Phase 3 Trial of Cabozantinib to Treat Advanced Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Background: Treatment options for patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors are limited. The efficacy of cabozantinib in the treatment of previously treated, progressive extrapancreatic or pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors is unclear.

Methods: We enrolled two independent cohorts of patients - those with extrapancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and those with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors - who had received peptide receptor radionuclide therapy or targeted therapy or both.

Differing Experiences of Nutrition Care During Treatment Among Oncology Nurses, Providers, and Patients.

Background: Provision of nutrition care for patients with cancer represents a key component of holistic oncology care. However, information is limited about the use and perceptions of registered dietitian-led nutrition care in the oncology setting.

Objectives: This study aimed to better understand the experiences and expectations of patients and healthcare workers regarding nutrition care during outpatient cancer treatment.

Targeting Translation and the Cell Cycle Inversely Affects CTC Metabolism but Not Metastasis.

Melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) is significantly associated with poor prognosis and is diagnosed in 80% of patients at autopsy. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are "seeds" of metastasis and the smallest functional units of cancer. Our multilevel approach has previously identified a CTC RPL/RPS gene signature directly linked to MBM onset.

A pilot randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of omega-3 fatty acids to prevent paclitaxel-associated acute pain syndrome in breast cancer patients: Alliance A22_Pilot2.

Purpose: Paclitaxel is associated with an acute pain syndrome (P-APS- and chronic chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). P-APS is associated with higher risk of CIPN. Omega-3 fatty acids have well-established anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties.

Developing Questions to Assess and Measure Patients' Perceived Survival Benefit from Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Breast Cancer: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study.

Purpose: This mixed methods study developed multiple question types to understand and measure women's perceived benefit from adjuvant endocrine therapy. We hypothesis that patients do not understand this benefit and sought to develop the questions needed to test this hypothesis and obtain initial patient estimates.

Methods: From 8/2022 to 3/2023, qualitative interviews focused on assessing and modifying 9 initial varied question types asking about the overall survival (OS) benefit from adjuvant endocrine therapy.

The RPL/RPS gene signature of melanoma CTCs associates with brain metastasis.

Melanoma brain metastasis (MBM) is linked to poor prognosis and low overall survival. We hypothesized that melanoma circulating tumor cells (CTCs) possess a gene signature significantly expressed and associated with MBM. Employing a multi-pronged approach, we provide first-time evidence identifying a common CTC gene signature for ribosomal protein large/small subunits (RPL/RPS) which associate with MBM onset and progression.

Patient, provider, and nurse preferences of patient reported outcomes (PRO) and side effect management during cancer treatment of underrepresented racial and ethnic minority groups, rural and economically disadvantaged patients: a mixed methods study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient, oncologist and nurse perspectives on side effects and patient reported outcomes (PROs) with the question of how to optimize side effect management and PRO tools in this unique population.

Methods: This pilot study utilized a mixed method explanatory design. Patients receiving intravenous (IV) chemotherapy from June to August 2020 were surveyed about side effect burden and PRO system preferences.

Reaching the "Hard-to-Reach" Sexual and Gender Diverse Communities for Population-Based Research in Cancer Prevention and Control: Methods for Online Survey Data Collection and Management.

Purpose: Around 5% of United States (U.S.) population identifies as Sexual and Gender Diverse (SGD), yet there is limited research around cancer prevention among these populations.

Costs of treatment change following first-line somatostatin analog monotherapy among patients with neuroendocrine tumors.

Background: This study describes treatment characteristics and healthcare costs prior to and following treatment change from somatostatin analog (SSA) monotherapy among a privately-insured NET patient population in the US.

Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed NET and treated with SSA monotherapy were retrospectively identified in IBM MarketScan claims between 1/1/2014 and 3/31/2019. NET treatment change was captured ≥30 days after the SSA start date (earliest new treatment = index date).

Improving Outpatient Infusion Clinic Wait Times at a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Purpose: Many factors contribute to long wait times for patients on the day of their chemotherapy infusion appointments. Longer wait time leads to nonoptimal care, increased costs, and decreased patient satisfaction. We conducted a quality improvement project to reduce the infusion wait times at a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Randomized Phase III Postoperative Trial of Platinum-Based Chemotherapy Versus Capecitabine in Patients With Residual Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: ECOG-ACRIN EA1131.

Purpose: Patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and residual invasive disease (RD) after completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) have a high-risk for recurrence, which is reduced by adjuvant capecitabine. Preclinical models support the use of platinum agents in the TNBC basal subtype. The EA1131 trial hypothesized that invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) would not be inferior but improved in patients with basal subtype TNBC treated with adjuvant platinum compared with capecitabine.

Developing a survivorship care plan (SCP) delivery process for patients and primary care providers serving poor, rural, and minority patients with cancer.

Background: Survivorship care plans (SCPs) summarize patients' treatment and act as an education and communication tool between oncologists and primary care providers (PCPs). But creation and delivery of SCPs are challenging, labor intensive, and costly. The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UNM CCC) treats a poor, rural, and minority patient population, and our purpose was to implement and evaluate a process to create and deliver SCPs to patients and PCPs.

Association between glycemic control, age, and outcomes among intensively treated patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of hyperglycemia and glycemic variability during intensive acute myeloid leukemia therapy (AML) on outcomes by age.

Methods: Retrospective study of 262 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed AML hospitalized for intensive induction. Hyperglycemia was assessed by mean blood glucose (BG) (mg/dL) during hospitalization and glycemic variability was determined by the standard deviation (SD) of mean BG.

Utility and proposed algorithm of CSF flow cytometry in hematologic malignancies.

In patients with hematologic malignancies, multiparameter flow cytometry (FCM) offers greater sensitivity than cytology in detecting malignant cells in the initial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimen. However, the role of FCM in assessment of subsequent specimens is unclear. We developed an algorithm to reduce the number of low-yield FCM tests without significant impact on clinically meaningful results.

Reducing Wait Time Between Admission and Chemotherapy Initiation.

Purpose: Reducing the length of stay is a high-priority objective for all health care institutions. Delays in chemotherapy initiation for planned preadmissions lead to patient dissatisfaction and prolonged length of stay.

Patients And Methods: A multidisciplinary team was formed as part of the ASCO Quality Training Program.

Ischemic stroke in a patient with moderate to severe inherited factor VII deficiency.

Thrombosis is known to occur in patients with rare inherited bleeding disorders, usually in the presence of a thrombotic risk factor such as surgery and/or factor replacement therapy, but sometimes spontaneously. We present the case of a 72-year-old African American male diagnosed with congenital factor VII (FVII) deficiency after presenting with ischemic stroke, presumably embolic, in the setting of atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis. The patient had an international normalized ratio (INR) of 2.

The neutrophil to albumin ratio as a predictor of pathological complete response in rectal cancer patients following neoadjuvant chemoradiation.

Pathological complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and total mesorectal excision (TME), in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, occurs in 15-27% of patients. Because blood cell counts and albumin are a direct indicator of the host environment, a response to nCRT might be predicted by these markers. This study was carried out to determine whether the neutrophil to albumin ratio (NAR) was predictive of pCR in veteran patients.