A pilot study of a low glycemic load diet in patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer.

Background: Consumption of a diet with high glycemic indices has been associated with inferior cancer-specific outcomes in patients with early-stage colorectal cancer, but there is limited prospective evidence that alterations in dietary habits improves cancer outcomes. This study aimed to determine the feasibility and acceptability of following a low glycemic load (GL) diet in patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer.

Methods: Patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer, who completed definitive therapy, and consumed an average daily GL >150 participated in a 12-week tailored face-to-face dietary intervention with a target GL.

A randomized controlled trial of structured palliative care versus standard supportive care for patients enrolled in phase 1 clinical trials.

Purpose: Patients enrolled in Phase 1 clinical trials have typically exhausted standard therapies and often are choosing between a clinical trial and hospice care. Significant symptom burden can result in early trial discontinuation and confound trial outcomes. This study aimed to examine differences in study duration, symptom burden, adverse events (AE), and quality of life (QOL) between those receiving structured palliative care versus usual supportive care.

Pembrolizumab-Induced Immune-Mediated Colitis in a Patient with Concurrent Clostridium Difficile Infection.

Pembrolizumab is a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) inhibitor that has been approved for treatment of a wide variety of malignancies. Immune-mediated colitis is a known but uncommon adverse effect of pembrolizumab. Symptoms of immune-mediated colitis can be similar to those of many other gastrointestinal illnesses, including Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).

Relationship between phase I study duration and symptom burden.

Purpose: Phase I clinical trials are critical to development of cancer therapeutics. Adverse events (AEs) and symptom burden contribute to early treatment withdrawal, and it is often difficult to ascertain whether these events are disease- or treatment-related. Regardless, early withdrawal may delay determination of the effectiveness of potential new therapies.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococci infection: not just for the transplanted.

Vancomycin-resistant enterococcal (VRE) blood stream infections (BSIs) pose significant hazards to patients with hematologic malignancy. We compared and examined VRE BSI rates, patient characteristics and clinical outcomes for two cohorts of patients: those who did and did not undergo hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). In this single institution study, we retrospectively analyzed records of consecutive patients from 1998 through 2011.