Patient-reported outcome changes at the end of life in recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: An NRG oncology/GOG study.

Objectives: In a prospective study of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients, we examined whether the Disease-related Symptoms-Physical (DRS--P) scale of the NCCN/FACT-Ovarian Cancer Symptom Index-18 (NFOSI-18) is responsive to clinical change in patients estimated by their provider to survive at least six months.

Methods: The NFOSI-18, and other FACT measures, was collected at study entry and 3 and 6 months post-enrollment. Measures were compared for those who died or dropped off study prior to 3 months or prior to 6 months (assumed as health deterioration over time), or those who stayed on study through 6 months (presumed as stable disease over time).

Development of a survivorship screening tool in survivors of hematopoietic cell transplant.

Purpose: This study describes the development of a screening measure focused on the potential needs of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) survivors at least 1-year post-transplant.

Methods: A multidisciplinary team met regularly to develop a screening measure to better understand the ongoing medical and clinical symptoms experienced by survivors of HCT. This measure was given to 299 patients presenting to an HCT survivorship clinic, with referrals offered for any issues reaching clinical threshold.

Quality of life, symptoms and care needs in patients with persistent or recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: An NRG Oncology/Gynecologic Oncology Group study.

Objectives: The goals of treating recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer are palliative, aimed at reducing symptoms and improving progression free survival. A prospective trial was conducted to determine the prevalence and severity of symptoms, and associated care needs.

Methods: Eligible women included those with persistent or recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer with an estimated life expectancy of at least 6 months.

Patterns of Loss to Follow-Up Care Among Childhood Cancer Survivors.

Purpose: Surveillance for long-term complications related to previous cancer therapy can help diagnose/manage chronic health conditions in childhood cancer survivors and improve survivor quality of life. However, a challenge to delivering long-term care to childhood cancer survivors is loss to follow-up; many patients discontinue care at specialized survivor care centers. The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of loss to follow-up among a cohort of childhood cancer survivors.

Adjustment to Acute Leukemia: The Impact of Social Support and Marital Satisfaction on Distress and Quality of Life Among Newly Diagnosed Patients and Their Caregivers.

Little is known about the specific patterns of adjustment among newly diagnosed acute leukemia patients and their caregivers. This study examined the trajectories of patient and caregiver distress over time as well as the extent to which marital satisfaction and social support moderated these trajectories among those with significant-other caregivers. Forty six patient-caregiver dyads provided ratings at four time points: within 1 week of diagnosis (T1), 2 week follow-up (T2), 6 week follow-up (T3) and 12 week follow-up (T4).

Tobacco Cessation May Improve Lung Cancer Patient Survival.

Introduction: This study characterizes tobacco cessation patterns and the association of cessation with survival among lung cancer patients at Roswell Park Cancer Institute: an NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Methods: Lung cancer patients presenting at this institution were screened with a standardized tobacco assessment, and those who had used tobacco within the past 30 days were automatically referred to a telephone-based cessation service. Demographic, clinical information, and self-reported tobacco use at last contact were obtained via electronic medical records and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute tumor registry for all lung cancer patients referred to the service between October 2010 and October 2012.

Acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy of a supportive group intervention for caregivers of newly diagnosed leukemia patients.

This study describes the development of a supportive group-based intervention for family caregivers of newly diagnosed leukemia patients. We assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of the group on caregiver distress and quality of life, as well as patient distress utilizing a sequential cohort design comparing a pre-intervention control group with the intervention group. Patients and caregiver dyads completed measures at 4 time points: within 1 week of diagnosis (T1), 2-week follow-up (T2), 6-week follow-up (T3), and 12-week follow-up (T4).

Automated tobacco assessment and cessation support for cancer patients.

Background: Tobacco assessment and cessation support are not routinely included in cancer care. An automated tobacco assessment and cessation program was developed to increase the delivery of tobacco cessation support for cancer patients.

Methods: A structured tobacco assessment was incorporated into the electronic health record at Roswell Park Cancer Institute to identify tobacco use in cancer patients at diagnosis and during follow-up.

Distress management.

The integration of psychosocial care into the routine care of all patients with cancer is increasingly being recognized as the new standard of care. These NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Distress Management discuss the identification and treatment of psychosocial problems in patients with cancer. They are intended to assist oncology teams identify patients who require referral to psychosocial resources and to give oncology teams guidance on interventions for patients with mild distress to ensure that all patients with distress are recognized and treated.

Structuring survivorship care: discipline-specific clinician perspectives.

Introduction: Several models for survivorship care are prominent within the cancer literature; however, there is little empirical research that examines what oncology clinicians perceive to be the best approach to caring for cancer survivors, what services survivorship programs should include, and how prepared they feel to care for cancer survivors.

Methods: An IRB approved web-based survey of all clinical staff was conducted at a NCI designated comprehensive cancer center with a 49.8% response rate (N  =  377).

Medically related legal needs and quality of life in cancer care: a structural analysis.

Background: This study investigated the interface of medical and legal systems by empirically identifying and evaluating the relation of medically related legal needs and patient quality of life and by assessing the degree to which these needs were addressed in standard patient care.

Methods: Medically related legal needs were identified in a focus group setting. These needs were subsequently sorted and rated by a sample of 50 mixed-site cancer patients (22 men and 28 women; mean age, 52 years) and subjected to multidimensional scaling and cluster analyses.

Psychological distress in long-term survivors of solid tumors diagnosed in childhood: a report from the childhood cancer survivor study.

Purpose: To evaluate and compare psychological distress in long-term survivors of solid tumors diagnosed in childhood and their siblings, and to identify significant correlates of psychological distress.

Procedure: Adult survivors (2,778) of solid tumors diagnosed in childhood and 2,925 siblings completed a long-term follow-up questionnaire assessing symptoms associated with depression, somatization, and anxiety, as well as demographic, health, and medical information.

Results: Overall, a large majority of siblings and survivors reported few, if any, symptoms of psychological distress.

Stress among allogeneic bone marrow transplantation patients.

BMT (bone marrow transplantation) is acknowledged as one of the most stressful treatments in modern cancer care. When investigating the impact of BMT on patients it is crucial that the analytic method employed captures direct patient perceptions, allowing the patient to define the domains under investigation. In this study, a multivariate analytic method, concept mapping (CM), was used to identify perceived stressors among 109 allogeneic BMT recipients.

Screening for distress in cancer patients: the NCCN rapid-screening measure.

The present investigation evaluated the NCCN distress management screening measure (DMSM) in a sample of 68 mixed site cancer patients. The DMSM was administered with the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18). Convergent validity was established by the moderate positive correlation between the DMSM and the BSI and BSI-18 global severity indices (r=0.

Education, employment, insurance, and marital status among 694 survivors of pediatric lower extremity bone tumors: a report from the childhood cancer survivor study.

Background: With increasing numbers of childhood cancer survivors, direct sequelae of cancer therapy and psychosocial outcomes are becoming more important. The authors described psychosocial outcomes (education, employment, health insurance, and marriage) for survivors of pediatric lower extremity bone tumors.

Methods: The long-term follow-up study of the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study is a multiinstitutional cohort study comprising 14,054 individuals who have survived for 5 or more years after treatment for cancer diagnosed during childhood or adolescence.

Utilization of special education services and educational attainment among long-term survivors of childhood cancer: a report from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study.

Background: The objective of the current report was to compare the self-reported rates of special education (SE) and educational attainment among specific groups of childhood cancer survivors and a random sample of sibling controls.

Methods: The Childhood Cancer Survivor Study is a retrospective cohort of individuals who were diagnosed with a cancer in childhood and survived at least 5 years postdiagnosis. This analysis includes 12,430 survivors and 3410 full siblings.