Paracentesis for cancer-related ascites in palliative care: An international, prospective cohort study.

Background: Paracentesis is commonly undertaken in patients with cancer-related ascites.

Aim: To systematically investigate the symptomatic benefits and harms experienced by patients with cancer undergoing paracentesis using real-world data in the palliative care setting.

Design: Prospective, multisite, observational, consecutive cohort study.

Perceptions of patients and medical oncologists toward biospecimen donation in the setting of abnormal breast imaging findings.

Purpose: We sought to understand the attitudes of individuals with abnormal breast imaging findings prompting a diagnostic breast biopsy toward donation of blood, excised tissue, or percutaneous biospecimens for research, and to understand medical oncologists' attitudes toward research biospecimen collection in this population.

Methods: We included individuals who presented to a single academic medical center for a clinically indicated, image-guided, percutaneous breast biopsy. We administered a survey prior to knowledge of biopsy results to assess willingness to consider, entirely for research purposes, donating blood or excess excised breast tissue, or having additional biospecimens (AB) obtained during a clinically indicated percutaneous biopsy.

Perceptions of patients with early stage breast cancer toward research biopsies.

Background: The objective of this study was to describe the perspective of patients with early breast cancer toward research biopsies. The authors hypothesized that more patients at academic sites than at community-based sites would be willing to consider these procedures.

Methods: In total, 198 patients with early stage breast cancer were recruited from 3 academic centers (n = 102) and from 1 community oncology practice (n = 96).

Patterns of recurrence and metastasis in BRCA1/BRCA2-associated breast cancers.

Background: Breast cancer subtypes are associated with distinct metastatic patterns. Whether germline BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation status is independently associated with central nervous system (CNS) relapse, controlling for tumor subtype, is unknown.

Methods: Patients who were treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and diagnosed with a first locoregional recurrence (LRR) or metastasis between 1981 and 2014 were identified using 2 institutional registries: 1) patients treated for recurrent breast cancer and 2) patients who underwent BRCA testing.

Variation in the Attitudes of Medical Oncologists Toward Research Biopsies in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer.

Background: Tissue from research biopsies provides access to insights into tumor biology. We aimed to determine medical oncologists' (MOs') attitudes toward research biopsies in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

Materials And Methods: A total of 309 breast MOs from National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers were invited to complete a self-administered survey about their attitudes toward approaching patients for research purpose-only biopsies (RPOBs), performed as a standalone procedure, or additional biopsies, performed with a clinically indicated biopsy.

Informational needs and the quality of life of patients in their first year after metastatic breast cancer diagnosis.

Background: Little is known about the informational needs and quality of life (QOL) of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) within the first year of their diagnosis.

Objectives: To describe the informational needs and QOL of patients with MBC within the first year of diagnosis, and to identify sociodemographic and medical factors that may be associated with informational needs and QOL.

Methods: 52 patients (50 women, 2 men) enrolled within a year of diagnosis of MBC completed a cross-sectional, self-administered paper survey that included patient demographics, the Toronto Informational Needs Questionnaire-Breast Cancer (TINQ), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36).

Developing a service model that integrates palliative care throughout cancer care: the time is now.

Palliative care is a fundamental component of cancer care. As part of the 2011 to 2012 Leadership Development Program (LDP) of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), a group of participants was charged with advising ASCO on how to develop a service model integrating palliative care throughout the continuum of cancer care. This article presents the findings of the LDP group.

Use and duration of chemotherapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer according to tumor subtype and line of therapy.

Benefits of chemotherapy vary in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). This article describes the impact of tumor subtype and the line of therapy on the duration of chemotherapy. Clinicopathologic characteristics were extracted from the medical records of 199 consecutive patients with MBC at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and analyzed according to subtype.

The hidden cost of private health insurance in Australia.

The provision of health services in Australia currently is primarily financed by a unique interaction of public and private insurers. This commentary looks at a loophole in this framework, namely that private insurers have to date been able to avoid funding healthcare for some of their policy holders, as it is not a requirement to use private insurance when treatment occurs in Australian public hospitals.