Oncology Section Research Articles

Sequential Moderate Hypofractionated Boost in Breast Cancer Patients: A Monoinstitutional Analysis of Late Side Effects.

In breast cancer (BC) patients who have received breast-conserving surgery, moderate hypofractionation is standard of care for whole-breast irradiation (HF-WBI). On the other hand, the fractionation schedule for the boost is less well defined. A previous prospective study of our group aimed at evaluating acute and late cutaneous and subcutaneous side effects related to a sequential hypofractionated boost (HB) in patients who had received HF-WBI. The present study aimed at evaluating late side effects at a longer follow-up. From 2014 to 2015, 219 BC patients received moderate HF-WBI (42.4 Gy in 16 fractions) at the Radiation Oncology Section of the University of Perugia. Patients with negative prognostic factors received a HB (2.65 Gy for 4 or 5 fractions). Late side effects were assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v5.0. Univariate and multivariate analyses estimated predictive factors for late toxicity. Median follow-up was 8.6 years (range=6.7-9.6). One hundred and sixty-five patients were evaluable in the present analysis; HB was administered to 47.3% of them. Late cutaneous and subcutaneous side effects occurred in 26/165 patients (15.8%); and all were G1. In univariate analysis ≥10 excised lymph nodes and HB administration emerged as risk factors for late side effects (p=0.003 and p=0.041, respectively). In multivariate analysis only ≥10 excised lymph nodes were confirmed as a risk factor for side effects (OR=3.431; 95%CI=1.209-9.737). HB after HF-WBI was safe and well-tolerated, even at a long-term follow-up; consequently, it can be used in routine practice.

Acupuncture for cancer symptoms: Clinical application and longitudinal impact.

e23191 Background: Evidence for acupuncture (ACUP) in cancer care is inconsistent. ACUP is variously used for multiple symptoms, e.g. anxiety, chemotherapy-related peripheral neuropathy, dyspnea, hot flashes, insomnia, and pain. Approximately 500 unique patients are treated for ACUP annually in our Section of Integrative Oncology. Our objective was to evaluate ACUP’s clinical application and longitudinal impact on symptoms severity. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of those treated in a group ACUP session. Symptoms were rated before each session on a severity numeric rating scale (0-10). Clinical improvement was defined as a 2-point decrease from baseline (T1). We report symptoms from baseline to the fourth sessions (T1-T4). Counts are presented as percentages and numbers summarized by mean (standard deviation; SD) or median (interquartile range; IQR). Groups were compared statistically as appropriate. Results: 2239 consecutive patients were treated between 2015-2022. Mean (SD) age was 57 (±12); 83% were female; 57% breast primary site, 9% hematologic, 9% gastrointestinal, 8% gynecologic, 4% lung, 3% prostate, and 9% other malignancies. Symptoms treated were pain (61%), insomnia (48%), fatigue (44%), neuropathy (41%), anxiety (37%), hot flashes (37%), and other symptoms (17%). 68% presented with multiple symptoms. They received a median (IQR) of 4 (2-6) sessions and 7 (7-14) days apart. At T1 symptom severity scores, median (IQR), were anxiety 5(2-7), fatigue 5(3-7), hot flashes 6(4-8), insomnia 6(4-8), neuropathy 5(3-8), and pain 5(3-7); Table1. By T2, improvement was observed in patients, N (%), with hot flashes 476 (66%), anxiety 434 (62%), fatigue 464 (56%), insomnia 407 (55%), neuropathy 441 (55%), and pain 563 (50%). Symptom severity improvement was statistically significant by T2 and by T3 clinically relevant; Table 1. By T4, about 60% were still on ACUP treatment. Multiple ACUP sessions ( > 1) were associated with older age and higher symptom burden, and fewer sessions with more severe T1 anxiety and fatigue. Fewer males were treated, yet symptoms improved like in females. Conclusions: Symptoms were of moderate severity at referral. In this large consecutive sample (N = 2239) of mostly younger breast cancer women, group ACUP was associated with broad based symptom benefit. Repeated ACUP treatments were important for clinical improvement. Males and females benefited equally however fewer males were referred. Several confounders need to be considered interpreting these results. [Table: see text]

Epidemiology and classification for canine and feline mammary gland tumors: a histopathological survey of 437 mammary gland tumor biopsies performed in a secondary care hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 2012 to 2019.

Metastatic disease resulting from mammary gland tumors (MGTs) is a known cause of death among dogs and cats. Keys to successful prevention and management strategies involve the accurate recording of diagnostic data. This retrospective study reviewed the epidemiology and classification of canine mammary gland tumors (CMTs) and feline mammary gland tumors (FMTs), as well as the factors including sex, age, and breed related to the occurrence of these tumors. Accordingly, 1,736 tumor biopsy cases were reported from 2012 to 2019 at Chiang Mai University Small Animal Hospital, Thailand, with 1,639 canine tumor biopsy cases and 97 feline tumor biopsy cases. The proportion of CMTs was reported at 24.5% (401/1,639) for all canine tumor biopsy cases. Benign and malignant tumors were reported at 14.5% (58/401) and 85.5% (343/401) for all CMT cases, respectively. The mean age of dogs affected by benign CMTs was 9.0±3.0 years, which was significantly lower than for malignant CMTs at 9.9±2.8 years (P=0.0239). According to histopathological classification, benign mixed tumors and simple carcinoma types were highest among benign and malignant CMT cases, respectively. Moreover, female dogs were at significantly higher risk of developing mammary gland tumors (OR = 45.8, 95% CI [3.9-86.0], P<0.0001) than male dogs, as well as older dogs (>8 years) (OR = 1.7, 95% CI [1.2-2.2], P=0.0001) compared to young ones (≤8 years). The proportion of FMTs was 37.1% (36/97) for all feline tumor biopsy cases. Benign and malignant tumors for all FMTs were reported at 16.7% (6/36) and 83.3% (30/36), respectively. According to histopathological classifications, adenoma and simple carcinoma were present in the highest proportion among benign and malignant FMTs, respectively. Female cats were at a significantly higher risk of developing mammary gland tumors than male cats (OR=25.7, 95% CI [3.9-272.8], P<0.0001). There was a high proportion of MGT cases compared with other tumor cases reported in a secondary care hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand from 2012 to 2019, and malignant tumor biopsies have been more frequently observed than benign tumor biopsies in both CMT and FMT cases. The resulting data originating from this study can be an aid for veterinary oncologists in better educating clients and planning treatment and prevention strategies and it can be used as a basis for further experimental studies in the oncology section.

Treatment of tobacco dependence in cancer patients - Recommendations of the Section of Supportive Treatment and Care and the Section of Preventive Oncology of the Czech Cancer Society of the Czech Medical Association of J. E. Purkyně, Working Group for t….

Smoking is asignificant risk factor for the development of many cancers. In addition, after acancer dia-gnosis, it also has an adverse effect on survival, the course and effectiveness of cancer treatment and quality of life, and increases the likelihood of anumber of other complications. Treating tobacco dependence reduces the risk of their occurrence or the extent of their consequences. Aworking group of authors from professional groups (the Section of Supportive Treatment and Care and the Section of Preventive Oncology of the Czech Society of Oncology of the Czech Medical Association of J. E. Purkyně, the Society for the Treatment of Tobacco Dependence, Czech Nurses Association, Working Group for the Prevention and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence of the Czech Medical Association J. E. P. and the Society for Treatment of Tobacco Dependence) prepared asimple basic scheme of intervention in contact with smokers in routine practice based on recommendations of professional societies, outcomes of studies, scientific literature and proven practice. Asmoke-free environment, the importance of zero exposure to tobacco smoke, smoking cessation recommendations for smokers, relapse prevention for ex-smokers and the offer of tobacco dependence treatment should be anatural part of cancer care at least in the form of abrief DIK (abbreviation for "question - intervention - contact" in the Czech language) intervention. It is important to record smoking status, including exposure to second-hand smoke, in all patients, and to empathically repeat interventions in smokers (active and passive), including relapse prevention. This ap-proach contributes to abstinence in cancer patients and thus to higher efficacy of cancer treatment, longer survival and reduction of otherrisks.

2023 Radiation oncology highlights.

Radiation oncology plays an important role in the local treatment of cancers. Understanding recent advances in the application of radiation therapy to solid tumors is important for all disciplines. The radiation oncology section editors for this journal have selected the following articles for their overall significance, relevance to surgical oncologists, and to illustrate important concepts within the practice of radiation oncology.

Molecular Epidemiology and Associated Risk Factors of Parasites in Oral Cavity of Children with Malignancies in Western Iran.

This survey was designed to study the molecular epidemiology and risk factors of Entamoeba gingivalis and Trichomonas tenax in children with underlying malignancies and those on chemotherapy in Lorestan province, West of Iran. The present cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on children who suffering from different types of malignancies or receiving treatment by chemotherapy referring to oncology section of hospitals of Lorestan Province, Iran during May 2021 to April 2022. The frequency of oral cavity protozoa was investigated using microscopic and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). E. gingivalis and T. tenax parasites were found in 23 (25.5%) by microscopic method and 28 (31.1%) using PCR in children with malignancy. Among positive samples, 20 (71.4%) were infected with E. gingivalis; whereas 8 (28.6%) of the participants were positive for T. tenax. In the multivariate model, living in rural regions (OR= 3.437; 95% CI= 1.22-9.63; p=0.019) and using mouthwash (OR= 0.082; 95% CI= 0.018-0.37; p<0.001) were significantly related with the frequency of oral cavity parasites. Our results showed the high frequency of oral cavity parasites in children who suffering malignancies or receiving treatment by chemotherapy in Lorestan province, Iran. The awareness of the main risk factors for oral cavity parasites particularly using mouthwash is necessary in improving public and oral health strategies in children with cancer. Consequently, oncologist and dental practitioners must be aware to identify and manage oral health concerns in in children who suffering from different types of malignancies to prevent the oral diseases and infections.

Treatment of intramedullary spinal cord tumors: a modified Delphi technique of the North American Spine Society Section of Spine Oncology.

Intramedullary spinal cord tumors (IMSCTs) are rare tumors with heterogeneous presentations and natural histories that complicate their management. Standardized guidelines are lacking on when to surgically intervene and the appropriate aggressiveness of resection, especially given the risk of new neurological deficits following resection of infiltrative tumors. Here, the authors present the results of a modified Delphi method using input from surgeons experienced with IMSCT removal to construct a framework for the operative management of IMSCTs based on the clinical, radiographic, and tumor-specific characteristics. A modified Delphi technique was conducted using a group of 14 neurosurgeons experienced in IMSCT resection. Three rounds of written correspondence, surveys, and videoconferencing were carried out. Participants were queried about clinical and radiographic criteria used to determine operative candidacy and guide decision-making. Members then completed a final survey indicating their choice of observation or surgery, choice of resection strategy, and decision to perform duraplasty, in response to a set of patient- and tumor-specific characteristics. Consensus was defined as ≥ 80% agreement, while responses with 70%-79% agreement were defined as agreement. Thirty-six total characteristics were assessed. There was consensus favoring surgical intervention for patients with new-onset myelopathy (86% agreement), chronic myelopathy (86%), or progression from mild to disabling numbness (86%), but disagreement for patients with mild numbness or chronic paraplegia. Age was not a determinant of operative candidacy except among frail patients, who were deemed more suitable for observation (93%). Well-circumscribed (93%) or posteriorly located tumors reaching the surface (86%) were consensus surgical lesions, and participants agreed that the presence of syringomyelia (71%) and peritumoral T2 signal change (79%) were favorable indications for surgery. There was consensus that complete loss of transcranial motor evoked potentials with a 50% decrease in the D-wave amplitude should halt further resection (93%). Preoperative symptoms seldom influenced choice of resection strategy, while a distinct cleavage plane (100%) or visible tumor-cord margins (100%) strongly favored gross-total resection. The authors present a modified Delphi technique highlighting areas of consensus and agreement regarding surgical management of IMSCTs. Although not intended as a substitute for individual clinical decision-making, the results can help guide care of these patients. Additionally, areas of controversy meriting further investigation are highlighted.

Radiation Oncology Practice Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this study was to characterize the effects of institutional policies routine SARS-CoV-2 testing before treatment starts with mandatory quarantine periods for COVID-positive patients during the first year of the COVID19 pandemic across radiation oncology sections at our tertiary cancer center. Electronic medical databases were queried to identify all patients treated with curative intent at a large urban cancer center and regional satellites a year prior to the pandemic (02/11/19-12/30/19; pre-pandemic) and the first year of the pandemic (03/11/20-12/30/20; post-pandemic). New treatment starts were filtered for those undergoing treatment under a single ICD-10 diagnosis and the first treatment in each time period for each patient. Chi-square tests were used for categorical variables, and the t-test was used for continuous variables to correlate differences in demographic and clinical factors before and during the pandemic. The total number of new treatment starts were similar between the pre-pandemic (2,218 patients) and post-pandemic (2,130 patients) periods, but there was a 26% decrease in treatments in April 2020 compared to April 2019 and a 40% increase in treatments in November 2020 compared to November 2019. Post-pandemic patients had higher minimum Charlson Comorbidity Index scores (mean 46.0 vs 42.6, P = 0.0013) and were younger (62.8 yo vs 64.3 yo, P = 0.0001). The proportion of patients being treated from the same state as our institution was higher in the post-pandemic period compared to pre-pandemic (77.8% vs 72.43%, P = 0.0259). Distribution of treatments across department disease-site sections were significantly different (P<0.0001), with the proportion of patients treated by the Breast service having increased by 22% whereas the metropolitan area regional satellites experienced a 18% reduction. There were no statistically significant differences amongst pre- and post-pandemic patients with respect to race, marital status, or smoking status. Post-pandemic patients had less total radiation-related clinical visits (mean 24.8 vs 28.6, P<0.0001), lower administered dose (4329 cGy vs 4533 cGy, P<0.0001), and lower radiation fraction count (17 vs 19, P<0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference in the duration between CT simulation and treatment start, but post-pandemic patients had shorter duration of elapsed days during treatment (27 days vs 29 days, P = 0.0001). A disease-site-specific analysis demonstrated that these differences were most pronounced in patients treated for breast cancer. In the first year of the COVID19 pandemic, our institution saw a dynamic change in the number of new radiation treatments. Additional analyses across individual disease-specific services may reveal insight into dose, fractionation, and technique, which may account for the observed differences.

Futibatinib (Lytgobi®)

Futibatinib (Lytgobi®)

Temporal trends of atypical drug access at an academic oncology unit: The Verona University Hospital experience.

e13651 Background: In Italy, patient (pt) access to oncological drugs is almost exclusively provided by the NHS, following authorization by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and negotiation with the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) for specific indications. However, regulatory delays (with respect to the availability of scientific evidence) and the need for rapid access to innovative drugs, particularly in the context of orphan and rare diseases, have prompted the utilization of atypical drug access pathways. In addition to enrollment in clinical trials, atypical drug access pathways are expected to be increasingly used in the context of a Precision Oncology practice. Methods: We explored trends in atypical drug access at the Oncology Section of the Verona University and Hospital Trust, by interrogating Oncology and Pharmacy databases and regional registries of rare diseases and reviewing AIFA registries records. Data on atypical drug access were also correlated with the use of NGS-based molecular profiling. Results: Between January 2016 and December 2022, a total of 355 atypical drug access requests for the treatment of cancer pts were recorded, with a peak in 2017 and no discernible temporal trend. Over this period, the two most common atypical access schemes were compassionate (including named patient and early access programs, 61%) and off-label (21%) use. The latter steadily increased over time (from 8% in 2017 to 39% in 2021). Overall, the type of drugs requested through atypical access were almost equally distributed between classical cytotoxic agents (CHT, 36%), immuno-oncology drugs (IO, 29%) and molecularly targeted agents (TT, 35%). Temporal trends in the usage of different classes of drugs are shown. Interestingly, TT requests decreased between 2016 and 2018 and stabilized at approximately 50% of total requests since 2019. Between 2019 and 2021, atypical drug access requests triggered by NGS-based extended molecular profiling significantly increased from 2.8% to 23.1% (p=0.0007). Conclusions: Although atypical drug access did not increase overall during the observation period, a trend towards increased off-label use of TT was identified, especially from 2019 onwards; figures for 2022 are being analyzed and will be presented at the Meeting. Since 2019, NGS-informed requests have significantly increased to constitute almost 1/4 of all atypical drug access requests, clearly identifying a trend towards implementation of Precision Oncology in routine clinical practice and evolving towards the implementation of Molecular Tumor Board case discussions. [Table: see text]

Developing and centralising a nurse-led local anaesthetic transperineal biopsy service during COVID.

Transperineal (TP) biopsy has recently replaced the transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) approach as the ideal method of biopsy in the United Kingdom with growing trends to adopt. To minimise transmission of COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic, the British Association of Urological Surgeons Section of Oncology issued guidelines reducing general anaesthesia (GA) procedures and initiate COVID-secure 'green' site diagnostics. As a result of these guidelines and reduction in clinical diagnostics trust-wide, we ceased all TRUS diagnostics and implemented a centralised, nurse-led LA TP biopsy service. A waiting list was developed for those awaiting prostate cancer diagnostics across the network. A COVID-secure 'green' site was quickly identified with TP biopsies starting soon after. Quality improvement methodology was utilised and a run chart was used to show if changes were sustainable. Successful implementation and centralisation of a TP biopsy service occurred with TRUS guided biopsies ceasing across all sites on 12 May 2020. The procedures were carried out by urology advanced nurse practitioners under local anaesthesia with a select few occurring under GA. Centralising the service in a COVID-secure manner freed up dedicated theatre sessions and personal leading to increased efficiency elsewhere. The service was robust and was maintained upon lifting of COVID restrictions. A centralised, nurse led LA TP biopsy service in a procedural unit was implemented successfully. The service has remained resilient upon lifting of restrictions and return to business as usual. This led to improved performance across trust by freeing up valuable resources and staff to undertake more duties. The service remains highly valued trust-wide.

BAUS oncology guidance for implementing streamlining in cancer MDT meetings: Selecting standards of care and operational considerations

It is widely recognised that multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTMs) are the cornerstone of cancer practice in the United Kingdom and many countries around the world. While MDTMs offer several key benefits to patients, healthcare professionals and cancer registration, data and audit services, in the United Kingdom they have over time become too large, onerous and ‘transactional’ often discussing cases that have a pre-determined management plan. In response to this growing problem, National Health Service (NHS) England and NHS Improvement produced an multidisciplinary team (MDT) streamlining document as a guide to encourage MDTM to consider a ‘Standard of Care’ (SoC) approach to conditions with a predictable agreed management plan based on national, regional cancer network or local cancer unit protocols. This would then enable more meaningful discussion of complex cases with in the MDT. This document did not gain much traction and had little impact on UK urological cancer MDTM. As a result, The British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) was approached by the NHS Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Leads in 2021 to promote an SoC-based streamlining to urological cancer MDT working. Having consulted widely with colleagues, cancer networks and cancer delivery teams, the BAUS Section of Oncology sought views from its membership during a dedicated MDTM session in the Sections of Oncology Meeting, December 2021. From this extensive engagement with stakeholders, we have put together the following guidance for use as a framework to facilitate the agreement of local policies in the interests of supporting the needs of patients and MDTs. Level of evidence: level 5 (Expert opinions based on non-systematic reviews of results or mechanistic studies)

Editorial introductions.

Editorial introductions.

SIOG2022-0149 - Analysis of COVID infection during the pandemic in a medical oncology section: comparison between elderly and young patients

SIOG2022-0149 - Analysis of COVID infection during the pandemic in a medical oncology section: comparison between elderly and young patients

Predictive and prognostic effect of computed tomography–derived body composition analysis during neoadjuvant chemotherapy for operable and locally advanced breast cancer

ObjectivesExcess adiposity is associated with several factors involved in carcinogenesis and breast cancer progression. Evidence supporting the role of body composition in breast cancer treatment is promising, but still scanty and mainly focused on adjuvant treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in body composition during neoadjuvant chemotherapy and its association with pathologic complete response and survival outcome in patients treated for operable/locally advanced breast cancer. MethodsA retrospective review of patients with breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy was performed in the Oncology Section of the Department of Medicine, University of Verona between 2014 and 2019. Body composition was evaluated from clinically acquired computed tomography scans at diagnosis and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Descriptive statistic was adopted. The associations of body composition measures with pathologic complete response and disease-free survival were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier curves were compared with log-rank analysis. ResultsData from 93 patients were collected. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the adipose compound changed significantly across all body mass index categories. Body composition parameters had no significant effect on pathologic complete response. Survival analysis showed that a high gain of visceral adipose tissue during neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with shorter disease-free survival (hazard ratio, 10.2; P = 0.026). In particular, disease-free survival was significantly worse in patients who gained ≥10% of visceral adipose tissue compared with patients who gained <10% of visceral adipose tissue (5-y disease-free survival 71.4 versus 96.3, P = 0.009, respectively). ConclusionsOur results indicated that neoadjuvant chemotherapy significantly affects body composition, which seems to have an effect on survival outcome of breast cancer, highlighting the relevance of the body composition assessment when estimating treatment outcomes.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT Scan) In Detecting Bone Marrow Involvement in Patients with Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography combined with CT scan (PET-CT Scan) in detecting bone marrow involvement in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, keeping bone marrow biopsy as gold standard. Methodology: From November 2017 to May 2018, a cross sectional validation study was carried out at the Aga Khan University in Karachi Department of Oncology's Section of Clinical Hematology. The study comprised a total of 112 patients who were identified as having diffuse large B cell lymphoma after a lymph node was implicated was histopathologically examined. All patients had a PET-CT scan and bone marrow biopsy technique as part of the staging workup. With bone marrow biopsy acting as the gold standard, the diagnostic efficacy of a PET-CT scan for identifying bone marrow involvement was evaluated. Results: Of 112 patients, there were 71(63.39%) males and 41(36.61%) females. The mean age was 45.09±17.36 years. The mean duration of diagnosis was 17.19±6.02 days. Through biopsy, bone marrow involvement was identified in 40 (35.7%) cases. Through a PET-CT scan, bone marrow involvement was identified in 47 (41.9%) cases. The PET- CT scan in comparison with bone marrow biopsy for detecting bone marrow involvement in patients with DLBCL had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of 95%, 87.7%, 80.85%, 96.92% and 90.18% respectively. Conclusion: PET-CT scan can accurately detect bone marrow involvement in patients with DLBCL so it can be used in most patients instead of invasive bone marrow biopsy procedure for staging of DLBCL patients.

Making a Digital Editorial Bridge between Birmingham, Alabama and Kyiv Stronger

Day by day, a new scholar bridge between Birmingham, Alabama and Kyiv becomes more tangible. The cornerstone of this digital bridge was laid by Dr. Le and colleagues in 2020. Their highly productive collaboration and hard work made this transatlantic cooperation possible. The interplay between the players of a team of any profile is a key aspect of its success. That is why cooperation with Dr. Kase, from the same Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as Dr. Le became so important for the editorial board of the Journal of Diagnostics and Treatment of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. Despite any circumstances, like pandemic and war, the communication between professionals can show the tendency to grow. That is why we are so happy to feel the support of Dr. Kase in such a turbulent period as war time in Europe, and so proud seeing him the editorial board member of our journal. Dr. Kase occupies several very responsible positions in his institution: • Associate Professor (from October 1, 2022), Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Section of Oral Oncology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America. • Assistant and Clinical Director of the Advanced Education in Maxillofacial Prosthodontics and Dental Oncology Fellowship. The doctor Kase’s work interests cover two directions―dental oncology and maxillofacial prosthodontics. Thus, such a unique expertise will definitely help our journal to fulfill the gap in the direction of maxillofacial prosthetics as a key part of head and neck oncologic surgery.

The lockdown effect on gynaecological cancer surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 outbreak increased significantly the burden of hospital based services in an international setting. Facilities dealing with cancer cases had to cope with the burden of the disease and with the waiting lists that continuously grow as cancer patients tend to refer with increasing rates in referral centers. Surgical departments with oncological patients had to prioritize patients in order to help provide optimal care, without posing them at risk of a potential infection during their hospitalization. In the present article we report the experience of the Gynecologic oncology section of the First Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens during the first 12 months of the pandemic.

LUNG cancer: Supportive oncology program development for patients and care partners: A qualitative study.

e18652 Background: Lung cancer patients (LCP) have various unmet needs. Evidence supports tailored services to provide individuals information and interaction with healthcare professionals (HCP). We conducted a qualitative study of the ideal supportive care services and structure for LCP and care partners (CP) within Levine Cancer Institute, a regional, multi-site cancer system. Methods: Methods included Focus Groups (FG) and a paper-based survey (PBS) in the Section of Thoracic Oncology. FG included HCP, local Lung Cancer Support Group leadership, LCP, and their CP. FG identified important topics for LCP, CP, and HCP. FG recordings were transcribed, analyzed, and incorporated with the evidence base to inform PBS development. LCP and CP participated in the PBS and responses analyzed with REDCap (v11.1 11, ©2022 Vanderbilt). FG and PBS data were compared for overlap and discordance. Results: FG (total N = 18) identified four Themes: 1) unmet needs 2) program structure 3) barriers to care 4) program content; each analyzed further into three codes (Table). FG Themes are presented in order of frequency (FQ) of unique comments. Unmet needs (FQ=25) included: loneliness, care for the CP, onboarding burden. Structure (FQ=24) included: innovation, variability, virtual. Barriers to care (FQ=20) included: seeking/needing knowledge, transportation, psychosocial. Content (FQ=18) included: combined content and services, financial, educational. Among the responses (total n = 44), strong overlap existed in six PBS areas. Most agreed on seeking/needing knowledge and psychosocial barriers. The majority agreed with combined content and services and the importance of financial and educational content. Variability was specified by agreement on printed and patient portal digital materials with a moderate preference for virtual meetings. Discordance was found across loneliness and transportation while care for the CP, onboarding burden, and innovation were neutral or irrelevant. Conclusions: FG findings confirmed unmet needs, program structure, barriers to care, and program content as integral LCP and CP program concerns. Identified overlap between these Themes and PBS responses are addressed in the ideal LCP and CP support program. This methodology can be generalized to guide future program development to serve other populations and cancer institutes. [Table: see text]

Invited commentary: Author's response to "CRS and HIPEC: Best model of antifragility in surgical oncology".

Journal of Surgical OncologyVolume 126, Issue 2 p. 398-399 LETTER TO THE EDITOR Invited commentary: Author's response to “CRS and HIPEC: Best model of antifragility in surgical oncology” Christopher W. Mangieri MD, Corresponding Author Christopher W. Mangieri MD [email protected] Division of Surgical Oncology, Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA Correspondence Christopher W. Mangieri, MD, Department of Surgery, Surgical Oncology Section, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author Christopher W. Mangieri MD, Corresponding Author Christopher W. Mangieri MD [email protected] Division of Surgical Oncology, Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Center, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA Correspondence Christopher W. Mangieri, MD, Department of Surgery, Surgical Oncology Section, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author First published: 23 April 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/jso.26904Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume126, Issue2August 1, 2022Pages 398-399 RelatedInformation