Publications by authors named "Nikita Nikita"
Article Synopsis
- Racial disparities in prostate cancer care were studied, revealing improved MRI utilization for detection over time, particularly from 3.8% in 2012 to 32.6% in 2019 among nearly 91,000 patients.
- The gap in MRI use between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White patients narrowed significantly, though rural residents remained less likely to receive the procedure.
- The study suggests focusing public health interventions on geographical disparities, as income and education also influence MRI usage, and emphasizes the need for further research into the causes of these inequities.
Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common non-cutaneous tumor among American men. Androgen receptor signaling inhibitors such as abiraterone and enzalutamide have been approved for similar disease states among patients with advanced PCa. Existing data suggest using steroids is associated with an increased risk of infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLoneliness in older adults living with cancer: A scoping review of the quantitative and qualitative evidence on behalf of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology Nursing and Allied Health Interest Group.
J Geriatr Oncol
June 2023
Article Synopsis
- Loneliness is a widespread issue among older adults with cancer, which may worsen their overall health and treatment outcomes, yet there is limited research on this topic.
- A scoping review of existing studies revealed that up to 50% of older adults with cancer experience loneliness, often linked to depression and anxiety, with feelings potentially increasing during the initial months of treatment.
- The review highlights a critical need for more research on the effects of loneliness on cancer care and health outcomes, as well as the effectiveness of interventions designed to mitigate loneliness in this demographic.
Abiraterone acetate (AA) and enzalutamide (ENZ) are commonly used for metastatic prostate cancer. It is unclear how their outcomes and toxicities vary with patient-specific factors because clinical trials typically exclude patients with significant comorbidities. This study aims to fill this knowledge gap and facilitate informed treatment decision making.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have changed the treatment landscape for multiple cancer types. Sex plays an important role in both the development of cancer as well as the functioning of the immune system. Though a difference in response to immune therapy is emerging between men and women it is unclear how this difference affects cancer outcomes and what the potential underlying mechanisms are for those effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Prostate cancer is an important cause of death worldwide. The number of years of life lost (YLL) due to prostate cancer is a metric of the toll of prostate cancer and using projections of demographic changes, can be used to measure future burden.
Methods: Prostate cancer mortality data by country and world region was retrieved from the Global Cancer Observatory and the World Health Organization mortality data set, and life expectancy was from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) harness the immune system and are the therapy of choice for multiple cancers. Although immunosuppressive agents such as steroids are also used in many cancers, it is unknown how their timing affects treatment outcomes. Thus, we investigated the relationship between the timing of steroid exposure preceding ICI administration and subsequent treatment outcomes in melanoma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- - Cancer therapies, especially immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), can cause side effects like cancer-related fatigue (CRF), affecting up to 25% of patients.
- - A recent scoping review found limited studies on the benefits of physical activity during ICI therapy, with only one human study and three pre-clinical studies meeting the criteria.
- - While current evidence suggests physical activity may help reduce CRF and related toxicities, more research is needed to better guide patients and healthcare providers on effective exercise interventions during ICI treatment.
Article Synopsis
- The study analyzes trends in cancer incidence for lung, colorectal, prostate, and breast cancers, as well as all cancers combined (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer), among adults aged 50 and older from 1998 to 2012 across 113 global cancer registries.
- It identifies significant increases in cancer rates, particularly in older age groups, with notable findings such as a 3% yearly increase in Ecuador for those aged 75+, and varying trends in prostate and breast cancer incidences based on age and sex.
- The research emphasizes the need for cancer care systems to adapt to the specific needs of the aging population as cancer rates rise, highlighting the urgency for international health responses.
Importance: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized melanoma treatment and are now standard of care. Although sex is associated with immune function and immune-related diseases, the interaction between sex and ICIs is understudied.
Objective: To examine whether cancer immunotherapy effectiveness varies between female and male patients with advanced melanoma treated with either nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination therapy or anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy (namely, pembrolizumab or nivolumab).
Multiple myeloma is the second most common hematological malignancy in the USA and Europe. Despite improvements in the 5-year and overall survival rates over the past decade, older adults (aged ≥65 years) with multiple myeloma continue to experience disproportionately worse outcomes than their younger counterparts. These differences in outcomes arise from the increased prevalence of vulnerabilities such as medical comorbidities and frailty seen with advancing age that can influence treatment-delivery and tolerance and impact survival.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Polypharmacy (≥5 concurrent medications) is common among older patients with cancer (48%-80%) and associated with increased frailty, morbidity, and mortality. This study examined the relationship between polypharmacy and inpatient hospitalization among older adults with cancer treated with intravenous (IV) chemotherapy.
Materials And Methods: The main data source was the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked files.
Background: Elderly patients (≥65yr) with advanced prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD) conditions are often excluded from clinical trials of abiraterone acetate (AA) or enzalutamide (ENZ). Consequently, little is known about the effects of these medications on these vulnerable patients.
Objective: To assess the short-term outcomes of AA and ENZ in patients with pre-existing CVDs.