An interdisciplinary e-learning intervention for professionals working with breast cancer survivors and chronic pain: a realist evaluation.

Purpose: Chronic pain is prevalent among breast cancer survivors. Bio-psychosocial factors interplay in its exacerbation and maintenance. Therefore, prevention and treatment require an interdisciplinary response and the integration of various approaches.

Diet Quality and Dietary Intake in Breast Cancer Survivors Suffering from Chronic Pain: An Explorative Case-Control Study.

Dietary factors may significantly influence pain management in cancer survivors. However, a substantial gap exists regarding the relationship between nutrition and chronic pain in this population. This study examined differences in diet quality and dietary intake between breast cancer survivors (BCS) experiencing chronic pain and healthy controls (HC).

Evaluating pain management practices for cancer patients among health professionals in cancer and supportive/palliative care units: a Belgian survey.

Background: Pain is reported in 66% of cancer patients with advanced disease. Adequate pain management is a cornerstone of comprehensive supportive cancer care.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess pain management in Oncology Units in Belgium.

Associations of the gut microbiome with outcomes in cervical and endometrial cancer patients treated with pembrolizumab: Insights from the phase II PRIMMO trial.

Background: The phase II PRIMMO trial investigated a pembrolizumab-based regimen in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic cervical (CC) or endometrial (EC) carcinoma who had at least one prior line of systemic therapy. Here, exploratory studies of the gut microbiome (GM) are presented.

Methods: The microbial composition of 77 longitudinal fecal samples obtained from 35 patients (CC, n = 15; EC, n = 20) was characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Uncovering the Daily Experiences of People Living With Advanced Cancer Using an Experience Sampling Method Questionnaire: Development, Content Validation, and Optimization Study.

Background: The experience sampling method (ESM), a self-report method that typically uses multiple assessments per day, can provide detailed knowledge of the daily experiences of people with cancer, potentially informing oncological care. The use of the ESM among people with advanced cancer is limited, and no validated ESM questionnaires have been developed specifically for oncology.

Objective: This study aims to develop, content validate, and optimize the digital Experience Sampling Method for People Living With Advanced Cancer (ESM-AC) questionnaire, covering multidimensional domains and contextual factors.

Exclusion of non-Involved uterus from the target volume (EXIT-trial): An individualized treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer using modern radiotherapy and imaging techniques followed by completion surgery.

Background And Purpose: Chemoradiotherapy followed by brachytherapy is the standard of care for locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). In this study, we postulate that omitting an iconographical unaffected uterus (+12 mm distance from the tumour) from the treatment volume is safe and that no tumour will be found in the non-targeted uterus (NTU) leading to reduction of high-dose volumes of surrounding organs at risk (OARs).

Material And Methods: In this single-arm phase 2 study, two sets of target volumes were delineated: one standard-volume (whole uterus) and an EXIT-volume (exclusion of non-tumour-bearing parts of the uterus with a minimum 12 mm margin from the tumour).

Performance of MRI for Detection of ≥pT1b Disease in Local Staging of Endometrial Cancer.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used for the preoperative local staging of endometrial cancer (EC). The presence of ≥pT1b disease (i.e.

Sexual health in Belgian cervical cancer survivors: an exploratory qualitative study.

Purpose: To assess experiences of sexuality and of receiving sexual healthcare in cervical cancer (CC) survivors.

Methods: A qualitative phenomenological study using semistructured one-on-one interviews was conducted with 15 Belgian CC survivors recruited in 5 hospitals from August 2021 to February 2022. The interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim.

Vaginal morbidity, sexual functioning, and health-related quality of life in cervical cancer survivors: a cross-sectional multicenter study (VAMOS).

Purpose: To compare sexual/vaginal functioning between early cervical cancer (ECC) and locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) survivors.

Methods: VAMOS was a multicenter, cross-sectional, questionnaire, noninferiority study including ECC patients treated with surgery and, if clinically indicated, adjuvant (chemo)radiotherapy and LACC patients treated with neoadjuvant (chemo)radiotherapy followed by surgery. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQ-CX24, and Female Sexual Functioning Index (FSFI) questionnaires.

Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes and PD-L1 Expression in Pleomorphic Lobular Breast Carcinoma.

Background: The prognostic and predictive role of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) is undetermined in pleomorphic invasive lobular cancer (pILC). The same applies for the expression of PD-1/PD-L1 in this rare breast cancer subtype. Here, we aimed to investigate the expression of sTILs and analyze the PD-L1 expression levels in pILC.

Completion surgery after intensity-modulated arc therapy for locally advanced cervical cancer: long-term follow-up and update on surgical outcome and oncologic results of a unique tertiary care single-center retrospective cohort.

Background: Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by brachytherapy (BT) is the standard treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC), but replacement of BT by surgery (CRT-S) could be an acceptable alternative. The main concern is the risk of operative morbidity. The aim is to report on therapeutic morbidity, OS, PC, and LC of CRT-S.

Clinical decision-making in older patients with cancer: a cross-sectional single-centre study to assess the impact of clinical judgement and patient preferences.

Objective: The heterogeneity in the population of older patients with cancer makes clinical decision-making difficult. We investigated the agreement between the G8 score and clinical judgment in frailty assessments, determined the impact of a life-expectancy calculator, and explored patient and caregiver preferences towards the treatment goal.

Methods: Patients aged ≥75 years in need of new oncological treatment were prospectively enrolled between June 2020 and February 2021.

Pembrolizumab, radiotherapy, and an immunomodulatory five-drug cocktail in pretreated patients with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical or endometrial carcinoma: Results of the phase II PRIMMO study.

A phase II study (PRIMMO) of patients with pretreated persistent/recurrent/metastatic cervical or endometrial cancer is presented. Patients received an immunomodulatory five-drug cocktail (IDC) consisting of low-dose cyclophosphamide, aspirin, lansoprazole, vitamin D, and curcumin starting 2 weeks before radioimmunotherapy. Pembrolizumab was administered three-weekly from day 15 onwards; one of the tumor lesions was irradiated (8Gyx3) on days 15, 17, and 19.

Mental Health and Quality of Life among Patients with Cancer during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Results from the Longitudinal ONCOVID Survey Study.

Purpose: This longitudinal survey study aimed to investigate the self-reported outcome measures of COVID-19 peritraumatic distress, depression, anxiety, stress, quality of life (QOL), and their associated factors in a cohort of cancer patients treated at a tertiary care hospital during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Methods: Surveys were administered at four time points between 1 April 2020 and 18 September 2020. The surveys included the CPDI, DASS-21, and WHOQOL-BREF questionnaires.

CHEK2 mutations and papillary thyroid cancer: correlation or coincidence?

We report the case of a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed with an underlying CHEK2 c.1100delC heterozygosity, who developed a papillary thyroid cancer 5 years later. A CHEK2 c.

Safety of pre- or postoperative accelerated radiotherapy in 5 fractions: A randomized pilot trial.

Objective: Neo-adjuvant radiotherapy (NART) for breast cancer has shown promising survival results in retrospective trials. However, there are some obstacles such as a chemotherapy delay, an increased overall treatment time (OTT) and the risk of increasing surgical morbidity. Accelerated radiotherapy (RT) in 5 fractions allows to deliver NART in a very short time span and minimizes the delay of surgery and chemotherapy.

Risk of Thrombo-Embolic Events in Ovarian Cancer: Does Bevacizumab Tilt the Scale? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Thromboembolic events are the second cause of death in cancer patients. In ovarian cancer, 3-10% of patients present with venous thromboembolism (VTE), but the incidence may rise to 36% along the disease course. Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody directed against vascular endothelial-derived growth factor, and in in vitro studies it showed a predisposition to hemostasis perturbation, including thrombosis.

A clearer view on ovarian clear cell carcinoma.

Introduction: Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is a less common subtype accounting for approximately 5% of all epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs). Clinical experience and research findings confirm the remarkable differences in clinical behavior, molecular alterations and pathogenesis of OCCC. The diagnosis of OCCC is typically set at a younger age, and earlier stage and in a background of endometriosis.

Splenic F-FDG uptake on baseline PET/CT is associated with oncological outcomes and tumor immune state in uterine cervical cancer.

Objective: The spleen represents an important contributor to tumor immune escape, but the relevance of increased splenic metabolic activity remains to be fully elucidated.

Methods: We retrospectively measured the spleen-to-liver standard uptake value (SLR) on F-FDG PET/CT examinations of 92 consecutive patients with FIGO stage IB1 to IVA cervical cancer and integrated the results with survival, response to treatment, tumor immune infiltrate, and baseline characteristics.

Results: SLR > 0.

The effect of early and systematic integration of palliative care in oncology on quality of life and health care use near the end of life: A randomised controlled trial.

Purpose: This study evaluated the effect of early integrated palliative care (PC) in oncology on quality of life (QOL) near the end of life and use of health care resources near the end of life.

Method: Patients with advanced cancer and a life expectancy of approximately 1 year were randomly assigned to either early and systematic integration of PC into oncological care (intervention) or standard oncological care alone (control). QOL was assessed with the EORTC QLQ-C30 global health status/QOL scale and McGill Quality of Life (MQOL) Single Item Scale and Summary Scale at baseline, 12 weeks and 6 weekly thereafter until death.

PRIMMO study protocol: a phase II study combining PD-1 blockade, radiation and immunomodulation to tackle cervical and uterine cancer.

Background: Immunotherapeutic approaches have revolutionized oncological practice but are less evaluated in gynecological malignancies. PD-1/PD-L1 blockade in gynecological cancers showed objective responses in 13-17% of patients. This could be due to immunosuppressive effects exerted by gynecological tumors on the microenvironment and an altered tumor vasculature.

Neo-adjuvant treatment of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix results in significantly different pathological complete response rates.

Background: Previous studies on cervical cancer reported a worse outcome for adenocarcinoma (AC) compared with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Nevertheless, standard treatment remains identical. Insight in the impact of histological types on biological behavior and pathological complete response rates might result in a treatment paradigm shift.

EXclusion of non-Involved uterus from the Target Volume (EXIT-trial): an individualized treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer using modern radiotherapy and imaging techniques.

Background: Definitive chemoradiotherapy is standard of care in locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). Both toxicity and local relapse remain major concerns in this treatment. We hypothesize that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based redefining of the radiotherapeutic target volume will lead to a reduction of acute and late toxicity.