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LSU Health New Orleans LA Tumor Registry releases 6th Census Tract Cancer Incidence Report

            New Orleans, LA — LSU Health New Orleans Louisiana Tumor Registry (LTR) has published the sixth report of statewide cancer incidence…

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11 months ago

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            New Orleans, LA — LSU Health New Orleans Louisiana Tumor Registry (LTR) has published the sixth report of statewide cancer incidence rates by census tract. The publication, which reports 2010-2019 combined cancer incidence data, found that 81% of the census tracts in Louisiana met publication criteria for all cancers combined. For specific cancer types, fewer census tracts met the criteria. For the Louisiana census tracts meeting the criteria, the incidence rates for all cancers combined and for specific cancer types were compared with the corresponding rates for the entire state. The numbers of census tracts with statistically significantly higher incidence rates as compared to the rates for Louisiana varied by cancer type. Cancer Incidence in Louisiana by Census Tract 2010-2019 is available online here.

Credit: LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health

            New Orleans, LA — LSU Health New Orleans Louisiana Tumor Registry (LTR) has published the sixth report of statewide cancer incidence rates by census tract. The publication, which reports 2010-2019 combined cancer incidence data, found that 81% of the census tracts in Louisiana met publication criteria for all cancers combined. For specific cancer types, fewer census tracts met the criteria. For the Louisiana census tracts meeting the criteria, the incidence rates for all cancers combined and for specific cancer types were compared with the corresponding rates for the entire state. The numbers of census tracts with statistically significantly higher incidence rates as compared to the rates for Louisiana varied by cancer type. Cancer Incidence in Louisiana by Census Tract 2010-2019 is available online here.

            The release of cancer incidence data is governed by the federal patient privacy law and federal standards for producing valid data. To protect patient confidentiality, HIPAA prohibits publication of health information by geographic area when the underlying population is 20,000 or less. The United States Cancer Statistics standards for generating reliable cancer incidence rates require case counts of 16 or more to report. To increase the number of census tracts meeting the publication criteria, LTR combined 10 years of data – 2010-2019.

            The cancer incidence rate is the number of newly diagnosed cancer cases in a specified population during the specified years, usually expressed as the number of cancers per 100,000 population.

            Census tracts are small, relatively permanent statistical subdivisions of a parish.  Census tracts generally have a population size between 1,200 and 8,000 people. Of the 1,148 census tracts in Louisiana, 933 met the publication criteria for all cancers combined. For specific cancer types, fewer census tracts met the criteria.

            For all cancers combined, of the 933 census tracts meeting the publication criteria when 2010-2019 data were combined, 124 census tracts from 38 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates as compared with Louisiana, and 107 census tracts had lower incidence rates.

            The census tract with the highest incidence rate that is statistically significant for all cancers combined in Louisiana is 22071013400, which is in the Central Business District/Warehouse District in Orleans Parish. The rate is 893.5 per 100,000. There are 26.0 cases on average per year among a population of 2,524.

The second statistically significantly higher rate is also in Orleans Parish – the Desire Neighborhood (22071013700). The rate is 738.8 per 100,000. There are 14.8 cases on average per year among a population of 2,200.         

The third statistically significantly higher rate is found in Lafourche Parish in the Brule area near the town of Thibodaux (22057020702). The rate is 731.8 per 100,000. There are 19.5 cases on average per year among a population of 3,172.

There are census tracts with a statistically higher cancer incidence rate than Louisiana for all cancers combined in Acadia, Ascension, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Catahoula, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Carroll, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Rapides, Richland, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermillion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, and West Baton Rouge parishes.

Results for the most common specific cancer types include:

Prostate Cancer: Of the 477 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 45 census tracts in 19 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and 42 had lower rates.

            Cancers of the Lung and Bronchus: Of the 849 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 80 census tracts in 34 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and 67 census tracts had lower rates.

            Female Breast Cancer: Of the 520 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 26 census tracts in 11 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and 18 census tracts had lower rates.

            Colorectal Cancer: Of the 706 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 49 census tracts in 27 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and 19 census tracts had lower rates.

            Cancers of the Kidney and Renal Pelvis: Of the 224 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 27 census tracts in 22 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

            Findings for other cancer types include:

            Non-Hodgkin lymphoma: Of the 138 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 21 census tracts in 10 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

            Urinary Bladder Cancer: Of the 141 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 32 census tracts in 19 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

            Melanoma of the Skin: Of the 141 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 75 census tracts in 17 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

            Pancreas: Of the 36 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 9 census tracts in 6 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

            Leukemia: Of the 47 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 9 census tracts in 7 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

            Oral Cavity & Pharynx: Of the 35 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 13 census tracts in 11 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

            Thyroid: Of the 55 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 19 census tracts in 13 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

            Corpus Uterus: Of the 6 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 1 census tract in 1 parish had a statistically significantly higher incidence rate than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

            Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct: Of the 10 census tracts meeting the publication criteria, 9 census tracts in 7 parishes had statistically significantly higher incidence rates than Louisiana, and none had lower rates.

            Myeloma: 1 census tract meeting the publication criteria in 1 parish had a statistically significantly higher incidence rate than Louisiana.

            “Cancer remains the second leading cause of death in the United States even during the COVID-19 pandemic,” notes Xiao-Cheng Wu, MD, MPH, Professor and Director of the Louisiana Tumor Registry at LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health. “According to the National Center for Health Statistics data, the number of cancer deaths surpassed the number of COVID-19 deaths in both 2020 and 2021. The timely publication of this cancer report underscores our unwavering commitment to providing high-quality and timely cancer data for cancer control, prevention and cancer research. We would like to extend a well-deserved shout-out to everyone at the hospital and regional registries in Louisiana. Their hard work made this report possible.”

            LSU Health New Orleans Louisiana Tumor Registry is a statewide population-based cancer registry authorized by law to collect data on all reportable cancer cases occurring among Louisiana residents. A registry serves as an official count of a specific thing and its associated identifying information.

            A cancer registry systematically collects data on reportable cancers, which includes patient demographics, cancer type, stage at diagnosis, and the first course of treatment, as well as survival. This information is used to answer questions such as: Are more or fewer people getting colorectal cancer from one reporting period to the next?

            LTR’s job is to collect high-quality cancer data, which guide and support cancer prevention and control activities, as well as many other cancer-related programs and research. Policymakers, state health departments, cancer control programs and other qualified health professionals decide if further action is warranted based on the LTR data.

            LTR’s excellence is attested by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR).  LTR consistently achieves the benchmark of 98% case completeness set forth by NCI and has received first place awards for the quality and completeness of its data from NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program for the past 13 consecutive years. One of only 22 cancer registries in the country comprising NCI’s SEER Program, LTR is considered to be one of the leading cancer registries in the nation.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans educates Louisiana’s health care professionals. The state’s flagship health sciences university, LSU Health New Orleans includes a School of Medicine with campuses in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, the state’s only School of Dentistry, Louisiana’s only public School of Public Health, and Schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing, and Graduate Studies. LSU Health New Orleans faculty take care of patients in public and private hospitals and clinics throughout the region. In the vanguard of biosciences research in a number of areas in a worldwide arena, the LSU Health New Orleans research enterprise generates jobs and enormous economic impact. LSU Health New Orleans faculty have made lifesaving discoveries and continue to work to prevent, advance treatment, or cure disease. To learn more, visit http://www.lsuhsc.edu, http://www.twitter.com/LSUHealthNO, or http://www.facebook.com/LSUHSC.      

 

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Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Cancer Incidence in Louisiana by Census Tract 2010-2019

Article Publication Date

31-Mar-2023

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Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study

Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study

Authored by Amie Dahnke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

People with inadequate…

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5 hours ago

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March 9, 2024

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Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study

Authored by Amie Dahnke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

People with inadequate iron levels in their blood due to a COVID-19 infection could be at greater risk of long COVID.

(Shutterstock)

A new study indicates that problems with iron levels in the bloodstream likely trigger chronic inflammation and other conditions associated with the post-COVID phenomenon. The findings, published on March 1 in Nature Immunology, could offer new ways to treat or prevent the condition.

Long COVID Patients Have Low Iron Levels

Researchers at the University of Cambridge pinpointed low iron as a potential link to long-COVID symptoms thanks to a study they initiated shortly after the start of the pandemic. They recruited people who tested positive for the virus to provide blood samples for analysis over a year, which allowed the researchers to look for post-infection changes in the blood. The researchers looked at 214 samples and found that 45 percent of patients reported symptoms of long COVID that lasted between three and 10 months.

In analyzing the blood samples, the research team noticed that people experiencing long COVID had low iron levels, contributing to anemia and low red blood cell production, just two weeks after they were diagnosed with COVID-19. This was true for patients regardless of age, sex, or the initial severity of their infection.

According to one of the study co-authors, the removal of iron from the bloodstream is a natural process and defense mechanism of the body.

But it can jeopardize a person’s recovery.

“When the body has an infection, it responds by removing iron from the bloodstream. This protects us from potentially lethal bacteria that capture the iron in the bloodstream and grow rapidly. It’s an evolutionary response that redistributes iron in the body, and the blood plasma becomes an iron desert,” University of Oxford professor Hal Drakesmith said in a press release. “However, if this goes on for a long time, there is less iron for red blood cells, so oxygen is transported less efficiently affecting metabolism and energy production, and for white blood cells, which need iron to work properly. The protective mechanism ends up becoming a problem.”

The research team believes that consistently low iron levels could explain why individuals with long COVID continue to experience fatigue and difficulty exercising. As such, the researchers suggested iron supplementation to help regulate and prevent the often debilitating symptoms associated with long COVID.

“It isn’t necessarily the case that individuals don’t have enough iron in their body, it’s just that it’s trapped in the wrong place,” Aimee Hanson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge who worked on the study, said in the press release. “What we need is a way to remobilize the iron and pull it back into the bloodstream, where it becomes more useful to the red blood cells.”

The research team pointed out that iron supplementation isn’t always straightforward. Achieving the right level of iron varies from person to person. Too much iron can cause stomach issues, ranging from constipation, nausea, and abdominal pain to gastritis and gastric lesions.

1 in 5 Still Affected by Long COVID

COVID-19 has affected nearly 40 percent of Americans, with one in five of those still suffering from symptoms of long COVID, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Long COVID is marked by health issues that continue at least four weeks after an individual was initially diagnosed with COVID-19. Symptoms can last for days, weeks, months, or years and may include fatigue, cough or chest pain, headache, brain fog, depression or anxiety, digestive issues, and joint or muscle pain.

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/09/2024 - 12:50

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Walmart joins Costco in sharing key pricing news

The massive retailers have both shared information that some retailers keep very close to the vest.

Published

8 hours ago

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March 9, 2024

By

As we head toward a presidential election, the presumed candidates for both parties will look for issues that rally undecided voters. 

The economy will be a key issue, with Democrats pointing to job creation and lowering prices while Republicans will cite the layoffs at Big Tech companies, high housing prices, and of course, sticky inflation.

The covid pandemic created a perfect storm for inflation and higher prices. It became harder to get many items because people getting sick slowed down, or even stopped, production at some factories.

Related: Popular mall retailer shuts down abruptly after bankruptcy filing

It was also a period where demand increased while shipping, trucking and delivery systems were all strained or thrown out of whack. The combination led to product shortages and higher prices.

You might have gone to the grocery store and not been able to buy your favorite paper towel brand or find toilet paper at all. That happened partly because of the supply chain and partly due to increased demand, but at the end of the day, it led to higher prices, which some consumers blamed on President Joe Biden's administration.

Biden, of course, was blamed for the price increases, but as inflation has dropped and grocery prices have fallen, few companies have been up front about it. That's probably not a political choice in most cases. Instead, some companies have chosen to lower prices more slowly than they raised them.

However, two major retailers, Walmart (WMT) and Costco, have been very honest about inflation. Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon's most recent comments validate what Biden's administration has been saying about the state of the economy. And they contrast with the economic picture being painted by Republicans who support their presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.

Walmart has seen inflation drop in many key areas.

Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Walmart sees lower prices

McMillon does not talk about lower prices to make a political statement. He's communicating with customers and potential customers through the analysts who cover the company's quarterly-earnings calls.

During Walmart's fiscal-fourth-quarter-earnings call, McMillon was clear that prices are going down.

"I'm excited about the omnichannel net promoter score trends the team is driving. Across countries, we continue to see a customer that's resilient but looking for value. As always, we're working hard to deliver that for them, including through our rollbacks on food pricing in Walmart U.S. Those were up significantly in Q4 versus last year, following a big increase in Q3," he said.

He was specific about where the chain has seen prices go down.

"Our general merchandise prices are lower than a year ago and even two years ago in some categories, which means our customers are finding value in areas like apparel and hard lines," he said. "In food, prices are lower than a year ago in places like eggs, apples, and deli snacks, but higher in other places like asparagus and blackberries."

McMillon said that in other areas prices were still up but have been falling.

"Dry grocery and consumables categories like paper goods and cleaning supplies are up mid-single digits versus last year and high teens versus two years ago. Private-brand penetration is up in many of the countries where we operate, including the United States," he said.

Costco sees almost no inflation impact

McMillon avoided the word inflation in his comments. Costco  (COST)  Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti, who steps down on March 15, has been very transparent on the topic.

The CFO commented on inflation during his company's fiscal-first-quarter-earnings call.

"Most recently, in the last fourth-quarter discussion, we had estimated that year-over-year inflation was in the 1% to 2% range. Our estimate for the quarter just ended, that inflation was in the 0% to 1% range," he said.

Galanti made clear that inflation (and even deflation) varied by category.

"A bigger deflation in some big and bulky items like furniture sets due to lower freight costs year over year, as well as on things like domestics, bulky lower-priced items, again, where the freight cost is significant. Some deflationary items were as much as 20% to 30% and, again, mostly freight-related," he added.

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Government

Walmart has really good news for shoppers (and Joe Biden)

The giant retailer joins Costco in making a statement that has political overtones, even if that’s not the intent.

Published

9 hours ago

on

March 9, 2024

By

As we head toward a presidential election, the presumed candidates for both parties will look for issues that rally undecided voters. 

The economy will be a key issue, with Democrats pointing to job creation and lowering prices while Republicans will cite the layoffs at Big Tech companies, high housing prices, and of course, sticky inflation.

The covid pandemic created a perfect storm for inflation and higher prices. It became harder to get many items because people getting sick slowed down, or even stopped, production at some factories.

Related: Popular mall retailer shuts down abruptly after bankruptcy filing

It was also a period where demand increased while shipping, trucking and delivery systems were all strained or thrown out of whack. The combination led to product shortages and higher prices.

You might have gone to the grocery store and not been able to buy your favorite paper towel brand or find toilet paper at all. That happened partly because of the supply chain and partly due to increased demand, but at the end of the day, it led to higher prices, which some consumers blamed on President Joe Biden's administration.

Biden, of course, was blamed for the price increases, but as inflation has dropped and grocery prices have fallen, few companies have been up front about it. That's probably not a political choice in most cases. Instead, some companies have chosen to lower prices more slowly than they raised them.

However, two major retailers, Walmart (WMT) and Costco, have been very honest about inflation. Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon's most recent comments validate what Biden's administration has been saying about the state of the economy. And they contrast with the economic picture being painted by Republicans who support their presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.

Walmart has seen inflation drop in many key areas.

Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Walmart sees lower prices

McMillon does not talk about lower prices to make a political statement. He's communicating with customers and potential customers through the analysts who cover the company's quarterly-earnings calls.

During Walmart's fiscal-fourth-quarter-earnings call, McMillon was clear that prices are going down.

"I'm excited about the omnichannel net promoter score trends the team is driving. Across countries, we continue to see a customer that's resilient but looking for value. As always, we're working hard to deliver that for them, including through our rollbacks on food pricing in Walmart U.S. Those were up significantly in Q4 versus last year, following a big increase in Q3," he said.

He was specific about where the chain has seen prices go down.

"Our general merchandise prices are lower than a year ago and even two years ago in some categories, which means our customers are finding value in areas like apparel and hard lines," he said. "In food, prices are lower than a year ago in places like eggs, apples, and deli snacks, but higher in other places like asparagus and blackberries."

McMillon said that in other areas prices were still up but have been falling.

"Dry grocery and consumables categories like paper goods and cleaning supplies are up mid-single digits versus last year and high teens versus two years ago. Private-brand penetration is up in many of the countries where we operate, including the United States," he said.

Costco sees almost no inflation impact

McMillon avoided the word inflation in his comments. Costco  (COST)  Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti, who steps down on March 15, has been very transparent on the topic.

The CFO commented on inflation during his company's fiscal-first-quarter-earnings call.

"Most recently, in the last fourth-quarter discussion, we had estimated that year-over-year inflation was in the 1% to 2% range. Our estimate for the quarter just ended, that inflation was in the 0% to 1% range," he said.

Galanti made clear that inflation (and even deflation) varied by category.

"A bigger deflation in some big and bulky items like furniture sets due to lower freight costs year over year, as well as on things like domestics, bulky lower-priced items, again, where the freight cost is significant. Some deflationary items were as much as 20% to 30% and, again, mostly freight-related," he added.

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