Virtual follow-up care among breast and prostate cancer patients during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: Association with distress.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between self-reported distress (anxiety/depression) and satisfaction with and desire for virtual follow-up (VFU) care among cancer patients during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Breast and prostate cancer patients receiving VFU at an urban cancer centre in Toronto, Canada completed an online survey on their sociodemographic, clinical, and technology, characteristics and experience with and views on VFU. EQ5D-5 L was used to assess distress.

Virtual Cancer Care Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Patient and Staff Perspectives and Recommendations.

Purpose: COVID-19 catalyzed rapid implementation of virtual cancer care (VC); however, work is needed to inform long-term adoption. We evaluated patient and staff experiences with VC at a large urban, tertiary cancer center to inform recommendations for postpandemic sustainment.

Methods: All physicians who had provided VC during the pandemic and all patients who had a valid e-mail address on file and at least one visit to the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, Canada, in the preceding year were invited to complete a survey.

Virtual Care and Electronic Patient Communication During COVID-19: Cross-sectional Study of Inequities Across a Canadian Tertiary Cancer Center.

Background: Virtual care (VC) visits (telephone or video) and email-based patient communication have been rapidly adopted to facilitate cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Inequities in access and patient experience may arise as these digital health tools become prevalent.

Objective: We aimed to characterize inequities in access and patient-reported experience following adoption of digital health tools at a tertiary cancer center during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evaluating the effect of a group pre-treatment chemotherapy psycho-education session for chemotherapy-naive gynecologic cancer patients and their caregivers.

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the effects of a pre-chemotherapy education class on chemotherapy-naïve patients diagnosed with gynecologic cancer and their informal caregivers.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted at a cancer centre in Toronto, Canada. All women diagnosed with gynecologic cancer, who were scheduled to receive chemotherapy treatment, and their caregivers were invited to attend the GyneChemo class, newly introduced as the centre's standard of care.

Developing an Education Pathway for Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Rapid Diagnostic Testing: Investigating Informational and Supportive Care Needs.

Several studies have examined the informational needs of patients undergoing the breast diagnostic process where needs are highest during testing and prior to receiving a diagnosis. To aid in the development of an education pathway, we identified patient information needs. A multi-method approach to identify areas of need and to understand when and how information should be provided to patients was undertaken.

Awareness of the Harms of Continued Smoking Among Cancer Survivors.

Background: Smoking cessation is an integral part of cancer survivorship. To help improve survivorship education, clinicians need an understanding of patient awareness of the harms of continued smoking.

Methods: Cancer survivors from Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (Toronto, ON) were surveyed on their awareness of the harms of continued smoking on cancer-related outcomes.

Implementation of a Novel Electronic Patient-Directed Smoking Cessation Platform for Cancer Patients: Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

Background: Continued smoking in cancer patients undergoing treatment results in significantly higher rates of treatment toxicities and persistent effects, increased risk of recurrence and second malignancy, and increased all-cause mortality. Despite this, routine tobacco use screening and the provision of smoking cessation treatment has yet to be implemented widely in the cancer setting.

Objective: The objective of this study was to implement and evaluate the adoption and impact of an innovative Smoking Cessation e-referral System (CEASE) to promote referrals to smoking cessation programs in cancer patients.

Empowering patients and caregivers with knowledge: The development of a nurse-led gynecologic oncology chemotherapy education class.

At a Canadian cancer centre, rising patient volumes made it difficult to provide quality chemotherapy education to patients and families in the clinical setting. The gynecology oncology site identified several barriers to the provision of timely and comprehensive teaching. These barriers included receiving education after learning of a cancer diagnosis, the efficacy of written information, time constraints nurses experienced, and absence of standardized side effect management.

Deconstructing Cancer Patient Information Seeking in a Consumer Health Library Toward Developing a Virtual Information Consult for Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers: A Qualitative, Instrumental Case Study.

Background: Cancer patients and their caregivers want information about their disease and are interested in finding health information online. Despite the abundance of cancer information online, it is often fragmented, its quality is highly variable, and it can be difficult to navigate without expert-level knowledge of the cancer system. The Patient & Family Library at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre offers a broad collection of high-quality cancer health information and staff are available to help patrons refine their questions and explore information needs that they may not have considered.

Informational Needs of Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

The patient journey with head and neck cancer (HNC) is particularly challenging given the physical and functional impact of the cancer and treatment. The ability to perform activities of daily living can be severely compromised and have a profound impact on psychosocial well-being. These complex and long-lasting effects can affect patient quality of life for months to years and the literature shows that information for HNC patients is often insufficient.

Preferences for the Provision of Smoking Cessation Education Among Cancer Patients.

Many individuals who use tobacco will continue to smoke after a cancer diagnosis and throughout treatment. This study aims to better understand cancer patient preferences to learn about smoking cessation. All new patients seen at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre between 1 January 2014 and 30 June 2015 were asked to complete the Combined Tobacco History Survey as part of standard new patient assessments.

Development and Evaluation of Patient Education Materials for Elderly Lung Cancer Patients.

Patients treated for lung cancer are often elderly presenting a unique challenge for developing patient education materials. This study developed and evaluated a patient education pamphlet on lung stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) designed specifically for an elderly population. The SBRT pamphlet was developed using a participatory design involving a convenience sample of patients.

Evaluation of the Effects of Pre-Treatment Education on Self-Efficacy and Anxiety in Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy: A Pilot Study.

Introduction: Patients receiving radiation therapy for cancer treatment have been reported to experience increased anxiety before starting therapy and often have diminished feelings of control. An evaluation was done to measure the impact of an educational class that was designed to lower patient and family anxiety and to help them know what to expect before starting radiation therapy.

Methods: A single-centre, cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2011 at an ambulatory radiation therapy clinic.

Informational needs of gynecologic cancer survivors.

Objectives: In preparation for the launch of a gynecologic oncology survivorship program, this study looked at the informational needs of women with gynecologic cancers. Although studies have touched on some of these needs, no published literature has investigated the comprehensive informational needs of gynecologic oncology patients within all sites of gynecologic cancers.

Methods: A needs assessment, consisting of a self-administered questionnaire, was conducted at an ambulatory gynecologic oncology clinic from August 2010 to March 2011.

Risk messages about HPV, cervical cancer, and the HPV vaccine gardasil in North American news magazines.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (Gardasil) is a significant advancement in reducing women's risk for cervical cancer. Public opinion of the vaccine can be influenced by the mass media. We used content analysis to assess the discussion of risks, fear-inducing messages about HPV, cervical cancer, and the HPV vaccine in four high circulating North American news magazines from January 2006 to December 2007.

Risk messages about HPV, cervical cancer, and the HPV vaccine Gardasil: a content analysis of Canadian and U.S. national newspaper articles.

The human papillomavirus vaccine (Gardasil) is a significant advancement in women's health. We compared the reporting of fear-inducing messages about human papillomavirus, cervical cancer, and the human papillomavirus vaccine in Canadian and U.S.