MEASURING KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE IN METASTATIC BREAST CANCER NURSING: THE CANCER NURSE SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR METASTATIC BREAST CANCER (CAN-SAT-MBC)

PURPOSE: Hope is a modifiable entity that can be augmented. We evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a short intervention to increase hopefulness in patients with advanced breast cancer and oncologists. METHODS: We enrolled eligible participants to two cohorts: one for patients with metastatic breast cancer and one for medical, radiation, or surgical oncologists. The intervention, a half-day hope enhancement workshop, included groups of 10-15 participants within each cohort. Participants in both cohorts completed preworkshop, postworkshop, and 3-month evaluations, which included the Adult Hope Scale (AHS), Herth Hope Index (HHI), and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Global Health (PROMIS-GH) measures in patients, and the AHS, HHI, and a burnout self-assessment tool in physicians. RESULTS: We consented 13 patients and 26 oncologists for participation in the workshop and 76.9% (n = 10) of consented patients and 100% (n = 26) of consented physicians participated. Postworkshop, all participants planned to incorporate what they learned into their daily lives. In patients, AHS scores increased from preworkshop to postworkshop, and the mean change of 5.90 was significant (range 0-15, SD: 4.7, t = 3.99, P = .0032). HHI scores also increased, although the mean change was not significant. AHS and HHI scores did not significantly change in oncologists from preworkshop to postworkshop. At 3 months, less than half of the participants responded to the evaluation. CONCLUSION: We found that conducting a hope-enhancement workshop for patients with metastatic breast cancer and oncologists was feasible, generally acceptable to both populations, and associated with increased hopefulness in patients. Next steps should focus on confirming this effect in a randomized study and maintaining this effect in the postworkshop interval.

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Vitamin D insufficiency and risk of paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2019.37.15_suppl.e12027 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e12027-e12027

Author(s):

Theodore Salvatore Jennaro ◽

Ellen M. Lavoie Smith ◽

Kiran Vangipuram ◽

Kelley M. Kidwell ◽

Monika Leigh Burness ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Vitamin D ◽

Metastatic Breast Cancer ◽

Peripheral Neuropathy ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Metastatic Breast ◽

Vitamin D Insufficiency ◽

Primary Analysis ◽

Patient Reported

e12027 Background: Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a severe, dose-limiting toxicity of paclitaxel that occurs in up to 25% of patients and can lead to permanent loss of balance and manual dexterity. Due to the lack of effective strategies for PN prevention or treatment, there is a critical need to identify predictive risk factors for paclitaxel-induced PN. Vitamin insufficiencies are known risk factors for PN in other disease states. However, the effect of vitamin insufficiency on paclitaxel-induced PN has not been adequately investigated. Methods: Baseline levels of vitamin D and other nutrients (vitamin B, homocysteine, folate) were measured, and PN was assessed weekly in an observational trial of patients receiving paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 for 12 weeks for non-metastatic breast cancer (NCT0233811). Nutrient levels were measured by Michigan Medicine and insufficiency defined by institutional standards (vitamin D insufficiency < 20 ng/mL). In the primary analysis, the maximum increase from baseline in the 8-item sensory subscale (ΔCIPN8) of the EORTC CIPN20, a validated patient-reported PN assessment tool, was compared in nutrient insufficient and sufficient patients. The effect of vitamin insufficiencies on PN-induced treatment disruptions (dose decrease, delay, or discontinuation) was conducted as a secondary analysis. Results: Only vitamin D insufficiency was identified in enough patients for analysis (15/37 = 41%). Vitamin D insufficient patients reported a greater mean (+/- SD) ΔCIPN8 (36.39 ±22.8) than vitamin D sufficient patients (16.29 ±16.3) (p = 0.003). However, the increase in treatment disruption for vitamin D insufficient patients was not significant (OR = 2.98, 95% CI [0.72, 12.34], p = 0.16). Conclusions: Paclitaxel-treated patients who were vitamin D insufficient at baseline had greater increases in patient-reported PN. If validated in larger studies, vitamin D insufficiency may be a clinically translatable, modifiable risk factor that can be used to prevent paclitaxel-induced PN in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer.

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Improving Metastatic Breast Cancer Care in Kenya Using Information Technology

Journal of Global Oncology ◽

10.1200/jgo.18.38400 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽

pp. 158s-158s

Author(s):

A. Shaikh ◽

S. Sayed ◽

C. Cathomi ◽

F. Chite

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Metastatic Breast Cancer ◽

Web Site ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Metastatic Breast ◽

Local Context ◽

Patient Needs ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Care Needs ◽

The Impact

Background and context: In Africa, up to two thirds of breast cancer patients have been reported to present with an advanced stage of III or IV at diagnosis leading to a disproportionately higher mortality. In Kenya, breast cancer is the most common cancer in females in terms of diagnosis and mortality. Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients are an ignored part of the breast cancer community as they are marginalized in many of the breast cancer related initiatives. MBC suffer from clinical depression, anxiety and four out of five of these women do not receive any services, referral or guidance to help them with their emotional distress. Preferred evidence based methods of support desired by women with MBC, include online support. International resources are not always applicable to the local context thus making them unattractive for people from diverse cultures and background, such as those from Africa. Kenya has a high percentage of literate females and highest Internet usage in the area. This provides a unique opportunity in an otherwise limited resource country to reach out to a significant population of MBC patients. The patients voices are a valuable and trustworthy assessment of their actual needs. They have been used frequently in the area of cancer as a first step in designing needs-tailored interventions. We propose to develop a virtual online forum with the aim of providing patients with MBC, and their caregivers an interactive forum for psycho social support, addressing stigmas, seek relevant clinical advice, find links to the nearest healthcare facilities, download helpful information, participate in support group activities and receive links to other important helpful sites that are locally relevant. We also propose that such forum should also reflect the needs of our patients as described by themselves. Aim: Primary aim of this project is developing a virtual online interactive support forum where MBC patients and their caregivers can access information on social, psychological, spiritual, religious and clinical needs. The purpose is to be partly achieved by assessing the patient needs by needs assessment survey and to evaluate the impact of such intervention on patient knowledge and satisfaction with care. Strategy/Tactics: Web site development is the key component of the project. Patients would be asked to fill out the Supportive Care Needs Survey/The Knowledge Assessment Tool. The surveys will take place at four major cancer treatment hospitals in Kenya. Postlaunch promotion and awareness about Web site will be made and, usage data and knowledge tool to be used to assess the impact and acceptability. Web site updated regularly to address issues identified. Program/Policy process: Information gathered would be made part of policy on national cancer strategy, recommendations to factor in identified patient needs in policy. What was learned: Ongoing process.

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