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Comparative Effectiveness Research on Cancer in Texas (CERCIT) is a statewide resource for outcomes and comparative effectiveness research funded by The Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), RP160674

Welcome to Comparative Effectiveness Research on Cancer in Texas (CERCIT)

The goal of CERCIT is to find evidence that will help patients and their physicians make individualized decisions about the best cancer care options, including screening, treatment, and end of life care in cancer. CERCIT is a multidisciplinary consortium of investigators at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), UT Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas (UTSW), and the Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Cancer Registry.

CERCIT News

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James S. Goodwin, MD, George and Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair in Geriatric Medicine, Sealy Center on Aging will present on Comparative Effectiveness Research in Cancer Care in the DMAC (Data Management and Analysis Core) CERCIT (Comparative Effectiveness Research on Cancer in Texas) Seminar Series on Tuesday, October 25, 2022, from Noon – 1 pm online. Contact Monica Cline (mjcline@utmb.edu) for Zoom invitation.

As part of $142 million in new grants, the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas, (CPRIT) announced on August 18, 2021 an award of $2,936,731 to Yong-Fang Kuo, PhD, Professor of Preventive Medicine and Community Health and Director of the UTMB Office of Biostatistics. The award supports the establishment of a state-wide resource, The Data Management and Analysis Core (DMAC) for Comparative Effectiveness Research on Cancer in Texas, at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Since 2010, the Data Management and Analysis Core (DMAC) of the Comparative Effectiveness Research on Cancer in Texas (CERCIT) has worked closely with Texas Cancer Registry (TCR) to link multiple large databases, including Medicare and Medicaid, for research use. This new funding will continue the DMAC via the CPRIT-Core Facility Support Award. The DMAC will link TCR databases with nationally representative surveys, to enhance patient-centered outcomes research and the interpretation and applicability of our findings to the Texas population. It will also train new comparative effectiveness research (CER) investigators across Texas academic and research institutions with a large number of underrepresented researchers.  Read more at the Sealy Center on Aging website. 


 
Goodwin-CER-PCOR-11282018 A Geriatric Medicine Conference lecture on Comparative Effectiveness Research (and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research) was presented by James S. Goodwin, MD, George and Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics on November 28, 2018 at UTMB. Dr Goodwin is the PI of the CERCIT and other aging related grants at UTMB. 
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A special lecture sponsored by Center for Recovery, Physical Activity, and Nutrition (CeRPAN) with the Department of Nutrition & Metabolism as part of the UTMB School of Health Professions 50th Anniversary lecture series on July 25, 2018. Exercise Guidance After a Cancer Diagnosis: Evidence and Logistics was presented by Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, Professor of Epidemiology, Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences; Associate Director of Population Sciences, Penn State Cancer Institute.
slide title graphic A Pepper Center Investigator's Lecture on Sixteen Suggestions to Improve Skills in Scientific Writing was presented by James S. Goodwin, MD, George and Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics on May 2, 2018 at UTMB.
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The size and diversity of Texas present substantial challenges to the delivery of cancer care throughout the state. The CERCIT Knowledge Translation Core produced the following report and online resources that map population, economic and health care characteristics of diverse geographic areas in Texas that are relevant to the delivery of cancer care.

Read More: Demographic Variations in Texas
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A multi-institutional group, led by James S. Goodwin, MD, has been awarded a second five years of funding for "Comparative Effectiveness Research on Cancer in Texas" (CERCIT). The $6 million grant is from the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas. The CERCIT renewal will build on our analyses of administrative data but expand our methods to better measure individual patient characteristics and include information on patient preferences and patient reported outcomes. Our goal is to generate evidence that will help patients and their physicians make individualized decisions about the best cancer care options for each patient. These choices include screening, treatment and end of life care in cancer.
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HOUSTON – (July 25, 2016) – Regions in Texas differ widely in adherence to recommended cancer treatment for elderly patients, according to a study by researchers at Rice University and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

These differences are not due to the availability of treatment specialists or the presence of teaching hospitals, the study found. The absence of consistent explanations for these treatment differences suggests that variations like these are likely to occur elsewhere nationwide.

"Texans are no better off in one city versus another in terms of treatment across a broad range of cancers," said Vivian Ho, the chair in health economics at Rice's Baker Institute for Public Policy and director of the institute's Center for Health and Biosciences, who co-authored the study. "One might have expected Houston residents to receive better treatment because of MD Anderson's presence, but any beneficial effects could be offset by a large number of elderly in Houston not being treated there." The research findings were published in the journal BMC Health Services Research.

CERCIT Publications

  • 2022

    Oke O, Niu J, Chavez-MacGregor M, Zhao H, Giordano SH. Adjuvant tamoxifen adherence in men with early-stage breast cancer. Cancer. 2022 Jan 1;128(1):59-64. doi: 10.1002/cncr.33899. Epub 2021 Oct 1. 

    PMID: 34597415

    Corrigan KL, Lei X, Ahmad N, Arzu I, Bloom E, Chun SG, Goodman C, Hoffman KE, Joyner M, Mayo L, Mitchell M, Nead KT, Perkins GH, Reed V, Reddy JP, Schlembach P, Shaitelman SF, Stauder MC, Strom EA, Tereffe W, Wiederhold L, Woodward WA, Smith BD. Adoption of Ultrahypofractionated Radiation Therapy in Patients with Breast Cancer. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2021 Dec 24;7(2):100877. doi: 10.1016/j.adro.2021.100877. 

    PMID: 35387420

    Suarez-Almazor ME, Pundole X, Cabanillas G, Lei X, Zhao H, Elting LS, Lopez-Olivo MA, Giordano SH. Association of Bone Mineral Density Testing with Risk of Major Osteoporotic Fractures Among Older Men Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy to Treat Localized or Regional Prostate Cancer. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Apr 1;5(4):e225432. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.5432. 

    PMID: 35363269

    Diao K, Andring LM, Barcenas CH, Singh P, Carisa Le-Petross H, Reed VK, Reddy JP, Bloom ES, Ahmad NR, Mayo LL, Perkins GH, Mitchell MP, Nead KT, Tereffe W, Smith BD, Woodward WA. Contemporary Outcomes After Multimodality Therapy in Patients with Breast Cancer Presenting With Ipsilateral Supraclavicular Node Involvement. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2022 Jan 1;112(1):66-74. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2021.08.026. Epub 2021 Oct 25. 

    		PMID: 34710521
    Swanick CW, Jiang J, Maldonado JA, Lei X, Shih YT, Caudle AS, Baumann DP, Giordano SH, Shaitelman SF, Shirvani SM, Smith BD. Differences in Time Burden across Local Therapy Strategies for Early-stage Breast Cancer. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2021 Nov 4;9(11):e3904. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000003904. PMID: 34745797
    Karuturi MS, Giordano SH, Hoover DS, Volk RJ, Housten AJ. Exploring and supporting older women's chemotherapy decision-making in early-stage breast cancer. J Geriatr Oncol. 2022 Mar;13(2):170-175. doi: 10.1016/j.jgo.2021.11.018. Epub 2021 Dec 23. PMID: 34955445
    Weng JK, Lei X, Schlembach P, Bloom ES, Shaitelman SF, Arzu IY, Chronowski G, Dvorak T, Grade E, Hoffman K, Perkins G, Reed VK, Shah SJ, Stauder MC, Strom EA, Tereffe W, Woodward WA, Hortobagyi GN, Hunt KK, Buchholz TA, Smith BD. Five-year longitudinal analysis of patient-reported outcomes and cosmesis in a randomized trial of conventionally fractionated versus hypofractionated whole-breast irradiation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2021 Oct 1;111(2):360-370. PMID:  33992718
    Maroongroge S, Wallington DG, Taylor PA, Zhu D, Guadagnolo BA, Smith BD, Yu JB, Ballas LK. Geographic Access to Radiation Therapy Facilities in the United States. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2022 Mar 1;112(3):600-610. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2021.10.144. Epub 2021 Nov 8. PMID: 34762972
    Boyce-Fappiano D, Liao K, Miller C, Peterson SK, Elting LS, Guadagnolo BA. Greater preferences for death in hospital and mechanical ventilation at the end of life among non-whites recently diagnosed with cancer. Support Care Cancer. 2021 Nov;29(11):6555-6564. doi: 10.1007/s00520-021-06226-5. Epub 2021 Apr 29. PMID: 33913005
    Lin SH, Liao K, Lei X, Verma V, Shaaban S, Lee P, Chen AB, Koong AC, Hoftstetter WL, Frank SJ, Liao Z, Shih YCT, Giordano SH, Smith GL. Health care resource utilization for esophageal cancer using proton versus photon radiation therapy. Int J Part Ther. 2022 Jun 23;91(1):18-27. PMID:  35774487

    Andring LM, Diao K, Sun S, Patel M, Whitman GJ, Schlembach P, Arzu I, Joyner MM, Shaitelman SF, Hoffman K, Stauder MC, Smith BD, Woodward WA. Locoregional Management and Prognostic Factors in Breast Cancer with Ipsilateral Internal Mammary and Axillary Lymph Node Involvement. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2022 Jul 1;113(3):552-560. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2022.02.037. Epub 2022 Mar 4. 

    		PMID: 35248602
    Hanson SE, Lei X, Roubaud MS, DeSnyder SM, Caudle AS, Shaitelman SF, Hoffman KE, Smith GL, Jagsi R, Peterson SK, Smith BD. Long-term Quality of Life in Patients with Breast Cancer After Breast Conservation vs Mastectomy and Reconstruction. JAMA Surg. 2022 Jun 1;157(6):e220631. doi: 10.1001/jamasurg.2022.0631. Epub 2022 Jun 8. PMID: 35416926

    Huepenbecker SP, Fu S, Sun CC, Zhao H, Primm KM, Giordano SH, Meyer LA. Medicaid expansion and 2-year survival in women with gynecologic cancer:  a difference-in-difference analysis. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2022 Apr 29:S0002-9878(22)00326-X. 

    		PMID:  35500609
    Lu Z, Zhang N, Giordano SH, Zhao H. Opioid use and associated factors among pancreatic cancer patients diagnosed between 2007 and 2015. Cancer Med. 2022 Jun;11(11):2296-2307. doi: 10.1002/cam4.4610. Epub 2022 Feb 23. 

    PMID: 35199472

     De B, Fu S, Chen YS, Das P, Ku K, Maroongroge S, Woodhouse KD, Hoffman KE, Nguyen QN, Reed VK, Chen AB, Koong AC, Smith BD, Smith GL. Patient, physician, and policy factors underlying variation in use of telemedicine for radiation oncology cancer care. Cancer Med. 2022 May;11(10):2096-2105. doi: 10.1002/cam4.4555. Epub 2022 Mar 16. 

    PMID: 35297210

    Bruera S, Lei X, Blau B, Zhao H, Deswal A, Yazdany J, Giordano SH, Suarez-Almazor ME. Postoperative Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. ACR Open Rheumatol. 2022 Jun;4(6):511-519. doi: 10.1002/acr2.11424. Epub 2022 Mar 16. 

    PMID: 35294107 

    Maldonado JA, Fu S, Chen YS, Acquati C, Yabroff KR, Banegas MP, Chang S, Conti RM, Checka CM, Peterson SK, Advani P, Ku K, Jagsi R, Giordano SH, Volk RJ, Shih YT, Smith GL. Sensitivity of Psychosocial Distress Screening to Identify Cancer Patients at Risk for Financial Hardship During Care Delivery. JCO Oncol Pract. 2021 Dec;17(12):e1856-e1865. doi: 10.1200/OP.20.01009. Epub 2021 May 27. PMID: 34043452

    Polychronopoulou E, Giordano SH, Chou LN, Yu X, Kuo YF. Signal Detection of Adverse Events Associated with Trastuzumab in a Cohort of Elderly Patients with Breast Cancer. Oncologist. 2022 Jun 8;27(6):434-440. doi: 10.1093/oncolo/oyac059.

    		35438771

     

    Lowenstein LM, Nishi SPE, Lopez-Olivo, MA, Crocker LC, Choi N, Kim B, Shih YT, Volk RJ. Smoking cessation services and shared decision-making practices among lung cancer screening facilities. A cross-sectional study. Cancer. 2022 May 15;128(10):1967-1975.

    		PMID:  35157302

    Huepenbecker SP, Sun CC, Fu S, Zhao H, He W, Primm K, Giordano SH, Meyer LA. Temporal trends of healthcare system use between symptomatic presentation and ovarian cancer diagnosis in the United States. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2022 Jul 4;32(7):899-905. doi: 10.1136/ijgc-2021-003219.

    		35331992

     

    Sosa A, Lei X, Woodward WA, Chavez Mac Gregor M, Lucci A, Giordano SH, Nead KT. Trends in Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsies in Patients With Inflammatory Breast Cancer in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Feb 1;5(2):e2148021. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.48021.

    		PMID: 35147686

     

Multi-PI Grants: A Workshop Presented by James S. Goodwin, MD and others at UTMB

Fun with Medicare Part D Data: A CERCIT Workshop presented by James S. Goodwin, MD, August 2014

Shared Decision Making in Cancer Care: A CERCIT Workshop presented by Nina Tamirisa, MD, August 2014

The Use of Surgery in the Elderly for Management of Metastatic Epidural Spinal Cord Compression: A CERCIT Workshop presented by Justin E. Bird, MD, June 2014

Population-Based Assessment of Breast Reconstruction: A CERCIT Workshop presented by Ben Smith, MD, June 2014

Fact Sheets 

Prostate Cancer [PDF]: Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) Testing in Men Aged 65 & Older

Mammography [PDF]: Mammography in Women Aged 65 & Older

Colonoscopy [PDF]: Colonoscopy in Adults Aged 65 & Older

Reports and Special Publications

Surveillance Patterns Following Lung Cancer Resection [PDF]: This report describes the current population-based trends in surveillance practices and the use of these modalities in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following curative resection.

Comparative Effectiveness of MRI vs. Mammography Alone in Patients Undergoing Breast-Conserving Therapy for Breast Cancer [PDF]: This report compares the effectiveness of MRI vs. mammography alone in patients undergoing breast-conserving therapy for breast cancer.

Hispanic Cancer Report [PDF]: From A quarterly publication of the Texas Public Health Association (TPHA) Supplement, Fall 2013, A Comprehensive Report on Cancer among Hispanics in Texas.

CERCIT Featured in the Texas Public Health Journal Summer 2013

Using research to keep Texans informed about cancer care – that is at the heart of CERCIT (Comparative Effectiveness Research on Cancer in Texas). A description of this project and selected articles from its four research areas are featured in the Spring 2013 issue of the Texas Public Health Journal, a quarterly publication of the Texas Public Health Association (pages 22-55):

CERCIT: Research to Keep Texans Informed About Cancer Care [PDF], p 22-29

Utilization of BRCA testing in older women with breast and/or ovarian cancer in the state of Texas [PDF], p 30-36

Prostate Cancer Treatment Patterns in the State of Texas, 2004-2007 [PDF], p 37-43

The Current Utilization of Breast and Prostate Cancer Screening in Older Adults in Texas [PDF], p 22-29

The Human and Economic Burden of Cervical Cancer in Texas [PDF], p 51-55

Just how much does cancer cost in Texas? [PDF] Texas Public Health Journal, Vol 63, Issue 4, Fall 2011. Findings are reported in the Cost of Cancer in Texas, 2005 [PDF] published by the Texas Cancer Council.

In the first five years of CERCIT, we offered clinician-scientist training in Comparative Effectiveness Research on Cancer in Texas. Trainees attended monthly workshops. A selection of those workshop presentations are now available as resources linked below:

CERCIT Presentations

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CERCIT is a multidisciplinary consortium of investigators at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC), UT Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas (UTSW), and the Texas Department of State Health Services Texas Cancer Registry. CERCIT is funded by the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). Manuscript Acknowledgement: This work was supported [in part] by the Comparative Effectiveness Research on Cancer in Texas (CERCIT) Grant #RP160674, funded by The Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).