Neutropenia Incidence: A Retrospective Analysis of Clinical Data of Cancer Patients Receiving Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy to Assess the Impact on Treatment Pathways

Introduction To describe pharmacist interventions as a result of an independent double check during cognitive order verification of outpatient parenteral anti-cancer therapy. Methods A single-center, retrospective analysis of all individual orders for outpatient, parenteral anti-cancer agents within a hematology/oncology infusion center during a 30 day period was conducted. The primary endpoint was error identification rates during first and second verification. Secondary endpoints included the type, frequency, and severity of errors identified during second verification using a modified National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention Index. Results A total of 1970 anti-cancer parenteral orders were screened, from which 1645 received an independent double check and were included. The number of errors identified during first and second verification were 30 (1.8%) and 10 (0.6%) respectively; second verification resulted in a 33.3% increase in corrected errors. The 10 errors identified during second verification included: four rate transcriptions to optimize pump interoperability, three rate and/or volume modifications, two dosage adjustments, and one treatment deferral due to toxicity. The severity was classified as Category A for four (40%), Category C for three (30%), and Category D for three (30%) errors. This correlated to a low capacity for harm for seven (70%) and a serious capacity for three (30%) errors. Conclusions Second verification of outpatient, parenteral anti-cancer medication orders resulted in a 33.3% increase in corrected errors. Three errors detected during second verification were determined to have a serious capacity for harm, supporting the value of independent double checks during pharmacist cognitive order verification.

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Impact of anti-cancer therapy on disease severity and mortality in cancer patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy ◽

10.1080/14737140.2021.1927721 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zhixian Lin ◽

Jiangfeng Chen ◽

Sunya Han

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cancer Therapy ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Disease Severity ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Anti Cancer

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Comorbidity in newly diagnosed thyroid cancer patients: a population-based study on prevalence and the impact on treatment and survival

Clinical Endocrinology ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2265.2006.02492.x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 64 (4) ◽

pp. 450-455 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Johannes L. P. Kuijpens ◽

Maryska L. G. Janssen-Heijnen ◽

Valery E. P. P. Lemmens ◽

Harm R. Haak ◽

A. Caroline Heijckmann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thyroid Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Population Based ◽

Newly Diagnosed ◽

Population Based Study ◽

Impact On Treatment ◽

The Impact

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The impact of COVID 19 pandemic on pattern of cancer mortality in Najran, Saudi Arabia: a single-cancer center experience

10.21203/rs.3.rs-305960/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ahmed M Badheeb ◽

Mohamed A Badheeb ◽

Hamdi A Alhakimi

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Cancer Treatment ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Cancer Mortality ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Anti Cancer ◽

Before And After ◽

The Difference ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: The aim of this paper is to compare the patterns and determinants of cancer mortality in Najran region before and after the COVID-19 epidemics. The association between cancer mortality and each of age, sex, site of cancer, stage, and the 30-days survival rate after the last dose of chemotherapy were assessed.Materials & Methods: Adult cancer patients who died of cancer in King Khalid Hospital in Najran Saudi Arabia, were included in this retrospective observational study. We compared mortality patterns in a period of 6 months in 2020 (March to August) with the corresponding period of 2019.Results: 50 dead adult cancer patients were included, 24 in 2019 and 26 in 2020. Among them, 21% vs 42% were younger than 65 years of age; 61% vs 62% were males, for the years 2019 & 2020 respectively. The top three killers in 2019 were colorectal, gastro-esophageal cancers, and hepatocellular carcinoma, while in 2020 were colorectal, hepatocellular carcinoma, and lymphomas. About 16.7% of patients died within 30 days of receiving anti-cancer treatment in 2019 in comparison with 7.7% in 2020. The difference in the 30-days mortality after receiving anti-cancer treatment was not statistically significant between 2019 and 2020 (p = 0.329).Conclusion: The Year 2020, the time of the COVID-19pandemic, was not associated with a significant increase in short-term mortality among patients with malignancy in Najran, Saudi Arabia. Our results generally reflect the crucial role of strict preventive national measures in saving lives and warrants further exploration.

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Clinical Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Study

Clinical Medicine Insights Oncology ◽

10.1177/11795549211043427 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

pp. 117955492110434

Author(s):

Sebastiano Buti ◽

Fabiana Perrone ◽

Teresa Zielli ◽

Giulia Mazzaschi ◽

Chiara Casartelli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Therapy ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Clinical Impact ◽

Treatment Schedule ◽

Short Term ◽

Treatment Delays ◽

Anticancer Treatment ◽

Starting Failure ◽

Oncologic Treatment ◽

The Impact

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an acute respiratory syndrome caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly spread worldwide, significantly affecting the outcome of a highly vulnerable group such as cancer patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical impact of COVID-19 infection on outcome and oncologic treatment of cancer patients. Patient and methods: We retrospectively enrolled cancer patients with laboratory and/or radiologic confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, admitted to our center from February to April 2020. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the clinical data and univariate analyses were performed to investigate the impact of anticancer treatment modifications due to COVID-19 outbreak on the short-term overall survival (OS). Results: Among 61 patients enrolled, 49 (80%) were undergoing anticancer treatment and 41 (67%) had metastatic disease. Most patients were men; median age was 68 years. Median OS was 46.6 days (40% of deaths occurred within 20 days from COVID-19 diagnosis). Among 59 patients with available data on therapeutic course, 46 experienced consequences on their anticancer treatment schedule. Interruption or a starting failure of the oncologic therapy correlated with significant shorter OS. Anticancer treatment delays did not negatively affect the OS. Lymphocytopenia development after COVID was significantly associated with worst outcome. Conclusions: COVID-19 diagnosis in cancer patients may affect their short-term OS, especially in case of interruption/starting failure of cancer therapy. Maintaining/delaying cancer therapy seems not to influence the outcome in selected patients with recent COVID-19 diagnosis.

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Effect of different modalities of treatment on the quality of life of breast cancer patients in Egypt

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal ◽

10.26719/1997.3.1.68 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 68-81

Author(s):

Fatma M. El Sharkawi ◽

Mahmoud F. Sakr ◽

Hoda Y. Atta ◽

Hafez M. Ghanem

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Cancer Therapy ◽

Adjuvant Therapy ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Breast Cancer Therapy ◽

Egyptian Women ◽

The Impact

The impact of breast cancer therapy on the quality of life [QL] of Egyptian women was studied. Patients were divided into four groups:1:mastectomy alone;2:surgery plus radiotherapy;3:surgery plus chemotherapy;and 4:triple modality. The results revealed that all the four domains of QL of women having adjuvant therapy [groups 2, 3, or 4] were significantly altered compared to those who underwent mastectomy alone. Triple modality adversely affected global QL the most compared to radiotherapy or chemotherapy;radiotherapy had significantly less effect on QL compared to chemotherapy. Triple modality predicted the worst QL. QL measures should be incorporated with the traditional end points for evaluation of treatment and patients given health education on the effects of each therapy

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Immune Responses to COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines in Patients with Solid Tumors on Active, Immunosuppressive Cancer Therapy

10.1101/2021.05.13.21257129 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rachna T Shroff ◽

Pavani Chalasani ◽

Ran Wei ◽

Daniel Pennington ◽

Grace Quirk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Therapy ◽

Immune Responses ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Fold Increase ◽

Control Cohort ◽

Tumor Patients ◽

Specific Memory ◽

Anti Cancer ◽

B Cell Subsets

Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have shown high efficacy, but immunocompromised participants were excluded from controlled clinical trials. We evaluated immune responses to the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine in solid tumor patients (n=52) on active cytotoxic anti-cancer therapy. These responses were compared to a control cohort that also received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (n=50). Using live SARS-CoV-2 assays, neutralizing antibodies were detected in 67% and 80% of cancer patients after the first and second immunizations, respectively, with a 3-fold increase in median titers after the booster. Similar trends were observed in serum antibodies against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and S2 regions of Spike protein, and in IFN𝛾+ Spike-specific T cells. The magnitude of each of these responses was diminished relative to the control cohort. We therefore quantified RBD- and Spike S1-specific memory B cell subsets as predictors of anamnestic responses to viral exposures or additional immunizations. After the second vaccination, Spike-specific plasma cell-biased memory B cells were observed in most cancer patients at levels similar to those of the control cohort after the first immunization. These data suggest that a third immunization might elevate antibody responses in cancer patients to levels seen in healthy individuals after the second dose. Trials should be conducted to test these predictions.

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