Recent Publications

Protocol for observational study topic of research 

Research by Dr. Devika Das, director of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at UMMC and associate director of clinical affairs for the Cancer Center and Research Institute, et.al., was published in BMJ Open, an online, open-access journal.  

“Protocol for an observational cohort study integrating real-world data and microsimulation to assess imaging surveillance strategies in stage I-IIIA NSCLC patients in OneFlorida” is, to the research team’s knowledge, the first attempt to integrate real-world data and microsimulation models to assess the long-term impact and effectiveness of imaging surveillance strategies.  

Professional societies recommend routine surveillance with CT to optimize the detection of potential recurrence and second primary lung cancer (SPLC) at a localized stage. However, no definitive evidence demonstrates the effect of imaging surveillance on survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer. To close these research gaps, the Advancing Precision Lung Cancer Surveillance and Outcomes in Diverse Populations (PLuS2) study is leveraging real-world electronic health records data to evaluate surveillance outcomes among patients with and without guideline-adherent surveillance. The overarching goal of the PLuS2 study is to assess the long-term effectiveness of surveillance strategies in real-world settings. 

Patients undergoing imaging surveillance in the study are being followed from 2012 to 2026 by linking electronic health records with tumor registry data in the OneFlorida+ Clinical Research Consortium. The data are being consolidated in a unified repository to: 

• Examine the use and determinants of CT imaging surveillance by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. 

• Compare clinical endpoints including recurrence, SPLCs and survival of patients who undergo semiannual instead of annual CT imaging. 

• Use the observational data along with validated microsimulation models to simulate imaging surveillance outcomes within the U.S. population. 

Discrimination, tobacco outcomes for teens focus of study 

Research by Dr. Raed Bahelah, associate professor of research at the John D. Bower School of Population Health, and Dr. Thomas Dobbs, dean of the School of Population Health, was published in BMC Public Health in October.  

“Racially motivated discrimination distress and tobacco use outcomes among adolescents in the United States” measured racism and discrimination using the Adolescent Discrimination Distress Index (ADDI) and its institutional, educational, and peer subscales and key tobacco use outcomes (e.g., frequency, dependence, quit).

About 53.9% (or more than 12 million) adolescents in the United States reported discrimination. Higher overall ADDI scores and higher scores on the three subscales were associated with higher odds of tobacco dependence, while higher scores on the peer subscale were associated with lower odds of intention to quit and quit attempts. Considering strategies to increase adolescents' resilience against discrimination and screening for discrimination when treating young people with tobacco dependence are needed.