Rajni Mehta, MPH
Associate Director Rapid Case Ascertainment Cancer CenterCards
Additional Titles
Director, Rapid Case Ascertainment Shared Resource
Contact Info
About
Titles
Associate Director Rapid Case Ascertainment Cancer Center
Director, Rapid Case Ascertainment Shared Resource
Biography
Rajni Mehta is the Director of the Rapid Case Ascertainment (RCA) Shared Resource Core of the Yale Cancer Center, a position she has held since 2000. Ms. Mehta has managed over 30 cancer related studies in Connecticut. These include studies that require rapid case identification of newly diagnosed cancer cases for prospective epidemiologic studies. She also works with other cohorts of cancer studies that involve retrospective data collection at hospitals. She served on the Yale School of Medicine Human Investigation Committee (IRB) from 2002 to 2010. Her experience with study implementation helps investigators accomplish their goals, and provides advice and assistance to investigators not only for studies that are already funded but also for studies that are in the planning stages. In addition, she is working on a large Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cohort study at the Veteran’s Administration (VA) examining the complications of cirrhosis, specifically HCC and its effects on patient outcomes and healthcare costs. Ms. Mehta was a member of the VA Cooperative Studies Program (CSP) Human Rights Committee (HRC) for 18 years conducting study reviews and site visits to determine if human rights of subjects are being adequately protected and to ensure that informed consent procedures are conducted appropriately.
Appointments
Departments & Organizations
Education & Training
- MPH
- Yale University, Epidemiology (1998)
Research
Overview
Public Health Interests
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Tamar Taddei, MD
Cary Gross, MD
Catherine Mezzacappa, MD, MPH
Guadalupe Garcia-Tsao, MD, FRCP
Shi-Yi Wang, MD, PhD
Publications
2022
Cancer tracking system improves timeliness of liver cancer care at a Veterans Hospital: A comparison of cohorts before and after implementation of an automated care coordination tool
Zhang Y, Mezzacappa C, Shen L, Ivatorov A, Petukhova-Greenstein A, Mehta R, Ciarleglio M, Deng Y, Levin W, Steinhardt S, Connery D, Pineau M, Onyiuke I, Taylor C, Rose M, Taddei T. Cancer tracking system improves timeliness of liver cancer care at a Veterans Hospital: A comparison of cohorts before and after implementation of an automated care coordination tool. PLOS Digital Health 2022, 1: e0000080. PMID: 36812575, PMCID: PMC9931271, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000080.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
2021
SACRED: Effect of simvastatin on hepatic decompensation and death in subjects with high-risk compensated cirrhosis: Statins and Cirrhosis: Reducing Events of Decompensation
Kaplan D, Mehta R, Garcia-Tsao G, Albrecht J, Aytaman A, Baffy G, Bajaj J, Hernaez R, Hunt K, Ioannou G, Johnson K, Kanwal F, Lee T, Monto A, Pandya P, Schaubel D, Taddei T. SACRED: Effect of simvastatin on hepatic decompensation and death in subjects with high-risk compensated cirrhosis: Statins and Cirrhosis: Reducing Events of Decompensation. Contemporary Clinical Trials 2021, 104: 106367. PMID: 33771685, PMCID: PMC8422958, DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2021.106367.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsHepatic decompensationPortal hypertensionEvents of decompensationHepatic decompensation eventsLiver-related deathSignificant portal hypertensionAcceptable safety profileProspective human studiesRole of statinsChronic liver diseaseClasses of medicationsPatient-reported outcomesDevelopment of decompensationEffect of simvastatinVA Medical CenterCompensated cirrhosisDecompensation eventsStatin therapyVariceal hemorrhageCirrhotic patientsStandard therapyVascular reactivityExert pleiotropic effectsLiver diseaseRetrospective study
2019
351 – Cancer Tracking System Improves Timeliness of Liver Cancer Care At a Veterans Hospital
Zhang Y, Mehta R, Taddei T. 351 – Cancer Tracking System Improves Timeliness of Liver Cancer Care At a Veterans Hospital. Gastroenterology 2019, 156: s-1192. DOI: 10.1016/s0016-5085(19)39956-1.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2018
Implementation of a Population-Based Cirrhosis Identification and Management System
Kanwal F, Mapaskhi S, Smith D, Taddei T, Hussain K, Madu S, Duong N, White D, Cao Y, Mehta R, El-Serag H, Asch S, Midboe A. Implementation of a Population-Based Cirrhosis Identification and Management System. Clinical Gastroenterology And Hepatology 2018, 16: 1182-1186.e2. PMID: 29803805, PMCID: PMC7185902, DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2018.01.041.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricTransarterial Chemoembolization within First 3 Months of Sorafenib Initiation Improves Overall Survival in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Retrospective, Multi-Institutional Study with Propensity Matching
Kaplan DE, Mehta R, D'Addeo K, Gade TP, Taddei TH. Transarterial Chemoembolization within First 3 Months of Sorafenib Initiation Improves Overall Survival in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Retrospective, Multi-Institutional Study with Propensity Matching. Journal Of Vascular And Interventional Radiology 2018, 29: 540-549.e4. PMID: 29477619, PMCID: PMC6104514, DOI: 10.1016/j.jvir.2017.11.033.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsUnresectable hepatocellular carcinomaTransarterial chemoembolizationHepatocellular carcinomaMacrovascular invasionPropensity matchingOverall survivalEnd-stage liver disease (MELD) scoreBarcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stageVeterans Health Administration hospitalsInitiation of sorafenibSignificant hepatic dysfunctionLiver Disease scoreRetrospective cohort studyAdjuvant transarterial chemoembolizationLiver Cancer stageMulti-institutional studySorafenib initiationHepatic dysfunctionCohort studyMost patientsSystemic therapyPrimary outcomeUnadjusted analysesMultimodal therapySubgroup analysisSorafenib prescribed by gastroenterologists and hepatologists for hepatocellular carcinoma
Kaplan DE, Mehta R, D’Addeo K, Valderrama A, Taddei TH. Sorafenib prescribed by gastroenterologists and hepatologists for hepatocellular carcinoma. Medicine 2018, 97: e9757. PMID: 29369224, PMCID: PMC5794408, DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000009757.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsAdvanced hepatocellular carcinomaHepatocellular carcinomaOverall survivalBarcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) systemManagement of HCCVeterans Health Administration hospitalsRetrospective cohort studyFirst-line therapySimilar survival outcomesChild-TurcottePugh scoreComorbidity indexChart abstractionCohort studySurvival benefitSystemic therapyBCLC stagePrimary outcomePrescriber typeSurvival outcomesAdministration HospitalMultivariable modelProvider specialtyCancer stagingHCC diagnosis
2017
Starting Dose of Sorafenib for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Retrospective, Multi-Institutional Study
Reiss KA, Yu S, Mamtani R, Mehta R, D'Addeo K, Wileyto EP, Taddei TH, Kaplan DE. Starting Dose of Sorafenib for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Retrospective, Multi-Institutional Study. Journal Of Clinical Oncology 2017, 35: jco.2017.73.824. PMID: 28872925, PMCID: PMC5662845, DOI: 10.1200/jco.2017.73.8245.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsSorafenib patientsHazard ratioOverall survivalHepatocellular carcinomaPotential confoundersNoninferiority marginEnd-stage liver disease-sodium (MELD-Na) scoreVeterans Health Administration hospitalsHigher Child-TurcottePotential treatment biasReduced pill burdenComorbidity Index scorePrimary end pointFirst-line therapyGastrointestinal adverse effectsDose of sorafenibSignificant OS differenceAdvanced hepatocellular carcinomaLower overall survivalMultivariate logistic regressionMulti-institutional studyChild-TurcotteOS relativePugh scorePurpose SorafenibHealthcare Costs Related to Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Among Veterans With Cirrhosis in the United States
Kaplan DE, Chapko MK, Mehta R, Dai F, Skanderson M, Aytaman A, Baytarian M, D’Addeo K, Fox R, Hunt K, Pocha C, Valderrama A, Taddei TH, Group V. Healthcare Costs Related to Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Among Veterans With Cirrhosis in the United States. Clinical Gastroenterology And Hepatology 2017, 16: 106-114.e5. PMID: 28756056, PMCID: PMC5735018, DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2017.07.024.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsMultivariable generalized linear modelsMultidisciplinary tumor boardHepatocellular carcinomaIntegrated health systemCancer-related costsHealthcare costsLiver transplantationBCLC stageLiver diseaseTumor boardBarcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stageVeterans Affairs Corporate Data WarehouseHealth systemCases of HCCBasis of receiptLiver disease cohortReceipt of transplantationLiver disease etiologyChronic liver diseaseLiver Cancer stageLiver cancer surveillanceBasis of severityHospital academic affiliationCorporate Data WarehouseCirrhosis controlsRacial and Ethnic Disparities in Oncotype DX Test Receipt in a Statewide Population-Based Study.
Davis BA, Aminawung JA, Abu-Khalaf MM, Evans SB, Su K, Mehta R, Wang SY, Gross CP. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Oncotype DX Test Receipt in a Statewide Population-Based Study. Journal Of The National Comprehensive Cancer Network 2017, 15: 346-354. PMID: 28275035, DOI: 10.6004/jnccn.2017.0034.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsMeSH KeywordsAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBiomarkers, TumorBreast NeoplasmsConnecticutFemaleGene Expression ProfilingGenetic TestingHealth Services AccessibilityHealthcare DisparitiesHumansLymphatic MetastasisMiddle AgedNeoplasm GradingNeoplasm StagingOdds RatioPatient Outcome AssessmentPopulation SurveillanceRegistriesRetrospective StudiesSocioeconomic FactorsYoung AdultConceptsPopulation-based studyOncotype DXODX testingBreast cancerHispanic womenHormone receptor-positive breast cancerReceptor-positive breast cancerRetrospective population-based studyWhite womenRacial disparitiesGEP test resultsBreast cancer careBreast cancer outcomesStudy inclusion criteriaGene expression profiling testsMore white womenClinical characteristicsTest receiptCancer outcomesCancer careInclusion criteriaLogistic analysisEthnic disparitiesStatewide populationWomenAssociation of Provider Specialty and Multidisciplinary Care With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment and Mortality
Serper M, Taddei TH, Mehta R, D’Addeo K, Dai F, Aytaman A, Baytarian M, Fox R, Hunt K, Goldberg DS, Valderrama A, Kaplan DE, Group V. Association of Provider Specialty and Multidisciplinary Care With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment and Mortality. Gastroenterology 2017, 152: 1954-1964. PMID: 28283421, PMCID: PMC5664153, DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2017.02.040.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsMeSH KeywordsAgedCarcinoma, HepatocellularChi-Square DistributionDelivery of Health Care, IntegratedFemaleGastroenterologistsHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateLiver NeoplasmsLogistic ModelsMaleMiddle AgedMultivariate AnalysisOdds RatioOncologistsPatient Care TeamPractice Patterns, Physicians'Proportional Hazards ModelsRetrospective StudiesRisk AssessmentRisk FactorsSpecializationSurgeonsTime FactorsTreatment OutcomeUnited StatesUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsConceptsRetrospective cohort studyMultidisciplinary tumor boardHealth system factorsHepatocellular carcinomaHCC therapyCohort studyOverall survivalTumor boardTime-varying Cox proportional hazards modelsCox proportional hazards modelActive hepatocellular carcinomaOutcomes of patientsProportional hazards modelHepatocellular carcinoma treatmentVeterans Administration HospitalSystem factorsLiver transplantationActive therapyLiver resectionTransarterial therapiesMedical oncologistsMultidisciplinary careSubspecialist carePatient survivalAblative therapy
Clinical Trials
Current Trials
Determining Mechanisms of Sensitivity and Resistance to Anti-Cancer Therapy for Advanced Lung Cancer
HIC ID1603017333RoleSub InvestigatorPrimary Completion Date06/20/2026Recruiting Participants