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Journal of Medical Microbiology Jun 2024Fluoroquinolone prophylaxis during haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) can lead to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Identifying the groups of patients that have...
Fluoroquinolone prophylaxis during haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) can lead to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Identifying the groups of patients that have the highest likelihood of benefiting from prophylactic antimicrobials is important for antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). We aimed to identify groups of HCT recipients that have the highest likelihood of benefiting from prophylactic fluroquinolones. All admissions for HCT in a tertiary centre between January 2020 and December 2022 ( = 400) were retrospectively studied. Allogeneic HCT (allo-HCT) recipients had prophylaxis with ciprofloxacin during the chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, while autologous HCT (auto-HCT) recipients did not. Bacteraemias were recorded when non-contaminant bacterial pathogens were isolated in blood cultures. Allo-HCT was performed for 43.3 % (173/400) of patients and auto-HCT was performed for 56.7 % (227/400). A bacteraemia was documented in 28.3 % (113/400) of cases. Allo-HCT recipients were more likely to have a Gram-positive bacteraemia (20.8%, 36/173, vs 10.1%, 23/227, = 0.03), while a difference was not observed for Gram-negative bacteraemias (18.5%, 32/173 vs 18.1%, 41/227, = 0.91). Among auto-HCT recipients not receiving ciprofloxacin prophylaxis, patients with germ cell tumours had the highest probability ( for trend 0.09) of recording any bacteraemia (43.5%, 10/23) followed by patients with lymphomas (32.5%, 13/40), other auto-HCT indications (22.2%, 2/9), multiple myeloma (22.1%, 29/131) and multiple sclerosis (12.5%, 3/24). The higher number of bacteraemias in patients with germ cell tumours was primarily driven by Gram-negative pathogens. Ciprofloxacin prophylaxis was associated with a reduced incidence of Gram-negative bacteraemias in allo-HCT recipients. Auto-HCT recipients due to germ cell tumours, not receiving ciprofloxacin prophylaxis, recorded the highest incidence of bacteraemias and represent a possible target group for this intervention.
PubMed: 38922673
DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001847 -
Clinical Cancer Research : An Official... Jun 2024Cancer predisposition syndrome (CPS) surveillance allows for the early detection and treatment of neoplasms; however, the psychosocial impact of tumor surveillance is...
PURPOSE
Cancer predisposition syndrome (CPS) surveillance allows for the early detection and treatment of neoplasms; however, the psychosocial impact of tumor surveillance is poorly understood for cancer-affected adolescents with a CPS and their parents. To gain insight, we qualitatively characterized the affective and cognitive experience of undergoing CPS tumor surveillance.
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Adolescents with a cancer history and their parents independently completed semi-structured interviews querying their experience with the adolescent's tumor surveillance. Interviews were coded using emotion coding and content analysis before developing themes using thematic analysis.
RESULTS
Eight adolescents and 11 parents (7 mothers, 4 fathers) completed interviews. Parent themes included: maternal anxiety, relief following surveillance, fathers' positive expectations and emotions surrounding surveillance results, coping strategies, and perception of going through surveillance together with their child. Adolescent themes included: normalization of surveillance, indifference about surveillance but excitement to return to the hospital, focus on physical and logistic aspects, relief focused on being done with scans, and belief that outcomes would be good. Past scans/surveillance experiences influencing surveillance feelings was a theme across both parents and adolescents.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that tumor surveillance is not causing marked emotional distress for cancer-affected adolescents with a CPS. In contrast, mothers of cancer-affected adolescents undergoing surveillance may present with anxiety leading up to tumor surveillance and, for a subset, in between surveillance appointments. These observations highlight a need for ongoing psychosocial screening for families of children with a CPS and a role for psychosocial providers in multidisciplinary management of CPSs.
PubMed: 38922635
DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-24-0693 -
JAMA Surgery Jun 2024Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly recognized for their ability to promote patient-centered care, but concerted health information technology...
IMPORTANCE
Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly recognized for their ability to promote patient-centered care, but concerted health information technology (HIT)-enabled PROM implementations have yet to be achieved for national surgical quality improvement.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility of collecting PROMs within a national surgical quality improvement program.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This was a pragmatic implementation cohort study conducted from February 2020 to March 2023. Hospitals in the US participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program and their patients were included in this analysis.
EXPOSURES
Strategies to increase PROM collection rates were identified using the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Framework for Spread and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and operationalized with the IHI Model for Improvement's Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The primary goal was to accrue more than 30 hospitals and achieve collection rates of 30% or greater in the first 3 years. Logistic regression was used to identify hospital-level factors associated with achieving collection rates of 30% or greater and to identify patient-level factors associated with response to PROMs.
RESULTS
At project close, 65 hospitals administered PROMs to 130 365 patients (median [IQR] age, 60.1 [46.2-70.0] years; 77 369 female [59.4%]). Fifteen PDSA cycles were conducted to facilitate implementation, primarily targeting the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research domains of Inner Setting (ie, HIT platform) and Individuals (ie, patients). The target collection rate was exceeded in quarter 3 (2022). Fifty-eight hospitals (89.2%) achieved collection rates of 30% or greater, and 9 (13.8%) achieved collection rates of 50% or greater. The median (IQR) maximum hospital-level collection rate was 40.7% (34.6%-46.7%). The greatest increases in collection rates occurred when both email and short-message service text messaging were used, communications to patients were personalized with their surgeon's and hospital's information, and the number of reminders increased from 2 to 5. No identifiable hospital characteristic was associated with achieving the target collection rate. Patient age and insurance status contributed to nonresponse.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Results of this cohort study suggest that the large-scale electronic collection of PROMs into a national multispecialty surgical registry was feasible. Findings suggest that HIT platform functionality and earning patient trust were the keys to success; although, iterative opportunities to increase collection rates and address nonresponse remain. Future work to drive continuous surgical quality improvement with PROMs are ongoing.
PubMed: 38922601
DOI: 10.1001/jamasurg.2024.1757 -
Japanese Journal of Radiology Jun 2024Refractory hepatic encephalopathy (RHE) can occur as a consequence of excessive shunting following the creation of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt...
Utilizing a suture-constrained covered stent for shunt reduction to treat transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt-related refractory hepatic encephalopathy: a retrospective study.
PURPOSE
Refractory hepatic encephalopathy (RHE) can occur as a consequence of excessive shunting following the creation of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). We describe a technique that utilizes a suture-constrained covered stent for shunt reduction to treat TIPS-related RHE.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Between January 2017 and September 2023, 25 patients with TIPS-related RHE who underwent shunt reduction utilizing a suture-constrained covered stent were reviewed. The procedure involved reducing the diameter of a polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent from 8 to 5 mm with a non-absorbable suture and inserting it into the existing TIPS stent to reduce shunt flow.
RESULTS
Twelve of the 25 patients were evaluated. Shunt reduction was technically successful in all patients and no immediate complications related to the procedures were observed. Varying degrees of improvement in HE symptoms were observed after shunt reduction, with a mean increase in portosystemic gradient of 5 mmHg compared to pre-procedure, and complete disappearance of symptoms was observed in seven (58.3%) individuals. After a median follow-up of 8.3 months, HE recurred in 4 patients (33.3%) and TIPS indication recurred in 2 patients (16.7%) in the form of ascites and variceal bleeding, respectively. One patient (8.3%) developed shunt dysfunction detected by Doppler ultrasound and was accompanied by the presence of hepatic hydrothorax and ascites. At the end of the study, 5 patients (41.7%) were alive, 5 (41.7%) succumbed to liver failure, and 2 (16.7%) succumbed to pneumonia.
CONCLUSIONS
Constraining the stent diameter with a suture is feasible, and using this suture-constrained covered stent for shunt reduction can effectively improve TIPS-related RHE. Further investigations are warranted to precisely delineate the impact of the increased portosystemic gradient and to optimize patient survival.
PubMed: 38922569
DOI: 10.1007/s11604-024-01618-z -
Japanese Journal of Radiology Jun 2024To reduce the rectal radiation dose during local radiation therapy of prostate cancer, a hydrogel spacer is typically implanted between the prostate and rectum. However,...
PURPOSE
To reduce the rectal radiation dose during local radiation therapy of prostate cancer, a hydrogel spacer is typically implanted between the prostate and rectum. However, the spacer volume can change during external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). Therefore, we used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine changes in the spacer volume during EBRT and analyzed the data to identify patient factors influencing this change.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A hydrogel spacer was implanted in each enrolled patient diagnosed with prostate cancer (n = 22, age = 69-86 years) for EBRT with a total dose of 70 Gy over 35 fractions. T2-weighted MRI images were acquired before (median = 8 days) and during EBRT, when the radiation dose of 48 Gy (median) was given at 55 days (median) after implantation. MRI images were used to determine the spacer volume as well as the maximum and minimum distances between the prostate and anterior wall of the rectum at the middle height of the prostate. Scatterplots were created to determine whether correlations existed between changes in the spacer volume and these two distances, while uni- and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine if the spacer volume change was influenced by the following patient factors: age, body mass index, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and visceral fat areas at the umbilical and femoral head positions.
RESULTS
The spacer volume increased in all 22 patients, with the smaller spacer volume before EBRT increasing by a larger amount during EBRT. This increase in the spacer volume was unaffected by other patient factors. However, it correlated with the change in the maximum distance between the prostate and anterior wall of the rectum.
CONCLUSION
To avoid adverse changes in the rectal radiation dose during EBRT, hydrogel spacer volume should be monitored, especially if the pre-EBRT volume is small.
PubMed: 38922568
DOI: 10.1007/s11604-024-01617-0 -
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Jun 2024This study aimed to determine whether the 21-Gene Breast Recurrence Score® assay from primary breast tissue predicts the prognosis of patients with hormone...
Prognostic value of the 21-Gene Breast Recurrence Score® assay for hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor 2-negative advanced breast cancer: subanalysis from Japan Breast Cancer Research Group-M07 (FUTURE trial).
PURPOSE
This study aimed to determine whether the 21-Gene Breast Recurrence Score® assay from primary breast tissue predicts the prognosis of patients with hormone receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor 2-negative advanced breast cancers (ABCs) treated with fulvestrant monotherapy (Group A) and the addition of palbociclib combined with fulvestrant (Group B), which included those who had progression in Group A from the Japan Breast Cancer Research Group-M07 (FUTURE trial).
METHODS
Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared using the log-rank test and Cox regression analysis based on original recurrence score (RS) categories (Low: 0-17, Intermediate: 18-30, High: 31-100) by treatment groups (A and B) and types of ABCs (recurrence and de novo stage IV).
RESULTS
In total, 102 patients [Low: n = 44 (43.1%), Intermediate: n = 38 (37.5%), High: n = 20 (19.6%)] in Group A, and 45 in Group B, who had progression in Group A were analyzed. The median follow-up time was 23.8 months for Group A and 8.9 months for Group B. Multivariate analysis in Group A showed that low-risk [hazard ratio (HR) 0.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04-0.53, P = 0.003] and intermediate-risk (HR 0.22, 95% CI 0.06-0.78) with de novo stage IV breast cancer were significantly associated with better prognosis compared to high-risk. However, no significant difference was observed among patients with recurrence. No prognostic significance was observed in Group B.
CONCLUSION
We found a distinct prognostic value of the 21-Gene Breast Recurrence Score® assay by the types of ABCs and a poor prognostic value of the high RS for patients with de novo stage IV BC treated with fulvestrant monotherapy. Further validations of these findings are required.
PubMed: 38922548
DOI: 10.1007/s10549-024-07414-7 -
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment Jun 2024In Ireland, over 3000 patients are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, and 1 in 9 Irish women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. There is...
PURPOSE
In Ireland, over 3000 patients are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, and 1 in 9 Irish women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. There is evidence that female breast cancer survivors are more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than their age-matched counterparts. Specific services for cancer patients suffering from cancer therapy related cardiovascular toxicity have led to a higher incidence of safe anti-cancer treatment completion. Such services are not widely available in our jurisdiction, and the purpose of this trial is to remedy this situation.
METHODS
This protocol describes a prospective, single arm, pilot feasibility study implementing a dedicated Cardio-Oncology assessment and surveillance pathway for patients receiving multimodal breast cancer treatment. It incorporates novel biomarker and radiomic surveillance and monitoring approaches for cancer-therapy related cardiac dysfunction into routine care for breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant systemic chemotherapy.
RESULTS
Declaration of results will via peer reviewed academic journals, and communicated directly to key knowledge users both nationally and internationally. This engagement will be critical to enable to healthcare services and policy sector make informed decisions or valuable changes to clinical practice, expenditure and/or systems development to support specialized Cardio-Oncology clinical pathways. All data is to be made available upon request.
CONCLUSION
Dedicated cardio-oncology services have been recommended in recent literature to improve patient outcomes. Our protocol describes a feasibility study into the provision of such services for breast cancer.
PubMed: 38922547
DOI: 10.1007/s10549-024-07322-w -
Annals of Surgical Oncology Jun 2024
PubMed: 38922544
DOI: 10.1245/s10434-024-15680-4 -
Clinical & Translational Oncology :... Jun 2024This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of restarting immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after... (Review)
Review
Safety and efficacy of restarting immune checkpoint inhibitors in non-small cell lung cancer patients following immune-related adverse events: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVE
This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of restarting immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after experiencing immune-related adverse events (irAEs).
METHODS
A comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library was conducted to identify studies investigating the safety and efficacy of restarting ICIs in NSCLC patients after irAEs. Outcome measures, including objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) after ICI restarting, were extracted. Meta-analysis was performed using the R meta-package.
RESULTS
Four studies involving a total of 326 subjects were included, comprising 137 patients who restarted ICI treatment after irAEs and 189 patients who did not restart ICI treatment. The results revealed that ICI restarting was associated with an increased ORR (OR = 2.36, 95% CI 1.49-3.84), prolonged PFS (HR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.42-0.86), and prolonged OS (HR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.43-0.99) compared to non-restarting. The incidence of irAEs after ICI restarting was 45% (95% CI 0.27-0.63).
CONCLUSION
Restarting ICI treatment after discontinuation due to previous irAEs appears to be a reasonable option for NSCLC patients. However, a comprehensive assessment of the potential benefits and risks to individual patients is crucial, and close monitoring of irAEs is warranted.
PubMed: 38922538
DOI: 10.1007/s12094-024-03529-x -
International Urology and Nephrology Jun 2024Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is a low-risk penile cancer management option. However, contemporary patients' short-term oncologic control and preoperative...
PURPOSE
Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is a low-risk penile cancer management option. However, contemporary patients' short-term oncologic control and preoperative characteristics predicting reconstruction needs are undefined. This study assesses MMS's oncologic efficacy for low-risk penile cancer and identifies baseline predictors of post-resection reconstruction referral.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 73 adult males with 78 penile cutaneous malignancies treated with MMS from 2005 to 2019. Patients underwent MMS with or without surgical reconstruction. Demographic information, MMS operative details, lesion pathology, and short-term outcomes were recorded. Descriptive statistics for all variables were calculated, and logistic regression identified predictive factors for urologic referral for complex reconstruction.
RESULTS
Seventy-three men with 78 lesions, all staged ≤ cT1a prior to MMS, were identified. Twenty-one men were found to have invasive SCC. Median follow-up was 2.0 years (IQR 0.8-5.2 years). MMS was able to clear the disease in 90.4% of cases. One patient had disease related death following progression. Dermatology closed primarily in 68% of patients. Twenty percent of patients had a complication, most commonly poor wound healing. On univariate and multivariate linear regression analysis, lesion size > 3 cm and involvement of the glans independently predicted the need for referral to a reconstructive surgeon.
CONCLUSIONS
MMS for penile cancer appears to provide sound oncologic control in the properly selected patient. Involvement of a reconstructive surgeon may be needed for glandular and large lesions, necessitating early referral to a comprehensive multidisciplinary care team.
PubMed: 38922534
DOI: 10.1007/s11255-024-04121-6