Levysiegel1109

Background Whereas much information exists in general oncology regarding the barriers to clinical trial referral, those specific to neuro-oncology are not yet well known. Trial barriers lead to lower patient accrual, which can lead to less-efficient clinical trials and slower improvement of the standard of care, which may negatively effect patient outcomes. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the clinical trial referral barriers that are specific to neuro-oncology to improve trial accrual rates. Methods An electronic survey was completed by 426 Society for Neuro-Oncology members, of whom 372 are included in this report. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, means, and proportions, were used to characterize our survey sample. Results Only 22% of participants reported that their center tracks referrals to clinical trials inside as well as outside their own institution, with an estimate of less than 30% of patients referred. The most commonly reported provider-referral barrier was finding ongoing trials in the patient's geographic area. Providers also perceived that while considering participation in a trial their patients may not qualify for any trials, and if they do, may be unable to travel to the study site for follow-up. learn more Additionally, practice location and provider and institution type all influenced referral patterns. Conclusion Efforts should be made to broaden trial availability and eligibility criteria, improve trial referral tracking, and ensure patients and their caregivers understand the goals and importance of clinical trials to reduce barriers and improve trial participation. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology.Background A key component of cancer research is the availability of clinical samples with appropriately annotated clinical data. Biobanks facilitate research by collecting/storing various types of clinical samples for research. Brain Cancer Biobanking Australia (BCBA) was established to facilitate the networking of brain cancer biobanking operations Australia-wide. Maximizing biospecimen utility in a networked biobanking environment requires the standardization of procedures and data across different sites. The aim of this research was to scope and develop a recommended clinical annotation dataset both for pediatric and adult brain cancer biobanks. Methods A multidisciplinary working group consisting of members from the BCBA Consortium was established to develop clinical dataset recommendations for brain cancer biobanks. A literature search was undertaken to identify any published clinical dataset recommendations for brain cancer biobanks. An audit of data items collected and stored by BCBA member biobanks wom.Background Translating outcomes achieved by clinical trials into routine care is crucial to improving outcomes of glioblastoma (GBM). This study examines the extent to which an advance in treatment for GBM has translated into meaningful, population-level survival benefits in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Methods This retrospective cohort study used linked population-based cancer registry, admitted patient, and mortality datasets. The cohort (n = 2604) included NSW residents aged ≥18 years with a histologically confirmed GBM and a surgical resection between July 2001 and December 2012. The study outcome was all-cause survival, examined using multivariable proportional hazard models. The main study factor was period of surgery, categorized into 4 periods corresponding to different eras in temozolomide (TMZ) use. Survival was examined over time by age (≤70 and >70 years) and for a subcohort selected to approximate the seminal European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (Stupp) protocol trial cohort. TMZ use was estimated using aggregate prescription claims data. Results Median survival in 2001-2003, 2004-2006, 2007-2009, and 2010-2012 was 7.4, 9.0, 9.8, and 10.6 months, and risk-adjusted 2-year survival was 8.2%, 13.8%, 15.5%, and 18.3%, respectively. Survival improved for those aged ≤70 years and those aged >70 years. In the proxy trial subcohort, median and 2-year survival were 14.3 months and 27.3%, respectively. The volume of TMZ prescribed annually increased rapidly from 2005. Conclusions Introduction of TMZ into standard care in 2005 coincided with improvements in survival and a rapid increase in TMZ prescribing. Optimization of care has continued to improve survival of people with GBM in subsequent years. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.Background Neurotoxicity is a frequent side effect of cytotoxic chemotherapy and affects a large number of patients. Despite the high medical need, few research efforts have addressed the impact of cytotoxic agents on cognition (ie, postchemotherapy cognitive impairment; PCCI). One unsolved question is whether individual cytotoxic drugs have differential effects on cognition. We thus examine the current state of research regarding PCCI. Neurological symptoms after targeted therapies and immunotherapies are not part of this review. Methods A literature search was conducted in the PubMed database, and 1215 articles were reviewed for predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Thirty articles were included in the systematic review. Results Twenty-five of the included studies report significant cognitive impairment. Of these, 21 studies investigated patients with breast cancer. Patients mainly received combinations of 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and taxanes (FEC/FEC-T). Five studies found no significant cognitive impairment in chemotherapy patients. Of these, 2 studies investigated patients with colon cancer receiving 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX). Independent risk factors for PCCI were patient age, mood alterations, cognitive reserve, and the presence of apolipoprotein E e4 alleles. Conclusions There is evidence that certain chemotherapy regimens cause PCCI more frequently than others as evidenced by 21 out of 23 studies in breast cancer patients (mainly FEC-T), whereas 2 out of 3 studies with colon cancer patients (FOLFOX) did not observe significant changes. Further studies are needed defining patient cohorts by treatment protocol in addition to cancer type to elucidate the effects of individual cytotoxic drugs on cognitive functions. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.The treatment of children with low-grade glioma has evolved over the last several decades, beginning initially with focal radiotherapy, which has now been largely replaced by systemic treatment with conventional chemotherapy agents or more recently molecularly targeted therapeutics. A consensus standard of care is not well defined, leaving clinicians and parents to choose from an increasing number of options, often without complete information concerning the associated risks and benefits. Issues critical to this topic include timing of interventions (when to treat), preservation of neurological function (goals of treatment), choice of initial therapy strategy (conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy vs molecularly targeted therapy), duration of treatment (how long, and what clinical or imaging endpoints to consider), and perhaps most important, risk reduction relative to anticipated benefit. The groups from the University of California, San Francisco and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, moderated by Michael Prados, herein debate the merits of cytotoxic chemotherapy and targeted therapeutics as initial treatment strategies in pediatric low-grade glioma, a topic discussed daily in Tumor Boards across the United States and abroad. Prospective, randomized, phase 3 trials comparing the 2 strategies, conducted within homogenous disease settings, with consistently evaluated functional and imaging endpoints, are not available to guide the risks/benefit discussion. As is often the case in rare biologically diverse diseases, in a vulnerable population, therapy decisions are frequently based on incomplete data, physician experience, bias to some degree, and patient/family preference. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology and the European Association of Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.Aim This review will identify, evaluate and synthesize the literature related to evidence-based design of healthcare environments and to identify impacts of the built environment on the outcomes and experiences of patients, significant others and staff. Design A mixed-method systematic review of literature 2010-2018. Methods Database searches for evidence in peer-reviewed journals will be conducted electronically using CINAHL, Medline, SCOPUS and Web of Science. Abstract, full-text screening and data extraction will be completed independently by the reviewers. Quality assessment will follow Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Social Services Assessment. Results This review will offer knowledge for informed decisions about the design of the healthcare environment. The review is comprehensive, includes a large volume of literature various research designs and will highlight the knowledge gap in evidence-based design and provide a breadth of knowledge about the built environments and its impact on health and well-being. © 2020 The Authors. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Aims The purpose of this study was to identify the role of psychological insulin resistance in the relationship between diabetes self-efficacy and diabetes self-care management in people with diabetes over 65 years of age. Design A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used. Methods Participants included 326 patients with type 2 diabetes who were over 65 years of age. Structural equation modelling was performed to estimate the direct and indirect effects of diabetes self-efficacy on diabetes self-care management when psychological insulin resistance was entered as a mediator. Data were collected from May 2015 to January 2017. Results Diabetes self-efficacy (r = .53, p  less then  .001) and psychological insulin resistance (r = .33, p  less then  .001) were significantly associated with diabetes self-care management, whereas a negative association was found between diabetes self-efficacy and psychological insulin resistance (r = -.16, p  less then  .001). When psychological insulin resistance was entered as a mediator, the association between diabetes self-efficacy and diabetes self-care management was attenuated. Therefore, psychological insulin resistance served as a mediator of diabetes self-care management. © 2020 The Authors. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Aim In this research, we explored how nurses working in HIV care in Ghana live and work with hope. Background Nurses who work with people living with HIV have concerns about their well-being and quality of life. They also complain of stress-related workload due to high nurse-patient ratio. The study sought to examine the experiences of nurses in Ghana and the ways that hope is intertwined with their experiences in working with people living with HIV. Design This study was a narrative inquiry study. Narrative inquiry is a collaborative way to inquire into participants' experiences in the three-dimensional spaces of temporality, sociality and place. Methods We engaged with five nurses who work in an acute care setting where their primary focus is to provide care to people living with HIV. We engaged in six to eight conversations with each participant over several months. We asked participants to describe memories of significant experiences in their past and present lives, and share experiences that they would describe hopeful in their HIV nursing practice.