Exploring the experiences of women living with metastatic breast cancer [MBC]: A systematic review of qualitative evidence.

Purpose: Metastatic breast cancer [MBC] is the leading cause of cancer death in women globally with no cure. Women diagnosed with MBC endure a catastrophic upheaval to multiple aspects of their life and a radically transformed future landscape. Evidence suggests that the provision of care for women living with metastatic breast cancer is inadequate, socially isolating and stigmatising.

Treatment and Management of the Clinical Manifestations of Advanced Breast Cancer.

Objectives: People with advanced breast cancer (ABC) experience complex and debilitating physical symptoms of their disease that can have a profound effect on quality of life. This report provides an overview of the clinical manifestations related to different metastatic sites in ABC and potential oncologic emergencies.

Data Sources: Date sources include peer-reviewed papers sourced in electronic databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, Google Scholar) and national and international best practice guidelines.

Development and Implementation of an Online Education Program on Advanced Breast Cancer for European Cancer Nurses: ABC4Nurses Project: a Brief Report.

Breast cancer is now the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. Approximately 30% of those who present with early breast cancer later develop advanced breast cancer (ABC). Additionally, approximately 6% have advanced breast cancer at diagnosis.

Clinical experiences of using ports and non-coring needles.

The following case studies describe the use of the Smith Medical implanted ports and Gripper huber needles. Smiths Medical produces a range of implanted ports that include the Port-A-Cath and P.A.

The need for national mandatory guidance on CSTDs.

Closed system transfer devices play a vital role in reducing health professionals' risk of exposure to hazardous drugs. Although recommended as a first line of defence against contamination, they are not widely used. Clear mandatory national guidance is needed to address this.

Survivorship care for postmenopausal breast cancer patients in Ireland: What do women want?

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the concerns of postmenopausal breast cancer patients in Ireland and inform the development of a survivorship care plan.

Method: A qualitative participatory approach was used. Focus group interviews (n = 6) with 51 women were undertaken.

Use of closed-system drug transfer devices in the handling and administration of MABs.

There is a lack of research and consensus on the long-term risks of occupational exposure to monoclonal antibodies. There is, however, some risk to health professionals who are involved in their preparation and administration. This article discusses the use of closed-system drug transfer devices to minimise exposure, and touches on the importance of aseptic techniques, personal protective equipment, and appropriate education and training for health professionals.

Avoiding accidental exposure to intravenous cytotoxic drugs.

Many cytotoxic drugs have been shown to be mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic with second malignancies known to be associated with several specific cancer drugs. Occupational exposure to cytotoxic drugs presents a signification danger to healthcare staff and unwarranted handling of these drugs should be avoided. Guidelines have been established for the safe handling of hazardous drugs but not all professionals are adhering to these recommendations.

Early breast cancer: diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.

Breast cancer is the most common female cancer and globally remains a major public health concern. The diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer continues to develop. Diagnosis is now more precise, surgery is less mutilating and women now have the option of breast conserving therapy with better cosmesis, and without sacrificing survival.

Young patients' treatment motivation and satisfaction with orthognathic surgery outcomes: the role of "possible selves".

Introduction: We investigated how young patients' motivation for orthognathic surgery affected their satisfaction with treatment outcomes. The objective was to explore whether patients' "possible selves" (ie, their ideas of what they might become in the future) and their parents' proxy assessments of the patients' possible selves were significantly correlated with the patients' treatment satisfaction.

Methods: Questionnaire data were collected from 115 former patients (ages, 13-21 at time of surgery) and 117 parents (response rates, 41% and 42%, respectively), with responses from 95 patient-parent pairs.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease activity is associated with response to radiation and chemotherapy in medulloblastoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumors.

Purpose: Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (Ap endo) is a key DNA repair activity that confers resistance to radiation- and alkylator-induced cytotoxic abasic sites in human cells. We assayed apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease activity in medulloblastomas and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET) to establish correlates with tumor and patient characteristics and with response to adjuvant radiation plus multiagent chemotherapy.

Experimental Design: Ap endo activity was assayed in 52 medulloblastomas and 10 PNETs from patients 0.

Apurinic endonuclease activity in adult gliomas and time to tumor progression after alkylating agent-based chemotherapy and after radiotherapy.

Purpose: Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (Ap endo) is a key DNA repair enzyme that cleaves DNA at cytotoxic abasic sites caused by alkylating agents and radiation. We have observed that human glioma cells deficient in Ap endo activity are hypersensitive to clinically used alkylators (Silber et al., Clin Cancer Res 2002;8:3008.

The Werner syndrome protein confers resistance to the DNA lesions N3-methyladenine and O6-methylguanine: implications for WRN function.

The Werner syndrome (WS) protein (WRN), a DNA helicase/exonuclease, is required for genomic stability and avoidance of cancer. Current evidence suggests that WRN is involved in the resolution of stalled and/or collapsed replication forks. This function is indicated, in part, by replication defects in WS cells and by hypersensitivity to agents causing major structural aberrations in DNA that block replication.

Edmonston measles virus prevents increased cell surface expression of peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complex class II proteins in human peripheral monocytes.

Gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) induces expression of the gene products of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), whereas IFN-alpha/beta can interfere with or suppress class II protein expression. In separate studies, measles virus (MV) was reported to induce IFN-alpha/beta and to up-regulate MHC class II proteins. In an attempt to resolve this paradox, we examined the surface expression of MHC class I and class II proteins in MV-infected peripheral monocytes in the presence and absence of IFN-alpha/beta.