scholarly journals Defining, Measuring and Preventing the Diagnosis of Cancer as an Emergency: A Critical Review of Current Evidence

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement 2) ◽  
pp. 48s-48s
Author(s):  
Y. Zhou ◽  
G. Abel ◽  
W. Hamilton ◽  
K. Pritchard-Jones ◽  
C. Gross ◽  
...  

Background: Many patients with cancer are diagnosed through an emergency presentation, which is associated with inferior clinical and patient-reported outcomes compared with those of patients who are diagnosed electively or through screening. Reducing the proportion of patients with cancer who are diagnosed as emergencies is, therefore, desirable; however, the optimal means of achieving this aim are uncertain owing to the involvement of different tumor, patient and health-care factors, often in combination. Methods: We searched the literature to identify all population-based studies that examined emergency presentation as a diagnosis or independent variable. Results: Most relevant evidence relates to patients with colorectal or lung cancer in a few economically developed countries, and defines emergency presentations contextually (that is, whether patients presented to emergency health-care services and/or received emergency treatment shortly before their diagnosis) as opposed to clinically (whether patients presented with life-threatening manifestations of their cancer). Consistent inequalities in the risk of emergency presentations by patient characteristics and cancer type have been described, but limited evidence is available on whether, and how, such presentations can be prevented. Evidence on patients' symptoms and health-care use before presentation as an emergency is sparse. Conclusion: In this review, we describe the extent, causes and implications of a diagnosis of cancer following an emergency presentation, and provide recommendations for public health and health-care interventions, and research efforts aimed at addressing this underresearched aspect of cancer diagnosis.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Ardura-Garcia ◽  
Christian Kreis ◽  
Milenko Rakic ◽  
Manon Jaboyedoff ◽  
Maria Christina Mallet ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundRotavirus (RV) infection is the leading cause of diarrhoea-associated morbidity and mortality globally among children under 5 years of age. RV vaccination is available, but has not been implemented in many national immunisation plans, especially in highly developed countries. This systematic review aimed to estimate the prevalence and incidence of health care use for RV gastroenteritis (RVGE) among children aged under 5 years in highly developed countries without routine RV vaccination.MethodsWe searched MEDLINE and Embase databases from January 1st 2000 to December 17th 2018 for publications reporting on incidence or prevalence of RVGE-related health care use in children below 5 years of age: primary care and emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalisations, nosocomial infections and deaths. We included only studies with laboratory-confirmed RV infection, undertaken in highly developed countries with no RV routine vaccination plans. We used random effects meta-analysis to generate summary estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and prediction intervals.ResultsWe screened 4033 abstracts and included 74 studies from 21 countries. Average incidence rates of RVGE per 100 000 person-years were: 2484 (95% CI 697-5366) primary care visits, 1890 (1597-2207) ED visits, 500 (422-584) hospitalisations, 34 (20-51) nosocomial infections and 0.04 (0.02-0.07) deaths. Average proportions of cases of acute gastroenteritis caused by RV were: 21% (95% CI 16-26%) for primary care visits; 32% (25-38%) for ED visits; 41% (36-47%) for hospitalisations, 29% (25-34%) for nosocomial infections and 12% (8-18%) for deaths. Results varied widely between and within countries, and heterogeneity was high (I2>90%) in most models.ConclusionRV in children under 5 years causes many healthcare visits and hospitalisations, with low mortality, in highly developed countries without routine RV vaccination. The health care use estimates for RVGE obtained by this study can be used to model RV vaccine cost-effectiveness in highly developed countries.Take home messageRV-caused illness leads to a high burden of health care usage in highly developed countries who have not introduced RV vaccination.


2020 ◽  
Vol 125 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-324
Author(s):  
Faith S. Luyster ◽  
Xiaojun Shi ◽  
Lynn M. Baniak ◽  
Jonna L. Morris ◽  
Eileen R. Chasens

2001 ◽  
Vol 19 (21) ◽  
pp. 4117-4125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue-Anne McLachlan ◽  
Ann Allenby ◽  
Jane Matthews ◽  
Andrew Wirth ◽  
David Kissane ◽  
...  

PURPOSE: To determine whether making patient-reported cancer needs, quality-of-life (QOL), and psychosocial information available to the health care team, allowing coordinated specifically targeted psychosocial interventions, resulted in reduced cancer needs, improved QOL, and increased satisfaction with care received. METHODS: Self-reported cancer needs, QOL, and psychosocial information was collected from 450 people with cancer, using standardized questionnaires via a touch-screen computer. For a randomly chosen two thirds, this information was made available to the health care team who coordinated targeted psychosocial interventions. Information from the remaining one third was not seen. Patients were assessed 2 and 6 months after randomization for changes in their cancer needs, QOL, and psychosocial functioning and satisfaction with overall care received. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two arms with respect to changes in cancer needs, QOL, or psychosocial functioning between the baseline and follow-up assessments, nor with respect to satisfaction with care. However, for the subgroup of patients who were moderately or severely depressed at baseline, there was a significant reduction in depression for the intervention arm relative to the control arm at the 6-month assessment (P = .001). CONCLUSION: Making patient-reported cancer needs, QOL, and psychosocial data available to the health care team at a single consultation together with coordinated psychosocial interventions does not seem to reduce cancer needs nor improve QOL, psychosocial functioning, or satisfaction with the care received. However, identification of patients with moderate or severe levels of depression may be valuable in reducing subsequent levels of depression.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 2013-2013
Author(s):  
Emilia R. Kaslow-Zieve ◽  
Carolyn L. Qian ◽  
Chinenye C. Azoba ◽  
Irene Wang ◽  
Emily E. Van Seventer ◽  
...  

2013 Background: Hospitalized patients with cancer often experience high symptom burden, which may impact their care satisfaction and use of health care services. Yet, studies describing these patients’ care satisfaction, symptom burden, and health care utilization are lacking. Methods: We prospectively enrolled patients with cancer and unplanned hospitalizations from 9/2014-4/2017. Upon admission, patients self-reported their care satisfaction (FAMCARE items asking about satisfaction regarding speed with which symptoms are treated and coordination of care) and physical (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System [ESAS]) and psychological (Patient Health Questionnaire 4 [PHQ4]) symptom burden. We used regression models to identify patient factors associated with care satisfaction. We also explored associations between patients’ care satisfaction, symptom burden, and hospital length of stay (LOS) in models adjusted for age, sex, marital status, comorbidity score, cancer type, cancer documented as curable/incurable, time since cancer diagnosis, and admission to a dedicated oncology service. Results: We enrolled 1,576 of 1,749 (90.1%) consecutive patients (mean age = 63.19±13.39 years, 46.3% female). Most reported being very satisfied/satisfied with the speed with which symptoms are treated (89.0%) and coordination of care (90.1%). Older age (B = 0.01, P < .02 for both) and admission to a dedicated oncology service (B = 0.20, P < .01 for both) were each independently associated with higher satisfaction with the speed with which symptoms are treated and coordination of care. Higher satisfaction with the speed with which symptoms are treated was associated with lower PHQ4 depression (B = -0.14, P = .01), PHQ4 anxiety (B = -0.11, P < .01), ESAS physical (B = -1.30, P < .01), and ESAS total (B = -2.44, P < .01) symptoms. Higher satisfaction with coordination of care was associated with lower PHQ4 depression (B = -0.14, P = .02), PHQ4 anxiety (B = -0.16, P < .01), ESAS physical (B = -1.30, P < .01), and ESAS total (B = -2.75, P < .01) symptoms. Satisfaction with the speed with which symptoms are treated (B = -0.47, P = .03) and coordination of care (B = -0.50, P = .03) were both associated with shorter hospital LOS. Conclusions: Most hospitalized patients with cancer reported high care satisfaction, which was associated with older age and admission to a dedicated oncology service. We found relationships among higher care satisfaction, lower symptom burden, and shorter hospital LOS, underscoring the importance of efforts to enhance symptom management and care coordination in this population.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah A. Kelleher ◽  
Tamara J. Somers ◽  
Tracie Locklear ◽  
Alexandra D. Crosswell ◽  
Amy P. Abernethy

AbstractBackground and aimsPatient reported outcomes (PROs) are increasingly being implemented into the care of patients with cancer. The use of a standard set of PROs (e.g., pain) in cancer is becoming established and there is interest in what additional PROs might provide valuable information. The goal of this observational study was to examine how the PROs of self-efficacy for pain and other symptoms assessed at the point of service were associated with pain, symptom severity and distress, and physical and psychosocial functioning in a sample of breast and gastrointestinal patients. We also sought to examine differences in these relationships by cancer type (breast and gastrointestinal) as well as understand differences in self-assessment mode (paper/pencil or electronic tablet).Methods178 patients with breast (n = 65) and gastrointestinal cancer (n = 113) completed the Chronic Pain Self Efficacy Scale, M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – General questionnaires. Measures were completed with paper and pencil and electronically using a tablet computer while patients waited for their clinical appointment. Responses from the initial completed questionnaires on both the paper and electronic instruments were analyzed.ResultsPatients’ self-efficacy scores for pain and other symptoms correlated positively with pain, symptom severity and distress, and physical and psychosocial functioning; patients with lower levels of self-efficacy reported poorer outcomes and functioning overall. The results were independent of cancer type and mode of assessment. No statistically significant differences were found in the PROs when collected by electronic technology versus paper-pencil mode; patients were very satisfied with using the tablet computer to complete the PRO measures.Conclusions and implicationsOur results suggest that self-efficacy for pain and symptom management may be a beneficial addition to clinic-based PRO assessment batteries for patients with cancer and other chronic diseases. Existing short, validated symptom self-efficacy scales could easily be integrated into clinical practice to help healthcare providers identify patients that might benefit from intervention. Study results also support existing research that suggests electronic approaches are a practical way to collect PRO data, including self-efficacy data, in the clinic. Overall, our data suggest that patients who have particularly low levels of self-efficacy for pain and symptom management may be at risk for higher levels of pain and disability. Thus, if self-efficacy for pain and symptom management were routinely collected at the time of clinical service, psychosocial interventions to improve self-efficacy for pain and symptom management, and in turn overall quality of life, could be implemented in a timely fashion.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. iii69
Author(s):  
K.M. de Ligt ◽  
M. Heins ◽  
J. Verloop ◽  
C.H. Smorenburg ◽  
J.C. Korevaar ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Hermann ◽  
Lovise S. Heimro ◽  
Anne Haugstvedt ◽  
Ingvild Hernar ◽  
Arun K. Sigurdardottir ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Hypoglycaemia is associated with cognitive and functional decline in older people with diabetes. Identification of individuals at risk and prevention of hypoglycaemia is therefore an important task in the management of diabetes in older home-dwelling individuals. The purpose of this scoping review was to map the literature on hypoglycaemia in home-dwelling older people with diabetes. Methods This scoping review included original research articles on hypoglycaemia in older (≥ 65 years) individuals with diabetes from developed countries. A broad search of the databases Cinahl, Embase and Medline was performed in July 2018. The report of the scoping review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. Results Our database search identified 577 articles of which 23 were eligible for inclusion. The identified literature was within four areas: 1) incidence of hypoglycaemia in older home-dwelling people with diabetes (11/23 articles), 2) risk factors of hypoglycaemia (9/23), 3) diabetes knowledge and self-management (6/23) and 4) consequences of hypoglycaemia for health care use (6/23). The majority of the literature focused on severe hypoglycaemia and the emergency situation. The literature on diabetes knowledge and management related to preventing adverse events relevant to older home-dwellers, was limited. We found no literature on long-term consequences of hypoglycaemia for the use of home health care services and the older persons’ ability to remain home-dwelling. Conclusions We identified a lack of studies on prevention and management of hypoglycaemia in the older individuals’ homes. Such knowledge is of utmost importance in the current situation where most western countries’ governmental policies aim to treat and manage complex health conditions in the patient’s home. Future studies addressing hypoglycaemia in older individuals with diabetes are needed in order to tailor interventions aiming to enable them to remain home-dwelling as long as possible.


Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 32-33
Author(s):  
Sargam Kapoor ◽  
Aman Opneja ◽  
Jahnavi Gollamudi ◽  
Lalitha V. Nayak

Introduction: The risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is increased in patients with cancer and contributes to significant morbidity, treatment delays and mortality. The Khorana score is the most well-validated VTE risk prediction tool that guides use of prophylactic anticoagulation in patients with cancer. The Khorana score includes cancer type, body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin, platelet count and leukocyte count but not a prior history of VTE which may increase the risk of recurrent VTE. Scant published data have suggested that a personal history of VTE increases the risk of VTE recurrence by 2 to 7-fold after cancer diagnosis. In this study, we examine the impact of history of VTE on VTE recurrence in a large cohort of patients with cancer. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with cancer using aggregated de-identified data from electronic medical record of &gt;300 major hospitals in US (IBM Watson Explorys). Patients with a personal history of VTE (deep vein thrombosis and/ or pulmonary embolism) more than one year prior to the diagnosis of cancer were included. Within this cohort, patients who developed recurrent VTE within 180 days of diagnosis of cancer were identified. The primary end-point was the incidence of cancer associated VTE (CVTE) in patients with prior history of VTE as compared to patients without history of VTE. Baseline characteristics including age, race, gender, BMI, prothrombotic mutations (Factor V Leiden, prothrombin gene 20210A mutation), antineoplastic agent use, cancer type and laboratory values (as included in Khorana risk score) were compared in all patients. Results: A total of 4,159,400 patients with a diagnosis of cancer were included. Of these, 138,820 patients (3.3%) had a history of VTE &gt;1 year prior to being diagnosed with cancer. The incidence of CVTE at 180 days was 10-fold higher in those with prior history of VTE compared to those without (36.9% vs 3.66%; OR 15.4, 95% CI 15.22-15.6, P value &lt;0.0001). While the inherent risk of CVTE varied based on cancer type (highest risk of 10.5% in pancreatic cancer), the risk of recurrent VTE in patients with prior VTE history is magnified to a similar degree across all cancer types as shown in Figure 1. Baseline characteristics including age, race, gender and cancer type distribution were similar in all groups, as shown in Table 1. Factor V Leiden mutation or activated protein C resistance (FVL/APC) was more prevalent in patients with prior history of VTE and subsequent CVTE (3%) as compared to all patients with CVTE regardless of history (1%), as shown in Table 1. A higher BMI was noted in patients with prior history of VTE (49% and 71% respectively in patients with and without CVTE) as compared to 41% in all patients with CVTE. Greater use of antineoplastic agents (41%) was noted in the group of patients with prior history of VTE and subsequent CVTE as compared to patients with prior VTE but no CVTE (36%). Conclusion: Our study highlights that a prior personal history of VTE &gt;1 year before cancer diagnosis significantly increases the risk of cancer associated VTE independently, regardless of other established risk factors for VTE suggesting that this group of patients, especially those undergoing anti-cancer treatment may benefit from prophylactic anticoagulation. Increased incidence of FVL/ APC in patients with prior history of VTE and recurrent CVTE may reflect increased testing for prothrombotic mutations in this cohort. Our ongoing efforts include examining the effect of addition of history of VTE to the Khorana score. Finally, large prospective observational studies would be key to assess the impact of history of VTE on cancer thrombosis. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (S 02) ◽  
pp. S24-S32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Bach ◽  
Rupert Bauersachs

SummaryVenous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with numerous complications and high mortality rates. Patients with cancer are at high risk of developing cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT), and VTE recurrence is common. Evidence supporting use of non-vitamin K antagonist (VKA) oral anticoagulants (NOACs) in patients with cancer is lacking – direct comparisons between NOACs and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) are needed, along with patient-reported outcomes. Cancer Associated thrombosis – expLoring soLutions for patients through Treatment and Prevention with RivarOxaban (CALLISTO) is an international research programme exploring the potential of the direct, oral factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban for the prevention and treatment of CAT, supplementing existing data from EINSTEIN DVT and EINSTEIN PE. Here, we focus on four CALLISTO studies: A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Rivaroxaban Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Ambulatory Cancer Participants receiving Chemotherapy (CASSINI), Antico-agulation Therapy in SELECTeD Cancer Patients at Risk of Recurrence of Venous Thromboembolism (SELECT-D), Rivaroxaban in the Treatment of Venous Thromboembolism in Cancer Patients – a Randomized Phase III Study (CONKO-011) and a database analysis. Optimal anticoagulation duration for VTE treatment has always been unclear. Following favourable results for rivaroxaban 20 mg once-daily (Q. D.) for secondary VTE prevention (EINSTEIN EXT), EINSTEIN CHOICE is assessing rivaroxaban safety and (20 mg Q. D. or 10 mg Q. D.) vs acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), and will investigate whether an alternative rivaroxaban dose (10 mg Q. D.) could offer long-term VTE protection. It is anticipated that results from these studies will provide important answers and expand upon current evidence for rivaroxaban in VTE management.


Author(s):  
Chikako Matsumura ◽  
Nanako Koyama ◽  
Morito Sako ◽  
Hideo Kurosawa ◽  
Takehisa Nomura ◽  
...  

Background: Few studies evaluated whether health care professionals accurately assess several symptoms for patients with cancer in palliative care units. We determined the agreement level for several symptoms related to quality of life (QOL) between patient-reported QOL assessment and health care professional-assessed symptoms based on the Support Team Assessment Schedule (STAS). Method: An observational study was performed with terminally ill patients with cancer hospitalized in the palliative care unit between June 2018 and December 2019. Patients and health care professionals independently assessed 7 symptoms at the time of hospitalization and after 1 week. Patients completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL). In examining the proportions of exact agreement, “exact agreement” referred to the pairs of the scores (QLQ-C15-PAL vs STAS) being (1 vs 0), (2 vs 1), (3 vs 2 or 3), or (4 vs 4). The relationships of physical functioning between QLQ-C15-PAL and Palliative Performance Scale (PPS) were examined. Results: Of 130 patients, approximately 60% had PPS scores from 40 to 60. The highest mean score on QLQ-C15-PAL was for fatigue (63.8). The exact agreement on symptoms between patients and health care professionals ranged from 15.4% (fatigue) to 57.7% (nausea and vomiting). The mean of the transformed QLQ-C15-PAL and proportions of exact agreement were negatively correlated ( R 2 = 0.949, P < .05). The physical function scores in QLQ-C15-PAL for each PPS group showed no differences. Conclusion: We expect patient-reported outcomes including QLQ-C15-PAL to be added to health care professionals’ assessment of serious symptoms such as fatigue in terminally ill patients with cancer.


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