Health Navigator intervention to address the unmet social needs of populations living with cancer attending outpatient treatment at a major metropolitan hospital in Australia: protocol for a mixed-methods feasibility trial.

Introduction: Integrating health and social care to address unmet social needs is an emerging priority for health systems worldwide. Screening and referral interventions for unmet social needs, also known as Health Navigator (HN) interventions, in healthcare settings have shown mixed but promising results, mostly due to a large variability in intervention design and outcomes assessed. Most HN interventions are implemented in primary care, despite evidence that disadvantaged populations face substantial barriers to accessing such care, and these interventions are limited in Australia.

Medical oncologist perceptions and willingness to participate in voluntary assisted dying in South Australia.

This study surveyed South Australian medical oncologists to capture their perceptions, willingness to participate and perceived barriers and motivations to participation in voluntary assisted dying (VAD) activities. Approximately 70% of surveyed medical oncologists reported familiarity with VAD legislation. Less than half of physicians (39.

COVID-19 infection among patients with cancer in Australia from 2020 to 2022: a national multicentre cohort study.

Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected certain populations and its management differed between countries. This national study describes characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with cancer in Australia.

Methods: We performed a multicentre cohort study of patients with cancer and COVID-19 from March 2020 to April 2022.

Characterization of Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Experiencing Complete Response to First-line Therapies: Results From the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium.

Purpose: Clinical trials have demonstrated higher complete response rates in the immuno-oncology-based combination arms than in the tyrosine kinase inhibitor arms in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. We aimed to characterize real-world patients who experienced complete response to the contemporary first-line therapies.

Materials And Methods: Using the International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium, response-evaluable patients who received frontline immuno-oncology-based combination therapy or tyrosine kinase inhibitor monotherapy were analyzed.

Nivolumab plus cabozantinib versus sunitinib in first-line treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma (CheckMate 9ER): long-term follow-up results from an open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial.

Background: In the primary analysis of CheckMate 9ER, nivolumab plus cabozantinib showed superior progression-free survival, overall survival, and objective response over sunitinib in patients with previously untreated advanced renal cell carcinoma (median follow-up of 18·1 months). Here, we report extended follow-up of overall survival and updated efficacy and safety.

Methods: This open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial was done in 125 hospitals and cancer centres across 18 countries.

The effects of unintentional drowsiness on the velocity of eyelid movements during spontaneous blinks.

Objective: Unintentional drowsiness, when we should be alert, as for example when driving a vehicle, can be very dangerous. In this investigation we examined the effects of unintentional drowsiness on the relative velocities of eyelid closing and reopening movements during spontaneous blinks.

Approach: Twenty-four young adults volunteered to take part in this experiment, and 18 were finally accepted.

Comparable survival outcome of metastatic colorectal cancer in Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients: Retrospective analysis of the South Australian metastatic colorectal cancer registry.

Objective: This study aims to investigate disparities in demographics, disease characteristics, treatment and overall survival between South Australian (SA) Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Design: This employs a retrospective population study using the SA mCRC registry.

Setting: The SA mCRC registry identifies mCRC patients from hospital encounters, histopathology reports, medical oncology letters, clinician notification, attendances at multidisciplinary meetings and death audits by the SA Cancer Registry.

Equivalence of outcomes for rural and metropolitan patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in South Australia.

Objective: To compare the management and outcome of rural and metropolitan patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in South Australia.

Design, Setting And Patients: Retrospective cohort study of patients with mCRC submitted to the South Australian mCRC registry between 2 February 2006 and a cut-off date of 28 May 2012.

Main Outcome Measures: Differences in oncological and surgical management and overall survival (calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method) between city and rural patients.

Can we accurately report PTEN status in advanced colorectal cancer?

Background: Loss of phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) function evaluated by loss of PTEN protein expression on immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been reported as both prognostic in metastatic colorectal cancer and predictive of response to anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies although results remain uncertain. Difficulties in the methodological assessment of PTEN are likely to be a major contributor to recent conflicting results.

Methods: We assessed loss of PTEN function in 51 colorectal cancer specimens using Taqman® copy number variation (CNV) and IHC.

Olanzapine for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: a systematic review.

Purpose: Newer drugs incorporated in prophylactic regimens for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) have resulted in significantly reduced rates of this feared complication of cytotoxic chemotherapy. However, both delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and breakthrough CINV remain difficult areas of management and require novel treatment strategies. Recent randomized trial evidence has suggested that olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic, may have a role in both the prevention and treatment of CINV.

Panitumumab in the management of patients with KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer.

The past 15 years has seen a marked increase in available therapeutic options for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer resulting in improvements in median survival from 12 to 24 months. One of these new options is panitumumab, which is a fully humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to the epidermal growth factor receptor of tumor cells and inhibits downstream cell signaling with antitumor effects of inhibition of tumor growth, induction of apoptosis and inhibition of angiogenesis. Large randomized clinical trials have demonstrated significant improvements in tumor response rates and progression-free survival when panitumumab is combined with chemotherapy and as monotherapy in chemorefractory metastatic colorectal cancer.

Proangiogenic tumor proteins as potential predictive or prognostic biomarkers for bevacizumab therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Tumor biomarkers to more accurately predict a patient's response to a given therapy are much needed in oncology practice. For metastatic colorectal cancer the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) monoclonal antibody bevacizumab is now commonly included in first-line therapy regimens and has led to modest but significant improvements in patient outcomes compared with chemotherapy. Given the modest gains there is a pressing need for predictive biomarkers to better identify patients who would benefit from this targeted therapy.

Panitumumab in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Increasing chemotherapeutic and targeted drug options has led to improved overall survival in metastatic colorectal cancer. Panitumumab is a fully humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to the EGF receptor and inhibits downstream cell signaling with net effects of inhibition of tumor growth, induction of apoptosis and inhibition of angiogenesis. Panitumumab leads to improved response rate and progression-free survival when used in combination with chemotherapy and as monotherapy in metastatic colorectal cancer.

The effect of blinks and saccadic eye movements on visual reaction times.

Vision is suppressed during blinks and saccadic eye movements. We hypothesized that visual reaction times (RTs) in a vigilance test would be significantly increased when a blink or a saccade happened to coincide with the stimulus onset. Thirty healthy volunteers each performed a visual RT test for 15 min while their eye and eyelid movements were monitored by a system of infrared reflectance oculography.