A survey of cancer patients, caregivers, and providers regarding familiarity, importance, and utilization of supportive and integrative oncology services.

Purpose: Supportive and integrative oncology services aim to improve the quality of life of cancer patients. This study characterizes the views of these services among cancer patients, caregivers, and providers at a comprehensive cancer center.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered in 2017-2018.

Interest and Willingness to Pay for Integrative Therapies of Patients With Cancer and Caregivers.

Purpose: Complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) services are more prevalent in cancer centers but continue to be underutilized by patients. This study examines perspectives from patients and caregivers about these services being offered at a comprehensive cancer center.

Methods: Patients and caregivers were surveyed about their familiarity, interest, and experience with five CIM therapies: acupuncture, massage, meditation, music therapy, and yoga.

Apoptosis mechanisms related to the increased sensitivity of Jurkat T-cells vs A431 epidermoid cells to photodynamic therapy with the phthalocyanine Pc 4.

To examine the clinical applicability of Pc 4, a promising second-generation photosensitizer, for the photodynamic treatment of lymphocyte-mediated skin diseases, we studied the A431 and Jurkat cell lines, commonly used as surrogates for human keratinocyte-derived carcinomas and lymphocytes, respectively. As revealed by ethyl acetate extraction and absorption spectrophotometry, uptake of Pc 4 into the two cell lines was linear with Pc 4 concentration and similar on a per cell basis but greater in Jurkat cells on a per mass basis. Flow cytometry showed that uptake was linear at low doses; variations in the dose-response for uptake measured by fluorescence supported differential aggregation of Pc 4 in the two cell types.

High-field magnetic resonance imaging of the response of human prostate cancer to Pc 4-based photodynamic therapy in an animal model.

Introduction: High-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an emerging technique that provides a powerful, non-invasive tool for in vivo studies of cancer therapy in animal models. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a relatively new treatment modality for prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer mortality in American males. The goal of this study was to evaluate the response of human prostate tumor cells growing as xenografts in athymic nude mice to Pc 4-sensitized PDT.

Small Animal Imaging for Early Assessment of Therapeutic Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy for Prostate Cancer.

We are developing small animal imaging techniques that can measure early effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for prostate cancer. PDT is an emerging therapeutic modality that continues to show promise in the treatment of cancer. At our institution, a new second-generation photosensitizing drug, the silicon phthalocyanine Pc 4, has been developed and evaluated at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Multiscale Fuzzy C-Means Image Classification for Multiple Weighted MR Images for the Assessment of Photodynamic Therapy in Mice.

We are investigating small animal imaging and analysis methods for the assessment of photodynamic therapy (PDT), an emerging therapeutic modality for cancer treatment. Multiple weighted MR images were acquired from tumor-bearing mice pre- and post-PDT and 24-hour after PDT. We developed an automatic image classification method to differentiate live, necrotic and intermediate tissues within the treated tumor on the MR images.

Deformable and rigid registration of MRI and microPET images for photodynamic therapy of cancer in mice.

We are investigating imaging techniques to study the tumor response to photodynamic therapy (PDT). Positron emission tomography (PET) can provide physiological and functional information. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide anatomical and morphological changes.

A simplified method for preparation of 99mTc-annexin V and its biologic evaluation for in vivo imaging of apoptosis after photodynamic therapy.

Unlabelled: Apoptosis is the likely mechanism behind the effects of chemotherapeutic and radiation treatments, rejection of organ transplants, and cell death due to hypoxic-ischemic injury. A simplified method capable of imaging apoptosis in living animals could have many applications leading to understanding of the involvement of apoptosis in biologic and therapeutic processes. To accomplish this goal we developed a method for the preparation of (99m)Tc-annexin V and evaluated its usefulness to detect apoptosis that occurs during tumor shrinkage after photodynamic therapy (PDT).