need for health care providers and prevention programs to provide emphasis on practices specific to the adolescents in their service area.

Comparison between colposcopic, cytologic, and histologic findings in women positive and negative for human papillomavirus DNA

Little is known about the role of detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in exfoliated cells of the cervix in aiding the colposcopic diagnosis of cervical lesions. The purpose of our study was to compare the colposcopic findings of young women who were positive and negative for HPV DNA. Eighty-four women aged 13-22 years attending family planning clinics were examined colposcopically with the aide of acetic acid and Lugol's solution and without knowledge of HPV DNA status. Lesions identified were given scores based on the severity of observed colposcopic changes. Samples for cytology and HPV DNA testing, which included types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, and 35, were obtained at the time of the examination. Biopsies were performed on women with significant lesions identified on examination or with cytology suggestive of neoplasia. Students t-test and chi 2 analysis were performed to compare colposcopic variables and HPV DNA type. Of the 84 women examined, 17 were positive for HPV DNA; 9 had type 16/18. The average length of sexual activity was 2.7 years. Women with HPV 16/18 had a mean of 1.7 lesions visible at colposcopy compared to 0.7 lesions visible in those negative for HPV 16/18 (this included HPV DNA negative women and women positive for HPV types 6, 11, 31, 33, and 35) (p < 0.001). Women who were positive for HPV 16/18 also had higher lesional scores than the HPV 16/18-negative group (3.4 versus 1.0, respectively, p < 0.001). All four women who had dysplasia either on cytology or histology were positive for type 16/18.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)