The Impact of COVID-19 on Anxiety Levels of Cancer Patients

Author(s):  
Duygu Bayir Garbioglu
Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2418
Author(s):  
Xuezhen Zeng ◽  
Simon E. Ward ◽  
Jingying Zhou ◽  
Alfred S. L. Cheng

A drastic difference exists between the 5-year survival rates of colorectal cancer patients with localized cancer and distal organ metastasis. The liver is the most favorable organ for cancer metastases from the colorectum. Beyond the liver-colon anatomic relationship, emerging evidence highlights the impact of liver immune microenvironment on colorectal liver metastasis. Prior to cancer cell dissemination, hepatocytes secrete multiple factors to recruit or activate immune cells and stromal cells in the liver to form a favorable premetastatic niche. The liver-resident cells including Kupffer cells, hepatic stellate cells, and liver-sinusoidal endothelial cells are co-opted by the recruited cells, such as myeloid-derived suppressor cells and tumor-associated macrophages, to establish an immunosuppressive liver microenvironment suitable for tumor cell colonization and outgrowth. Current treatments including radical surgery, systemic therapy, and localized therapy have only achieved good clinical outcomes in a minority of colorectal cancer patients with liver metastasis, which is further hampered by high recurrence rate. Better understanding of the mechanisms governing the metastasis-prone liver immune microenvironment should open new immuno-oncology avenues for liver metastasis intervention.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. P. Pomey ◽  
M. de Guise ◽  
M. Desforges ◽  
K. Bouchard ◽  
C. Vialaron ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Quebec is one of the Canadian provinces with the highest rates of cancer incidence and prevalence. A study by the Rossy Cancer Network (RCN) of McGill university assessed six aspects of the patient experience among cancer patients and found that emotional support is the aspect most lacking. To improve this support, trained patient advisors (PAs) can be included as full-fledged members of the healthcare team, given that PA can rely on their knowledge with experiencing the disease and from using health and social care services to accompany cancer patients, they could help to round out the health and social care services offer in oncology. However, the feasibility of integrating PAs in clinical oncology teams has not been studied. In this multisite study, we will explore how to integrate PAs in clinical oncology teams and, under what conditions this can be successfully done. We aim to better understand effects of this PA intervention on patients, on the PAs themselves, the health and social care team, the administrators, and on the organization of services and to identify associated ethical and legal issues. Methods/design We will conduct six mixed methods longitudinal case studies. Qualitative data will be used to study the integration of the PAs into clinical oncology teams and to identify the factors that are facilitators and inhibitors of the process, the associated ethical and legal issues, and the challenges that the PAs experience. Quantitative data will be used to assess effects on patients, PAs and team members, if any, of the PA intervention. The results will be used to support oncology programs in the integration of PAs into their healthcare teams and to design a future randomized pragmatic trial to evaluate the impact of PAs as full-fledged members of clinical oncology teams on cancer patients’ experience of emotional support throughout their care trajectory. Discussion This study will be the first to integrate PAs as full-fledged members of the clinical oncology team and to assess possible clinical and organizational level effects. Given the unique role of PAs, this study will complement the body of research on peer support and patient navigation. An additional innovative aspect of this study will be consideration of the ethical and legal issues at stake and how to address them in the health care organizations.


BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Abrahamsson ◽  
Sebastian Meltzer ◽  
Vidar Nyløkken Hagen ◽  
Christin Johansen ◽  
Paula A. Bousquet ◽  
...  

Abstract Background We reported previously that rectal cancer patients given curative-intent chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery for non-metastatic disease had enhanced risk of metastatic progression and death if circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D] were low. Here we investigated whether the association between the vitamin D status and prognosis pertains to the general, unselected population of rectal cancer patients. Methods Serum 25(OH) D at the time of diagnosis was assessed in 129 patients, enrolled 2013–2017 and representing the entire range of rectal cancer stages, and analyzed with respect to season, sex, systemic inflammation, and survival. Results In the population-based cohort residing at latitude 60°N, 25(OH) D varied according to season in men only, who were overrepresented among the vitamin D-deficient (< 50 nmol/L) patients. Consistent with our previous findings, the individuals presenting with T4 disease had significantly reduced 25(OH) D levels. Low vitamin D was associated with systemic inflammation, albeit with distinct modes of presentation. While men with low vitamin D showed circulating markers typical for the systemic inflammatory response (e.g., elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate), the corresponding female patients had elevated serum levels of interleukin-6 and the chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 7. Despite disparities in vitamin D status and the potential effects on disease attributes, significantly shortened cancer-specific survival was observed in vitamin D-deficient patients irrespective of sex. Conclusion This unselected rectal cancer cohort confirmed the interconnection of low vitamin D, more advanced disease presentation, and poor survival, and further suggested it may be conditional on disparate modes of adverse systemic inflammation in men and women. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.govNCT01816607; registration date: 22 March 2013.


Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 17
Author(s):  
Chung-Min Yeh ◽  
Yi-Ju Lee ◽  
Po-Yun Ko ◽  
Yueh-Min Lin ◽  
Wen-Wei Sung

Background and objectives: Krüppel-like transcription factor 10 (KLF10) plays a vital role in regulating cell proliferation, including the anti-proliferative process, activation of apoptosis, and differentiation control. KLF10 may also act as a protective factor against oral cancer. We studied the impact of KLF10 expression on the clinical outcomes of oral cancer patients to identify its role as a prognostic factor in oral cancer. Materials and Methods: KLF10 immunoreactivity was analyzed by immunohistochemical (IHC) stain analysis in 286 cancer specimens from primary oral cancer patients. The prognostic value of KLF10 on overall survival was determined by Kaplan–Meier analysis and the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: High KLF10 expression was significantly associated with male gender and betel quid chewing. The 5-year survival rate was greater for patients with high KLF10 expression than for those with low KLF10 expression (62.5% vs. 51.3%, respectively; p = 0.005), and multivariate analyses showed that high KLF10 expression was the only independent factor correlated with greater overall patient survival. The significant correlation between high KLF10 expression and a higher 5-year survival rate was observed in certain subgroups of clinical parameters, including female gender, non-smokers, cancer stage T1, and cancer stage N0. Conclusions: KLF10 expression, detected by IHC staining, could be an independent prognostic marker for oral cancer patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Idika E. Okorie ◽  
Ricardo Moyo ◽  
Saralees Nadarajah

AbstractWe provide a survival analysis of cancer patients in Zimbabwe. Our results show that young cancer patients have lower but not significant hazard rate compared to old cancer patients. Male cancer patients have lower but not significant hazard rate compared to female cancer patients. Race and marital status are significant risk factors for cancer patients in Zimbabwe.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 371.1-371
Author(s):  
A. Koltakova ◽  
A. Lila ◽  
L. P. Ananyeva ◽  
A. Fedenko

Background:Pts with cancer may have MD that can be caused by neoplastic/paraneoplastic disease, rheumatic diseases or be induced by anticancer drug treatment. There is no data about MD influence on the QoL of cancer patients. The EORTC QoL questionnaire (QLQ)-C30 is a valid questionnaire designed to assess different aspects (Global health (GH), Functional (FS) and symptoms (SS) scales) that define the QoL of cancer patients [1].Objectives:The objective of the study was to assess the impact of drug induced and other types of MD on the QoL of cancer patients that received anticancer drug treatment by using of EORTC QLQ-C30 v3.0.Methods:The sampling of 123 pts (M/F – 40/83; mean age 54.4±12.8) with breast (32,5%), gastrointestinal (17%), ovary (8%), lung (7%) and other cancer was observed by rheumatologist in the oncology outpatient clinic. All pts received anticancer drug treatment: chemotherapy (104 pts), target therapy (16 pts) checkpoint-inhibitors (14 pts), hormone therapy (13 pts) in different combinations. 102(82.9%) of 123pts had MD include arthritis (12 pts), synovitis (5 pts), arthralgia (66 pts), periarthritis (34 pts), osteodynia (13 pts). There were 58 pts (group 1; M/F – 14/44; mean age 52.5±12.2) with anticancer drug treatment induced MD and 44 pts (group 2; M/F – 16/27; mean age 57.6±13.5) with other type of MD include 26 pts with skeletal metastasis. The were 21 pts (group 3; M/F – 10/11; mean age 52.9±11.1) without MD. All pts fulfilled EORTC QLQ-C30 v3.0 (tab.1).Table 1.The median [Q1;Q3] of results of GH, SS and SS of EORTC QLQ-C30ScaleSubscaleGroup1Group2Group3GH58.3[50;58]58.3[41.7;83.3]50[50;66.7]FS*Physical functioning73.3[60;86.7]73.3[66.7;86.7]86.7[80;93]Role functioning66.7[66.7;100]83.3[50;100]100[83;100]Emotional functioning83.3[66.7;100]75[66.7;91.7]91.6[83.3;100]Social functioning83.3[66.7;100]83.3[50;100]100[83.3;100]SS*Pain33.3[0;50]16.7[0;33.3]0[0;16.7]*There are only the scores that had got a statistical difference between the groups.Kruskal-Wallis H and post-hoc (Dwass-Steel-Critchlow-Fligner (DSCF) pairwise comparisons) tests for data analysis were performed.Results:A Kruskal-Wallis H test has shown a statistically significant difference in physical (χ2(2)=7.54; p=0.023), role (χ2(2)=9.87; p=0.007), emotion (χ2(2)=7.69; p=0.021) functioning and pain (χ2(2)=8.44; p=0.015) scores between the different groups. A post-hoc test with DSCF pairwise comparisons of median has shown a statistically significant difference between 1 and 3 groups (W=3.904; p=0.016) for physical functioning, between 2 and 3 groups (W=3.35; p=0.004) for role functioning, between 2 and 3 groups (W=4.03; p=0.012) for emotional functioning, between 1 and 3 groups (W=-3.97; p=0.014) for pain scale.Conclusion:The study has shown that MD associated with anticancer drug treatment adversely affected the QoL of cancer patients received anticancer drug treatment by reducing a physical functioning and by increasing pain scores. Presence of other types of MD adversely affect the QoL by reducing emotional and role functioning.References:[1]Aaronson NK,et al.The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30: a quality-of-life instrument for use in international clinical trials in oncology. J Natl Cancer Inst.1993;85(5):365-376. doi:10.1093/jnci/85.5.365Disclosure of Interests:None declared


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