scholarly journals The Suspected CANcer (SCAN) pathway: protocol for evaluating a new standard of care for patients with non-specific symptoms of cancer

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e018168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian D Nicholson ◽  
Jason Oke ◽  
Claire Friedemann Smith ◽  
Julie-Ann Phillips ◽  
Jennifer Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Care ◽  
Cancer Survival ◽  
Diagnostic Yield ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Ct Scanning ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Joint Research ◽  
Cancer Symptoms ◽  
Specific Symptoms

IntroductionCancer survival in England lags behind most European countries, due partly to lower rates of early stage diagnosis. We report the protocol for the evaluation of a multidisciplinary diagnostic centre-based pathway for the investigation of ‘low-risk but not no-risk’ cancer symptoms called the Suspected CANcer (SCAN) pathway. SCAN is a new standard of care being implemented in Oxfordshire; one of a number of pathways implemented during the second wave of the Accelerate, Coordinate, Evaluate (ACE) programme, an initiative which aims to improve England’s cancer survival rates through establishing effective routes to early diagnosis.Methods and analysisTo evaluate SCAN, we are collating a prospective database of patients referred onto the pathway by their general practitioner (GP). Patients aged over 40 years, with non-specific symptoms such as weight loss or fatigue, who do not meet urgent cancer referral criteria or for whom symptom causation remains unclear after investigation via other existing pathways, can be referred to SCAN. SCAN provides rapid CT scanning, laboratory testing and clinic review within 2 weeks. We will follow all patients in the primary and secondary care record for at least 2 years. The data will be used to understand the diagnostic yield of the SCAN pathway in the short term (28 days) and the long term (2 years). Routinely collected primary and secondary care data from patients not referred to SCAN but with similar symptoms will also be used to evaluate SCAN. We will map the routes to diagnosis for patients referred to SCAN to assess cost-effectiveness. Acceptability will be evaluated using patient and GP surveys.Ethics and disseminationThe Oxford Joint Research Office Study Classification Group has judged this to be a service evaluation and so outside of research governance. The results of this project will be disseminated by peer-reviewed publication and presentation at conferences.

scholarly journals Practicability and Diagnostic Yield of One-Stop Stroke CT with Delayed-Phase Cardiac CT in Detecting Major Cardioembolic Sources of Acute Ischemic Stroke

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friederike Austein ◽  
Matthias Eden ◽  
Jakob Engel ◽  
Annett Lebenatus ◽  
Naomi Larsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Yield ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Recurrent Stroke ◽  
Cardiac Computed Tomography ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Routine Work ◽  
One Stop ◽  
Work Up ◽  
Delayed Phase ◽  
Multimodal Ct

Abstract Purpose Recurrent stroke is considered to increase the incidence of severe disability and death. For correct risk assessment and patient management it is essential to identify the origin of stroke at an early stage. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is the initial standard of care for evaluating patients in whom a cardioembolic source of stroke (CES) is suspected but its diagnostic capability is limited. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is considered as gold standard; however, this approach is time consuming, semi-invasive and not always feasible. We hypothesized that adding a delayed-phase cardiac computed tomography (cCT) to initial multimodal CT might represent a valid alternative to routine clinical echocardiographic work-up. Material and Methods Patients with suspected acute cardioembolic stroke verified by initial multimodal CT and subsequently examined with cCT were included. The cCT was evaluated for presence of major CES and compared to routine clinical echocardiographic work-up. Results In all, 102 patients with suspected acute CES underwent cCT. Among them 60 patients underwent routine work-up with echocardiography (50 TTE and only 10 TEE). By cCT 10/60 (16.7%) major CES were detected but only 4 (6.7%) were identified by echocardiography. All CES observed by echocardiography were also detected by cCT. In 8 of 36 patients in whom echocardiography was not performed cCT also revealed a major CES. Conclusion These preliminary results show the potential diagnostic yield of delayed-phase cCT to detect major CES and therefore could accelerate decision-making to prevent recurrence stroke. To confirm these results larger studies with TEE as the reference standard and also compared to TTE would be necessary.

scholarly journals Feasibility and acceptability of a community pharmacy referral service for suspected lung cancer symptoms

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e000772
Author(s):  
Daniella Holland-Hart ◽  
Grace M McCutchan ◽  
Harriet Dorothy Quinn-Scoggins ◽  
Kate Brain ◽  
Lucy Hill ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Cancer Survival ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Alternative Pathway ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Cancer Symptoms ◽  
Referral Service ◽  
Diagnosis Of Lung Cancer

BackgroundLung cancer survival rates in the UK are among the lowest in Europe, principally due to late-stage diagnosis. Alternative routes to earlier diagnosis of lung cancer are needed in socioeconomically deprived communities that are disproportionately affected by poor lung cancer outcomes. We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a community-based pharmacy referral service to encourage earlier symptomatic referral for chest X-rays.MethodsSeventeen community pharmacies located in a deprived area of Wales participated between March 2019 and March 2020. Stakeholder interviews were conducted with four patients, seven pharmacy professionals and one general practitioner. Four focus groups were conducted, including one with healthcare professionals (n=6) and three with members of the public who were current and former smokers (n=13). Quantitative data regarding patient characteristics and clinical outcomes were collected from hospital records and patient referral questionnaires completed by pharmacists and analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data sets were analysed thematically and triangulated.ResultsTwelve patients used the pharmacy referral service, all of whom were male. Average length of the pharmacy consultation was 13 min, with a mean 3 days to accessing chest X-rays in secondary care. Patients experienced a mean 46-day wait for results, with no lung cancer detected. Participants found the service to be acceptable and considered the pharmacy element to be broadly feasible. Perceived barriers included low awareness of the service and concerns about the role and capacity of pharmacists to deliver the service. Facilitators included perceived approachability and accessibility of pharmacists. A well-publicised, multifaceted awareness campaign was recommended.ConclusionsA community pharmacy referral service for lung symptoms was considered an acceptable alternative pathway to symptomatic diagnosis of lung cancer in deprived communities. Wider implementation of the service would require workforce capacity and training to be addressed to ensure optimum utilisation and promotion of the service.

scholarly journals Lung cancer survival and mortality in Taiwan following the initial launch of targeted therapies: an interrupted time series study

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. e033427
Author(s):  
Jason C Hsu ◽  
Chen-Fang Wei ◽  
Szu-Chun Yang ◽  
Peng-Chan Lin ◽  
Yang-Cheng Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Survival Rate ◽  
Targeted Therapies ◽  
Cancer Survival ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Interrupted Time Series ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Lung Cancer Survival

ObjectivesTwo oral targeted therapies, gefitinib and erlotinib, were first approved and then launched into the market for treatment of late-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Taiwan in 2003 and 2006, respectively. The aim of this study were to determine the trends in lung cancer burden and examine changes in lung cancer-related survival rates and mortality following the launch of these new drugs.SettingYearly lung cancer-related data (1994–2013), including incidence, number of newly diagnosed patients, survival rate and mortality, were retrieved from the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database.Design and outcome measuresUsing a time series design with autoregressive integrated moving average model, we investigated and projected trends in the incidence and early diagnosis of lung cancer in Taiwan. We also estimated the changes in survival rates and mortality following the launch of targeted therapies using interrupted time series and segmented regression models.ResultsThe age-standardised incidence of lung cancer increased from 22.53 per 100 000 people in 1994 to 34.09 in 2013, and it was projected to reach 38.98 by 2020. The rate of early-stage NSCLC at diagnosis increased from 12.63% in 2004 to 23.99% in 2013, and it was projected to reach 32.95% by 2020. The 2-year lung cancer survival increased by 19.81% (95% CI 14.90% to 24.71%) 3 years following the launch of gefitinib. Lung cancer mortality declined by 5.97% (95% CI −8.20% to −3.73%) 3 years following the launch of gefitinib.ConclusionsLung cancer survival rate increased and mortality decreased significantly following the launch of gefitinib and erlotinib in Taiwan.

Limited-Stage Hodgkin Lymphoma: Optimal Chemotherapy and the Role of Radiotherapy

2013 ◽  
pp. 374-380
Author(s):  
Nancy L. Bartlett
Keyword(s):  
Hodgkin Lymphoma ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Combined Modality Therapy ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Interim Pet ◽  
First Line Therapy ◽  
Combined Modality ◽  
Consolidative Radiotherapy

Approximately 90% of patients with early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) will be cured with first-line therapy. Chemotherapy alone or combined-modality therapy are both acceptable standard treatment options for nonbulky early-stage HL. Combined-modality therapy is associated with more serious late effects and, in at least one study, showed inferior survival rates compared with chemotherapy alone. Modern radiotherapy fields and doses are likely to result in fewer complications, but given the common involvement of the mediastinum in HL, complete avoidance of the heart, lungs, and breasts in the radiotherapy field is unlikely. In patients receiving chemotherapy alone, four to six cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (ABVD), with fewer cycles being given to those with an early complete remission, is recommended. Three cycles of ABVD may be adequate in those with an early negative PET, but these results have been published only in abstract form. Current standards for combined-modality therapy include two cycles of ABVD and 20 Gy of involved field radiotherapy in those with a favorable risk profile and four cycles of ABVD plus 30 Gy for unfavorable HL in early-stage patients. Standard of care for bulky early-stage HL remains combined-modality therapy. Whether an interim PET will allow selection of patients with nonbulky HL who will benefit most from consolidative radiotherapy is still under investigation.

scholarly journals Predictors of Cancer Screening Among Culturally Diverse Men

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 837-843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn M. Tucker ◽  
Guillermo M. Wippold ◽  
Andrea D. Guastello ◽  
Tya M. Arthur ◽  
Frederic F. Desmond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cancer Screening ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Culturally Diverse ◽  
Cancer Survival ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Medically Underserved ◽  
Cancer Symptoms ◽  
Hispanic White

Men have higher rates of all cancers and are more likely to die from cancer than women; however, men are less likely to utilize disease prevention services. African American/Black men and Hispanic men have lower cancer survival rates and are less likely to utilize health care services than non-Hispanic White men. The present study examined demographic variables (age, household income, education, marital status, race/ethnicity, health insurance status), motivators to engage in healthy eating, and motivators to engage in physical activity as predictors of culturally diverse, medically underserved men’s likelihood of getting a cancer screening (a) at the present time, (b) if no cancer symptoms are present, and (c) if a doctor discovers some cancer symptoms. Analyses were conducted using data from 243 men (47.3% non-Hispanic Black, 29.5% Hispanic, 16.5% non-Hispanic White, and 6.8% “other”) recruited at the Men’s Health Forum in Tampa, Florida. Age, having a medical or health condition that benefits from eating healthy, and having a commitment to physical activity were significant positive predictors of the likelihood of receiving a cancer screening. Motivation to engage in physical activity because of a personal priority was a significant negative predictor of the likelihood of getting a cancer screening. The findings from this study suggest that interventions to increase cancer screenings among culturally diverse, medically underserved men should be informed at least in part by an assessment of participating men’s motivators for engaging in health promoting lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity and healthy eating.

Postoperative chemotherapy in patients who are pN+ following neoadjuvant chemoradiation for locally advanced esophageal cancer.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 97-97
Author(s):  
Samual Francis ◽  
Christopher Duane Nevala-Plagemann ◽  
Courtney Christine Cavalieri ◽  
Shane Lloyd ◽  
Ignacio Garrido-Laguna
Keyword(s):  
Esophageal Cancer ◽  
Adjuvant Chemotherapy ◽  
Propensity Score ◽  
Cancer Survival ◽  
Locally Advanced ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation ◽  
Advanced Esophageal Cancer ◽  
Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer

97 Background: Esophageal cancer survival rates have improved since the widespread adoption of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (CRT) followed by esophagectomy for patients who present with locally advanced disease. Unfortunately, overall prognosis for these patients remains poor. In this study, we sought to assess the effect of additional adjuvant chemotherapy in patients who have positive lymph nodes (pN+) following surgery. Methods: Using the National Cancer Database we retrospectively identified all patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer who received neoadjuvant CRT from 2004 to 2014. We then identified patients within this dataset who were found to be pN+ following neoadjuvant chemoradiation and esophagectomy and categorized them as having received adjuvant chemotherapy versus no additional chemotherapy. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier estimation and propensity score matching. Results: 2,045 patients were identified as being pN+ following neoadjuvant CRT. Within this group, 14% received adjuvant chemotherapy. The 1, 5, and 8 year overall survival (OS) of patients receiving adjuvant therapy was 87%, 30%, and 21% compared to 76%, 23%, and 16% in those receiving neoadjuvant therapy alone, respectively (p = 0.0017). After a propensity score matched analysis, median OS was found to be significantly longer in the those receiving neoadjuvant CRT plus adjuvant chemotherapy compared to neoadjuvant CRT alone (27.8 months vs 22.2 months; HR 0.78; 95% CI, 0.62 to 0.97; p = 0.032). Conclusions: While not currently the standard of care, our data suggests that adjuvant chemotherapy may improve survival in patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer who are found to be pN+ following surgery. Additional prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Herbal Medicine for Glioblastoma: Current and Future Prospects

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 1022-1043
Author(s):  
Imran Khan ◽  
Sadaf Mahfooz ◽  
Mustafa A. Hatiboglu
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Natural Compounds ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Normal Brain ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Cycle Regulation ◽  
Immense Potential

Background: Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive and devastating tumours of the central nervous system with short survival time. Glioblastoma usually shows fast cell proliferation and invasion of normal brain tissue causing poor prognosis. The present standard of care in patients with glioblastoma includes surgery followed by radiotherapy and temozolomide (TMZ) based chemotherapy. Unfortunately, these approaches are not sufficient to lead a favorable prognosis and survival rates. As the current approaches do not provide a long-term benefit in those patients, new alternative treatments including natural compounds, have drawn attention. Due to their natural origin, they are associated with minimum cellular toxicity towards normal cells and it has become one of the most attractive approaches to treat tumours by natural compounds or phytochemicals. Objective: In the present review, the role of natural compounds or phytochemicals in the treatment of glioblastoma describing their efficacy on various aspects of glioblastoma pathophysiology such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, cellular signaling pathways, chemoresistance and their role in combinatorial therapeutic approaches was described. Methods: Peer-reviewed literature was extracted using Pubmed, EMBASE Ovid and Google Scholar to be reviewed in the present article. Conclusion: Preclinical data available in the literature suggest that phytochemicals hold immense potential to be translated into treatment modalities. However, further clinical studies with conclusive results are required to implement phytochemicals in treatment modalities.

scholarly journals The survival rates and risk factors of implants in the early stage: a retrospective study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Yang ◽  
Huiting Hu ◽  
Mianyan Zeng ◽  
Hongxing Chu ◽  
Zekun Gan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Survival Rate ◽  
Dental Implants ◽  
Bone Quality ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Bone Augmentation ◽  
Early Survival ◽  
Immediate Implantation ◽  
Implant Length

Abstract Background Few large-sample studies in China have focused on the early survival of dental implants. The present study aimed to report the early survival rates of implants and determine the related influencing factors. Methods All patients receiving dental implants at our institution between 2006 and 2017 were included. The endpoint of the study was early survival rates of implants, according to gender, age, maxilla/mandible, dental position, bone augmentation, bone augmentation category, immediate implant, submerged implant category, implant diameter, implant length, implant torque, and other related factors. Initially, SPSS22.0 was used for statistical analysis. The Chi-square test was used to screen all factors, and those with p < 0.05 were further introduced into a multiple logistic regression model to illustrate the risk factors for early survival rates of implants. Results In this study, we included 1078 cases (601 males and 477 females) with 2053 implants. After implantation, 1974 implants were retained, and the early survival rate was 96.15%. Patients aged 30–60 years (OR  2.392), with Class I bone quality (OR  3.689), bone augmentation (OR  1.742), immediate implantation (OR  3.509), and implant length < 10 mm (OR  2.972), were said to possess risk factors conducive to early survival rates. Conclusions The early survival rate of implants in our cohort exceeded 96%, with risk factors including age, tooth position, bone quality, implant length, bone augmentation surgery, and immediate implantation. When the above factors coexist, implant placement should be treated carefully.

scholarly journals SEOM clinical guidelines for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (2020)

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 980-987 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Nadal ◽  
J. Bosch-Barrera ◽  
S. Cedrés ◽  
J. Coves ◽  
R. García-Campelo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Survival Benefit ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Asbestos Exposure ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Tumor Board ◽  
Pleural Mesothelioma ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Dismal Prognosis ◽  
Line Chemotherapy ◽  
Multidisciplinary Tumor Board

AbstractMesothelioma is a rare and aggressive tumour with dismal prognosis arising in the pleura and associated with asbestos exposure. Its incidence is on the rise worldwide. In selected patients with early-stage MPM, a maximal surgical cytoreduction in combination with additional antitumour treatment may be considered in selected patients assessed by a multidisciplinary tumor board. In patients with unresectable or advanced MPM, chemotherapy with platinum plus pemetrexed is the standard of care. Currently, no standard salvage therapy has been approved yet, but second-line chemotherapy with vinorelbine or gemcitabine is commonly used. Novel therapeutic approaches based on dual immunotherapy or chemotherapy plus immunotherapy demonstrated promising survival benefit and will probably be incorporated in the future.

scholarly journals Age-Related Biology of Early-Stage Operable Breast Cancer and Its Impact on Clinical Outcome

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1417
Author(s):  
Binafsha M. Syed ◽  
Andrew R. Green ◽  
Emad A. Rakha ◽  
David A.L. Morgan ◽  
Ian O. Ellis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Histological Grade ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Growth Factor Receptor ◽  
Progesterone Receptors ◽  
Biological Characteristics ◽  
Cancer Specific Survival ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Significant Difference

As age advances, breast cancer (BC) tends to change its biological characteristics. This study aimed to explore the natural progression of such changes. The study included 2383 women with clinically T0-2N0-1M0 BC, managed by primary surgery and optimal adjuvant therapy in a dedicated BC facility. Tissue micro-arrays were constructed from their surgical specimens and indirect immunohistochemistry was used for analysis of a large panel (n = 16) of relevant biomarkers. There were significant changes in the pattern of expression of biomarkers related to luminal (oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptors (PgR), human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER-2), E-cadherin, MUC1, bcl2 CK7/8, CK18 and bcl2) and basal (CK5/6, CK14, p53 and Ki67) phenotypes, lymph node stage, histological grade and pathological size when decade-wise comparison was made (p < 0.05). The ages of 40 years and 70 years appeared to be the milestones marking a change of the pattern. There were significantly higher metastasis free and breast cancer specific survival rates among older women with ER positive tumours while there was no significant difference in the ER negative group according to age. Biological characteristics of BC show a pattern of change with advancing age, where 40 years and 70 years appear as important milestones. The pattern suggests <40 years as the phase with aggressive phenotypes, >70 years as the less aggressive phase and 40–70 years being the transitional phase.

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