Survivorship Care Plans Research Articles

Barriers and facilitators to the use of survivorship care plans by hematopoietic stem cell transplant survivors and clinicians.

Survivors of hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HSCT) have complex care needs for the remainder of their lives, known as the survivorship period. Survivorship care plans (SCPs) have been proposed to improve care coordination and ultimately survivorship outcomes. We explored the barriers and facilitators of SCP use among HSCT survivors and their clinicians in order to develop more useful SCPs for the HSCT context. Analogous surveys regarding perceived barriers to and facilitators of SCP use based on a sample SCP for a female allogenic HSCT survivor were administered to HSCT survivors and non-transplant oncology and primary care clinicians. Twenty-seven HSCT survivors and 18 clinicians completed the survey. The main barriers to SCP use were lack of awareness of SCP existence, uncertainty regarding where to find SCP, unclear roles and responsibilities among healthcare teams, length of SCP, and difficultly understanding SCPs. The facilitators of SCP use were increased understanding of survivorship care needs, clarified roles and responsibilities of survivors and clinicians, SCPs that are readily available and searchable in electronic health record, increased awareness of SCP existence and provision to all survivors, and if the SCP is survivor-specific and up-to-date. Much of the work regarding SCPs has looked at barriers to creation and provision; however, our study examines factors influencing use of SCPs. By determining the barriers and facilitators surrounding SCP use for HSCT survivors and their clinicians, we can create SCP templates and clinical workflows to optimize SCP use, ideally leading to better outcomes for HSCT survivors.

Survivorship Care Plan Preferences and Utilization Among Asian American Breast Cancer Survivors.

The survivorship care plan (SCP) is an individualized document with cancer diagnosis, treatment, surveillance, and health promotion recommendations. This integrative review synthesizes the extant literature to understand preferences and utilization of SCPs among Asian American survivors. The CINAHL®, Embase®, PsycINFO®, and PubMed® databases were searched for articles about Asian American women with breast or cervical cancer and SCPs. Two independent reviewers evaluated 481 titles and abstracts according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Of those 481 titles and abstracts, 14 articles were selected for inclusion. There was little evidence surrounding utilization of SCPs. Articles identified addressed only survivors of breast cancer, predominately of Southeast Asian descent. Asian American women with breast cancer reported preferences surrounding their survivorship needs. Barriers to delivery of the SCP were related to socioeconomic factors. There is a paucity of information guiding evidence-based delivery of SCPs in the vastly heterogenous population of Asian American survivors. More work is needed to provide high-quality care to these survivors.

Patients-centered SurvivorShIp care plan after Cancer treatments based on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence technologies (PERSIST): a multicenter study protocol to evaluate efficacy of digital tools supporting cancer survivors

BackgroundIt is encouraging to see a substantial increase in individuals surviving cancer. Even more so since most of them will have a positive effect on society by returning to work. However, many cancer survivors have unmet needs, especially when it comes to improving their quality of life (QoL). Only few survivors are able to meet all of the recommendations regarding well-being and there is a body of evidence that cancer survivors’ needs often remain neglected from health policy and national cancer control plans. This increases the impact of inequalities in cancer care and adds a dangerous component to it. The inequalities affect the individual survivor, their career, along with their relatives and society as a whole. The current study will evaluate the impact of the use of big data analytics and artificial intelligence on the self-efficacy of participants following intervention supported by digital tools. The secondary endpoints include evaluation of the impact of patient trajectories (from retrospective data) and patient gathered health data on prediction and improved intervention against possible secondary disease or negative outcomes (e.g. late toxicities, fatal events).Methods/designThe study is designed as a single-case experimental prospective study where each individual serves as its own control group with basal measurements obtained at the recruitment and subsequent measurements performed every 6 months during follow ups. The measurement will involve CASE-cancer, Patient Activation Measure and System Usability Scale. The study will involve 160 survivors (80 survivors of Breast Cancer and 80 survivors of Colorectal Cancer) from four countries, Belgium, Latvia, Slovenia, and Spain. The intervention will be implemented via a digital tool (mHealthApplication), collecting objective biomarkers (vital signs) and subjective biomarkers (PROs) with the support of a (embodied) conversational agent. Additionally, the Clinical Decision Support system (CDSS), including visualization of cohorts and trajectories will enable oncologists to personalize treatment for an efficient care plan and follow-up management.DiscussionWe expect that cancer survivors will significantly increase their self-efficacy following the personalized intervention supported by the m-HealthApplication compared to control measurements at recruitment. We expect to observe improvement in healthy habits, disease self-management and self-perceived QoL.Trial registration ISRCTN97617326. https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN97617326. Original Registration Date: 26/03/2021.

Impact of "chemobrain" in childhood cancer survivors on social, academic, and daily living skills: a qualitative systematic review protocol.

The objective of this review is to examine children's experiences of chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (also known as "chemobrain") and the impact of chemobrain on children's social, academic, and daily living skills. The effect of childhood chemotherapy treatment on cognition is of concern because of the vulnerable nature of children's developing brains and the potential to cause lifelong detriments socially, academically, and economically. Furthermore, this population is under-represented in the chemobrain literature and in survivorship care plans. As cancer survivorship among this group increases, it is important to understand childhood experiences so that rehabilitation strategies and suitable supports can be put in place. This review of qualitative studies will focus on the pediatric population (0 to 18 years of age) during and/or following chemotherapy treatment to identify their experiences with chemobrain. The review will include any studies using a qualitative research methodology (eg, surveys, focus groups, interview transcripts), conducted in any geographic location, where experiences are presented from the child's perspective. Studies assessing children's experiences of cancer, other chemotherapy-related side effects, or the parent's personal experience will be excluded. A search of MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases will be conducted. Full-text, English-only articles employing a qualitative research methodology will be included in the screening process. Two independent reviewers will retrieve and screen full-text studies, and assess methodological quality of the included studies. Meta-aggregation will be performed and a ConQual Summary of Findings will present the confidence in the findings. PROSPERO CRD42021240573.

Programme personnalisé d'après cancer (PPAC) : vision des patientes atteintes de cancer du sein et de leur médecin traitant

BackgroundThe French National Cancer Institute recommends the use of survivorship care plans (SCP) for all cancer survivors. Developing useful SCP's requires understanding of what survivors and their providers need and how SCP's can be implemented in practice. We conducted a study to assess the delivery of SCP comprehensive binders for breast cancer women (BCW) and their general practitioners (GP) in a Cancer center from January 2019. MethodsSCP binders, containing a full range of information on topics related to post-cancer care to survivor-specific information and referrals, were given to BCW during a post-treatment dedicated consultation. Then a letter, containing the treatment summary and 5-year follow-up schedule, was sent to their GPs. Comprehensive binder delivery assessment was carried out using item checkbox, and anonymous open-answered, self-reported questionnaires were sent by email to BCW and their GPs. ResultsThe questionnaire response rates were 81.3% for BCW (n = 109/134) and 48.6% for their GPs (n = 52/107). Most BCW (85%) reported that SCP binders provided useful and comprehensive information. However, some of them (18%) felt abandoned and anonymous during the post-treatment follow-up. Most GPs found SCP letters from our anti-cancer center physicians to be useful for their patients, 38% of them had used this information to assure transition of care with other care providers. In addition, GPs were unanimous to express their feeling that this SCP could improve the long-term surveillance of BCW. There was a high concordance between BCW survivors’ and PCP’ answers, especially regarding SCPs as a communication bridge between GPs and BCW survivors. Response results concerning use of the binders: to talk about them: 59% for BCW vs. 51% for GPs, and to show them: 35% for BCW vs. 31% for GPs. ConclusionThe opinions of BCW survivors’ and PCP’ opinions about the use of SCP's by our Cancer Center seems to be favourable. It is essential to implement and develop SCP's as a key tool in long-term surveillance and support for cancer patient survivors and they are a useful instrument for care providers in communication and transition.

Health information technology to support cancer survivorship care planning: A systematic review.

The study sought to conduct a systematic review to explore the functions utilized by electronic cancer survivorship care planning interventions and assess their effects on patient and provider outcomes. Based on PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines, studies published from January 2000 to January 2020 were identified in PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsychINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and the ACM Digital Library . The search combined terms for cancer, survivorship, care planning, and health information technology (HIT). Eligible studies evaluated the effects of a HIT intervention on usability, knowledge, process, or health-related outcomes. A total of 578 abstracts were reviewed, resulting in 60 manuscripts describing 40 studies. Thematic analyses were used to define meta-themes of system functions, and Fisher's exact tests were used to examine associations between functions and outcomes. Patients were the target end users for 18 interventions, while 12 targeted providers and 10 targeted both groups. Interventions used patient-reported outcomes collection (60%), automated content generation (58%), electronic sharing (40%), persistent engagement (28%), and communication features (20%). Overall, interventions decreased the time to create survivorship care plans (SCPs) and supported care planning knowledge and abilities, but results were mixed for effects on healthcare utilization, SCP sharing, and provoking anxiety. Persistent engagement features were associated with improvements in health or quality-of-life outcomes (17 studies, P = .003). Features that engaged users persistently over time were associated with better health and quality-of-life outcomes. Most systems have not capitalized on the potential of HIT to share SCPs across a care team and support care coordination.

Post-Treatment Adverse Health Correlates among Prostate Cancer Survivors in a Sample of Men Residing in Atlantic Canada.

Background: Recent large population-based studies have shed light on an association between prostate cancer (PCa) survivorship and mental health, which emerged when the comparison group was either men without a history of cancer or those with any other type of cancer except prostate. Here we examine the role of surgery alone, compared to other types of treatment modalities in this association in a population-based sample of men with prostate or other types of cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on a subsample of 632 male participants aged 36–69 from the 2009–2015 survey cycle of the Atlantic PATH cohort study. The primary outcomes were the presence of mild, moderate or severe depression or anxiety indicators and were assessed using the seven-item generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7) scale and the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively. The presence of a lifetime history of PCa or other form of cancer (except PCa) was the main predictor variable and was assessed in cancer treatment modality (surgery or other types of treatment modalities) stratified analyses. Covariates included age, marital status, household income, comorbidity, and survivorship time. Results: The presence of depression in this sample was prevalent among 17.7% of men, and of anxiety among 9.3% of men. Survivors who were treated with surgery for their PCa diagnosis had 7.55 statistically significantly higher odds of screening positive for current depression symptoms compared with those of other forms of cancer in controlled analyses. These differences were not observed for anxiety. Conclusions: These findings emphasize the need for multidisciplinary survivorship care plans among PCa patients, especially those who undergo surgery. Targeted programming aimed at prioritizing and delivering comprehensive mental health support to PCa survivors early in the survivorship journey is justified.

Implementing survivorship care planning in two contrasting health systems: lessons learned from a randomized controlled trial.

Survivorship care plans (SCPs) are recommended to promote appropriate follow-up care, but implementation has been limited. We conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing three SCP delivery models in two health systems. We utilize mixed methods to compare the feasibility and participants' perceived value of the three models. Patients completing treatment for stage I-III breast, prostate, or colorectal cancer from one urban-academic and one rural community cancer center were randomized to (1) mailed SCP, (2) SCP delivered during an in-person survivorship visit, or (3) SCP delivered during an in-person survivorship visit plus 6-month follow-up. Clinics had flexibility in intervention implementation. Quantitative data summarize intervention fidelity and protocol deviations. Qualitative interview data provide patients' perspectives on feasibility and intervention value. Of 475 eligible participants approached, 378 (79%) were randomized. Of 345 SCPs delivered, 265 (76.8%) were by protocol. Protocol deviations were more common at the urban-academic center. In post-study qualitative interviews, participants recalled little about the SCP document or visit(s). SCPs were valued for information and care coordination, although their static nature was limiting, and sometimes SCP information differed from that provided elsewhere. Visits were opportunities for care and reassurance, but time and distance to the clinic were barriers. SCP provision was challenging. Patients were interested in SCP, but not necessarily additional survivorship visits, particularly at the urban-academic hospital. These findings suggest that patients value careful consideration of health care needs during the transition out of treatment; SCP documents are one element of this. For many patients, models without additional visits and dynamic SCPs may be preferred.

Oncology Medical Home: ASCO and COA Standards.

To provide Standards on the basis of evidence and expert consensus for a pilot of the Oncology Medical Home (OMH) certification program. The OMH model is a system of care delivery that features coordinated, efficient, accessible, and evidence-based care and includes a process for measurement of outcomes to facilitate continuous quality improvement. The OMH pilot is intended to inform further refinement of Standards for OMH model implementation. An Expert Panel was formed, and a systematic review of the literature on the topics of OMH, clinical pathways, and survivorship care plans was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar. Using this evidence base and an informal consensus process, the Expert Panel developed a set of OMH Standards. Public comments were solicited and considered in preparation of the final manuscript. Three comparative peer-reviewed studies of OMH met the inclusion criteria. In addition, the results from 16 studies of clinical pathways and one systematic review of survivorship care plans informed the evidence review. Limitations of the evidence base included the small number of studies of OMH and lack of longer-term outcomes data. More data were available to inform the specific Standards for pathways and survivorship care; however, outcomes were mixed for the latter intervention. The Expert Panel concluded that in the future, practices should be encouraged to publish the results of OMH interventions in peer-reviewed journals to improve the evidence base. Standards are provided for OMH in the areas of patient engagement, availability and access to care, evidence-based medicine, equitable and comprehensive team-based care, quality improvement, goals of care, palliative and end-of-life care discussions, and chemotherapy safety. Additional information, including a Standards implementation manual, is available at www.asco.org/standards.

Role of the nurse in the design, delivery, monitoring and coordination of cancer survivorship care plans: An integrative review.

Survivorship care plans (SCPs) are recommended as a tool for the care of cancer survivors. SCPs have been implemented with a multidisciplinary approach; however, the specific role of nurses in the SCP is unknown. Our aim is to determine the role of nurses and their degree of participation in cancer SCPs. Integrative review of the literature with systematic methodology. PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane and Cancerlit databases were reviewed. Articles published up to March 2021 were included. Of the 2,638 publications identified, 22studies met our inclusion criteria. Quality of included studies was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute quality assessment tools. The studies showed that nurses play a key role and participate in different phases of the SCP, including design, delivery, monitoring and coordination among different levels of care, with varying degrees of involvement and responsibility; design and delivery of the SCP are the phases with the highest nurse participation (18 out of 22studies). The majority of SCPs are implemented in specialized, hospital-based care and focus on short-term cancer survivors, who are actively undergoing oncological treatments. This review shows that nurses actively participate in the design, implementation and coordination of SCPs. However, SCPs focus on the acute survival and treatment phases, and there is a gap in their use in long-term cancer survivorship. This gap may be one reason the needs of long-term cancer survivors are not covered. This review contributes to the current body of knowledge by addressing the role of nurses in cancer SCPs. We recommend the involvement of an advanced practice nurse as SCP coordinator to improve communication between cancer specialists and primary care providers and to promote continued care throughout the different phases of cancer survivorship, including long-term survival.

Improving the delivery of team-based survivorship care after primary breast cancer treatment through a multi-level intervention: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

We developed and tested a multi-level intervention, ConnectedCancerCare (CCC), which includes a tailored website and appointment reminder system for women with early-stage breast cancer and a provider summary letter sent to their medical oncologist and primary care provider to improve the delivery of team-based survivorship care. We conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial to establish the feasibility and acceptability of CCC. Women diagnosed with stages 0-II breast cancer within one year of completing primary treatment were randomized to CCC (intervention) or a static online survivorship care plan (control). Participants completed baseline and 3-month follow-up surveys online. Post-trial interviews with 5 PCPs, 6 oncology providers, and 8 intervention patients were conducted. Of the 160 eligible women invited to participate, 66 completed the baseline survey and were randomized (41%) and 54 completed a follow-up survey (83%). Participants in the intervention arm found the CCC content to be acceptable, with 82% reporting it was easy to use and 86% reporting they would recommend it to other patients. Women randomized to CCC (vs. control) more often reported scheduling a PCP follow-up visit (64% vs. 42%), communicating with their PCP about provider roles (67% vs. 18%), and higher mean team-based cancer care knowledge scores (3.7 vs. 3.4). Deploying CCC in medical oncology practices was feasible, and the intervention content was acceptable. CCC shows promise for improving patient knowledge and patient-provider communication about provider roles in team-based cancer care and encouraging patients to engage with their PCP early in the survivorship period.

Pregnancy After Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Many patients and physicians remain concerned about the potential detrimental effects of pregnancy after breast cancer (BC) in terms of reproductive outcomes and maternal safety. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at providing updated evidence on these topics. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify studies including patients with a pregnancy after BC (PROSPERO number CRD42020158324). Likelihood of pregnancy after BC, their reproductive outcomes, and maternal safety were assessed. Pooled relative risks, odds ratios (ORs), and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs were calculated using random effects models. Of 6,462 identified records, 39 were included involving 8,093,401 women from the general population and 112,840 patients with BC of whom 7,505 had a pregnancy after diagnosis. BC survivors were significantly less likely to have a subsequent pregnancy compared with the general population (relative risk, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.32 to 0.49). Risks of caesarean section (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.25), low birth weight (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.31 to 1.73), preterm birth (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.88), and small for gestational age (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.33) were significantly higher in BC survivors, particularly in those with previous chemotherapy exposure, compared with the general population. No significantly increased risk of congenital abnormalities or other reproductive complications were observed. Compared to patients with BC without subsequent pregnancy, those with a pregnancy had better disease-free survival (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49 to 0.89) and overall survival (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.45 to 0.68). Similar results were observed after correcting for potential confounders and irrespective of patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics, pregnancy outcome, and timing of pregnancy. These results provide reassuring evidence on the safety of conceiving in BC survivors. Patients' pregnancy desire should be considered a crucial component of their survivorship care plan.

Challenges for Latina Breast Cancer Patient Survivorship Care in a Rural US-Mexico Border Region.

Rural US Latina breast cancer patients experience language barriers, health literacy issues, and limited access to health care resources that negatively impact survivorship care. This study explored the challenges to survivorship care for rural Latina breast cancer (BC) patients and approaches to supporting survivorship care plans (SCP) from the stakeholders’ perspectives. Data were collected via eight focus groups (n = 40) and individual interviews (n = 4) with Latina BC patients, family caregivers, and health care professionals in a rural US-Mexico Border region. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, translated, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Themes related to the patient’s SCP challenges included: (1) lack of knowledge of treatment information, (2) lack of proactive health behavior, (3) gaps in information for care coordination, (4) psychological distress, and (5) difficulty retaining health information. Respondents expressed that the SCP document could fill patient information gaps as well as support patient communication with their clinicians and family. Rural BC patients demonstrated an acute need for information and active engagement in their survivorship care. The findings indicate the importance of addressing challenges for survivorship care on multiple dimensions: Cognitive, behavioral, social, and structural. Developing a culturally tailored SCP intervention will be imperative to support survivorship care.

Individualized Treatment Summaries and Survivorship Care Plans (SCPs) for Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Survivors Reduces Cancer Treatment Distress in a Randomized, Multicenter Study

Purpose: As HCT recipients are at risk for late effects, SCPs are increasingly being used in clinical practice to facilitate survivor care despite the lack of high-quality data on their implementation or efficacy. We conducted a randomized study to evaluate the impact of SCPs on HCT survivors' confidence in survivorship information (CSI), with secondary analyses evaluating cancer treatment distress (CTXD), knowledge of transplant exposures, health behaviors, health care utilization (HCU) and health general self-efficacy.Methods: Adult (≥18 yrs at HCT) survivors who were 1-5 years post-transplant, proficient in English, and without relapse or second cancers were eligible. To enhance generalizability, recipients with any diagnosis, HCT/donor type, and conditioning regimen could participate. Treatment summaries were generated using patient-specific clinical data submitted by transplant centers to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR). Focus group feedback from patients/caregivers, HCT physicians/nurses/social workers and general hematologist-oncologists informed the design of paper-based SCPs. Individualized SCPs were developed based on patient risk-factors and treatment exposures (e.g., age, sex, HCT type, graft-versus-host disease [GVHD], and use of total body irradiation [TBI] or steroids) and published guidelines for long-term followup of HCT survivors (Majhail et al, BBMT 2012). A baseline phone survey was conducted after enrollment and included standardized patient-reported outcomes (PROs) related to the objectives listed above. Patients were then randomized to SCP or routine care (RC) per their transplant center. A phone survey 2 weeks later assessed health literacy for patients on both arms and asked questions related to use of SCP for patients on the intervention arm. End-of-study phone PRO surveys were then administered at 6 months. The study was powered to detect a standardized effect size of ≥0.3 for the intent-to-treat primary outcome of CSI.Results: A total of 495 patients were enrolled at 17 transplant centers, of whom 458 completed baseline survey and were randomized (SCP=231, RC=227); 201 (87%) SCP and 199 (88%) RC patients completed 6 month assessments. Patient and transplant characteristics (including health literacy scores) were well balanced between the two arms. Median age was 59 yrs in both arms; 96% (SCP) and 92% (RC) patients were White, 49% and 60% were male, 48% and 44% had received allogeneic HCT, 11% and 16% had received a previous HCT, and 21% and 20% had received TBI based conditioning, respectively. Among allogeneic HCT recipients, 63% and 67% had a history of acute GVHD and 60% and 66% had a history of chronic GVHD, respectively. Receiving a SCP was not associated with a change in CSI, but was significantly associated with reduction in CTXD after Bonferroni correction for multiple outcomes (Table). Decrease in CTXD score in the SCP arm was independent of sex, transplant type, GVHD status, diagnosis, and health literacy. Age was significantly associated with CTXD scores (with higher distress among younger patients), although not with the SCP effect size (no significant interaction). No SCP effect was observed on any of the other secondary outcomes.Summary: In this large multicenter randomized study, we demonstrate that SCPs generated automatically using a centralized clinical registry (CIBMTR) to individualize to patient risk-factors, without clinical contact to interpret or personalize the SCP, is feasible and can produce a tool that lowers CTXD scores at 6 months in HCT survivors. Our study supports further development and implementation of individualized SCPs in this population that is at significant risk for late morbidity and mortality from transplantation. [Display omitted] DisclosuresMajhail:Anthem, Inc.: Consultancy; Sanofi: Honoraria.

The Impact of Healthy Lifestyles on Late Sequelae in Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma and Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Survivors. A Systematic Review by the Fondazione Italiana Linfomi.

Simple SummaryWith the presented study, Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL) researchers want to fill a gap in the literature regarding long-lived lymphoma patients (beyond 5 years after diagnosis). These patients can develop a series of late sequelae that affect their quality of life and overall survival, especially cardiotoxicity and secondary malignancies. In this context, although part of the risk is closely related to the chemotherapy and radiotherapy, some risk factors can be modified through tertiary prevention. There are currently no specific indications for tertiary prevention in the subset of long-term lymphoma survivors. This systematic review conducted by the FIL researchers is aimed at understanding whether there is evidence that correcting unhealthy lifestyles can reduce the onset of late sequelae.Background: In recent years, the scientific community has been paying ever more attention to the promotion of lifestyles aimed at the prevention of late toxicities related to anti-cancer treatments. Methods: Fondazione Italiana Linfomi (FIL) researchers conducted a systematic review in order to evaluate the evidence in favor of the promotion of lifestyles aimed at the prevention of the main sequelae of long-term classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in survivors treated at adulthood with first-line or second-line therapy, including autologous stem cell transplants (ASCTs). Pubmed, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched up to December 2020. Results: Seven studies were ultimately included in this systematic review; some of them were eligible for multiple PICOS. The majority of the studies emerged from data extraction regarding cHL; less evidence resulted for DLBCL survivors. Five studies in favor of physical activity provided consistent data for a reduction of the cardiovascular risk in cHL and also in survivors who underwent ASCT. A beneficial effect of physical activity in reducing chronic fatigue was found. Being overweight was associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease in cHL survivors in one of the two eligible studies. Studies aiming to evaluate the impact of the Mediterranean diet on late toxicities and secondary cancers were lacking. Tailored survivorship care plans (SCP) seemed to represent an optimal tool to guide the follow-up and promote healthier lifestyles in the one eligible study. Thus, promotion of healthy lifestyles and empowering of lymphoma survivors should be implemented through structured models. The study also brought to light numerous areas of future clinical research.

Use and impact of breast cancer survivorship care plans: a systematic review.

Survivorship care plan (SCP) comprising a treatment summary and plan for follow-up care is recommended by various organizations to address long-term needs of an increasing number of breast cancer survivors. Although there have been previous systematic reviews of SCPs in cancer, none has focused on breast cancer exclusively. This systematic review evaluates the use and impact of SCP in breast cancer survivors. Randomized (RCTs) and non-randomized (non-RCT) studies evaluating health care and patient-related outcomes after implementation of SCPs for survivors were identified by searching databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINHAL, and Scopus). Data were extracted, quality assessed, and summarized on the basis of qualitative synthesis. Ten non-RCTs and 14 RCTs met the inclusion criteria. Although the overall quality of RCTs was superior to non-RCTs with mean quality score of 81.5% vs 64.3%, two mixed-methods non-RCTs which were individualized and included both provider and patient perspectives had comparable scores like RCTs. Several models of SCP were evaluated (paper based/online, oncologist/nurse/primary-care physician-delivered, and different templates). Descriptive information from non-RCTs suggests improvement in survivorship knowledge, satisfaction with care, and improved communication with providers. Findings from RCTs were variable. Potential gaps existed in content of SCP including unclear recommendation on frequency and ownership of follow-up. Levels of survivor satisfaction with, and self-reported understanding of, their SCP were high. Distal outcomes like health care delivery measures including costs and efficiency were mostly mixed, but heterogeneous study designs make interpretation difficult. Existing research provides positive impact of SCPs on more proximal outcomes of patient experience and care delivery but mixed results for health outcomes in breast cancer survivors. Future research should focus on better defining SCP content and ensuring follow-up recommendations are acted upon, and provider feedback is included and use of novel tools to empower stakeholders.

Racial Background and Health Behaviors Among Adults With Cancer in Canada: Results of a National Survey.

This study was an assessment of the impact of racial background on health behaviors among Canadian adults with a concurrent or past history of a cancer diagnosis. The Canadian Community Health Survey datasets (2015-2018) were accessed, and adults (age ≥18 years) with cancer were reviewed. Information about the racial background, socioeconomic status, and different health behaviors was reviewed. Multivariable logistic regression analyses for factors associated with different health behaviors were conducted. A total of 20,514 participants with a history of cancer were considered eligible and were included in the analysis. Compared with individuals who self-identified as White, those who self-identified as indigenous were less likely to have received an influenza vaccination in the past year (odds ratio [OR], 1.253; 95% CI, 1.084-1.448), less likely to have drunk alcohol in the past 12 months (OR, 0.641; 95% CI, 0.546-0.752), more likely to be current smokers (OR, 2.245; 95% CI, 1.917-2.630), and more likely to have used recreational drugs in the past 12 years (OR, 1.488; 95% CI, 1.076-2.057). Compared with individuals who self-identified as White, those who self-identified as non-White and nonindigenous were less likely to have received an influenza vaccination in the past year (OR, 1.207; 95% CI, 1.035-1.408), less likely to have drunk alcohol in the past 12 months (OR, 0.557; 95% CI, 0.463-0.671), and less likely to be current smokers (OR, 0.605; 95% CI, 0.476-0.769). Within the Canadian context, there is a considerable variability in the health behaviors of adults with cancer according to their racial background. There is a need to tailor the survivorship care planning of patients with cancer based on socioeconomic context.

Interventions to address disparities and barriers to pediatric cancer survivorship care: a scoping review.

Many childhood cancer survivors experience disparities due to barriers to recommended survivorship care. With an aim to demonstrate evidence-based approaches to alleviate barriers and decrease disparities, we conducted a scoping review of (1) proposed strategies and (2) evaluated interventions for improving pediatric cancer survivorship care. We searched research databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO), research registries, and grey literature (websites of professional organizations and guideline clearing houses) for guidelines and published studies available through October 2020 (scoping review registration: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/D8Q7Y ). We identified 16 proposed strategies to address disparities and barriers endorsed by professional organizations including clinical practice guidelines (N=9), policy statements (N=4), and recommendations (N=3). Twenty-seven published studies evaluated an intervention to alleviate disparities or barriers to survivorship care; however, these evaluated interventions were not well aligned with the proposed strategies endorsed by professional organizations. Most commonly, interventions evaluated survivorship care plans (N=11) or models of care (N=11) followed by individual survivorship care services (N=9). Interventions predominantly targeted patients rather than providers or systems and used technology, education, shared care, collaboration, and location-based interventions. Published studies aimed at overcoming disparities and barriers to survivorship care for childhood cancer survivors revealed that gaps remain between published recommendations and empirical evaluations of interventions aiming to reduce barriers and disparities. Additional research is needed to identify evidence-based interventions to improve survivorship care for childhood cancer survivors.

Awareness of diagnosis, treatment and risk of late effects in Chinese survivors of childhood cancer in Hong Kong.

BackgroundFor survivors of childhood cancer, awareness of personal health risks is a critical component of long‐term health management.ObjectiveTo evaluate the awareness of the diagnosis, treatment and risk of late effects among survivors of childhood cancer in Hong Kong.MethodsBetween June 2019 and March 2020, this cross‐sectional study recruited 155 adult survivors (mean age = 26.9, standard deviation [SD] = 6.4 years) and 45 parents of paediatric survivors (mean age = 11.1, SD = 3.6 years) from a long‐term follow‐up clinic. At >10 years post‐treatment (mean = 13.4, SD = 7.6 years), they completed a structured questionnaire to report their cancer‐specific knowledge. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify clinical, socioeconomic and behavioural factors associated with poor awareness.ResultsThe majority of participants accurately recalled their diagnoses (73.5%) and major treatment modalities (chemotherapy 92.4%, radiation 82.9% and surgery 88.2%). However, less than half (45%) of the participants recognized more than 25% of the total late effects for which they were at risk. The highest levels of awareness were reported for endocrine problems (49%), neurocognitive impairment (44%) and secondary cancers (43%), and the lowest for peripheral neuropathy (21%) and vision problems (23%). Compared with survivors of haematological malignancies, those of central nervous system (CNS) tumours (standardized estimate [B] = −9.33, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: −13.41 to −5.26) and non‐CNS solid tumours (B = −8.47, 95% CI: −12.39 to −4.94) had less knowledge about their diagnosis. Retaining medical records (P < .0001) and better medical information‐seeking habits (P = .048) were associated with better awareness.ConclusionsSurvivors of childhood cancer in Hong Kong have deficient awareness of their personal health risks. They may benefit from the provision of a survivorship care plan and personalized education regarding treatment‐related late effects.Patient ContributionPatients contributed in designing the study tools. Results were presented at a non‐governmental organization.

Barriers and engagement in breast cancer survivorship wellness activities.

Breast cancer survivors may be at risk for increased rates of emotional distress and poorer quality of life. Survivorship care plans (SCPs) promoting wellness activities may support well-being; however, survivors may not receive or engage in their SCPs. This study aimed to assess receipt and participation in SCP activities as well as barriers to engagement amongst breast cancer survivors. Breast cancer survivors (n = 187; 99% female, Mean age = 57.7) consented and completed self-reported assessments of SCP recommendations, engagement and interest in wellness activities, and potential barriers to engagement. A minority of participants recalled receiving an SCP (21%). The most physician recommended (62%) and completed (53%) activity was exercise. Interest in adding other wellness activities to the SCP was high, with reported interest levels of approximately 50% for several activities (e.g., mind body, nutrition, psychotherapy interventions). Fully half reported that having a physician-designed plan would influence participation in activities. The most common reported barriers to SCP activity engagement were lack of time (82%), work/school (65%), and lack of information (65%). Few survivors recalled receiving a formal SCP, and lack of information about wellness activities was a commonly reported barrier to participation. Interest in wellness activities was generally high and may indicate the need for more formal prescription or motivation enhancement techniques to promote SCP engagement. There may be a clinical need to emphasize SCP recommendations to enhance recall and increase engagement in wellness activities that may reduce psychological distress and improve quality of life.