Enrollment Success, Factors, and Prediction Models in Cancer Trials (2008-2019).

Purpose: To investigate the enrollment success rate of cancer clinical trials conducted in 2008-2019 and various factors lowering the enrollment success rate.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with clinical trial information from the largest registration database ClinicalTrials.gov.

Parenteral nutrition after cytoreductive surgery for peritoneal malignancy: Should it be administered routinely?

Purpose/background: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) is complex abdominal surgery that is used to treat peritoneal malignancy. CRS is associated with major morbidity and efforts to address this include optimisation of perioperative care. There is variation in international protocols on the nutritional management after CRS, in particular whether parenteral nutrition (PN) should be routinely or selectively administered.

Calibrating variant curation by clinical context based on factors that influence patients' tolerance of uncertainty.

Purpose: Shared decision making manages genomic uncertainty by integrating molecular and clinical uncertainties with patient values to craft a person-centered management plan. Laboratories seek genomic report consistency, agnostic to clinical context. Molecular reports often mask laboratory-managed uncertainties from clinical decision making.

An Investigation of Barriers and Enablers for Genetics in Speech-Language Pathology Explored Through a Case Study of Childhood Apraxia of Speech.

Purpose: Advancements in genetic testing and analysis have allowed improved identification of the genetic basis of childhood apraxia of speech, a rare speech presentation. This study aimed to understand speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') consideration of incorporation of genetics in clinical practice using a theory-informed qualitative approach.

Method: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 pediatric SLPs using a behavior change theory (Theoretical Domains Framework [TDF]) within a case study describing a child with complex co-occurring features, including childhood apraxia of speech.

A systematic review of smartphone applications for cancer survivors.

Purpose: Mobile phone applications are positioned to support, educate, and empower cancer survivors during post-treatment care. We undertook a review to assess the utility of such smartphone applications; determine whether their use correlates with improved quality of life and other self-reported outcomes; and understand the feasibility of integrating mobile apps into routine follow-up care.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Emcare, and PsycINFO databases were searched for studies evaluating apps that addressed at least one of the five Cancer Survivorship Care Quality Framework (CSCQF) domains published up until December 2021.

Availability and accessibility of services to address financial toxicity described by Australian lung cancer patients and healthcare professionals.

Purpose: Although the financial burden and impact of a cancer diagnosis has been widely described in international literature, less understood is the availability and accessibility of services to ameliorate this need. This study reports the experiences of Australian lung cancer patients and health professionals delivering care, regarding factors that exacerbate and mitigate financial stress, and availability and accessibility of services to support people following a cancer diagnosis.

Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews with twenty-three lung cancer patients attending two metropolitan tertiary health services and eleven health professionals delivering care were undertaken during July-August 2021.

SDBA: Score Domain-Based Attention for DNA N4-Methylcytosine Site Prediction from Multiperspectives.

In tasks related to DNA sequence classification, choosing the appropriate encoding methods is challenging. Some of the methods encode sequences based on prior knowledge that limits the ability of the model to obtain multiperspective information from the sequences. We introduced a new trainable ensemble method based on the attention mechanism SDBA, which stands for core omain-ased ttention.

Novel insights into genetic susceptibility for colorectal cancer from transcriptome-wide association and functional investigation.

Background: Transcriptome-wide association studies have been successful in identifying candidate susceptibility genes for colorectal cancer (CRC). To strengthen susceptibility gene discovery, we conducted a large transcriptome-wide association study and an alternative splicing transcriptome-wide association study in CRC using improved genetic prediction models and performed in-depth functional investigations.

Methods: We analyzed RNA-sequencing data from normal colon tissues and genotype data from 423 European descendants to build genetic prediction models of gene expression and alternative splicing and evaluated model performance using independent RNA-sequencing data from normal colon tissues of the Genotype-Tissue Expression Project.

Determining the utility of diagnostic genomics: a conceptual framework.

Background: Diagnostic efficacy is now well established for diagnostic genomic testing in rare disease. Assessment of overall utility is emerging as a key next step, however ambiguity in the conceptualisation and measurement of utility has impeded its assessment in a comprehensive manner. We propose a conceptual framework to approach determining the broader utility of diagnostic genomics encompassing patients, families, clinicians, health services and health systems to assist future evidence generation and funding decisions.

RPN (Radius, Position of tumour, iNvasion of renal sinus) Classification and Nephrometry Scoring System: An Internationally Developed Clinical Classification To Describe the Surgical Difficulty for Renal Masses for Which Robotic Partial Nephrectomy Is Planned.

Background: The surgical difficulty of partial nephrectomy (PN) varies depending on the operative approach. Existing nephrometry classifications for assessment of surgical difficulty are not specific to the robotic approach.

Objective: To develop an international robotic-specific classification of renal masses for preoperative assessment of surgical difficulty of robotic PN.

A Highly Sensitive Pan-Cancer Test for Microsatellite Instability.

Microsatellite instability (MSI) is an evolving biomarker for cancer detection and treatment. MSI was first used to identify patients with Lynch syndrome, a hereditary form of colorectal cancer (CRC), but has recently become indispensable in predicting patient response to immunotherapy. To address the need for pan-cancer MSI detection, a new multiplex assay was developed that uses novel long mononucleotide repeat (LMR) markers to improve sensitivity.

Designing a wholly online, multidisciplinary Master of Cancer Sciences degree.

Background: Improving oncology-specific knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals is critical for improving the outcomes of people with cancer. Many current postgraduate education offerings may be inaccessible to busy professionals, contain minimal consumer input or do not focus on the multidisciplinary nature of cancer care. In response to these needs, a Master of Cancer Sciences degree was developed.

Establishment of the first Australian public and health-professional palliative care advice service: exploring caller needs and gaps in care.

This study explores and describes the state-wide needs of the first 1000 calls to the newly established Victorian Palliative Care Advice Service (PCAS). A retrospective analysis investigated calls from the Victorian general public (n  = 618 calls) and healthcare professionals (n  = 382 calls) to PCAS between 26 May 2020 and 24 October 2022. Caller demographics, disease type, reason for call, and perceived utility of service were described.

Perspectives in preparedness of family caregivers of patients with cancer providing end-of-life care in the home: A narrative review of qualitative studies.

Background: Many patients with advanced cancer identify home as being their preferred place of death. A critical component in achieving a home death is the support of family members, who often take on responsibilities for which they feel insufficiently prepared with subsequent impacts upon their health and well-being.

Objectives: This study sought to review existing qualitative literature on family carers' experiences in providing end-of-life care at home for patients with advanced cancer, with an emphasis on exploring factors that influence how prepared they feel for their role.

Aligning intuition and theory: a novel approach to identifying the determinants of behaviours necessary to support implementation of evidence into practice.

Background: Disentangling the interplay between experience-based intuition and theory-informed implementation is crucial for identifying the direct contribution theory can make for generating behaviour changes needed for successful evidence translation. In the context of 'clinicogenomics', a complex and rapidly evolving field demanding swift practice change, we aimed to (a) describe a combined clinician intuition- and theory-driven method for identifying determinants of and strategies for implementing clinicogenomics, and (b) articulate a structured approach to standardise hypothesised behavioural pathways and make potential underlying theory explicit.

Methods: Interview data from 16 non-genetic medical specialists using genomics in practice identified three target behaviour areas across the testing process: (1) identifying patients, (2) test ordering and reporting, (3) communicating results.

Acquisition and annotation in high resolution digital biopsy by confocal microscopy for diagnosis in oral precancer and cancer.

Introduction: Scanned fibre endomicroscopes are full point-scanning confocal microscopes with submicron lateral resolution with an optical slice thickness thin enough to isolate individual cell layers, allow active positioning of the optical slice in the z-axis and collection of megapixel images. Here we present descriptive findings and a brief atlas of an acquisition and annotation protocol high resolution capture of oral mucosal pathology including oral squamous cell carcinoma and dysplasia using a fluorescence scanned fibre endomicroscope with 3 topical fluorescent imaging agents: fluorescein, acriflavine and PARPi-FL.

Methods: Digital biopsy was successfully performed an acquisition protocol in seventy-one patients presenting for investigation of oral mucosal abnormalities using a miniaturized, handheld scanned fibre endoscope.

"It's fundamental to the work that we do": Genetic counselors' perceptions of their role in clients' mental well-being.

The role of a genetic counselor is to assist individuals and their families to comprehend and adapt to genetic information. However, a genetic counselor's role in clients' mental well-being is unclear. Mental well-being is an important component of overall health and it can be affected during the adaptation to genetic information.

Quality of life in caregivers of a child with a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy.

Aim: To explore the relationship between social care-related quality of life (SCrQoL) for caregivers of a child with a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE; such as SCN2A and Dravet syndrome) and health literacy, illness perceptions, and caregiver activation.

Method: As part of a larger pre-post pilot study of an information linker service, caregivers completed a baseline questionnaire which included demographics and measures to assess SCrQoL, health literacy, illness perceptions, and caregiver activation. We used Spearman's Rho to determine relationships between variables.

Complete mesocolic excision versus standard resection for colon cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of perioperative safety and an evaluation of the use of a robotic approach.

Purpose: Complete mesocolic excision (CME) has been associated with improved oncological outcomes in treatment of colon cancer. However, widespread adoption is limited partly because of the technical complexity and perceived risks of the approach. The aim of out study was to evaluate the safety of CME compared to standard resection and to compare robotic versus laparoscopic approaches.