A retrospective analysis of integrative medicine consultations at a major cancer center: Reasons for consultation, symptom burden, quality of life, and satisfaction.

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e17630-e17630
Author(s):  
Richard T. Lee ◽  
Gabriel Lopez ◽  
Jane Williams ◽  
Jill Flury ◽  
Amica D Onyemeh Sea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Retrospective Analysis ◽  
Integrative Medicine ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Cancer Center

Integrative medicine and plasma cell disorders.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e20044-e20044
Author(s):  
Onyemaechi Okolo ◽  
Betsy C. Wertheim ◽  
Ashley Larsen ◽  
Nathan W. Sweeney ◽  
Krisstina L. Gowin
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Integrative Medicine ◽  
Plasma Cell ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Disease Stage ◽  
Breathing Exercises ◽  
Plasma Cell Disorders

e20044 Background: Recent advancements in the treatment of plasma cell disorders (PCD) have led to a revolution in treatment options. Despite improved outcomes, patients have unmet symptom management needs. Integrative medicine (IM) is a method for addressing symptoms in cancer, but its use and efficacy is poorly defined in PCD patients. This analysis describes the utilization of IM among myeloma patients and explores associations with symptom burden. Methods: For 3 months, a 70-question online survey was hosted on HealthTree.org, an online resource for myeloma patients and researchers created by the HealthTree Foundation. The survey included questions about demographics, PCD type, disease stage, complementary practice use, PHQ-2 score (depression screen), and quality of life (sum of 6 interference items; possible score range 0-6). Mean outcome values were compared between IM users and non-users using two-sample t-tests. Proportions of supplement users and IM users were compared between patients currently on myeloma-specific treatment and patients not currently on treatment using chi-square tests. Results: Of 195 total respondents, 17 were excluded for not completing the survey section on IM practices. Median age range was 60-69 years old, 61% were female, 91% were non-Hispanic white, and 57% were overweight or obese. Plasma cell subtypes were active myeloma (81%), smoldering myeloma (12%), MGUS (3%), amyloidosis (2%), and plasmacytoma (1%), and 72% of patients were currently on cancer-specific treatment. On a scale of 1-10 (1=very uncomfortable; 10=very comfortable), patients reported a mean score of 3.7 when discussing IM therapies with their oncologist. The top 10 IM modalities reported were aerobic exercise (83%), nutrition (67%), natural products (60%), strength exercise (52%), support groups (48%), breathing exercises (44%), meditation (42%), yoga (40%), mindfulness-based stress reduction (38%), and massage (38%). Those who participated in meditation had significantly higher PHQ-2 scores (worse depression) than non-participants (1.1 vs. 0.8; p=0.05). Users of support groups (3.4 vs. 2.7; p=0.04), medicinal marijuana (4.0 vs. 2.9; p=0.03), or vitamin C (3.6 vs. 2.7; p=0.01) reported higher mean interference (worse quality of life) than non-users. Compared to patients currently on cancer treatment for PCD, untreated patients were significantly more likely to use curcumin (58% vs. 41%; p=0.04) or green tea (44% vs. 17%; p<0.001), were less likely to use medicinal marijuana (6% vs. 18%; p=0.05), and reported significantly lower fatigue (p=0.02). Conclusions: This international survey-based analysis reveals that most patients participated in IM modalities, though felt uncomfortable discussing them with their oncologist. It is unclear if the use of some IM modalities were due to symptom burden or lead to higher symptom burden. This study provides a foundation in the understanding of IM use in PCD, but more research is needed to evaluate its efficacy.

Long-term symptom burden and quality of life in metastatic melanoma patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e23090-e23090
Author(s):  
Maha Mamoor ◽  
Jessica A. Lavery ◽  
Robert Sidlow ◽  
Lauren J. Rogak ◽  
Bridgette Thom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Metastatic Melanoma ◽  
Median Time ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Patient Treatment ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey

e23090 Background: Patients with metastatic melanoma (MMel) who achieve durable long-term responses to checkpoint inhibitors (CI) represent a new type of cancer survivor, but their long-term quality of life (QOL) is poorly described. We measured symptom burden and long-term QOL in MMel patients treated with CIs at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). Methods: Between February and August 2018 we performed a cross-sectional survey of adult patients with MMel treated with CI at MSK beginning at least 12 months prior to this study. Surveys were self-administered online using RedCap. We assessed patient treatment experience and QOL using the PRO-CTCAE bank, EORTC, EQ-5D, and Fatigue Severity Scale. We performed chart abstraction to assess extent of cancer burden, ECOG status, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), concurrent medical conditions, and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) developing during or after treatment. For analysis, we dichotomized age (< 65 vs ≥65) and months from CI initiation (< 25 vs ≥25). Results: We enrolled 107 patients (39% survey response rate); 106 completed surveys. Participants were 57.0% male and 93.5% white, with median age 60.5 years (IQR: 51.1, 67.5 years). 79.4% had a CCI of 0 at start of CI; preexisting autoimmune disorders were rare. Median time since CI initiation was 36.4 months (range: 14.2, 133.9 months). Median length of CI treatment was 7.3 months (IQR: 2.1, 24.3 months); 15 patients were on treatment at the time of survey completion. Among those off treatment at the time of survey completion, median time off treatment was 27.1 months (IQR: 16.7, 40.4 months). The most common irAEs were rash (34.6%), colitis (24.3%), thyroiditis (19.6%), hepatitis (18.7%), and hypophysitis (13.1%). irAEs did not differ by age. Few patients reported symptoms at time of survey, most commonly aching joints (18%), fatigue (14%), aching muscles (13%), and difficulty sleeping (11%). Few (< 12%) had difficulty with physical, role, emotional, cognitive, or social functioning and almost none (1%) reported anxiety, depression or pain on the EQ-5D. QOL was excellent, with a median of 83.3% on the EQ-5D global health score and no differences based on toxicities or time from treatment. Conclusions: Long-term survivors of MMel patients report few burdensome symptoms after CI therapy and have excellent QOL.

Integrative medicine modality utilization and impact on quality of life in cancer patients: A single academic cancer center experience.

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 169-169
Author(s):  
Denise Millstine ◽  
Krisstina L. Gowin ◽  
Tony Chon
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cancer Therapy ◽  
Natural Product ◽  
Integrative Medicine ◽  
Mayo Clinic ◽  
Disease Stage ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Cancer Type

169 Background: The majority of patients with cancer incorporate integrative medicine strategies into their cancer experience however; patient reported preferences and impact on quality of life is limited. We present cancer patient utilization for specific integrative medicine modalities within the Mayo Clinic Arizona Comprehensive Cancer center and describe the patient perceived impact on quality of life. Methods: Patients and family members attending the 2015 Living with Cancer Symposium at Mayo Clinic Arizona completed a survey indicating whether specific integrative medicine modalities were utilized during cancer treatment and whether utilization had an impact on the patients perceived quality of life. Patient diagnoses and stage were collected. A total of 119 patient surveys were completed and analyzed. Results: The patient diagnoses included hematologic malignancies (27%), breast (25%), prostate (18%), and other (30%). Disease stage was nearly evenly distributed with stage I (21%), stage II (20%), stage III (16%), stage IV (15%), and unknown (28%). The most commonly utilized integrative modalities included nutrition (54%), natural product supplementation (34%), massage (33%), exercise (31%) including yoga (23%) and tai chi (1%), breathing and meditation interventions (26-28%), support groups (23%), and pet therapy (17%). The majority of patients (64%) reported integrative intervention utilization led to an enhanced quality of life during cancer therapy. Conclusions: At a single academic cancer center, in a cancer type and stage diverse population, the majority of patients (64%) reported improved quality of life during cancer therapy with integrative medicine intervention utilization. Nutrition, natural product supplementation, massage, exercise, and meditative modalities were most commonly utilized. Interestingly, a large proportion of patients analyzed in this questionnaire-based study were afflicted with hematologic disease, a population underrepresented in the current integrative medicine intervention research. More studies exploring the feasibility and impact of integrative therapies in the hematologic patient population are needed.

scholarly journals Survey of Integrative Medicine in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (The SIMM Study-2)

Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 3047-3047
Author(s):  
Krisstina L. Gowin ◽  
Blake T. Langlais ◽  
Denise Millstine ◽  
Heidi E. Kosiorek ◽  
Jennifer Huberty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Strength Training ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Integrative Medicine ◽  
Research Funding ◽  
Myeloproliferative Neoplasms ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Depression Screening ◽  
Aerobic Activity

Abstract Background: Polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocytosis (ET), and myelofibrosis (MF) are chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) characterized by clonal cell proliferation, splenomegaly, and significant symptom burden. Integrative medicine interventions may offer unique symptom management strategies. (Gowin, et al., EHA 2017). Here we describe integrative interventions utilized and association with symptom burden, quality of life, depression, and fatigue adjusted for lifestyle confounders. Methods:Patients were recruited via social media. Consent and online self-report surveys were completed capturing patient demographics, disease-specific data, integrative medicine utilization, symptom burden via MPN-Symptom Assessment Form Total Symptom Score (MPN-SAF TSS), depression screening via Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-2, fatigue via Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), and overall quality of life (QoL). MPN-SAF TSS, QoL, BFI, and PHQ2 were compared by participation in the most frequently utilized interventions (Yes vs No). Intervention comparisons were adjusted for alcohol consumption, smoking status, BMI, current dietary modification, and MPN type using multiple linear and logistic regression. Results: Patients: A total of1087 patient surveys were consented. Of these, 858 had 10 or more responses. See Table 1 for patient characteristics. Integrative Medicine Therapies Descriptive Analysis: Integrative medicine therapies most frequently utilized by patients included aerobic activity (51.5%), massage (28.4%), yoga (25.6%), nutrition (25.2%), strength training (23.8%), acupuncture (19.3%), meditation (19%), breathing exercises (18.4%), chiropractic (16.2%), support groups (14.5%), mindfulness based stress reduction (13.6%), walking meditation (12.0%), pet therapy (9.4%), aromatherapy (8.6%), music therapy (8.0%), progressive muscle relaxation (7.0%), guided imagery (6.4%), homeopathy (6.3%), manual therapy (osteopathy/cranial sacral) (6.2%), reiki (5.8%), therapeutic touch (5.7%), Tai Chi (5.2%), art therapy (4.9%), traditional Chinese medicine (4.3%), Qigong (3.5%), cooking classes (3.0%), laughter therapy (2.9%), Ayurveda (2.4%), biofeedback (2.2%), dance therapy (2.1%), hypnosis (2.0%), resilience training (0.9%), IV vitamin therapy (0.8%), and narrative medicine (storytelling) (0.3%).Diet modification was reported in 47.7% of patients, including Mediterranean diet (19.0%), paleo/high protein/low carbohydrate (8.9%), vegetarian (8.6), plant based (5.2%), gluten free (5.2%), low FODMAP (1.8%), vegan (1.2%), and raw (0.6%) diets. Only 24% of patients reported receiving nutrition advice from their healthcare practitioner (HCP). Supplement utilization by MPN type was 162 patients (48.4%)in ET, 80 patients (42.8%) in MF, and 142 patients (45.2%) in PV. Overall, 20.6% patients reported not disclosing their natural product usage to their HCP. The most frequently utilized supplements included vitamin D, multivitamin, magnesium, omega 3, and calcium. Adjusted symptom association with integrative therapy intervention: MPN symptom burden: Aerobic activity (P=<.001)and strength training (P=.01) was associated with lower mean symptom burden. Use of massage (P=<001) and support groups (P=<.001) was associated with higher levels of symptom burden. QOL:Higher quality of life was reported in those receiving massage (P=.04)and support groups (P=.002). Lower quality of life was noted in those using aerobic activity (P=<.001)and strength training (P=.001). Depression (PHQ-2):Lower depression screening score was noted in those participating in aerobic activity (P=.006), yoga (P=.03), and strength training (P=.02). Fatigue (BFI):Lower fatigue was noted in those participating in aerobic activity (P=<.001) and strength training (P=.03). Higher fatigue was noted in those participating in massage (P=<.001) and breathing techniques (P=.02). See Table 2. Conclusion: In a geographically diverse MPN patient population, and when adjusting for healthy lifestyle practices overall, patterns of lower symptom burden, fatigue, depression, and higher QoL were revealed with integrative medicine utilization. Although limited by gender discrepancy and patient reported data, this study may offer a foundation to structure future integrative medicine trials to complement standard therapies in MPN patients. Disclosures Gowin: Incyte: Consultancy, Other: Scientific Advisory Board, Speakers Bureau. Mesa:UT Health San Antonio - Mays Cancer Center: Employment; Promedior: Research Funding; NS Pharma: Research Funding; CTI Biopharma: Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Gilead: Research Funding; Incyte Corporation: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy; Pfizer: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding.

scholarly journals Patient Experiences With Oral Chemotherapy: Adherence, Symptoms, and Quality of Life

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie M. Jacobs ◽  
Molly E. Ream ◽  
Nicole Pensak ◽  
Lauren E. Nisotel ◽  
Joel N. Fishbein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Massachusetts General Hospital ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Adherence Rate ◽  
Related Symptom

Background:Oral therapies are increasingly common in oncology care. However, data are lacking regarding the physical and psychologic symptoms patients experience, or how these factors relate to medication adherence and quality of life (QoL).Materials and Methods:From December 2014 through August 2016, a total of 181 adult patients who were prescribed oral targeted therapy or chemotherapy enrolled in a randomized study of adherence and symptom management at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. Patients completed baseline assessments of adherence with electronic pill cap, QoL, symptom severity, mood, social support, fatigue, and satisfaction with clinicians and treatment. Relationships among these factors were examined using Pearson product-moment correlations and multivariable linear regression.Results:At baseline, the mean electronic pill cap adherence rate showed that patients took 85.57% of their oral therapy. The most commonly reported cancer-related symptoms were fatigue (88.60%), drowsiness (76.50%), disturbed sleep (68.20%), memory problems (63.10%), and emotional distress (60.80%). Patients who reported greater cancer-related symptom severity had lower adherence (r= −0.20). In a multivariable regression, greater depressive and anxiety symptoms, worse fatigue, less social support, lower satisfaction with clinicians and treatment, and higher symptom burden were associated with worse QoL (F[10, 146]=50.53; adjustedR2=0.77). Anxiety symptoms were most strongly associated with clinically meaningful decrements in QoL (β= −7.10; SE=0.22).Conclusions:Patients prescribed oral therapies struggle with adherence, and cancer-related symptom burden is high and related to worse adherence and QoL. Given perceptions that oral therapies are less impairing, these data underscore the strong need to address adherence issues, symptom burden, and QoL for these patients.

393-P: Association of Hypoglycemia Prevention Measures with Quality of Life: A Retrospective Analysis of Electronically-Reported Patient Data

Diabetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 393-P
Author(s):  
KHAWLA F. ALI ◽  
LIMA LAWRENCE ◽  
LAUREN A. BUEHLER ◽  
RONALD R. GAMBINO ◽  
MARWAN HAMATY
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Retrospective Analysis ◽  
Patient Data ◽  
Prevention Measures

The effectiveness of hope-fostering interventions in palliative care: A systematic review and meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 026921632199472
Author(s):  
Natalia Salamanca-Balen ◽  
Thomas V Merluzzi ◽  
Man Chen
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
Quasi Experimental

Background: The concept of hope is an important theme in chronic illness and palliative care and has been associated with increased psycho-spiritual well-being and quality of life. Psycho-spiritual interventions have been described in this population, but no systematic review of hope-enhancing interventions or hopelessness-reducing interventions has been conducted for persons with palliative care diseases. Aim: To describe and assess the effectiveness of interventions in palliative care that measure hope and/or hopelessness as an outcome. Design: This systematic review and meta-analysis was pre-registered (Prospero ID: CRD42019119956). Data sources: Electronic databases, journals, and references were searched. We used the Cochrane criteria to assess the risk of bias within studies. Results: Thirty-five studies (24 randomized controlled trials, 5 quasi-experimental, 6 pre-post studies) involving a total of 3296 palliative care patients were included. Compared with usual/standard cancer care alone, interventions significantly increased hope levels at a medium effect size ( g = 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.28–0.93) but did not significantly reduce hopelessness ( g = −0.08, 95% CI = −0.18 to 0.02). It was found that interventions significantly increase spirituality ( g = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.02–1.37) and decrease depression ( g = −0.29, 95% CI = −0.51 to −0.07), but had no significant effect over anxiety, quality of life, and symptom burden. Overall, quality of evidence across the included studies was rated as low. Conclusions: Evidence suggests that interventions can be effective in increasing hope in palliative care patients.

Assessing the impact of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on patients’ quality of life: An Arabic version of the Functional Living Index-Emesis

2021 ◽  
pp. 107815522199844
Author(s):  
Abdullah M Alhammad ◽  
Nora Alkhudair ◽  
Rawan Alzaidi ◽  
Latifa S Almosabhi ◽  
Mohammad H Aljawadi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Nausea And Vomiting ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Arabic Version ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Arabic Speaking ◽  
The Impact

Introduction Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting is a serious complication of cancer treatment that compromises patients’ quality of life and treatment adherence, which necessitates regular assessment. Therefore, there is a need to assess patient-reported nausea and vomiting using a validated scale among Arabic speaking cancer patient population. The objective of this study was to translate and validate the Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLIE) instrument in Arabic, a patient-reported outcome measure designed to assess the influence of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on patients’ quality of life. Methods Linguistic validation of an Arabic-language version was performed. The instrument was administered to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in a tertiary hospital's cancer center in Saudi Arabia. Results One-hundred cancer patients who received chemotherapy were enrolled. The participants’ mean age was 53.3 ± 14.9 years, and 50% were female. Half of the participants had a history of nausea and vomiting with previous chemotherapy. The Cronbach coefficient alpha for the FLIE was 0.9606 and 0.9736 for nausea and vomiting domains, respectively, which indicated an excellent reliability for the Arabic FLIE. The mean FLIE score was 110.9 ± 23.5, indicating no or minimal impact on daily life (NIDL). Conclusions The Arabic FLIE is a valid and reliable tool among the Arabic-speaking cancer population. Thus, the Arabic version of the FLIE will be a useful tool to assess the quality of life among Arabic speaking patients receiving chemotherapy. Additionally, the translated instrument will be a useful tool for future research studies to explore new antiemetic treatments among cancer patients.

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