Publications by authors named "Rebecca Meador"
Purpose: The present study aimed to evaluate the associations between the gut microbiome and psychoneurological symptoms (PNS) cluster in women with gynecologic cancers over time.
Methods: In this secondary data analysis, 19 women with cervical and endometrial cancers treated with radiotherapy were followed at pre-treatment, 6-8 weeks, and 6 months post-treatment. To measure symptoms, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used.
Objectives: To evaluate the associations between social determinants of health (SDOH) and psychoneurologic symptom (PNS) clusters in women with gynecologic cancers during cancer treatment.
Sample & Setting: 67 women with gynecologic cancers who received radiation therapy were assessed at baseline, six to eight weeks after treatment, and six months after treatment at oncology clinics in Georgia.
Methods & Variables: Fatigue, pain, sleep disturbances, cognitive impairment, and depressive symptoms were measured to determine a PNS cluster score.
Introduction: Emerging evidence highlights the roles the gut microbiome and the immune system, integral parts of the gut-brain axis, play in developing various symptoms in cancer patients. The purpose of this systematic review was to describe the roles of inflammatory markers and the gut microbiome, as well as to describe their associations with psychoneurological symptoms and gastrointestinal toxicities in women with gynecologic cancers.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from January 2000 to February 2021.
Aim: Pelvic radiation therapy (RT) can impact the gut microbiome in patients with cancer and result in gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities. The purpose of this systematic review was to describe the effects of RT on the gut microbiome and the associations between the gut microbiome and GI toxicities in patients treated with pelvic RT.
Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched from their earliest records to August 2020.
Changes in the Vaginal Microbiome and Associated Toxicities Following Radiation Therapy for Gynecologic Cancers.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol
November 2021
Article Synopsis
- Postmenopausal women and gynecologic cancer survivors frequently face vaginal issues, like pain and dysfunction, which can be aggravated by cancer treatments and lead to long-term problems.
- The study revealed that gynecologic cancer patients have distinct vaginal microbiome (VM) profiles, characterized by lower lactobacilli levels and more pathological bacteria, and these differences become more pronounced over time post-treatment.
- Symptoms such as vaginal pain and inflammation were common among cancer patients, with 24% experiencing persistent symptoms, compared to 12% of healthy women, highlighting the need for understanding the impact of the vaginal microbiome on these issues.
Background: Although higher incidence and mortality of gynecological cancer (GynCa) are documented in black compared with white women, few studies have documented quality of life (QOL) or healthy control comparisons.
Objective: This study compared depression, sexual function, and QOL between patients with GynCa and race-matched healthy controls.
Methods: Patients with GynCa and healthy controls completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Female Sexual Function Index, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General measures at baseline; GynCa patients were assessed again at 6 months post-radiation therapy (RT).