Reduction in potentially inappropriate end-of-life hospital care for cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective population-based study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, little is known about end-of-life cancer care during the pandemic.

Aim: To investigate potentially inappropriate end-of-life hospital care for cancer patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Genome-wide and panel-based cell-free DNA characterization of patients with resectable esophageal adenocarcinoma.

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) holds promise in resectable esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) to predict patient outcome but is not yet sensitive enough to be clinically applicable. Our aim was to combine ctDNA mutation data with shallow whole-genome sequencing (sWGS)-derived copy number tumor fraction estimates (ichorCNA) to improve pathological response and survival prediction in EAC. In total, 111 stage II/III EAC patients with baseline (n = 111), post-neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) (n = 68), and pre-surgery (n = 92) plasma samples were used for ctDNA characterization.

Turkish imams and their role in decision-making in palliative care: A Directed Content and Narrative analysis.

Background: Muslims are the largest religious minority in Europe. When confronted with life-threatening illness, they turn to their local imams for religious guidance.

Aim: To gain knowledge about how imams shape their roles in decision-making in palliative care.

A phase Ib/II study of regorafenib and paclitaxel in patients with beyond first-line advanced esophagogastric carcinoma (REPEAT).

Purpose: Regorafenib monotherapy, a multikinase inhibitor of angiogenesis, tumor microenvironment, and tumorigenesis, showed promising results in gastric cancer. We aimed to assess the tolerability of regorafenib and paclitaxel in patients with advanced esophagogastric cancer (EGC) refractory to first-line treatment, and explore potential biomarkers.

Methods: Patients received paclitaxel (80 mg/m) on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle and regorafenib (80/120/160 mg) on days 1-21 in the dose-escalation cohort, and the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) in the dose-expansion cohort.

Role of GPs in shared decision making with patients about palliative cancer treatment: a qualitative study in the Netherlands.

Background: GPs are well placed to enhance shared decision making (SDM) about treatment for patients with advanced cancer. However, to date, little is known about GPs' views about their contribution to SDM.

Aim: To explore GPs' perspectives on their role in SDM about palliative cancer treatment and the requirements they report to fulfil this role.

Tumor-immune landscape patterns before and after chemoradiation in resectable esophageal adenocarcinomas.

Immunotherapy is a new anti-cancer treatment option, showing promising results in clinical trials. To investigate potential immune biomarkers in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), we explored immune landscape patterns in the tumor microenvironment before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT). Sections from matched pretreatment biopsies and post-nCRT resection specimens (n = 188) were stained for (1) programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1, CD274); (2) programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1, CD279), forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), CD8, pan-cytokeratin multiplex; and (3) an MHC class I, II duplex.

Bereaved relatives' quality of life before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results of the prospective, multicenter, observational eQuiPe study.

Background: The death of a loved one is considered as one of the most stressful life events. During the COVID-19 pandemic, grief processes are potentially affected by measures such as social distancing and self-quarantine.

Aim: The aim of this study was to give insight in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on quality of life, social support, and self-care of bereaved relatives of people with advanced cancer in order to evaluate whether care for bereaved relatives during the COVID-19 pandemic should be improved.

Digital Self-Management Support Tools in the Care Plan of Patients With Cancer: Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Digital self-management support tools (DSMSTs)-electronic devices or monitoring systems to monitor or improve health status-have become increasingly important in cancer care.

Objective: The aim of this review is to analyze published randomized clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of DSMSTs on physical and psychosocial symptoms or other supportive care needs in adult patients with cancer.

Methods: Five databases were searched from January 2013 to January 2020.

High-grade mesenchymal pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma drives stromal deactivation through CSF-1.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by an abundance of stroma. Multiple molecular classification efforts have identified a mesenchymal tumor subtype that is consistently characterized by high-grade growth and poor clinical outcome. The relation between PDAC stroma and tumor subtypes is still unclear.

Trends in treatment and overall survival among patients with proximal esophageal cancer.

Background: The management of proximal esophageal cancer differs from that of tumors located in the mid and lower part of the esophagus due to the close vicinity of vital structures. Non-surgical treatment options like radiotherapy and definitive chemoradiation (CRT) have been implemented. The trends in (non-)surgical treatment and its impact on overall survival (OS) in patients with proximal esophageal cancer are unclear, related to its rare disease status.

Tailored Web-Based Information for Younger and Older Patients with Cancer: Randomized Controlled Trial of a Preparatory Educational Intervention on Patient Outcomes.

Background: Many patients with cancer, including older patients (aged ≥65 years), consult the Web to prepare for their doctor's visit. In particular, older patients have varying needs regarding the mode in which information is presented (eg, via textual, visual, or audiovisual modes) owing to age-related sensory (eg, impaired vision and hearing) and cognitive decline (eg, reduced processing speed). Therefore, Web-based information targeted at older patient populations is likely to be used and processed more effectively, and evaluated more positively, when tailored to age-related capabilities and preferences.

An assisted structured reflection on life events and life goals in advanced cancer patients: Outcomes of a randomized controlled trial (Life InSight Application (LISA) study).

Background:: Diagnosis and treatment of incurable cancer as a life-changing experience evokes difficult existential questions.

Aim:: A structured reflection could improve patients’ quality of life and spiritual well-being. We developed an interview model on life events and ultimate life goals and performed a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effect thereof on quality of life and spiritual well-being.

Shared decision making about palliative chemotherapy: A qualitative observation of talk about patients' preferences.

Background: Particularly at the end of life, treatment decisions should be shared and incorporate patients' preferences. This study examines elaboration and preference construction.

Aim: To examine the values, appraisals and preferences that patients express, as well as the oncologists' communicative behaviour that facilitates these expressions in consultations on palliative chemotherapy.

Distribution of lymph node metastases on FDG-PET/CT in inoperable or unresectable oesophageal cancer patients and the impact on target volume definition in radiation therapy.

Introduction: Definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) is standard care for localised inoperable/unresectable oesophageal tumours. Many surgical series have reported on distribution of lymph node metastases (LNM) in resected patients. However, no data is available on the distribution of at-risk LN regions in this more unfavourable patient group.

Accuracy of Detecting Residual Disease After Cross Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Esophageal Cancer (preSANO Trial): Rationale and Protocol.

Background: Results from the recent CROSS trial showed that neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) significantly increased survival as compared to surgery alone in patients with potentially curable esophageal cancer. Furthermore, in the nCRT arm 49% of patients with a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 23% of patients with an adenocarcinoma (AC) had a pathologically complete response in the resection specimen. These results provide a rationale to reconsider and study the timing and necessity of esophagectomy in (all) patients after application of the CROSS regimen.