Self-management intervention improves patient adherence to swallowing exercises during radiation for head and neck cancer.

Background: While preventive swallowing exercises reduce the risk of radiation-associated dysphagia in patients with head and neck cancer, strategies are needed to improve patient adherence.

Methods: Before radiation, all participants were taught preventive swallowing exercises and randomized to either an adherence intervention or enhanced usual care. During radiation, all participants met twice with a speech pathologist for swallowing assessment and reinforcement of exercises.

Plasmonic nano-aperture label-free imaging of single small extracellular vesicles for cancer detection.

Background: Small extracellular vesicle (sEV) analysis can potentially improve cancer detection and diagnostics. However, this potential has been constrained by insufficient sensitivity, dynamic range, and the need for complex labeling.

Methods: In this study, we demonstrate the combination of PANORAMA and fluorescence imaging for single sEV analysis.

TBCRC 057: Survey about willingness to participate in cancer clinical trials during the pandemic.

Background: Breast cancer patients experienced heightened anxiety during the pandemic. Also, modifications to clinical trial activities allowing for virtual platforms, local assessments, and greater flexibility were introduced to facilitate participation. We sought to evaluate the association between pandemic-related anxiety and willingness to participate in trials and how pandemic-era modifications to trial activities affect the decision to participate.

Iterative Patient Testing of a Stimuli-Responsive Swallowing Activity Sensor to Promote Extended User Engagement During the First Year After Radiation: Multiphase Remote and In-Person Observational Cohort Study.

Background: Frequent sensor-assisted monitoring of changes in swallowing function may help improve detection of radiation-associated dysphagia before it becomes permanent. While our group has prototyped an epidermal strain/surface electromyography sensor that can detect minute changes in swallowing muscle movement, it is unknown whether patients with head and neck cancer would be willing to wear such a device at home after radiation for several months.

Objective: We iteratively assessed patients' design preferences and perceived barriers to long-term use of the prototype sensor.

Social media use is associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression in patients with neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix: A NeCTuR study.

Objective: Neuroendocrine cervical carcinoma (NECC) is rare. Educational resources are limited for NECC patients, leading many to seek information online through patient-led social networks. We sought to characterize the relationships between anxiety and depression levels and social media use among NECC patients.

Network Modeling of Complex Time-Dependent Changes in Patient Adherence to Adjuvant Endocrine Treatment in ER+ Breast Cancer.

Early patient discontinuation from adjuvant endocrine treatment (ET) is multifactorial and complex: Patients must adapt to various challenges and make the best decisions they can within changing contexts over time. Predictive models are needed that can account for the changing influence of multiple factors over time as well as decisional uncertainty due to incomplete data. AtlasTi8 analyses of longitudinal interview data from 82 estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer patients generated a model conceptualizing patient-, patient-provider relationship, and treatment-related influences on early discontinuation.

Feasibility of Mobile and Sensor Technology for Remote Monitoring in Cancer Care and Prevention.

Remote monitoring (RM) of health-related outcomes may optimize cancer care and prevention outside of clinic settings. CYCORE is a software-based system for collection and analyses of sensor and mobile data. We evaluated CYCORE's feasibility in studies assessing: (1) physical functioning in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients; (2) swallowing exercise adherence in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients during radiation therapy; and (3) tobacco use in cancer survivors post-tobacco treatment (TTP).

Attributions of survival and methods of coping of long-term ovarian cancer survivors: a qualitative study.

Background: Only 8-23% of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer patients survive for 10 years or longer. Given the need for targeted interventions to improve survival, we interviewed this relatively rare survivor population to gain personalized insights into the reasons for their survival. The aim of this study was to characterize subjective attributions of survival and specific coping mechanisms long-term survivors of ovarian cancer.

Active Living After Cancer: Adaptation and evaluation of a community-based physical activity program for minority and medically underserved breast cancer survivors.

Background: An expanding body of research documents the benefits of physical activity for cancer survivors' physical functioning and quality of life, but few successful models provide community-based physical activity programs to cancer survivors. This report presents an evaluation of Active Living After Cancer, an evidence-based physical activity program for breast cancer survivors, adapted for community delivery to minority and medically underserved survivors.

Methods: Survivors were recruited from health care and community settings.

Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores do not accurately estimate depression prevalence: individual participant data meta-analysis.

Objectives: Depression symptom questionnaires are not for diagnostic classification. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores ≥10 are nonetheless often used to estimate depression prevalence. We compared PHQ-9 ≥10 prevalence to Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (SCID) major depression prevalence and assessed whether an alternative PHQ-9 cutoff could more accurately estimate prevalence.

Patient-reported outcomes in the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium.

Members of the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium conducted an expert-driven literature review to identify a list of domains and to evaluate potential measures of these domains for inclusion in a list of preferred measures. Measures were included if they were easily available, free of charge, and had acceptable psychometrics based on published peer-reviewed analyses. A total of 22 domains and 52 measures were identified during the selection process.

Simulating Time-Dependent Patterns of Nonadherence by Patients With Breast Cancer to Adjuvant Oral Endocrine Therapy.

Purpose: Nearly 40% of patients with breast cancer discontinue their adjuvant oral endocrine treatment (ET). We measured discontinuation rates of ET at a comprehensive cancer center. We then used an iterative approach to model patterns of determinants associated with discontinuation of ET.

Metallic Nanoislands on Graphene for Monitoring Swallowing Activity in Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

There is a need to monitor patients with cancer of the head and neck postradiation therapy, as diminished swallowing activity can result in disuse atrophy and fibrosis of the swallowing muscles. This paper describes a flexible strain sensor comprising palladium nanoislands on single-layer graphene. These piezoresistive sensors were tested on 14 disease-free head and neck cancer patients with various levels of swallowing function: from nondysphagic to severely dysphagic.

Comparison of four brief depression screening instruments in ovarian cancer patients: Diagnostic accuracy using traditional versus alternative cutpoints.

Objectives: We compared the diagnostic accuracy of 4 depression screening scales, using traditional and alternative scoring methods, to the gold standard Structured Clinical Interview-DSM IV major depressive episode (MDE) in ovarian cancer patients on active treatment.

Methods: At the beginning of a new chemotherapy regimen, ovarian cancer patients completed the following surveys on the same day: the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Beck Depression Inventory Fast-Screen for Primary Care (BDI-FastScreen), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and a 1-item screener ("Are you depressed?"). Each instrument's sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value were calculated with respect to major depression.

Depression and Oropharynx Cancer Outcome.

Background: Studies have shown a modest relationship between depression and mortality in patients with cancer. Our study addressed methodological weaknesses in the literature by restricting the sample to patients with one cancer type, adjusting for factors known to affect outcome, and following up patients for a sufficient period.

Methods: We prospectively followed patients newly diagnosed with squamous cell oropharyngeal cancer from the start of radiation therapy until death or until date of last clinical visit.

Identifying early dehydration risk with home-based sensors during radiation treatment: a feasibility study on patients with head and neck cancer.

Background: Systems that enable remote monitoring of patients' symptoms and other health-related outcomes may optimize cancer care outside of the clinic setting. CYCORE (CYberinfrastructure for COmparative effectiveness REsearch) is a software-based prototype for a user-friendly cyberinfrastructure supporting the comprehensive collection and analyses of data from multiple domains using a suite of home-based and mobile sensors. This study evaluated the feasibility of using CYCORE to address early at-home identification of dehydration risk in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

Adherence to preventive exercises and self-reported swallowing outcomes in post-radiation head and neck cancer patients.

Background: To reduce the risk of long-term swallowing complications after radiation, swallowing exercises may be helpful. Both the rate of adherence to swallowing exercises and its impact on future swallowing function are unknown.

Methods: In all, 109 patients with oropharyngeal cancer beginning radiation were tracked for 2 years to determine adherence to swallowing exercises.

Eat and exercise during radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for pharyngeal cancers: use it or lose it.

Importance: Data support proactive swallowing therapy during radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for pharyngeal cancers. The benefits of adherence to a regimen of swallowing exercises and maintaining oral intake throughout treatment are reported, but independent effects are unclear.

Objective: To evaluate the independent effects of maintaining oral intake throughout radiotherapy and adherence to preventive swallowing exercise.

Impact of cardiovascular comorbidity on ovarian cancer mortality.

Background: A retrospective cohort study utilizing prospectively collected data was conducted from August 2003 until March 2008 at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Testis cancer survivors' health behaviors: comparison with age-matched relative and demographically matched population controls.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence rate of health behaviors in testis cancer survivors and to determine whether the rate of health behaviors in survivors was significantly different than those of their age-matched relative controls and a population-based control group matched for age, sex, education, and income.

Patients And Methods: The health behaviors of 162 testis cancer survivors were compared with their age-matched relative controls (n = 74) and an age-, sex-, education-, and income-matched population-based control group (n ranged from 1,123 to 9,775). Health behaviors were assessed with the telephone-administered Behavioral Risk Factor and Surveillance Survey.

Associations with worry about dying and hopelessness in ambulatory ovarian cancer patients.

Objective: Women with ovarian cancer face a poor prognosis, with prolonged periods of treatment but relatively high levels of physical functioning. Their thoughts and feelings regarding the prospect of dying are complex and have not been adequately studied. Various demographic, medical and psychosocial factors were examined to determine their independent associations with fear of dying and hopelessness in a cross-sectional design.

Glucose as a prognostic factor in ovarian carcinoma.

Background: Research suggests that glucose levels in cancer patients may be an important prognostic indicator. In ovarian tumors, increased expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), a transmembrane protein responsible for glucose uptake, is related to shorter survival time in ovarian cancer patients. This study tested the hypothesis that higher presurgical glucose levels predict shorter disease-specific survival time and time to recurrence in ovarian cancer patients.