A Randomized Clinical Trial of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program Among Breast Cancer Survivors Post-Treatment: Evaluating Mediators of Cognitive Improvement.

Unlabelled: The Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program for breast cancer survivors (MBSR [BCs]) is a stress-reducing program designed to increase cognitive functioning through four meditational practices. This randomized clinical trial aimed to determine if improvements in cognitive functioning and perceived cognitive abilities achieved from the MBSR(BC) were mediated through increased mindfulness, decreased rumination, and decreased perceived stress. Breast cancer survivors (BCSs) who met inclusion criteria of stage I, II, or III BC and received either chemotherapy (CT) or both CT and radiation were randomized to either the 6-week MBSR(BC), or Breast Cancer Education Support (BCES) program, or to a usual care (UC) regimen.

Defining and Addressing Research Priorities in Cancer Cachexia through Transdisciplinary Collaboration.

For many patients, the cancer continuum includes a syndrome known as cancer-associated cachexia (CAC), which encompasses the unintended loss of body weight and muscle mass, and is often associated with fat loss, decreased appetite, lower tolerance and poorer response to treatment, poor quality of life, and reduced survival. Unfortunately, there are no effective therapeutic interventions to completely reverse cancer cachexia and no FDA-approved pharmacologic agents; hence, new approaches are urgently needed. In May of 2022, researchers and clinicians from Moffitt Cancer Center held an inaugural retreat on CAC that aimed to review the state of the science, identify knowledge gaps and research priorities, and foster transdisciplinary collaborative research projects.

Translational Genomic Research: The Association between Genetic Profiles and Cognitive Functioning or Cardiac Function Among Breast Cancer Survivors Completing Chemotherapy.

Emerging evidence suggests that Chemotherapy (CT) treated breast cancer survivors (BCS) who have "risk variants" in genes may be more susceptible to cognitive impairment (CI) and/or poor cardiac phenotypes. The objective of this preliminary study was to examine whether there is a relationship between genetic variants and objective/subjective cognitive or cardiac phenotypes. BCS were recruited from Moffitt Cancer Center, Morsani College of Medicine, AdventHealth Tampa and Sarasota Memorial Hospital.

Cardiovascular Adverse Events and Mitigation Strategies for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Patients Receiving Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy.

Cardiovascular (CV) risk mitigation is an important consideration in the management of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. Although BCR-ABL1 inhibition by tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) has led to a significant improvement in prognosis, the majority of CML patients will require indefinite TKI therapy. Given the success of therapy, there has been a shift in focus to include CV care as part of routine patient management.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction for breast cancer survivors (MBSR(BC)): evaluating mediators of psychological and physical outcomes in a large randomized controlled trial.

MBSR(BC) is known to have a positive impact on psychological and physical symptoms among breast cancer survivors (BCS). The cognitive mechanisms of "how" MBSR(BC) works was addressed in a recent study that found that there was strong consistent evidence that reduced emotional reactivity is a mediator and moderate consistent evidence that mindfulness, rumination, and worry were mediators. The purpose of this study, as part of a larger R01 trial, was to test whether positive effects achieved from the MBSR(BC) program were mediated through changes in increased mindfulness, decreased fear of breast cancer recurrence, and perceived stress.

Growth and Change in the : A Content Analysis 1985-2018.

Background: A professional association journal should reflect the needs of its organization, its readers, and the field it represents. Evaluating the needs that the has met, and those it has not, is essential if it is to remain relevant to its readers.

Aims: (1) Describe the characteristics of articles published from 1985 through 2018.

Potential of Biosimilars to Increase Access to Biologics: Considerations for Advanced Practice Providers in Oncology.

Biosimilars are biologic products that are highly similar, but not identical, to a licensed reference (or "originator") biologic product. These agents have the potential to provide efficiencies and improve access to treatment for patients. Biosimilars are currently available for use in clinical practice, including oncology indications, and several more are in clinical development.

Lenalidomide and Prednisone in Low and Intermediate-1 IPSS Risk, Non-Del(5q) Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes: Phase 2 Clinical Trial.

Purpose: To test the hypothesis that combination treatment with lenalidomide and prednisone will yield a higher erythroid response rate in patients with non-del(5q) lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes compared to the historical clinical trial data with lenalidomide monotherapy, which reported a 26% transfusion independence rate.

Patients And Methods: The study enrolled 25 patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes by the International Prognostic Scoring System who were transfusion dependent or who had symptomatic anemia and prior erythroid stimulating agent failure or low chance of response. The planned dose of lenalidomide was 10 mg per day.

A Phase II Study to Determine the Safety and Efficacy of the Oral Inhibitor of Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase (IDO) Enzyme INCB024360 in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes.

Background: INCB024360 is an oral inhibitor of the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), which catalyzes the degradation of tryptophan to kynurenine. Preclinical data suggest that IDO1 inhibition by INCB024360 will increase T cell proliferation, and decrease T regulatory cells and myeloid derived suppressor cells suppressive activity. We conducted a phase II study to explore activity and pharmacodynamics of INCB024360 in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Practical Strategies for Management of Lenalidomide-Associated Cytopenias in Myelodysplastic Syndromes With del(5q).

A male patient aged 67 years with a 2-year history of refractory anemia and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with del(5q) started lenalidomide (Revlimid) treatment as a participant in the MDS-001 trial (List et al., 2005). At the time of the study, this patient had been transfusion-dependent since 2001, and at study entry he had received a total of 12 units of red blood cells (RBCs).

Transitioning Patients With Iron Overload From Exjade to Jadenu.

Iron overload is a concern for patients who require chronic transfusions as a result of inherited or acquired anemias, including sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and myelodysplastic syndromes. Iron chelation therapy (ICT) is the primary treatment for iron overload in these patients. The ICT deferasirox, which has been available as an oral dispersible tablet for liquid suspension, is now also available as a once-daily, film-coated tablet (FCT).

Treatment Choices: A Quality of Life Comparison in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and High-risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

Background: In the present exploratory, observational study, we compared the effect of intensive versus nonintensive treatment on quality of life for patients aged ≥ 60 years diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome at 1 month after treatment.

Patients And Methods: A total of 73 patients with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome who had been treated at the inpatient and outpatient malignant hematology at Moffitt Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, were included. Two paired measurements of self-reported quality of life were used, 1 before treatment and 1 at 1 month after treatment to compare intensive versus nonintensive treatment.

Practical Guide to Bone Marrow Sampling for Suspected Myelodysplastic Syndromes.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) comprise a group of diverse clonal hematopoietic stem cell malignancies that are characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis and progressive bone marrow failure. Clinical symptoms are generally nonspecific. The diagnosis, classification, and risk stratification of MDS rely on the evaluation of peripheral blood and bone marrow sampling using the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System tool.

Prospective international validation of the Quality of Life in Myelodysplasia Scale (QUALMS).

Disease-specific measures of quality of life can improve assessment of disease-related symptoms and psychosocial sequelae. We report on the development and validation of the Quality of Life in Myelodysplasia Scale (QUALMS), a 38-item assessment tool for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). In 2014-2015, a multi-center cohort of patients with myelodysplasia completed the QUALMS, as well as the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Anemia Scale (FACT-An); a second administration was undertaken three to six months later.

A Multi-Institution Phase I Trial of Ruxolitinib in Patients with Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML).

Purpose: To conduct a phase I clinical trial exploring the safety and efficacy of ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor, for chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML).

Experimental Design: Patients with CMML-1 were included without regard to previous therapy. Key exclusion criteria included an absolute neutrophil count (ANC) <0.

Practical Management of Lenalidomide-Related Rash.

Lenalidomide (LEN) is an immunomodulatory drug with US Food and Drug Administration approval for use in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), multiple myeloma (MM), and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). The toxicity profile for LEN is similar across indications, with the most common adverse events reported in registration trials being hematologic in nature, and Grade ≥ 3 hematologic toxicities the most common reasons for treatment interruption or permanent LEN discontinuation. However, an analysis of the Celgene Global Drug Safety database showed that nonserious rash was the leading cause of permanent early discontinuation of LEN in patients with MDS treated in the postmarketing setting (similar data not available for patients with MM or MCL).

Increased genomic instability may contribute to the development of kinase domain mutations in chronic myeloid leukemia.

Imatinib resistance in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is commonly due to BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations (KDMs). In this single-institution retrospective analysis, patients with KDMs were identified from a cohort of patients treated for CML at our institution. Clinical outcomes were assessed based on the characteristics of the KDMs and results of cytogenetic analysis.

Phase II clinical study of erlotinib for treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes.

Outcome in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) after azanucleoside failure is poor with unmet need for active novel agents. Preclinical data have suggested that erlotinib has in vivo and in vitro off epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-target activity in MDS. We conducted a phase II study with single-agent erlotinib 150 mg/day orally in MDS patients following azanucleoside failure.

Quality of life outcomes in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors: a controlled comparison.

Purpose: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are now standard treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). While TKIs have less toxicity than previous treatments, they have side effects that can impact quality of life (QOL).

Methods: This study compared CML patients taking a TKI for an average of 4.

Management of transfusion-related iron overload in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Anemia is a common symptom for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a spectrum of hematopoietic malignancies characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis; 90% of these patients will become transfusion dependent (TD). Because of the closed nature of iron metabolism, the repeated input of packed red blood cells during transfusions inevitably leads to iron overload. Iron overload can cause iron-related toxicity as well as end-organ damage from iron deposition in tissues.

Safety profiles of second-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia.

Aims And Objectives: To review the use of second-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and provide recommendations for managing adverse events (AEs) to maximise patient benefit.

Background: Treatment of CML has been revolutionised with the advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that target the breakpoint cluster region-Abelson (BCR-ABL) kinase. Imatinib is the only first-line TKI currently available for the treatment of CML; however, intolerance and resistance remain significant clinical challenges.