Not out of the woods: perspectives from patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

Purpose: Patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are at high risk for breast cancer recurrence and metastatic disease, yet the scholarly literature on the distress and uncertainty of this vulnerable population is limited. This study aimed to characterize the experiences of patients with TNBC and obtain feedback about the development of a supportive care intervention targeted to this population's psychosocial needs.

Methods: From 9/2021 to 2/2023, we purposefully recruited 23 patients with stage I-III TNBC who recently completed curative therapy and conducted a parallel mixed qualitative and quantitative study.

Randomized Controlled Trial of a Nurse-Led Brief Behavioral Intervention for Dyspnea in Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer.

Purpose: In patients with lung cancer, dyspnea is one of the most prevalent and disabling symptoms, for which effective treatments are lacking. We examined the efficacy of a nurse-led brief behavioral intervention to improve dyspnea in patients with advanced lung cancer.

Methods: Patients with advanced lung cancer reporting at least moderate breathlessness (n = 247) were enrolled in a randomized trial of a nurse-led two-session intervention (focused on breathing techniques, postural positions, and fan therapy) versus usual care.

Stepped Palliative Care for Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Despite the evidence for early palliative care improving outcomes, it has not been widely implemented in part due to palliative care workforce limitations.

Objective: To evaluate a stepped-care model to deliver less resource-intensive and more patient-centered palliative care for patients with advanced cancer.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Randomized, nonblinded, noninferiority trial of stepped vs early palliative care conducted between February 12, 2018, and December 15, 2022, at 3 academic medical centers in Boston, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Durham, North Carolina, among 507 patients who had been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer within the past 12 weeks.

Dyspnea-Related Dimensions And Self-Efficacy: Associations With Well-Being in Advanced Lung Cancer.

Context: Dyspnea is a complex, multidimensional symptom comprising sensory-perceptual, affective, and functional domains that commonly persists in patients with lung cancer and impairs mental health and quality of life (QOL). However, data are lacking on how dyspnea's dimensions or self-efficacy to manage dyspnea are associated with patient outcomes.

Objectives: To assess the associations of dyspnea dimensions (dyspnea-related sensory-perceptual experience, affective distress, and functional impact) and dyspnea self-efficacy with depression, anxiety, and QOL in patients with advanced lung cancer reporting dyspnea.

Managing Symptom Distress: Key Factors for Patients on Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy for Breast Cancer.

Context: Patients with breast cancer taking adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) experience significant symptoms impacting mood, quality of life (QOL), and AET adherence and satisfaction.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which coping ability and self-efficacy for symptom management moderate the relationships between patients' symptom distress and their mood, QOL, and AET adherence and satisfaction.

Methods: As part of a randomized controlled trial, participants completed baseline measures including: sociodemographics, symptom distress (breast cancer prevention trial symptom checklist), coping skills (measure of current status), self-efficacy (self-efficacy for managing symptoms), anxiety and depression (hospital anxiety and depression scale), QOL (functional assessment of cancer therapy - general), AET adherence (medication adherence report scale), and AET satisfaction (cancer therapy satisfaction questionnaire).

Study protocol for a randomised trial evaluating the non-inferiority of stepped palliative care versus early integrated palliative care for patients with advanced lung cancer.

Introduction: Integrating palliative care (PC) early in the illness course for patients with serious cancers improves their outcomes and is recommended by national organisations such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology. However, monthly visits with PC clinicians from the time of diagnosis can be challenging to implement due to the lack of specialty-trained PC clinicians and resources. Therefore, we developed a stepped care model to triage PC service based on patients' needs.

Patient Engagement in Breast Cancer Survivorship Care.

Background: Patient engagement (PE) is a key factor for early-stage breast cancer survivors during survivorship, yet little is known about what factors may contribute to PE.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to describe the relationship between sociodemographic factors, survivorship variables, and PE and explore how variations in these variables might contribute to PE in breast cancer survivors.

Methods: A cross-sectional, web-based self-report national survey was conducted to assess sociodemographic factors and survivorship variables: health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as measured by 7-item Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General, fear of cancer recurrence, cancer health literacy, and 2 measures of PE (Patient Activation and Knowing Participation in Change) in breast cancer survivors.

Survivorship care planning in gynecologic oncology-perspectives from patients, caregivers, and health care providers.

Purpose: This qualitative study sought to describe the challenges following treatment and the preferences regarding survivorship care among patients treated for gynecological cancer, their caregivers, and health care providers.

Methods: Between July and August 2017, in-depth semi-structured interviews regarding survivorship were conducted at a large academic hospital in the USA among patients who recently completed treatment (< 12 months) for a gynecological cancer (ovarian, endometrial, cervical, and vulvar) and their primary caregivers. A focus group was conducted among health care providers (oncologists, nurses, and fellows).

Cluster Analysis Demonstrates the Need to Individualize Care for Cancer Survivors.

Background: In efforts to inform clinical screening and development of survivorship care services, we sought to characterize patterns of health care needs among cancer survivors by (a) identifying and characterizing subgroups based on self-reported health care needs and (b) assessing sociodemographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors associated with these subgroups.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional self-administered survey among patients presenting for routine follow-up care for early-stage cancer at our academic medical center. Latent class cluster analysis was used to identify clusters of survivors based on survivorship care needs within seven domains.

Survivorship Model of Care: Development and Implementation of a Nurse Practitioner-Led Intervention for Patients With Breast Cancer .

Background: Despite a call for action to improve survivorship care, no optimal model of care exists. 
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Objectives: To develop and evaluate the feasibility of a nurse practitioner (NP)-led model of care for survivorship visits after initial therapy.

Web based survivorship interventions for women with breast cancer: An integrative review.

Purpose: Breast cancer survivors' experience a range of negative sequelae post-treatment including depression, anxiety, physical side effects from treatment, sexuality concerns and decreased quality of life. Survivorship care is recommended by the IOM to meet the post treatment needs of survivors but implementation is variable and barriers to delivery such as time and resource restraints have been identified. Web-based interventions may be a way to overcome some barriers to providing quality survivorship care that is efficacious, cost efficient and convenient.