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Supportive Care in Cancer : Official... Apr 2023To synthesize the scientific findings on demoralization and spirituality in the oncology context.
OBJECTIVE
To synthesize the scientific findings on demoralization and spirituality in the oncology context.
METHODS
This is an integrative systematic review, in line with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, as proposed by Whittemore and Knalf (2005). The MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, APA PsycNet, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and LILACS databases were searched without limitations regarding language or year of publication. The studies were screened for inclusion according to the predefined eligibility criteria. Data extraction and evidence quality assessment were performed.
RESULTS
Out of the 1587 articles evaluated, 10 studies were included in this review. In general, it was found that demoralization tends to increase with the proximity of death and seems to be inversely related to spirituality, with spiritual well-being being a protective factor against demoralization, while the non-fulfillment of spiritual needs is related to increased demoralization in people with cancer. Furthermore, even among caregivers of people with advanced cancer, demoralization seems to be associated, among other factors, with spiritual suffering. These results should be analyzed with caution, considering that the studies included in this review are all observational studies, which prevents establishing cause and effect relationships.
CONCLUSIONS
Demoralization tends to increase with growing frailty and the proximity of death in people with cancer, and it seems to be inversely related to spirituality, both in these patients and in their caregivers.
Topics: Humans; Demoralization; Neoplasms; Spirituality
PubMed: 37052721
DOI: 10.1007/s00520-023-07722-6 -
Annals of Surgery Jul 2017Although fluorescence imaging is being applied to a wide range of cancers, it remains unclear which disease populations will benefit greatest. Therefore, we review the... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Although fluorescence imaging is being applied to a wide range of cancers, it remains unclear which disease populations will benefit greatest. Therefore, we review the potential of this technology to improve outcomes in surgical oncology with attention to the various surgical procedures while exploring trial endpoints that may be optimal for each tumor type.
BACKGROUND
For many tumors, primary treatment is surgical resection with negative margins, which corresponds to improved survival and a reduction in subsequent adjuvant therapies. Despite unfavorable effect on patient outcomes, margin positivity rate has not changed significantly over the years. Thus, patients often experience high rates of re-excision, radical resections, and overtreatment. However, fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) has brought forth new light by allowing detection of subclinical disease not readily visible with the naked eye.
METHODS
We performed a systematic review of clinicatrials.gov using search terms "fluorescence," "image-guided surgery," and "near-infrared imaging" to identify trials utilizing FGS for those received on or before May 2016.
INCLUSION CRITERIA
fluorescence surgery for tumor debulking, wide local excision, whole-organ resection, and peritoneal metastases.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA
fluorescence in situ hybridization, fluorescence imaging for lymph node mapping, nonmalignant lesions, nonsurgical purposes, or image guidance without fluorescence.
RESULTS
Initial search produced 844 entries, which was narrowed down to 68 trials. Review of literature and clinical trials identified 3 primary resection methods for utilizing FGS: (1) debulking, (2) wide local excision, and (3) whole organ excision.
CONCLUSIONS
The use of FGS as a surgical guide enhancement has the potential to improve survival and quality of life outcomes for patients. And, as the number of clinical trials rise each year, it is apparent that FGS has great potential for a broad range of clinical applications.
Topics: Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures; Humans; Neoplasms; Optical Imaging; Surgery, Computer-Assisted
PubMed: 28045715
DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000002127 -
Medical Physics Sep 2015The advent of image-guided radiation therapy has led to dramatic improvements in the accuracy of treatment delivery in radiotherapy. Such advancements have highlighted... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
The advent of image-guided radiation therapy has led to dramatic improvements in the accuracy of treatment delivery in radiotherapy. Such advancements have highlighted the deleterious impact tumor motion can have on both image quality and radiation treatment delivery. One approach to reducing tumor motion irregularities is the use of breathing guidance systems during imaging and treatment. These systems aim to facilitate regular respiratory motion which in turn improves image quality and radiation treatment accuracy. A review of such research has yet to be performed; it was therefore their aim to perform a systematic review of breathing guidance interventions within the fields of radiation oncology and radiology.
METHODS
From August 1-14, 2014, the following online databases were searched: Medline, Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science. Results of these searches were filtered in accordance to a set of eligibility criteria. The search, filtration, and analysis of articles were conducted in accordance with preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Reference lists of included articles, and repeat authors of included articles, were hand-searched.
RESULTS
The systematic search yielded a total of 480 articles, which were filtered down to 27 relevant articles in accordance to the eligibility criteria. These 27 articles detailed the intervention of breathing guidance strategies in controlled studies assessing its impact on such outcomes as breathing regularity, image quality, target coverage, and treatment margins, recruiting either healthy adult volunteers or patients with thoracic or abdominal lesions. In 21/27 studies, significant (p < 0.05) improvements from the use of breathing guidance were observed.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a trend toward the number of breathing guidance studies increasing with time, indicating a growing clinical interest. The results found here indicate that further clinical studies are warranted that quantify the clinical impact of breathing guidance, along with the health technology assessment to determine the advantages and disadvantages of breathing guidance.
Topics: Healthy Volunteers; Humans; Neoplasms; Radiation Oncology; Radiology; Radiotherapy, Image-Guided; Respiration
PubMed: 26328997
DOI: 10.1118/1.4928488 -
Medicine Oct 2022Advances in next-generation sequencing technologies are changing the ways cancer diagnosis and treatment, which leads to a new branch of precision medicine: "Precision...
BACKGROUND
Advances in next-generation sequencing technologies are changing the ways cancer diagnosis and treatment, which leads to a new branch of precision medicine: "Precision Oncology". This study aims to deliver a structured overview to carry out a bibliometric analysis of precision oncology research over the past 10 years retrospectively.
METHODS
Bibliometric methods including clustering analysis and co-occurrence visualized study were conducted based on publications of academic databases Web of Science Main Collection from 1st January 2012, to 31st December 2021. This study analyzed the information about related research outputs, countries, institutions, authors, cited papers, and hot topics.
RESULTS
7163 papers related to precision oncology were identified. Since 2014, the number of articles has proliferated, and oncology precision has attracted significant attention from scholars worldwide in recent years. The USA leads the research in this field, and the League of European Research Universities is the primary research institution. Research institutions from Asia paid more attention to this field through high-level international cooperation. Besides, there are still many issues expected to be explored and evaluated correctly. Such as the considerable uncertainty that pharmacogenomic methods have no significant influence on patient outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
Precision oncology serves as an essential method in clinical treatment, and is closely related to biological study, including biochemistry, molecular and genetics, advanced technology, and pharmacology discovery. The future research prospect would be the broad involvement of social participation and global cooperation in oncology precision research to acquire better results via the balance of technology and public health policy.
Topics: Humans; Retrospective Studies; Bibliometrics; Medical Oncology; Neoplasms; Precision Medicine
PubMed: 36316889
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000031380 -
The Oncologist Jan 2015Both the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the European Society for Medical Oncology strongly endorse integrating oncology and palliative care (PC); however, a...
BACKGROUND
Both the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the European Society for Medical Oncology strongly endorse integrating oncology and palliative care (PC); however, a global consensus on what constitutes integration is currently lacking. To better understand what integration entails, we conducted a systematic review to identify articles addressing the clinical, educational, research, and administrative indicators of integration.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We searched Ovid MEDLINE and Ovid EMBase between 1948 and 2013. Two researchers independently reviewed each citation for inclusion and extracted the indicators related to integration. The inter-rater agreement was high (κ = 0.96, p < .001).
RESULTS
Of the 431 publications in our initial search, 101 were included. A majority were review articles (58%) published in oncology journals (59%) and in or after 2010 (64%, p < .001). A total of 55 articles (54%), 33 articles (32%), 24 articles (24%), and 14 articles (14%) discussed the role of outpatient clinics, community-based care, PC units, and inpatient consultation teams in integration, respectively. Process indicators of integration include interdisciplinary PC teams (n = 72), simultaneous care approach (n = 71), routine symptom screening (n = 25), PC guidelines (n = 33), care pathways (n = 11), and combined tumor boards (n = 10). A total of 66 articles (65%) mentioned early involvement of PC, 18 (18%) provided a specific timing, and 28 (28%) discussed referral criteria. A total of 45 articles (45%), 20 articles (20%), and 66 articles (65%) discussed 8, 4, and 9 indicators related to the educational, research, and administrative aspects of integration, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Integration was a heterogeneously defined concept. Our systematic review highlighted 38 clinical, educational, research, and administrative indicators. With further refinement, these indicators may facilitate assessment of the level of integration of oncology and PC.
Topics: Humans; Medical Oncology; Neoplasms; Palliative Care
PubMed: 25480826
DOI: 10.1634/theoncologist.2014-0312 -
Psycho-oncology Sep 2022The present study aims at systematically reviewing research conducted on factors promoting breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings participation. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The present study aims at systematically reviewing research conducted on factors promoting breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings participation.
METHODS
A literature search in MEDLINE/PubMed and PsycInfo from January 2017 to October 2021 was performed. Data extraction, researchers' full agreement and the inclusion criteria produced 102 eligible studies. Data were narratively synthesized and critically interpreted.
RESULTS
Multiple factors favoring or hindering breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings were identified and summarized as factors operating at the individual level (background information, individual characteristics, emotions related to screening procedure and to cancer, knowledge and awareness), at the relational level (relationships with healthcare staff, significant others, community members), and at the healthcare system level (systems barriers/policy, lack of staff). A critical appraisal of studies revealed a fragmentation in the literature, with a compartmentalization of studies by type of cancer screening, country and specific populations of destination.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall findings indicated that greater integration of research results obtained independently for each cancer diagnosis and within the different countries/populations could foster a more comprehensive understanding of factors potentially enhancing the participation in breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings worldwide. This review, which is grounded in the current context of globalization and superdiversification in population, can help to enhance a better integration between research and practices, by supporting the development of more effective and inclusive evidence-based interventions and health-promotion campaigns worldwide. Research and practical implications are highlighted and discussed.
Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Colorectal Neoplasms; Early Detection of Cancer; Female; Health Promotion; Humans; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
PubMed: 35793430
DOI: 10.1002/pon.5997 -
The American Journal of Hospice &... Nov 2021The number of people with cancer and the need for palliative care among this population is increasing in the United States. Despite this growing need, several barriers...
The number of people with cancer and the need for palliative care among this population is increasing in the United States. Despite this growing need, several barriers exist to the utilization of palliative care in oncology. The purpose of this study was to synthesize the evidence on the barriers to palliative care utilization in an oncology population. A systematic review of literature was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, CINAHL, and Psych Info databases were used for the literature search. Articles were included if they: 1) focused on cancer, (2) examined and discussed barriers to palliative care, and c) were peer reviewed, published in English, and had an accessible full text. A total of 29 studies (8 quantitative, 18 qualitative, and 3 mixed-methods) were identified and synthesized for this review. The sample size of the included studies ranged from 10 participants to 313 participants. The barriers to palliative care were categorized into barriers related to the patient and family, b) barriers related to providers, and c) barriers related to the healthcare system or policy. The factors identified in this review provide guidance for intervention development to mitigate the existing barriers and facilitate the use palliative care in individuals with cancer.
Topics: Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing; Humans; Medical Oncology; Neoplasms; Palliative Care
PubMed: 33412898
DOI: 10.1177/1049909120983283 -
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Jan 2016Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a common and important precursor lesion of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). A third of patients with BE are asymptomatic, and our ability to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a common and important precursor lesion of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). A third of patients with BE are asymptomatic, and our ability to predict the risk of progression of metaplasia to dysplasia and EAC (and therefore guide management) is limited. There is an urgent need for clinically useful biomarkers of susceptibility to both BE and risk of subsequent progression. This study aims to systematically identify, review, and meta-analyze genetic biomarkers reported to predict both. A systematic review of the PubMed and EMBASE databases was performed in May 2014. Study and evidence quality were appraised using the revised American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines, and modified Recommendations for Tumor Marker Scores. Meta-analysis was performed for all markers assessed by more than one study. A total of 251 full-text articles were reviewed; 52 were included. A total of 33 germline markers of susceptibility were identified (level of evidence II-III); 17 were included. Five somatic markers of progression were identified; meta-analysis demonstrated significant associations for chromosomal instability (level of evidence II). One somatic marker of progression/relapse following photodynamic therapy was identified. However, a number of failings of methodology and reporting were identified. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate genetic biomarkers of BE susceptibility and risk of progression. While a number of limitations of study quality temper the utility of those markers identified, some-in particular, those identified by genome-wide association studies, and chromosomal instability for progression-appear plausible, although robust validation is required.
Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Barrett Esophagus; Disease Progression; Esophageal Neoplasms; Esophagus; Genetic Markers; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genetic Variation; Genome-Wide Association Study; Humans; Phenotype; Precancerous Conditions; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 26445852
DOI: 10.1007/s10620-015-3884-5 -
Surgical Oncology Dec 2022Intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL) is characterized by the presence of vascular extension and invasion of benign smooth muscle lesions in a worm-like manner from uterine... (Review)
Review
Intravenous leiomyomatosis (IVL) is characterized by the presence of vascular extension and invasion of benign smooth muscle lesions in a worm-like manner from uterine fibroids into the systemic vasculature system. Surgery with complete tumour resection remains the main treatment approach, however both treated and untreated of this disease is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this systematic review is to highlight the systemic manifestations and surgical management of IVL.
Topics: Humans; Female; Leiomyomatosis; Uterine Neoplasms
PubMed: 36332557
DOI: 10.1016/j.suronc.2022.101879 -
Psycho-oncology Jun 2017This review aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge available on the nature and extent of the relationship between external-beam radiotherapy (RT) and fear... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
This review aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge available on the nature and extent of the relationship between external-beam radiotherapy (RT) and fear of cancer recurrence (FoR).
METHODS
PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases were searched to identify relevant studies. Systematic review procedures were followed including a quality assessment. Meta-analysis of suitable studies was conducted.
RESULTS
Twenty-five eligible studies were included in the systematic review, and 15 of them were included in further meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of the available data confirmed a weak relationship between RT and FoR (15 studies, 9567 patients, overall r = 0.053, 95% confidence interval, 0.021-0.085, P = .001). Subgroup analysis based on cancer site (breast cancer versus other types of cancer) revealed that the correlation between RT and FoR was statistically significant in "other cancer" group (P < .001) but was nonsignificant in "breast cancer" group (P = .538).
CONCLUSIONS
While meta-analysis reports a statistically significant association between cancer patient's FoR and the receipt of RT, these results should be interpreted with caution owing to significant variability between studies. Further longitudinal studies should be conducted to address the trajectory of FoR over RT in greater detail.
Topics: Breast Neoplasms; Fear; Female; Humans; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neoplasms; Radiotherapy
PubMed: 27419668
DOI: 10.1002/pon.4224