Publications by authors named "Francois Gallant"

Introduction: Health systems are under pressure as one in five Canadians have no regular place for primary care, with many experiencing substantial travel times and delays in accessing care. In the context of these urgent needs, platforms for virtual care offer immediate access to care in 'walk-in' style format, with limited continuity for ongoing health needs or coordination with other health services. We refer to these services as episodic virtual care (EVC), to distinguish them from virtual services offered in longitudinal primary care.

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Introduction: Topical steroids have shown effectiveness in preventing radiation dermatitis (RD) in breast cancer patients in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). This review provides an in-depth analysis of the study methodology of these RCTs to review whether topical steroids should be employed in routine clinical practice.

Methods: A systematic literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials was conducted from database inception until May 31, 2024.

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Background And Purpose: Clinicians use the CTCAE scale to grade radiation dermatitis (RD) based on edema, erythema, and desquamation. The purpose of this study was to correlate the CTCAE scores with the severity of patient-reported symptoms using a skin symptom assessment (SSA) and the Radiation-Induced Skin Reaction Assessment Scale (RISRAS).

Materials And Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial involving 376 patients receiving Mepitel Film or standard-of-care for RD prophylaxis.

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Background And Purpose: The study evaluated the concordance between patient-reported outcomes (PRO) and clinician-reported outcomes (CRO) of acute radiation dermatitis (RD) symptoms following adjuvant radiotherapy for early-stage and locally advanced breast cancer.

Material And Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a multi-center randomized phase 3 trial (376 patients). Ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to compare the Skin Symptom Assessment (SSA) independently reported by both patients and clinicians.

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This analysis aimed to (1) identify longitudinal joint trajectories of participation in organized and unorganized physical activity contexts, and level of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and (2) assess whether basic psychological need satisfaction during adolescence differentiates between membership in different physical activity trajectories. Participants (n = 888; 56% girls) reported their involvement in 36 different physical activities, level of MVPA, and their perceived satisfaction of competence, autonomy, and relatedness satisfaction in physical activity up to three times per year, over 8 years (from ages 10 to 17 years). Group-based multi-trajectory models were used to identify longitudinal joint trajectories of physical activity participation.

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Purpose: Previous literature has produced heterogeneous results on StrataXRT for prevention of acute radiation dermatitis (RD) in breast cancer. This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility and efficacy of StrataXRT in a cancer center.

Methods: The study consisted of five cohorts: (1) patients with large breasts treated with local radiation therapy (RT) either in the supine position or (2) the prone position, (3) patients receiving locoregional breast RT with any breast size, and (4) patients receiving chest wall RT, either locally or (5) locoregionally.

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Introduction: We aimed to better understand longitudinal physical activity experiences among initially active adolescents and to identify and describe distinct physical activity profiles.

Methods: A sample of 23 physically active participants [52% female; mean age = 12.2 (0.

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Article Synopsis
  • The review evaluates the effectiveness of Mepitel film (MF) in preventing radiation dermatitis in cancer patients, highlighting its benefits and side effects.
  • A search of PubMed revealed 119 articles, with 13 selected for analysis, showing MF reduces dermatitis and improves reported outcomes, particularly in breast and head and neck cancers.
  • While some side effects like itchiness and discomfort were noted, they were infrequent, and MF was deemed safe with no adverse effects on radiation physics; further research is advised on its use across different patient demographics.
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Advancing age is associated with declines in cognitive function. Although physical activity is thought to protect against this decline, it is unclear how a short-term uptake in daily steps or a decline in day-to-day step variability may contribute to cognition among older adults. We tested associations between changes in step counts, day-to-day step variability and executive cognitive functions among older adults taking part in a physical activity intervention.

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Article Synopsis
  • Mepitel Film (MF) is effective in reducing radiation dermatitis in breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, and this study aimed to assess patient experiences using it.
  • A survey of 192 patients revealed that most reported MF had little to no effect on their daily activities like work and sleep, with a majority finding it comfortable and protective.
  • Overall, 92% of patients had a positive experience with MF and would recommend it to others undergoing similar treatment.
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This study aimed to estimate associations between weight control status (trying to lose, gain or maintain weight) and lifestyle behaviors (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), screen time, and the consumption of breakfast, fast food, fruits and vegetables, and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB)) in adolescents. Data from 919 adolescents in the MATCH study, in New Brunswick, Canada, who self-reported their weight control status at least once within 24 data collection cycles over 8 years (from 2011 to 2019) and from 812 who provided data at least once over the 7 cycles on eating behaviors were used. Generalized estimating equations were used.

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Introduction: Randomized clinical trials support Mepitel Film (MF) as a prophylactic treatment for radiation dermatitis (RD) in patients undergoing breast radiotherapy. Although several studies have canvassed the opinion of patients on using MF, no such studies have been done to investigate the perception of healthcare professionals (HCPs). The objective of this study was therefore to investigate the perceptions of HCPs on MF as a treatment option for RD.

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Background: Time is a valuable commodity that impacts hospital flow, patient experience and economic resources. This study aims to identify factors that affect daily treatment time over a course of radiation therapy (RT) in patients who underwent adjuvant breast RT.

Methods: In all adjuvant breast/chestwall RT patients treated from October 2017 to May 2018, daily set-up, beam delivery time, and overall treatment times were collected.

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Among same-age adolescents, those who enter puberty relatively later and those who are relatively younger (e.g., born later in the year) might be at greater risk of physical activity discontinuation.

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Purpose: Half of adolescents are trying to change their weight and body-related self-conscious emotions may influence these intentions. We estimated associations between body-related shame, guilt, embarrassment, envy, authentic pride, and hubristic pride and weight control status (trying to maintain, lose, or gain weight) throughout adolescence in girls and boys.

Methods: Six annual cycles of self-administered questionnaires were collected from age 12-17 in the Monitoring Activities of Teenagers to Comprehend their Habits (MATCH) study (n = 776).

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Lower-limb physical function declines with age and contributes to a greater difficulty in performing activities of daily living. Existing assessments of lower-limb function assess one dimension of movement in isolation or are not time-efficient, which discourages their use in community and clinical settings. We aimed to address these limitations by assessing the inter-rater reliability and convergent validity of a new multimodal functional lower-limb assessment (FLA).

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Purpose: Radiation dermatitis (RD) is common in patients undergoing breast radiotherapy. Mepitel film (MF) can reduce RD, but the results from two randomized controlled trials are conflicting. We aimed to conduct a confirmatory randomized controlled trial in patients at risk of RD.

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Few studies describe sport participation profiles in the general population using multiple characteristics. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify sport participation profiles during adolescence and to describe transitions across profiles from grades 5 to 12 (age 10 to 18 years). We used data from 916 participants (55% girls; age 10-12 years at inception) of the Monitoring Activities of Teenagers to Comprehend their Habits (MATCH) study.

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Purpose: Commonly held hypotheses in practice suggest that compared to single-sport participation, multi-sport participation is associated with higher physical activity (PA) levels and health benefits in the long term. To verify this in the general population, we identified sport participation trajectories during adolescence and examined their associations with PA and health outcomes in young adulthood.

Methods: Participants (n = 655) from the Nicotine Dependence in Teens study self-reported sport involvement up to four times per year from age 12 to 17 years.

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Background: There is a need for better alignment between research on sport and physical activity and the needs of those who are in a position to implement the findings. To facilitate advancement and alignment, we identified the top research priorities of sport and physical activity knowledge users from various sectors.

Methods: For this priority-setting study, we used an iterative process of data collection and analysis.

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Notwithstanding their wide-spread use, it is unclear what level of empirical evidence exists to support sport participation and physical activity-based models. Sport participation and physical activity-based models characterize different stages of sport involvement based on sport activities (organized and unorganized) individuals take part in throughout their lifespan. The objectives of this scoping review was to explore the nature of empirical support for tenets of sport participation and physical activity-based models describing the evolution of an individuals' sport participation.

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Background: Social factors are important determinants of youth physical activity (PA), but the longitudinal association between parental behaviours and adolescent PA has not been clearly assessed. This prospective study examined average and lagged associations between perceived parental support and control with adolescents' moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA); and assessed the independent associations between specific parental support and control behaviours and adolescents' MVPA.

Methods: Data from three cycles of the MATCH study, when 374 participants were 12, 16 and 17 years old, were included in this analysis.

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Background: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making a continuous progression into the field of Radiation Oncology in Canada and globally. While this field continues to evolve, there is no clear understanding about how radiation oncologists, radiation therapists, medical physicists and radiation trainees perceive AI and its' impact on radiation oncology as a discipline. The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of these four Canadian professional groups about AI.

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Background: There are over 12,000 professional truck drivers in the Canadian Maritime provinces, with the majority being in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Previous studies have focused on the health of Canadian and American truck drivers but the occupational health status of truck drivers in the Maritime Provinces remains undocumented.

Objective: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to provide a general, occupational health and demographic characteristics description of professional truck drivers in the Maritimes.

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Purpose: Severe radiation dermatitis (RD) is distressing and may have adverse long-term effects including fibrosis and telangiectasia. Treatment interruptions due to severe RD may increase the risk of recurrence. Two randomized trials of Mepitel film demonstrated efficacy in preventing severe RD in breast cancer, but this product has not been widely adopted in North America.

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