Le cancer du sein est actuellement dans les pays occidentaux le premier cancer chez la femme, en termes d’incidence et de mortalité (taux standardisés de 101,5 et 17.7 pour 100 000 personnes années en 2005 respectivement). De très nombreux facteurs de risque et facteurs pronostiques sont déjà connus et étudiés, plusieurs axes de recherche sont développés sur toutes les étapes de la maladie, mais l’influence des facteurs socio-économiques et géographiques, aux niveaux individuel et environnemental n’avait pas encore été étudiée en France sur le cancer du sein.L’objectif général de ce travail était d’explorer cette influence par différents moyens afin d’en tirer des connaissances et une application pratique dans la prévention du cancer du sein, qu’elle soit primaire, secondaire ou tertiaire.Dans notre première étude nous avons montré que les femmes d’un niveau socio-éducatif faible étaient moins à même d’avoir bénéficié d’au moins une mammographie dans les 6 ans ou d’au moins un suivi gynécologique dans les 3 ans précédant leur diagnostic de cancer du sein. Egalement elles ont un stade de diagnostic plus avancé que les femmes de niveau socio-éducatif plus élevé. Ces variables sont ensuite retrouvées comme facteurs pronostiques péjoratifs de la survie. Dans notre seconde étude nous avons montré que l’accès à un chirurgien spécialisé dans les interventions du cancer du sein, gage d’une meilleure survie, était influencé par le niveau socio-économique du lieu de résidence de la patiente, ainsi que par son éloignement géographique par rapport aux centres de traitement de référence du cancer, où travaillent les chirurgiens spécialisés. Dans notre troisième étude nous avons montré qu’à l’inverse de nombre de cancers, l’incidence du cancer du sein était plus élevée dans les zones socio-économiquement plus favorisées, et ce quelle que soit la classe d’âge de la patiente, phénomène pour lequel nous n’avons pas vraiment d’explication, surtout pour les femmes les plus jeunes. Enfin dans notre quatrième étude actuellement en cours, nous avons pour objectif d’étudier au niveau individuel, conjointement avec le nouvel indice de défavorisation européen adapté à la France, en quoi le degré de richesse économique et sociale et la proximité des services médicaux des patientes atteintes de cancer du sein joue sur le stade de la tumeur, l’accès et les modalités de traitement, et la survie. / In developed countries, breast cancer is currently the leading cancer in women in terms of incidence and mortality (standardized rate of 101.5 and 17.7 per 100,000 person-years in 2005, respectively). Many risk factors and prognostic factors have been studied and are well known. Research is under way with regard to every step in the development of breast cancer, but the impact of socio-economic and geographic factors, at the individual and environmental level with regard to the disease have never been studied in France.The general aim of this work was to explore the impact of these factors in different ways to build on our knowledge and to develop practical applications in the primary, secondary or tertiary prevention of breast cancer.In our first study, we showed that women with a low socio-educational level were less likely to have benefited from at least one mammography within the 6 years or at least one gynaecological consultation within the 3 years before the diagnosis of breast cancer. These women also had a more advanced tumour at diagnosis than did women with a higher socio-educational level. These variables also came to light as predictors of a poor prognosis in terms of survival. In our second study, we showed that access to a surgeon specialised in breast cancer surgery, which is associated with better survival, was influenced by the socio-economic level of the patient’s place of residence, as well as the distance between the patient’s home and reference centres for cancer treatment, where the specialised surgeons work. In our third study, we showed that in contrast to many cancers, the incidence of breast cancer was highest in the most socio-economically privileged areas, and this whatever the age of the patient. We have no explanation for this phenomenon, particularly with regard to the youngest age group of women. Finally, the aim of our fourth study, which is currently on-going, is to study at the individual level, using the new European deprivation index adapted to France, to what extent economic wealth and social standing, as well as the proximity of medical services for patients with breast cancer have an impact on tumour stage, access to treatment, treatment techniques and survival.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Oral health is crucial to overall health and a focus of the U.S. Health Center program, which provides preventive dental services in medically underserved communities. Dental hygiene is an oral health profession whose practice is focused on dental disease prevention and oral health promotion. Variations in the practice and regulation of dental hygiene has been demonstrated to influence access to dental care at a state level; restrictive policies are associated lower rates of access to care. Understanding whether and to what extent policy variations affect availability and access to dental care and the oral health of medically underserved communities served by grantees of the U.S. Health Center program is the focus of this study. This longitudinal study examines dental service utilization at 1,135 health center grantees that received community health center funding from 2004 to 2011. The Dental Hygiene Professional Practice Index (DHPPI) was used as an indicator of the state policy environment. The influence of grantee and state level characteristics are also considered. Mixed effects models were used to account for correlations introduced by the multiple hierarchical structure of the data. Key findings of this study demonstrate that state policy environment is a predictor of the availability and access to dental care and the oral health status of medically underserved communities that received care at a grantee of the U.S. Health Center program. Grantees located in states with highly restrictive policy environments were 73% less likely to deliver dental services and, those that do, provided care to 7% fewer patients than those grantees located in states with the most supportive policy environments. Population’s served by grantees from the most restrictive states received less preventive care and had greater restorative and emergency dental care needs. State policy environment is a predictor of availability and access to dental care and the oral health status of medically underserved communities. This study has important implications for policy at the federal, state, and local levels. Findings demonstrate the need for policy and advocacy efforts at all levels, especially within states with restrictive policy environments.