| 1. |
- Arriola, Edurne, et al.
(författare)
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Feasibility and User Experience of Digital Patient Monitoring for Real-World Patients With Lung or Breast Cancer
- 2024
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Ingår i: The Oncologist. - : OXFORD UNIV PRESS. - 1083-7159 .- 1549-490X. ; 29:4, s. e561-e569
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Digital patient monitoring (DPM) tools can facilitate early symptom management for patients with cancer through systematic symptom reporting; however, low adherence can be a challenge. We assessed patient/healthcare professional (HCP) use of DPM in routine clinical practice.Materials and Methods Patients with locally advanced/metastatic lung cancer or HER2-positive breast cancer received locally approved/reimbursed drugs alongside DPM, with elements tailored by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, on the Kaiku Health DPM platform. Patient access to the DPM tool was through their own devices (eg, laptops, PCs, smartphones, or tablets), via either a browser or an app on Apple iOS or Android devices. Coprimary endpoints were patient DPM tool adoption (positive threshold: 60%) and week 1-6 adherence to weekly symptom reporting (positive threshold: 70%). Secondary endpoints included experience and clinical impact.Results At data cutoff (June 9, 2022), adoption was 85% and adherence was 76%. Customer satisfaction and effort scores for patients were 76% and 82%, respectively, and 83% and 79% for HCPs. Patients spent approximately 10 minutes using the DPM tool and completed approximately 1.0 symptom questionnaires per week (completion time 1-4 minutes). HCPs spent approximately 1-3 minutes a week using the tool per patient. Median time to HCP review for alerted versus non-alerted symptom questionnaires was 19.6 versus 21.5 hours. Most patients and HCPs felt that the DPM tool covered/mostly covered symptoms experienced (71% and 75%), was educational (65% and 92%), and improved patient-HCP conversations (70% and 83%) and cancer care (51% and 71%).Conclusion The DPM tool demonstrated positive adoption, adherence, and user experience for patients with lung/breast cancer, suggesting that DPM tools may benefit clinical cancer care. Digital patient monitoring tools can facilitate early symptom monitoring and management for cancer through systematic symptom reporting; however, low adherence can be a challenge. This study assessed patient and healthcare professional use of such tools in routine clinical practice.
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| 2. |
- Backlund, M, et al.
(författare)
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Time to Mammographic Density Decrease After Exposure to Tamoxifen
- 2022
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Ingår i: The oncologist. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1549-490X .- 1083-7159. ; 27:7, s. E601-E603
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mammographic density change has proven to be a reliable proxy for tamoxifen therapy response. The primary aim of this study was to identify time to tamoxifen-induced mammographic density change. We also analyzed side effects and adherence to therapy. In all, 42 women were randomized to 10 or 20 mg of daily oral tamoxifen. Mammograms were taken at baseline, 3, 6, and 9 months. Mammographic density change was measured using the automated STRATUS tool. Adverse events were monitored through a web-based questionnaire based on the FACT-ES tool. Nine out of the 42 (21%) participants discontinued therapy due to adverse events leaving 33 women in the study. A significant decrease in density was seen after 3 months of therapy. Dose did not seem to affect density change, side effects or adherence. Given the size of the study, additional studies are needed to confirm our data.
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| 3. |
- Backlund, M, et al.
(författare)
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Topical Endoxifen for Mammographic Density Reduction-A Randomized Controlled Trial
- 2022
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Ingår i: The oncologist. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1549-490X .- 1083-7159. ; 27:7, s. E597-E600
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although breast cancer incidence is increasing, there are few primary preventive initiatives. Tamoxifen can reduce breast cancer incidence but is rarely used for primary prevention due to adverse events and tolerance issues. We tested if endoxifen, a tamoxifen metabolite, applied directly to the skin of the breast, could reduce mammographic density, a proxy for therapy response. Ninety women were randomized to placebo, 10 and 20 mg of topical Z-endoxifen for 6 months. Mammographic density and symptoms were measured at baseline and study exit. Despite a high discontinuation rate, driven by skin rashes, we found a significant mammographic density decrease, a dose-dependent increase in the concentration of plasma Z-endoxifen but no systemic side effects. Topical application of tamoxifen metabolites has the potential to decrease breast cancer incidence without major systemic side effects. However, endoxifen may not be suitable for topical administration and is unlikely to be used for breast cancer prevention.
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| 4. |
- Lee, Karla A., et al.
(författare)
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Cancer and Risk of COVID-19 Through a General Community Survey
- 2021
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Ingår i: The Oncologist. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1083-7159 .- 1549-490X. ; 26:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Individuals with cancer may be at high risk for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and adverse outcomes. However, evidence from large population-based studies examining whether cancer and cancer-related therapy exacerbates the risk of COVID-19 infection is still limited. Data were collected from the COVID Symptom Study smartphone application since March 29 through May 8, 2020. Among 23,266 participants with cancer and 1,784,293 without cancer, we documented 10,404 reports of a positive COVID-19 test. Compared with participants without cancer, those living with cancer had a 60% increased risk of a positive COVID-19 test. Among patients with cancer, current treatment with chemotherapy or immunotherapy was associated with a 2.2-fold increased risk of a positive test. The association between cancer and COVID-19 infection was stronger among participants >65 years and males. Future studies are needed to identify subgroups by tumor types and treatment regimens who are particularly at risk for COVID-19 infection and adverse outcomes.
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| 5. |
- Mijwel, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of Exercise on Chemotherapy Completion and Hospitalization Rates : The OptiTrain Breast Cancer Trial.
- 2020
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Ingår i: The Oncologist. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1083-7159 .- 1549-490X. ; 25:1, s. 23-32
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Exercise during chemotherapy is suggested to provide clinical benefits, including improved chemotherapy completion. Despite this, few randomized controlled exercise trials have reported on such clinical endpoints. From the OptiTrain trial we previously showed positive effects on physiological and health-related outcomes after 16 weeks of supervised exercise in patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Here, we examined the effects of exercise on rates of chemotherapy completion and hospitalization, as well as on blood cell concentrations during chemotherapy.PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred forty women scheduled for chemotherapy were randomized to 16 weeks of resistance and high-intensity interval training (RT-HIIT), moderate-intensity aerobic and high-intensity interval training (AT-HIIT), or usual care (UC). Outcomes included chemotherapy completion, hospitalization, hemoglobin, lymphocyte, thrombocyte, and neutrophil concentrations during chemotherapy.RESULTS: No significant between-groups differences were found in the proportion of participants who required dose reductions (RT-HIIT vs. UC: odds ratio [OR], 1.08; AT-HIIT vs. UC: OR, 1.39), or average relative dose intensity of chemotherapy between groups (RT-HIIT vs. UC: effect size [ES], 0.08; AT-HIIT vs. UC: ES, -0.07). A significantly lower proportion of participants in the RT-HIIT group (3%) were hospitalized during chemotherapy compared with UC (15%; OR, 0.20). A significantly lower incidence of thrombocytopenia was found for both RT-HIIT (11%) and AT-HIIT (10%) versus UC (30%; OR, 0.27; OR, 0.27).CONCLUSION: No beneficial effects of either RT-HIIT or AT-HIIT on chemotherapy completion rates were found. However, combined resistance training and high-intensity interval training were effective to reduce hospitalization rates, and both exercise groups had a positive effect on thrombocytopenia. These are important findings with potential positive implications for the health of women with breast cancer and costs associated with treatment-related complications.IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Completing the prescribed chemotherapy regimen is strongly associated with a good prognosis for patients with primary breast cancer. Despite this, treatment-induced side effects make it necessary to reduce or alter the treatment regimen and can also lead to hospitalization. Exercise during chemotherapy is suggested to provide clinical benefits, including improved chemotherapy completion. This study showed that combined resistance and high-intensity interval training during chemotherapy resulted in lower hospitalization rates and a lower incidence of thrombocytopenia in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. However, no beneficial effects of either exercise program on chemotherapy completion rates were found, which is in contrast to previous findings in this population. The findings reported in the current article have positive implications for the health of women with breast cancer and costs associated with treatment-related complications.
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| 6. |
- Wode, Kathrin, 1968-, et al.
(författare)
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Communication about complementary and alternative medicine when patients decline conventional cancer treatment : patients' and physicians' experiences
- 2023
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Ingår i: The Oncologist. - : Oxford University Press. - 1083-7159 .- 1549-490X. ; 28:9, s. e774-e783
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a broad set of nonconventional practices used alongside or instead of conventional treatment: The latter poses obvious risks related to cancer prognosis. Patient-physician dialogue about CAM is crucial for patient safety and mutual trust. Little is known about communication in the rare situations when patients decline recommended cancer treatment and consider using CAM. The objective of this study was to explore patients' and physicians' experiences from situations when patients decline recommended cancer treatment and consider using CAM.Materials and methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 7 CAM-using cancer patients who had declined some or all conventional treatment as well as 10 physicians from oncology and palliative care. Framework analysis was used.Results: Regarding treatment choices, there was a dissonance between physicians' focus on medical reasoning and patients' expression of complex values. Physicians' difficulty in understanding patients' treatment decline was exacerbated when patients considered using CAM, impairing communication even further. Inequalities in roles resulting in power struggles risked pushing both parties toward extreme and inflexible standpoints. Despite these challenges regarding treatment choices and hierarchical roles, both parties considered open and respectful communication as crucial.Conclusions: This study highlights the difficulty of shared decision-making in practice when patients' and physicians' views on treatment decisions deviate in clinically challenging situations. Our results point to a need to address the complexity of these situations, pay attention to patients' values, and improve knowledge among physicians about CAM.
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| 7. |
- Patel, Shruti R., et al.
(författare)
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Race/Ethnicity and Gender Representation in Hematology and Oncology Editorial Boards : What is the State of Diversity?
- 2023
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Ingår i: Oncologist. - 1083-7159. ; 28:7, s. 609-617
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Women and underrepresented groups in medicine hold few academic leadership positions in the field of hematology/oncology. In this study, we assessed gender and race/ethnicity representation in editorial board positions in hematology/oncology journals. Materials and Methods: Editorial leadership board members from 60 major journals in hematology and oncology were reviewed; 54 journals were included in the final analysis. Gender and race/ethnicity were determined based on publicly available data for Editor-in-Chief (EiC) and Second-in-Command (SiC) (including deputy, senior, or associate editors). Descriptive statistics and chi-squared were estimated. In the second phase of the study, editors were emailed a 4-item survey to self-identify their demographics. Results: Out of 793 editorial board members, 72.6% were men and 27.4% were women. Editorial leadership were non-Hispanic white (71.1%) with Asian editorial board members representing the second largest majority at 22.5%. Women comprised only 15.9% of the EiC positions (90% White and 10% Asian). Women were about half as likely to be in the EiC position compared with men [pOR 0.47 (95% CI, 0.23-0.95, P =. 03)]. Women represented 28.3% of SiC editorial positions. Surgical oncology had the lowest female representation at 2.3%. Conclusion: Women and minorities are significantly underrepresented in leadership roles on Editorial Boards in hematology/oncology journals. Importantly, the representation of minority women physicians in EiC positions is at an inexorable zero.
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