Self-reported cancer-related cognitive impairment is associated with perturbed neurotransmission pathways.

Background: Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is reported by 45% of patients with cancer. Significant gaps in knowledge remain regarding the mechanisms that underlie CRCI.

Objectives: Using a data-driven approach, the study purpose was to evaluate for perturbed pathways associated with membership in the High versus the Low CRCI profiles.

Current evidence supporting associations of DNA methylation measurements with survivorship burdens in cancer survivors: A scoping review.

Introduction: Identifying reliable biomarkers that reflect cancer survivorship symptoms remains a challenge for researchers. DNA methylation (DNAm) measurements reflecting epigenetic changes caused by anti-cancer therapy may provide needed insights. Given lack of consensus describing utilization of DNAm data to predict survivorship issues, a review evaluating the current landscape is warranted.

Lower Income, Smoking, Cardiopulmonary Comorbidities, and Higher Symptom Burden Influence the Occurrence of Cough in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.

Objectives: To identify subgroups of patients with distinct cough occurrence profiles and evaluate for differences among these subgroups.

Sample & Setting: Outpatients receiving chemotherapy (N = 1,338) completed questionnaires six times over two chemotherapy cycles.

Methods & Variables: Occurrence of cough was assessed using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale.

Multidimensional Model of Energy in Patients With Cancer.

Objectives: Evidence suggests that energy is a distinct symptom from fatigue in patients with cancer. The purpose of this paper is to present the Multidimensional Model of Energy in Patients with Cancer (MMEPC) that is based on emerging evidence and to make recommendations for clinical practice and future research.

Methods: The literature was reviewed to determine various factors associated with variations in energy in patients with cancer.

Perturbations in inflammatory pathways are associated with shortness of breath profiles in oncology patients receiving chemotherapy.

Purpose: One plausible mechanistic hypothesis is the potential contribution of inflammatory mechanisms to shortness of breath. This study was aimed to evaluate for associations between the occurrence of shortness of breath and perturbations in inflammatory pathways.

Methods: Patients with cancer reported the occurrence of shortness of breath six times over two cycles of chemotherapy.

Stress Exposures Contribute to Worse Joint Morning and Evening Fatigue Profiles in Patients With Cancer During Chemotherapy.

Objectives: To evaluate differences among stress, resilience, and coping strategies related to morning and evening fatigue profiles (both low, low morning and moderate evening, both moderate, and both high).

Sample & Setting: Data were collected from 1,334 adult patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy.

Methods & Variables: Morning and evening fatigue severity were rated over two cycles of chemotherapy using the Lee Fatigue Scale.

Common and distinct risk factors that influence more severe and distressing shortness of breath profiles in oncology outpatients.

Background: Shortness of breath occurs in 10%-70% of oncology patients. Very little is known about interindividual variability in its severity and distress and associated risk factors. Using latent profile analyses (LPAs), purpose was to identify subgroups of patients with distinct severity and distress profiles for shortness of breath as single symptom dimensions.

Stability and consistency of symptom clusters in younger versus older patients receiving chemotherapy.

Background: By 2035, the number of newly diagnosed cancer cases will double and over 50% will be in older adults. Given this rapidly growing demographic, a need exists to understand how age influences oncology patients' symptom burden. The study purposes were to evaluate for differences in the occurrence, severity, and distress of 38 symptoms in younger (< 60 years) versus older (≥ 60 years) oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy and to evaluate for differences in the stability and consistency of symptom clusters across the two age groups.

Torch-eCpG: a fast and scalable eQTM mapper for thousands of molecular phenotypes with graphical processing units.

Background: Gene expression may be regulated by the DNA methylation of regulatory elements in cis, distal, and trans regions. One method to evaluate the relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression is the mapping of expression quantitative trait methylation (eQTM) loci (also called expression associated CpG loci, eCpG). However, no open-source tools are available to provide eQTM mapping.

Isolectin B4 (IB4)-conjugated streptavidin for the selective knockdown of proteins in IB4-positive (+) nociceptors.

analysis of protein function in nociceptor subpopulations using antisense oligonucleotides and short interfering RNAs is limited by their non-selective cellular uptake. To address the need for selective transfection methods, we covalently linked isolectin B4 (IB4) to streptavidin and analyzed whether it could be used to study protein function in IB4(+)-nociceptors. Rats treated intrathecally with IB4-conjugated streptavidin complexed with biotinylated antisense oligonucleotides for protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) mRNA were found to have: a) less PKCε in dorsal root ganglia (DRG), b) reduced PKCε expression in IB4(+) but not IB4(-) DRG neurons, and c) fewer transcripts of the PKCε gene in the DRG.

Isolectin B4 (IB4)-conjugated streptavidin for the selective knockdown of proteins in IB4-positive (+) nociceptors.

analysis of protein function in nociceptor subpopulations using antisense oligonucleotides and short interfering RNAs is limited by their non-selective cellular uptake. To address the need for selective transfection methods, we covalently linked isolectin B4 (IB4) to streptavidin and analyzed whether it could be used to study protein function in IB4(+)-nociceptors. Rats treated intrathecally with IB4-conjugated streptavidin complexed with biotinylated antisense oligonucleotides for protein kinase C epsilon (PKCε) mRNA were found to have: (a) less PKCε in dorsal root ganglia (DRG), (b) reduced PKCε expression in IB4(+) but not IB4(-) DRG neurons, and (c) fewer transcripts of the PKCε gene in the DRG.

Anxiety in oncology outpatients is associated with perturbations in pathways identified in anxiety focused network pharmacology research.

Purpose: Evaluate for perturbed signaling pathways associated with subgroups of patients with low versus high levels of state anxiety. These pathways were compared to the pathways identified across eight network pharmacology studies of the anxiolytic effect(s) of a variety of compounds.

Methods: Adult outpatients had a diagnosis of breast, gastrointestinal, gynecological, or lung cancer; had received chemotherapy within the preceding four weeks; and were scheduled to receive at least two additional cycles of chemotherapy.

Multi-Tiered Assessment of Gene Expression Provides Evidence for Mechanisms That Underlie Risk for Type 2 Diabetes.

Introduction: Integrated transcriptome and microRNA differential gene expression (DEG) analyses may help to explain type 2 diabetes (T2D) pathogenesis in at-risk populations. The purpose of this study was to characterize DEG in banked biospecimens from underactive adult participants who responded to a randomized clinical trial measuring the effects of lifestyle interventions on T2D risk factors. DEGs were further examined within the context of annotated biological pathways.

Palpitations and Co-Occurring Menopausal Symptoms in Women Prior to Breast Cancer Surgery.

Objectives: To determine the occurrence rate of palpitations in women prior to breast cancer surgery and evaluate for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics and menopausal symptoms in patients with and without palpitations.

Sample & Setting: Presurgery data on palpitations and menopausal symptoms from 398 patients who underwent breast cancer surgery were analyzed.

Methods & Variables: The Menopausal Symptoms Scale was used to evaluate the occurrence, severity, and distress of 46 symptoms, including palpitations.

Risk Factors for a Higher Symptom Burden in Patients With Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: To evaluate for subgroups of patients with distinct symptom profiles and differences in demographic and clinical characteristics and stress and resilience among these subgroups.

Sample & Setting: 1,145 patients with cancer aged 18 years or older completed a survey online. Data were collected between May 2020 and February 2021.

Adherence to interdisciplinary tumor board recommendations as an expression of quality-assured patient care: results of a bicentric German analysis.

Purpose: Interdisciplinary tumor boards (ITBs) represent a central part of standard cancer care defining a guidelines-guided treatment plan adapted to the patient's capabilities, comorbidities and wishes in a multi-professional team. The implementation rate of ITB recommendations can be monitored by structured adherence analyses. But (inter)national definitions how to measure the level of implementation are missing.

Global endometrial DNA methylation analysis reveals insights into mQTL regulation and associated endometriosis disease risk and endometrial function.

Endometriosis is a leading cause of pain and infertility affecting millions of women globally. Herein, we characterize variation in DNA methylation (DNAm) and its association with menstrual cycle phase, endometriosis, and genetic variants through analysis of genotype data and methylation in endometrial samples from 984 deeply-phenotyped participants. We estimate that 15.

Higher Lifetime Stress and Symptom Burden Contribute to the Occurrence of Shortness of Breath.

Objectives: Among four classes of patients with distinct shortness of breath profiles, evaluate for differences in levels of global, cancer-specific, and cumulative life stress, as well as resilience; evaluate for differences in the occurrence rates for various stressful life events, and evaluate for differences in the severity of common co-occurring symptoms.

Data Sources: Outpatients (N = 1338) completed questionnaires six times over two cycles of chemotherapy. The occurrence of shortness of breath was assessed using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale.

Neurotransmitter Gene Polymorphisms Are Associated with Symptom Clusters in Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy.

Objectives: Purpose was to evaluate for associations between the severity of three distinct symptom clusters (ie, sickness-behavior, mood-cognitive, treatment-related) and polymorphisms for 16 genes involved in catecholaminergic, GABAergic, and serotonergic neurotransmission.

Data Sources: Patients with breast and prostate cancer (n = 157) completed study questionnaires at the completion of radiation therapy. Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale was used to assess the severity of 32 common symptoms.

Chemotherapy for pain: reversing inflammatory and neuropathic pain with the anticancer agent mithramycin A.

The persistence of inflammatory and neuropathic pain is poorly understood. We investigated a novel therapeutic paradigm by targeting gene networks that sustain or reverse persistent pain states. Our prior observations found that Sp1-like transcription factors drive the expression of TRPV1, a pain receptor, that is blocked in vitro by mithramycin A (MTM), an inhibitor of Sp1-like factors.

Various types of stress and greater use of disengagement coping are associated with worse sleep disturbance in oncology patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Various types of stress and the choice of coping strategies may be risk factors for higher levels of sleep disturbance in oncology patients. Purposes were to evaluate for differences in global, cancer-specific, and cumulative life stress, as well as resilience and the use of coping strategies among three subgroups of patients with distinct sleep disturbance profiles (i.e.

Optimizing the structure of interdisciplinary tumor boards for effective cancer care.

Introduction: Multi-professional interdisciplinary tumor boards (ITB) are essential institutions to discuss all newly diagnosed, relapsed or complex cancer patients in a team of specialists to find an optimal cancer care plan for each individual patient with regard to national and international clinical practice guidelines, patient´s preference and comorbidities. In a high-volume cancer center, entity-specific ITBs take place at least once a week discussing a large number of patients. To a high level of expertise and dedication, this also requires an enormous amount of time for physicians, cancer specialists and administrative support colleagues, especially for radiologists, pathologists, medical oncologists and radiation oncologists, who must attend all cancer-specific boards according to certification requirements.