The impact of COVID-19 on colorectal cancer in regional Northern Australia and changes to treatment related to distance to care: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges in the diagnosis and management of colorectal cancer (CRC). It was proposed in regional Northern Australia that the distance to services could further impact cancer outcomes, leading to delayed diagnosis. The authors compared the outcomes of patients prior and during the pandemic; with a focus on whether patients were presenting in the emergency setting with more advanced disease.

Spatial intra-tumour heterogeneity and treatment-induced genomic evolution in oesophageal adenocarcinoma: implications for prognosis and therapy.

Background: Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is a highly heterogeneous cancer with poor survival. Standard curative treatment is chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy followed by oesophagectomy. Genomic heterogeneity is a feature of OAC and has been linked to treatment resistance.

Tumour microenvironment influences response to treatment in oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

The poor treatment response of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) leads to low survival rates. Its increasing incidence makes finding more effective treatment a priority. Recent treatment improvements can be attributed to the inclusion of the tumour microenvironment (TME) and immune infiltrates in treatment decisions.

The oesophageal adenocarcinoma tumour immune microenvironment dictates outcomes with different modalities of neoadjuvant therapy - results from the AGITG DOCTOR trial and the cancer evolution biobank.

A plateau in treatment effect can be seen for the current 'one-size-fits-all' approach to oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) management using neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) or chemotherapy (nCT). In OAC, the tumour microenvironment (TME) is largely immunosuppressed, however a subgroup of patients with an immune-inflamed TME exist and show improved outcomes. We aimed to understand the overall immune-based mechanisms underlying treatment responses and patient outcomes in OAC, and in relation to neoadjuvant therapy modality.

Circulating Tumor DNA: A Promising Biomarker for Predicting Recurrence in Patients with BRAF-Negative Melanoma.

For patients with BRAF wild-type stage III and IV melanoma, there is an urgent clinical need to identify prognostic biomarkers and biomarkers predictive of treatment response. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is emerging as a blood-based biomarker and has shown promising results for many cancers, including melanoma. The purpose of this study was to identify targetable, tumor-derived mutations in patient blood that may lead to treatment alternatives and improved outcomes for patients with BRAF-negative melanoma.

C-reactive protein is a prognostic biomarker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients.

Aim: The 5-year survival rate of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is approximately 11% and has only improved marginally over the last three decades. For operable PDAC, resection and adjuvant FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy is standard of care. There is growing interest in perioperative regimens to improve outcomes.

Pharmacy student perceptions of remote learning and wellness during the pandemic: Lessons learned from a metropolitan commuter city.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess pharmacy student perceptions of remote learning experiences and personal well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic in a metropolitan commuter city.

Methods: A survey was developed and sent to pharmacy students from the three pharmacy colleges in New York City in January 2021. The survey domains consisted of demographics, personal well-being, classroom experiences, and pandemic and post-pandemic preferred learning modalities and reasons.

ctDNA as a biomarker of progression in oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

Background: The incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is rapidly increasing and despite improvements in treatment, the 5-year survival rate remains poor. Prognostic biomarkers that address the genomic heterogeneity in this highly complex disease will aid the development of precision therapeutics and improve patient survival. The aim of this study was to determine whether circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) has prognostic significance as a biomarker in OAC patients.

Understanding the immuno-biology of oesophageal adenocarcinoma: Towards improved therapeutic approaches.

With an incidence that is constantly rising, oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is becoming an increasing health burden worldwide. Although significant advances in treatment regimens have improved patient outcomes, survival rates for this deadly cancer remain unsatisfactory. This highlights the need to improve current therapeutic approaches and develop novel therapeutic strategies for treating OAC patients.

Pathogenic germline variants are associated with poor survival in stage III/IV melanoma patients.

Patients with late stage resected cutaneous melanoma have poor overall survival (OS) and experience irreversible adverse events from systemic therapy. There is a clinical need to identify biomarkers to predict outcome. Performing germline/tumour whole-exome sequencing of 44 stage III/IV melanoma patients we identified pathogenic germline mutations in CDKN2A, CDK4, ATM, POLH, MRE11A, RECQL4 and XPC, affecting 7/44 patients.

Mapping dementia and cognitive decline in testamentary capacity.

Cognitive assessment is central to the evaluation of testamentary capacity. Such assessment is currently performed in a subjective, unreliable and non-standardized manner. Dementia, a cognitive illness, poses one of the largest threats to testamentary capacity in modern society.

Can a reflective rubric be applied consistently with raters globally? A study across three countries.

Introduction: Reflection is a powerful tool for assisting students to develop the skills to make better informed decisions. As a pharmacy competency standard, reliable and fair assessment strategies are required to measure reflective skills and support students in developing their reflective capacity. The aim of this research was to explore whether we can extend the applicability of a previously tested rubric to a range of educational settings, to account for diversity of pharmacy educators and curricula internationally.

The role of reflective practice in healthcare professions: Next steps for pharmacy education and practice.

Reflective practice strategies can enable healthcare practitioners to draw on previous experiences to render more effective judgment in clinical situations. The central argument presented in this commentary is that education programs and structures for continuing professional development (CPD) and revalidation of professionals sharpen their focus regarding self-assessment to identify gaps in skills and attitudes rather than merely as a means of on-going monitoring. Pharmacy undergraduate and professional education need to promote reflective practice strategies that foster self-evaluation to promote pharmacists' readiness for practice change and advance patient care within rapidly expanding roles and scope of practice.

A novel learning approach to pharmaceutical sciences research in a pharmacy research advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) elective course.

Background And Purpose: This project investigates the use of pharmacy student metacognitive learning in a laboratory-based science research advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE).

Educational Activity And Setting: We describe a five-week research APPE. This course is separated into two parts which run simultaneously.

Prevalence of low anterior resection syndrome at a regional Australian centre.

Background: With decreasing indication for abdominoperineal resection and an increase in sphincter preserving surgery, there is a growing population of patients who suffer from low anterior resection syndrome (LARS). The aim of this study is to use the LARS score to determine the prevalence of LARS at a regional centre in Australia and determine the effect of short- and long-course neoadjuvant therapy, anastomotic technique and interval from surgery will also be assessed.

Methods: Patients who had undergone an anterior resection (high, low or ultralow) at a regional centre over an 11-year period were identified.

A meta-analysis of the prevalence of Low Anterior Resection Syndrome and systematic review of risk factors.

Aim: To summarize the reported prevalence and causative factors of Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) from studies using the LARS score.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using Pubmed, Ovid Medline and the Cochrane database. Searches were performed using a combination of MeSH (medical subject headings) terms and key terms.

How do mental health first aid ™ interventions influence patient help-seeking behaviours? A dilemma for pharmacist mental health first aid responders.

In any given year approximately 34% of the 130 million adults in the United States suffer from a mental health condition or disorder. Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most common followed by substance use disorder. Many people who suffer from a mental illness do not seek help.

Mastery learning: how is it helpful? An analytical review.

The desire to be good at one's work grows out of the aspiration, competition, and a yearning to be the best. Surgeons, in their aim to provide the best care possible to their patients, adopt this behavior to achieve high levels of expert performance through mastery learning, and the surgical training attempts to prepare them optimally to lead a virtuous and productive life. The proponents of the framework reject evidence that suggests that other variables are also necessary to achieve high levels of expert performance.

The use of Eriksonian Hypnosis to improve patient outcomes in pharmacy practice: A novel communication skill for pharmacists.

Motivational Interviewing, pharmacist-based health coaching and traditional patient counseling techniques all show merit in improving communication between patients and health care providers. However, in order to effectively utilize these techniques one should have the ability to draw upon internal cognitive and psychological resources. Some patients have difficulty obtaining optimal health outcomes due to an unconscious inability to learn and connect with psychological resources.

Pharmacist-based health coaching: A new model of pharmacist-patient care.

This paper describes a provider-patient communication process, which although not new to health care in general, is new to the pharmacy profession. Health coaching is a technique that empowers patients to make lasting health behavior changes that improve overall well-being. It provides patients with health care implementation options that better suit their lifestyle and abilities.

A Model for Assessing Reflective Practices in Pharmacy Education.

OBJECTIVE. To research the literature and examine assessment strategies used in health education that measure reflection levels and to identify assessment strategies for use in pharmacy education. METHODS.

Pharmacists levels of emotionality and career success correlates: an exploratory study.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to (1) examine the relationships between Emotional Thinking Scale (ETS) scores and demographic variables such as income, years worked as a pharmacist, and hours worked per week and (2) determine the distribution of ETS scores among this sample of pharmacists. These objectives are significant to explore because they may provide important data regarding effective and ineffective pharmacist work-related behaviors that affect career and life success.

Method: A convenience sample of practicing pharmacists was selected.