The Atopic Dermatitis Control Tool: Adaptation and Content Validation for Children and Caregivers of Children with Atopic Dermatitis.

Introduction: The Atopic Dermatitis Control Tool (ADCT) assesses six concepts regarding patient-perceived control of atopic dermatitis (AD) in adults and adolescents with AD. This study aimed to develop two modified ADCT versions, one for children with AD aged 8-11 years and another for caregivers of children with AD aged 6 months to 11 years.

Methods: Following the US Food and Drug Administration patient-reported outcomes guidance, the ADCT was modified to produce draft Child and Caregiver ADCT versions, maintaining the original six concepts.

Understanding the patient experience and treatment benefits in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer with brain metastasis.

Background: Despite the high prevalence of brain metastases (BM) secondary to non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (NSCLC/BM), patients' experiences (symptoms and impacts) are not fully understood. This study sought to understand the patient experience with NSCLC/BM and identify a patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure fit to capture the most important NSCLC/BM symptoms and impacts.

Methods: A targeted literature review was completed; the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)/Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain Symptom Index, 24-item version (NFBrSI-24) was identified as a relevant measure that assessed the core symptoms and impacts associated with NSCLC/BM.

Targeting TRAIL Death Receptors in Triple-Negative Breast Cancers: Challenges and Strategies for Cancer Therapy.

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily member TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis in cancer cells via death receptor (DR) activation with little toxicity to normal cells or tissues. The selectivity for activating apoptosis in cancer cells confers an ideal therapeutic characteristic to TRAIL, which has led to the development and clinical testing of many DR agonists. However, TRAIL/DR targeting therapies have been widely ineffective in clinical trials of various malignancies for reasons that remain poorly understood.

Exploring life engagement from the perspective of patients with major depressive disorder: a study using patient interviews.

Background: Patient-reported outcomes can measure health aspects that are meaningful to patients, such as 'life engagement' in major depressive disorder (MDD). Expert psychiatrists recently identified ten items from the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Self-Report (IDS-SR) that can be used to measure patient life engagement. This study aimed to explore the concept of patient life engagement and provide support for the IDS-SR Life Engagement subscale from the patient perspective.

Development of the impact of weight on daily activities questionnaire: A patient-reported outcome measure.

While patient-reported outcome measures are available to evaluate health-related quality of life and functioning in obesity, existing measures do not evaluate the impact of excess weight and weight loss on the ability to perform regularly occurring daily activities. Three iterative sets of qualitative interviews were conducted in two countries (United States, n = 23; United Kingdom, n = 23) with individuals with body mass index ≥30 kg/m to inform development of the Impact of Weight on Daily Activities Questionnaire (IWDAQ) for use in clinical trials to evaluate daily activity limitations associated with excess weight. Candidate concepts were selected based on the literature, expert opinion, and previously conducted qualitative research, after which the draft IWDAQ was developed and tested.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: An Innovation in Immunotherapy for the Treatment and Management of Patients with Cancer.

Cancer survival rates are generally increasing in the United States. These trends have been partially attributed to improvement in therapeutic strategies. Cancer immunotherapy is an example of one of the newer strategies used to fight cancer, which primes or activates the immune system to produce antitumor effects.

The TRAIL receptor agonist drozitumab targets basal B triple-negative breast cancer cells that express vimentin and Axl.

Previously, we found that GST-tagged tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand preferentially killed triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells with a mesenchymal phenotype by activating death receptor 5 (DR5). The purpose of this study was to explore the sensitivity of breast cancer cell lines to drozitumab, a clinically tested DR5-specific agonist; identify potential biomarkers of drozitumab-sensitive breast cancer cells; and determine if those biomarkers were present in tumors from patients with TNBC. We evaluated viability, caspase activity, and sub-G1 DNA content in drozitumab-treated breast cancer cell lines and we characterized expression of potential biomarkers by immunoblot.

Identification of novel molecular regulators of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells by RNAi screening.

Introduction: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) binds to its receptors, TRAIL-receptor 1 (TRAIL-R1) and TRAIL-receptor 2 (TRAIL-R2), leading to apoptosis by activation of caspase-8 and the downstream executioner caspases, caspase-3 and caspase-7 (caspase-3/7). Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines with a mesenchymal phenotype are sensitive to TRAIL, whereas other breast cancer cell lines are resistant. The underlying mechanisms that control TRAIL sensitivity in breast cancer cells are not well understood.

Mouse models of BRCA1 and their application to breast cancer research.

Germline mutations of human breast cancer-associated gene 1 (BRCA1) predispose women to breast and ovarian cancers. In mice, over 20 distinct mutations, including null, hypomorphic, isoform, conditional, and point mutations, have been created to study functions of Brca1 in mammary development and tumorigenesis. Analyses using these mutant mice have yielded an enormous amount of information that greatly facilitates our understanding of the gender- and tissue-specific tumor suppressor functions of BRCA1, as well as enriches our insights into applying these preclinical models of disease to breast cancer research.

Nursing education on lymphedema self-management and self-monitoring in a South African oncology clinic.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer in South African women. Without comprehensive national and provincial breast health programs, survivorship issues are in need of being addressed. Lymphedema secondary to breast cancer treatment (BCLE) is one of the most physically and psychologically devastating outcomes of treatment.