Exploring the practicality and acceptability a brief exercise communication and clinician referral pathway in cancer care: a feasibility study.

Background: The majority of cancer patients and cancer care clinicians-CCCs (e.g., oncologists) believe that exercise is an important adjunct therapy that should be embedded in standard practice.

Systemic treatment of advanced and metastatic urothelial cancer: The landscape in Australia.

The 5-year survival rate of metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) is estimated to be as low as 5%. Currently, systemic platinum-based chemotherapy followed by avelumab maintenance therapy is the only first-line treatment for mUC that has an overall survival benefit. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy (usually in combination with gemcitabine) is the preferred treatment but carboplatin is substituted where contraindications to cisplatin exist.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors and Immunomodulation in Renal Cell Cancers: The Past, Present, and Future.

Angiogenesis inhibitors have been adopted into the standard armamentarium of therapies for advanced-stage renal cell carcinomas (RCC), but more recently, combination regimens with immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated better outcomes. Despite this, the majority of affected patients still eventually experience progressive disease due to therapeutic resistance mechanisms, and there remains a need to develop novel therapeutic strategies. This article will review the synergistic mechanisms behind angiogenesis and immunomodulation in the tumor microenvironment and discuss the pre-clinical and clinical evidence for both clear-cell and non-clear-cell RCC, exploring opportunities for future growth in this exciting area of drug development.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced myocarditis, myositis, myasthenia gravis and transaminitis: a case series and review.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been incorporated into the treatment of various malignancies. An increasing body of literature is reporting rare but potentially fatal adverse events associated with these agents. In this case series, the authors report the clinical features and outcomes of seven patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitors for different solid organ malignancies and developed a tetrad of immune-related myocarditis, myositis, myasthenia gravis and transaminitis.

Cancer survivors' exercise beliefs, knowledge, and behaviors: An Australian National Survey.

Aims: This study aimed to (1) explore the perceptions of people living with cancer about exercise in general and exercise as an adjunct form of cancer care, (2) explore their perceptions regarding exercise counselling needs and preferences, and (3) investigate how these perceptions of exercise as an adjunct form of cancer care shape survivors exercise levels postcancer diagnosis.

Methods: A cross-sectional design and online survey were used to recruit cancer survivors via cancer-related networks throughout Australia. Two factor analyses were conducted to examine the structure and reduce the number of variables pertaining to exercise during and after the cancer treatment.

Bridging the gap between attitudes and action: A qualitative exploration of clinician and exercise professional's perceptions to increase opportunities for exercise counselling and referral in cancer care.

Objective: This study aimed to 1) understand factors impacting the implementation of exercise communication and referral, and 2) explore integrated clinical approaches to exercise communication and referral in cancer care.

Methods: Seven focus groups (N = 53) were conducted with clinicians and exercise professionals throughout Sydney, Australia. A sub-sample of participants (n = 9) attended a half-day workshop to identifying best practice approaches for moving forward.

Treatment selection for first-line metastatic renal cell carcinoma in Australia: Impact of new therapy options.

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors have provided an effective standard of care for the treatment of metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Survival is prolonged with emergence of modern immuno-oncology combination regimens. Prognostic risk assessment is essential for choosing between these therapies to determine the most appropriate first line treatment option, with selection based on International Metastatic RCC Database Consortium Risk Category.

Teacher Physical Education Practices and Student Outcomes in a Sample of Middle Schools Participating in the Presidential Youth Fitness Program.

Obesity and lack of physical activity among children and adolescents are public health problems in the United States. This Presidential Youth Fitness Program (PYFP) evaluation measured program implementation in 13 middle schools and its effect on physical education practices, student fitness knowledge, and student physical activity and fitness levels. PYFP, a free program with the potential to positively affect student health and fitness outcomes, was designed to improve fitness education practices that are easily integrated into existing physical education programs.

Childhood Obesity Declines Project: An Effort of the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research to Explore Progress in Four Communities.

Background: Recent findings show that national childhood obesity prevalence overall is improving among some age groups, but that disparities continue to persist, particularly among populations that have historically been at higher risk of obesity and overweight. Over the past several years, many jurisdictions at the city or county level across the nation have also reported declines. Little evaluation has focused on understanding the factors that influence the implementation of efforts to reduce childhood obesity rates.

Childhood Obesity Declines Project: A Different Methodology.

Background: The evidence for and our understanding of community-level strategies such as policies, system, and environmental changes that support healthy eating and active living is growing. However, researchers and evaluation scientists alike are still not confident in what to recommend for preventing or sustaining declines in the prevalence of obesity.

Methods: The Systematic Screening and Assessment (SSA) methodology was adapted as a retrospective process to confirm obesity declines and to better understand what and how policies and programs or interventions may contribute as drivers.

The Childhood Obesity Declines Project: Implications for Research and Evaluation Approaches.

Background: Childhood obesity remains prevalent and is increasing in some disadvantaged populations. Numerous research, policy and community initiatives are undertaken to impact this pandemic. Understudied are natural experiments.

The Childhood Obesity Declines Project: A Review of Enacted Policies.

Background: State- and local-level policies can influence children's diet quality and physical activity (PA) behaviors. The goal of this article is to understand the enacted state and local policy landscape in four communities reporting declines in childhood obesity.

Methods And Results: State-level policies were searched within the CDC's online Chronic Disease State Policy Tracking System.

Childhood Obesity Declines Project: Highlights of Community Strategies and Policies.

Background: The social ecological model (SEM) is a framework for understanding the interactive effects of personal and environmental factors that determine behavior. The SEM has been used to examine childhood obesity interventions and identify factors at each level that impact behaviors. However, little is known about how those factors interact both within and across levels of the SEM.

Childhood Obesity Declines Project: An Exploratory Study of Strategies Identified in Communities Reporting Declines.

Background: Although childhood obesity rates have been high in the last few decades, recent national reports indicate a stabilization of rates among some subpopulations of children. This study examines the implementation of initiatives, policies, and programs (referred to as strategies) in four communities that experienced declines in childhood obesity between 2003 and 2012.

Methods And Results: The Childhood Obesity Decline project verified obesity declines and identified strategies that may have influenced and supported the decline in obesity.

Retrospective comparison of Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme claims data with prescription data in HER2-positive early breast cancer patients, 2008-2012.

Objectives: Dispensing claims are used increasingly to investigate the real-world use and impact of prescribed medicines. Claims databases, established for payment purposes, lack clinical data and only capture prescriptions for which insurers pay a contribution. We compare Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) dispensing claims of HER2-positive early breast cancer patients with medicines prescribed and administered to determine the accuracy of dispensing data to identify treatment protocols, number of treatment cycles and durations of therapy.

Overweight and obesity among low-income women in rural West Virginia and urban Los Angeles County.

We described the prevalence of overweight and obesity among low-income women in rural West Virginia (WV) and urban Los Angeles County (LA County). Both communities participated in the national Communities Putting Prevention to Work program during 2010-2012. In each community, we completed health assessments on adult women recruited from public-sector clinics serving low-income populations.

Assessing moderate to vigorous physical activity in rural West Virginia elementary school physical education classes.

Background: Physical education (PE) provides a natural opportunity for students to be physically active during the school day; however, the amount and intensity of this activity varies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that students engage in MVPA for at least 50% of their PE class period. The purpose of the present study was to quantify the amount of MVPA that occurs during elementary school PE.

Examination of value of the future and health beliefs to explain dietary and physical activity behaviors.

Background: Studies have shown a negative association between value of the future (preference for long-term vs. short-term rewards) and harmful addictive behaviors; however, research in the area of preventive behaviors is limited and has shown conflicting results.

Objectives: The primary objectives were: (1) to examine the association among value of the future and diet and physical activity (PA) behaviors, and (2) to assess whether value of the future explained additional variance in behaviors after controlling for theory-based health beliefs related to coronary heart disease (CHD).

Children's understandings and motivations surrounding novelty sweets: a qualitative study.

Background: Novelty sweets resemble or can be used as toys, are brightly coloured, with striking imagery, and sold at pocket money prices. They encourage regular consumption as packaging can be resealed, leading to prolonged exposure of these high-sugar and low pH products to the oral tissues, risk factors for dental caries and erosion, respectively.

Aim: To determine how children conceptualise novelty sweets and their motivations for buying and consuming them.

Preparing for national implementation of an evidence-based, effective HIV prevention program among bahamian sixth-grade students.

Using data from the preparatory phase prior to national implementation of an effective HIV prevention program (Focus on Youth in the Caribbean; FOYC) in all Bahamian government sixth-grade classes, we describe (1) actual FOYC implementation, (2) factors that influenced implementation, and (3) the relationship of implementation with intervention outcome. Six elementary schools (with 17 grade six classrooms) were selected to participate in the preparatory phase. The 17 teachers were invited to attend a training workshop, coordinate administration of questionnaires to the students, teach the 10 sessions of FOYC and complete self-assessment checklists.

Development of Condom-Use Self-Efficacy over 36 months among Early Adolescents: A Mediation Analysis.

This research evaluates condom-use self-efficacy and its increase throughout adolescence. Documentation of the development of condom-use self-efficacy would be important for prevention efforts given the influence of self-efficacy on actual condom-usage. This study assesses a hypothesized mediation mechanism of the development of self-efficacy using a mediation analysis approach.

When things are not as they appear: assessing the adequacy of cluster randomization when outcome events are rare at baseline.

The present study randomly assigned 15 Bahamian elementary schools to one of three intervention conditions. To assess the adequacy of cluster randomization, we examined two concerns identified by the local research team: inequality of gender distribution and environmental risk among groups. Baseline significant differences in risk and protective behaviors were minimal.

Effect of a grade 6 HIV risk reduction intervention four years later among students who were and were not enrolled in the study trial.

Purpose: To assess the long-term impact of HIV-prevention interventions delivered to youth before sexual initiation and the effects of interventions delivered in nonstudy settings.

Methods: A five-group comparison of HIV knowledge, and condom-use skills, self-efficacy, intentions, and practice among 1,997 grade 10 students attending one of the eight government high schools in Nassau, The Bahamas. Group 1 received an HIV-prevention intervention, Focus on Youth in the Caribbean (FOYC), in grade 6 as part of a randomized trial; group 2 received FOYC as part of the regular school curriculum but outside of the trial; group 3 received the control condition as part of the trial; group 4 received the control condition as part of the school curriculum but outside of the trial; and individuals in group 5 (naive controls) were not enrolled in a school receiving FOYC or the control conditon and did not participate in the trial.