Metastatic Breast Cancer: Prolonging Life in Routine Oncology Care.

Overall survival (OS) of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) has improved within controlled clinical trials. Whether these advances translate into improved OS in routine care is controversial. We therefore analyzed retrospectively unselected female patients from five oncology group practices and one university outpatient clinic, whose initial diagnosis of MBC was between 1995 and 2022.

Patients with indolent lymphomas are at high risk of infections: experience from a German outpatient clinic.

Background: Patients with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (B-NHLs) have an increased risk of infections which is caused by pathomechanisms of the diseases itself but also as a result of anti-tumor therapy. Especially the effects of anti-CD20 antibodies are well understood as these lead to decreased antibody production. Most studies regarding immunodeficiency in B-NHLs were conducted with multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients.

Curricular course for medical students at a hematology and oncology specialty practice, 2010-2022.

For several years now, medical students have also been taught general practice at academic medical teaching practices. Specialty practices have not yet been included in the curricular education. Since 1998, we have conducted a block seminar in hematology twice per semester for eighth-semester medical students.

Shared decision-making in routine breast cancer care in Germany-A cross-sectional study.

Objective: Many preference-sensitive decisions have to be made in breast cancer care and little is known about the decision-making processes between breast cancer patients and the different health care professionals engaged in their treatment.

Methods: All female breast cancer patients who underwent surgery in four German breast centers between 07/2016 and 12/2018 were invited to fill in a survey. The decision-making process was evaluated using the 9-item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9) and a German measure to assess satisfaction with care (ZAPA).

[DNVF Memorandum Health Services Research in Oncology].

Health services research in oncology deals with all situations which cancer patients face. It looks at the different phases of care, i. e.

Health status and infections in patients with symptomatic primary and secondary immunoglobulin G (IgG) deficiencies receiving intravenous IgG replacement.

Background: The effects of intravenous immunoglobulin G replacement on perceived health and infection susceptibility of patients suffering from immunoglobulin G (IgG) deficiencies should be evaluated in a prospective analysis.

Methods: Patients with symptomatic primary or secondary IgG deficiencies were interviewed prior to the first IgG infusion (t) and over the course of their treatment (t - t). The respondents rated their current health using a 100 point scale (EQ-5D-5L), ranging from 0 ('worst imaginable health') to 100 ('best imaginable health').

Survival improvement of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in routine care 1995-2017.

Seven hundred and twenty-four CLL-outpatients with a median age of 67 (35-92) were analyzed. Four hundred and twenty-seven (59%) were male, 297 (41%) female. At diagnosis 556 (77%) were in Binet stage A, 91 (13%) stage B and 36 (5%) stage C.

High adherence of patients with multiple myeloma who receive treatment with immunomodulatory drugs (IMIDS) in hematology/oncology group practices in Germany.

Purpose: Immunomodulatory drugs (IMIDS) have changed the treatment and outcome of patients suffering from multiple myeloma. However, with the oral administration adherence becomes an issue. Since there is no "gold standard" in measuring adherence, we assessed the adherence of myeloma patients with the help of different data sources.

Successful Evidence-Based Treatment of Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer in Community-Based Oncology Group Practices.

Background: Randomized clinical trials do not reflect the day-to-day reality of patient care; hence, the treatment of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer in oncology group practices was evaluated.

Patients And Methods: All consecutive patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who were treated between 01/2012 and 12/2015 in 4 oncology group practices were analyzed retrospectively using SPSS software.

Results: 324 patients with a median age of 70 years (range 32-94 years) were analyzed.

Adherence assessment of patients with metastatic solid tumors who are treated in an oncology group practice.

Due to the increase of oral agents nonadherence is an emerging challenge in cancer care. We evaluated how well different assessments match and how adherence could be measured in routine care. For this purpose patients suffering from metastatic solid tumors who were treated with oral anticancer drugs in an oncology group practice were surveyed.

Outpatient Management of Patients with Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) by Hematologists 1995-2014.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment reality for outpatients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) managed by hematologists in routine care.

Patients And Methods: All patients with ITP diagnosed between 06/1995 and 12/2014 in a community-based oncology group practice in Germany were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: 422 patients with a median age of 55 years (range 7-91 years) were evaluated.

Metastatic breast cancer: prolongation of survival in routine care is restricted to hormone-receptor- and Her2-positive tumors.

18,000 women die due to metastatic breast cancer in Germany per year. Median survival is 20-28 months after diagnosis. The question we wanted to answer was whether survival has improved in routine care? For this purpose we conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients with metastatic breast cancer who were treated between 06/1995-06/2013 in a community-based oncology group practice in Germany.

Breast cancer morbidity: questionnaire survey of patients on the long term effects of disease and adjuvant therapy.

Background: Many women have symptoms of various kinds after being treated for breast cancer. It is unclear how frequently these different side effects of treatment arise.

Method: All women who underwent surgery for breast cancer and subsequently received adjuvant systemic treatment in a single certified breast-cancer center from 2006 to 2010 were asked to fill out a standardized questionnaire.

Retreatment with bendamustine-containing regimens in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia and indolent B-cell lymphomas achieves high response rates and some long lasting remissions.

Bendamustine and bendamustine/rituximab combinations have shown high efficacy in relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and indolent B-cell malignancies (non-Hodgkin lymphoma, NHL). No data exist about bendamustine retreatment after relapse, concerning efficacy and toxicity in this patient population. Eighty-eight outpatients (57 patients with CLL, 31 patients with NHL) who had previously been treated with bendamustine were retreated with a bendamustine regimen.