Predictive ability of the Cancer and Aging Research Group chemotherapy toxicity calculator in hematologic malignancy.

Introduction: Chemotherapy toxicity tools are rarely studied in patients with hematologic malignancy (HM). The primary aim of this pilot study was to determine the predictive ability of the Cancer and Aging Research Group (CARG) chemo-toxicity calculator in estimating grade 3-5 toxicity in patients with HM.

Materials And Methods: Patients 60 years and older with HM were prospectively evaluated using the CARG chemo-toxicity calculator.

E-PROOF: E-intervention for protein intake and resistance training to optimize function: A study protocol.

Background: Accounting for more than 60% of cancer survivors, older (≥65 years) cancer survivors have a 2- to 5-fold risk of physical function impairment, compared to cancer-free peers. One strategy to improve physical function is dietary and resistance training interventions, which improve muscle strength and mass by stimulating muscle protein synthesis. The E-PROOF (E-intervention for Protein Intake and Resistance Training to Optimize Function) study will examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a 12-week randomized controlled trial of an online, tailored nutritional and resistance training education and counseling intervention to improve physical function and associated health outcomes (muscle strength, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), self-efficacy, and weight management).

Longitudinal Associations Between Optimism and Objective Measures of Physical Functioning in Women.

Importance: Identifying factors contributing to sustained physical functioning is critical for the health and well-being of the aging population, especially as physical functioning may precede and predict subsequent health outcomes. Prior work suggests optimism may protect health, but less is known about the association between optimism and objective physical functioning measures as individuals age.

Objective: To evaluate the longitudinal association between optimism and 3 physical functioning measures.

Association of Later-Life Weight Changes With Survival to Ages 90, 95, and 100: The Women's Health Initiative.

Background: Associations of weight changes and intentionality of weight loss with longevity are not well described.

Methods: Using longitudinal data from the Women's Health Initiative (N = 54 437; 61-81 years), we examined associations of weight changes and intentionality of weight loss with survival to ages 90, 95, and 100. Weight was measured at baseline, year 3, and year 10, and participants were classified as having weight loss (≥5% decrease from baseline), weight gain (≥5% increase from baseline), or stable weight (<5% change from baseline).

A descriptive study of policy and system-level interventions to address cancer survivorship issues across six United States health systems.

Purpose: To describe policy and system-level interventions with potential to improve cancer care at six sites.

Methods: In 2016, six institutions received foundation support to develop unique multi-component interventions aimed at improving cancer care for underserved populations. These organizations, located across the United States, participated in a cross-site evaluation to assess the overall initiative impact and to identify potentially promising policy and system-level solutions for dissemination and broader implementation.

Factors associated with insomnia symptoms over three years among premenopausal women with breast cancer.

Purpose: We examined longitudinal trends and factors associated with insomnia over 3 years in a cohort of young breast cancer patients.

Methods: Women with stage I-III breast cancer at ≤ 45 years were recruited at five institutions from New York, Texas, and North Carolina, within 8 months of diagnosis (n = 836). Participants completed questionnaires every 6 months for 3 years.

Reaching Populations to Address Disparities in Cancer Care Delivery: Results From a Six-Site Initiative.

Background: Large segments of the US population do not receive quality cancer care due to pervasive and systemic inequities, which can increase morbidity and mortality. Multicomponent, multilevel interventions can address inequities and improve care, but only if they reach communities with suboptimal access. Intervention studies often underenroll individuals from historically excluded groups.

Resiliency Among Women's Health Initiative Women Aged 80 and Older by Race, Ethnicity, and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status.

Objectives: A comprehensive examination of resilience by race, ethnicity, and neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) among women aged ≥80 is needed, given the aging of the U.S. population, increasing longevity, and growing racial and ethnic diversity.

Bayesian semiparametric joint modeling of a count outcome and inconveniently timed longitudinal predictors.

The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Life and Longevity After Cancer (LILAC) study is an excellent resource for studying the quality of life following breast cancer treatment. At study entry, women were asked about new symptoms that appeared following their initial cancer treatment. In this article, we were interested in using regression modeling to estimate associations of clinical and lifestyle factors at cancer diagnosis (independent variables) with the number of new symptoms (dependent variable).

Feasibility of an embedded palliative care clinic model for patients with an advanced thoracic malignancy.

Purpose: Early palliative care (PC) with standard oncology care has demonstrated improved patient outcomes, but multiple care delivery models are utilized. This study prospectively evaluated the feasibility of an embedded PC clinic model and collected patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and caregiver needs.

Methods: In this observational study of embedded outpatient PC for patients with advanced thoracic malignancies treated at The Ohio State University Thoracic Oncology clinic, patients received same-day coordinated oncology and palliative care visits at one clinic location.

Social Support, social ties, and cognitive function of women with breast cancer: findings from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Life and Longevity After Cancer (LILAC) Study.

Purpose: This study examined associations between self-reported cognitive functioning and social support as well as social ties among women with breast cancer.

Methods: The study included 3351 women from the Women's Health Initiative Life and Longevity After Cancer cohort who were diagnosed with breast cancer stages I-III. Social support was assessed using a modified Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey, and marital status was obtained from the baseline questionnaire.

The severity of individual menopausal symptoms, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Cohort.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the association between common menopausal symptoms (MS) and long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality.

Methods: In an observational cohort of 80,278 postmenopausal women with no known CVD at baseline from the Women's Health Initiative, we assessed individual MS severity (mild vs none; moderate/severe vs none) for night sweats, hot flashes, waking up several times at night, joint pain or stiffness, headaches or migraines, vaginal or genital dryness, heart racing or skipping beats, breast tenderness, dizziness, tremors (shakes), feeling tired, forgetfulness, mood swings, restless or fidgety, and difficulty concentrating. Outcomes included total CVD events (primary) and all-cause mortality (secondary).

Patient-driven research: Initial results from a prospective health-related quality of life study performed at the request of patients living with hairy cell leukemia.

A diagnosis of leukemia can have a profound effect on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL), however this has not been measured prospectively in patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL). At the request of patients living with HCL who had identified this gap in knowledge about the disease, we conducted a longitudinal study of HRQoL among patients enrolled in the HCL Patient Data Registry (PDR). From September 1, 2018 to September 1, 2020, 165 patients were enrolled in the study and completed the baseline survey.

Sleep and affective disorders in relation to Parkinson's disease risk among older women from the Women's Health Initiative.

Objectives: To evaluate sleep and affective (mood/anxiety) disorders as clinical predictors of incident Parkinson's disease (PD) among women ≥65 years of age.

Methods: We performed secondary analyses with available data from the Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trials and Observational Study linked to Medicare claims. Sleep, mood and anxiety disorders at baseline were defined using diagnostic codes.

Psychotropic medication use and Parkinson's disease risk amongst older women.

Objective: To examine associations of antidepressant, anxiolytic and hypnotic use amongst older women (≥65 years) with incident Parkinson's Disease (PD), using data from Women's Health Initiative linked to Medicare claims.

Methods: PD was defined using self-report, first diagnosis, medications and/or death certificates and psychotropic medications were ascertained at baseline and 3-year follow-up. Cox regression models were constructed to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), controlling for socio-demographic, lifestyle and health characteristics, overall and amongst women diagnosed with depression, anxiety and/or sleep disorders (DASD).

Cumulative Endogenous Estrogen Exposure Is Associated With Postmenopausal Fracture Risk: The Women's Health Initiative Study.

We aimed to evaluate the relationship between cumulative endogenous estrogen exposure and fracture risk in 150,682 postmenopausal women (aged 50 to 79 years at baseline) who participated in the Women's Health Initiative. We hypothesized that characteristics indicating lower cumulative endogenous estrogen exposure would be associated with increased fracture risk. We determined ages at menarche and menopause as well as history of irregular menses from baseline questionnaires and calculated years of endogenous estrogen exposure from ages at menarche and menopause.

Implementing patient navigation programs: Considerations and lessons learned from the Alliance to Advance Patient-Centered Cancer Care.

Background: Six multidisciplinary cancer centers were selected and funded by the Merck Foundation (2017-2021) to collaborate in the Alliance to Advance Patient-Centered Cancer Care ("Alliance"), an initiative to improve patient access, minimize health disparities, and enhance the quality of patient-centered cancer care. These sites share their insights on implementation and expansion of their patient navigation efforts.

Methods: Patient navigation represents an evidence-based health care intervention designed to enhance patient-centered care and care coordination.

Diet and Health-related Quality of Life Among Men on Active Surveillance for Early-stage Prostate Cancer: The Men's Eating and Living Study (Cancer and Leukemia Group 70807 [Alliance]).

Background: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among patients with localized prostate cancer (PC) on active surveillance (AS) and whether it may be improved through lifestyle-focused interventions remain underdefined.

Objective: To assess longitudinal changes in HRQoL in patients who received and those who did not receive a behavioral intervention that increased vegetable intake.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A secondary analysis of participants in the Men's Eating and Living (MEAL) study (Cancer and Leukemia Group 70807 [Alliance]), a randomized trial of vegetable consumption in patients on AS, was conducted.

Self-reported symptoms among cancer survivors in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Life and Longevity after Cancer (LILAC) cohort.

Purpose: Due to cancer survivors living longer and morbidity associated with cancer treatments, it is necessary to understand symptoms experienced by cancer survivors. This study will analyze the symptom burden among a large cohort of survivors across multiple cancer sites.

Methods: Data from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Life and Longevity After Cancer (LILAC) study were used to examine the symptom burden of older cancer survivors.

Association of sleep disturbance with Parkinson disease: evidence from the Women's Health Initiative.

Objective: To examine the association of sleep disturbance with Parkinson disease (PD) during 10+ years of follow-up among postmenopausal women, 50 to 79 years of age at baseline.

Methods: Longitudinal data on 130,502 study-eligible women (mean ± standard deviation baseline age = 63.16 ± 7.

The relationship between sleep and weight change among women diagnosed with breast cancer participating in the Women's Health Initiative.

Purpose: Short and long sleep duration and poor sleep quality are risk factors for weight gain and cancer mortality. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between sleep and weight change among postmenopausal breast cancer survivors.

Methods: Women participating in the Women's Health Initiative who were diagnosed with incident breast cancer between year one and year three were included.

Integration of a Geriatric Assessment With Intervention in the Care of Older Adults With Hematologic Malignancies.

The incidence of hematologic malignancies (HMs) is highest in the seventh decade of life and coincides with increasing occult, age-related vulnerabilities. Identification of frailty is useful in prognostication and treatment decision-making for older adults with HMs. This real-world analysis describes 311 older adults with HMs evaluated in a multidisciplinary oncogeriatric clinic.