Publications by authors named "Parsons H"

Importance: Cancer and its care impose significant time commitments on patients and care partners. The oncology community has only recently conceptualized these commitments and the associated burden as the "time toxicity" of cancer care. As the concept gains traction, there is a critical need to fundamentally understand the perspectives of multiple stakeholders on the time burdens of cancer care.

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Given the dramatic growth in the financial burden of cancer care over the past decades, individuals with cancer are increasingly susceptible to developing social needs (e.g., housing instability and food insecurity) and experiencing an adverse impact of these needs on care management and health outcomes.

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Purpose: Over half of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer recurrences occur >5 years from diagnosis, however, little is known about well-being or breast cancer risk perceptions and knowledge in long-term HR+ breast cancer survivors.

Methods: From 1/2021 to 1/2022, we surveyed patients with a history of stage II/III, HR+ breast cancer, ≥5 years from diagnosis, without recurrence about concerns and perceptions related to their diagnosis and recurrence risk, physical and emotional health, knowledge, and risk reduction. Logistic regression identified factors associated with overestimation of 5-10 year distant recurrence risk.

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Cancer and its care create substantial financial, time, and administrative burdens both for patients and their loved ones. While cancer-related financial burdens have been well documented in the past decade, time and administrative burdens of cancer care have received substantially less attention. We define time burdens as the burden patients and caregivers experience due to the time needed to complete cancer-related treatment and tasks that take away from other life responsibilities.

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Health Information Technology (HIT) is increasingly being used to help providers connect patients with community resources to meet health related social needs (e.g., food, housing, transportation).

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Extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate intercellular communication by carrying molecular cargo that facilitate diverse physiological processes. Macrophages, playing central roles in immune responses, release EVs that modulate various cellular functions. Given the distinct roles of M1 and M2 macrophage states, understanding the proteomic profiles of their EVs is important for elucidation of EV-mediated signalling and identifying potential biomarkers for diseases involving macrophage polarisation.

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Article Synopsis
  • * From May 12 to July 13, 2024, 38 states participated in testing, with 11 sites showing high levels of influenza A virus and 24 sites detecting the H5 subtype.
  • * Investigations revealed that many high-level detections corresponded with human influenza activity and identified possible animal sources, providing valuable data for future respiratory illness monitoring.
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Background: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a blood marker used to help diagnose bacterial infections and guide antibiotic treatment. PCT testing was widely used/adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.

Objectives: Primary: to measure the difference in length of early (during first 7 days) antibiotic prescribing between patients with COVID-19 who did/did not have baseline PCT testing during the first wave of the pandemic.

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  • * The REPPORT trial is a multicenter study comparing personalized rehabilitation to surgery for managing this condition, targeting 276 participants across the UK and using random assignment to treatment groups.
  • * The trial will evaluate effectiveness based on participant-reported outcomes over 18 months and gather additional data on health impacts and resource use, with results set to be shared in peer-reviewed publications.
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Cannabis use among individuals with cancer is best understood using survey self-report. As cannabis remains federally illegal, surveys could be subject to nonresponse and measurement issues impacting data quality. We surveyed individuals using medical cannabis for a cancer-related condition in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program (MCP).

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The human silencing hub (HUSH) preserves genome integrity through the epigenetic repression of invasive genetic elements. However, despite our understanding of HUSH as an obligate complex of three subunits, only loss of MPP8 or Periphilin, but not TASOR, triggers interferon signaling following derepression of endogenous retroelements. Here, we resolve this paradox by characterizing a second HUSH complex that shares MPP8 and Periphilin but assembles around TASOR2, an uncharacterized paralog of TASOR.

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Background: Treatment options for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer brain metastases (BCBMs) remain limited. We previously reported central nervous system (CNS) activity for neratinib and neratinib-capecitabine. Preclinical data suggest that neratinib may overcome resistance to ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) when given in combination.

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In breast cancer (BC) pathogenesis models, normal cells acquire somatic mutations and there is a stepwise progression from high-risk lesions and ductal carcinoma in situ to invasive cancer. The precancer biology of mammary tissue warrants better characterization to understand how different BC subtypes emerge. Primary methods for BC prevention or risk reduction include lifestyle changes, surgery, and chemoprevention.

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Article Synopsis
  • Patients with early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) face a high risk of recurrence after treatment, even when receiving pembrolizumab alongside chemotherapy.
  • Sacituzumab govitecan, which combines an antibody-drug conjugate with a topoisomerase I inhibitor, shows significant improvement in progression-free survival and overall survival for pre-treated metastatic TNBC compared to traditional chemotherapy.
  • The international phase III AFT-65/ASCENT-05/OptimICE-RD trial aims to assess the effectiveness and safety of sacituzumab govitecan combined with pembrolizumab versus physician's choice treatment for early-stage TNBC patients who have residual disease post-neoadjuvant therapy, and is currently recruiting participants
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  • A significant portion of adolescents and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)—20%-50%—receive treatment at specialty cancer centers, which have been linked to better survival rates.
  • A study analyzed data from over 11,800 ALL patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2016, finding that 23.6% had to travel more than 1 hour to reach a specialty cancer center.
  • Factors such as being in nonmetropolitan counties, lower educational levels, higher income inequality, limited internet access, physician shortages, and fewer local chemotherapy services increased the likelihood of facing these travel barriers.
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  • - A study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of using procalcitonin (PCT) testing to guide antibiotic decisions for COVID-19 patients in UK hospitals during the pandemic.
  • - Data from 11 NHS hospitals showed those tested with PCT had shorter hospital stays, reduced antibiotic use, and better quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) compared to those who were not tested.
  • - Results suggest that PCT testing is likely to be cost-effective for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, although there is some uncertainty regarding these findings.
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Introduction: Pain and disability after meniscectomy can be a substantial lifelong problem. There are few treatment options, especially for young people. Non-surgical management (rehabilitation) is an option but increasingly surgeons are performing meniscal allograft transplants (MATs) for these individuals.

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Purpose: The antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) sacituzumab govitecan (SG) comprises the topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) inhibitor (TOP1i) SN-38, coupled to a monoclonal antibody targeting trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP-2). Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition may synergize with TOP1i and SG, but previous studies combining systemic PARP and TOP1 inhibitors failed due to dose-limiting myelosuppression. Here, we assess the proof-of-mechanism and clinical feasibility for SG and talazoparib (TZP) employing an innovative sequential dosing schedule.

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Background: The extra benefit of a programme of physiotherapy in addition to advice alone, following first-time traumatic shoulder dislocation, is uncertain. We compared the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a single session of advice with a single session of advice and a programme of physiotherapy.

Objective: The primary objective was to quantify and draw inferences about observed differences in the Oxford Shoulder Instability Score between the trial treatment groups 6 months post randomisation, in adults with a first-time traumatic shoulder dislocation.

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Background: ALL_EARS@UoS is a patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) group for people with lived experience of hearing loss. The purpose of the group is to share experiences of hearing loss and hearing healthcare, inform research and improve services for patients at University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service. A year after inception, we wanted to critically reflect on the value and challenges of the group.

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Analysis of DNA methylation in cell-free DNA reveals clinically relevant biomarkers but requires specialized protocols such as whole-genome bisulfite sequencing. Meanwhile, millions of cell-free DNA samples are being profiled by whole-genome sequencing. Here, we develop FinaleMe, a non-homogeneous Hidden Markov Model, to predict DNA methylation of cell-free DNA and, therefore, tissues-of-origin, directly from plasma whole-genome sequencing.

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Background: Returning home from the hospital for palliative-focused care is a common transition, but the process can be emotionally distressing and logistically challenging for patients and caregivers. While interventions exist to aid in the transition, none have been developed in partnership with patients and caregivers.

Objective: To undergo the initial stages of codesign to create an intervention (Advancing the Care Experience for patients receiving Palliative care as they Transition from hospital to Home [ACEPATH]) to improve the experience of hospital-to-home transitions for adult patients receiving palliative care and their caregiver(s).

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Chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors have a role in the post-neoadjuvant setting in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the effects of nivolumab, a checkpoint inhibitor, capecitabine, or the combination in changing peripheral immunoscore (PIS) remains unclear. This open-label randomized phase II OXEL study (NCT03487666) aimed to assess the immunologic effects of nivolumab, capecitabine, or the combination in terms of the change in PIS (primary endpoint).

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