scholarly journals Factors affecting radiotherapy prescribing patterns in the post-mastectomy setting

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 146 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.A. Koulis ◽  
A. Dang ◽  
C. Speers ◽  
R.A. Olson

Background Radiation therapy (rt) after mastectomy for breast cancer can improve survival outcomes, but has been associated with inferior cosmesis after breast reconstruction. In the literature, rt dose and fractionation schedules are inconsistently reported. We sought to determine the pattern of rt prescribing practices in a provincial rt program for patients treated with mastectomy and reconstruction.Methods Women diagnosed with stages 0–iii breast cancer between January 2012 and December 2013 and treated with curative-intent rt were identified from a clinicopathology database. Patient demographic, tumour, and treatment information were extracted. Of the identified patients, those undergoing mastectomy were the focus of the present analysis.Results Of 4016 patients identified, 1143 (28%) underwent mastectomy. The patients treated with mastectomy had a median age of 57 years, and 37% of them underwent reconstruction. Treatment with more than 16 fractions of rt was associated with autologous reconstruction [odds ratio (or): 37.2; 95% confidence interval (ci): 11.2 to 123.7; p < 0.001], implant reconstruction (or: 93.3; 95% ci: 45.3 to 192.2; p < 0.001), and treating centre. Hypofractionated treatment was associated with older age (or: 0.94; 95% ci: 0.92 to 0.96; p < 0.001), and living more than 400 km from a treatment centre (or: 0.37; 95% ci: 0.16 to 0.86; p = 0.02).Conclusions Prescribing practices in breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy are influenced by reconstruction intent, age, nodal status, and distance from the treatment centre. Those factors should be considered when making treatment decisions.

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 543-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soo Jung Hong ◽  
Barbara Biesecker ◽  
Jennifer Ivanovich ◽  
Melody Goodman ◽  
Kimberly A. Kaphingst

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18687-e18687
Author(s):  
Maya Leiva ◽  
Angela Pennisi ◽  
Kathleen Kiernan Harnden ◽  
Patricia Conrad Rizzo ◽  
Lauren Ann Mauro

e18687 Background: The long-acting injectable G-CSF, pegfilgrastim and its biosimilars have historically been given to patients 24 hours following the administration of myelosuppressive chemotherapy for either primary or secondary prophylaxis of febrile neutropenia (FN). Previous literature has indicated that pegfilgrastim administration prior to 24 hours post chemotherapy, may result in a deepened and prolonged neutropenia due to the increase in circulating granulocytes exposed to chemotherapy. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and to reduce potential SAR-CoV-2 exposure to cancer patients on therapy, we implemented same day administration of injectable pegfilgrastim-cbqv among select breast cancer patients receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy regimens from March 2020 – February 2021. Methods: Utilizing retrospective EHR chart reviews, 55 patients among 4 medical oncologists in our breast cancer group were identified as meeting the criteria of same day pegfilgrastim-cbqv administration. Inclusion was based on completion of at least 2 consecutive cycles of same day pegfilgrastim-cbqv 6 mg subcutaneous injection for primary or secondary prophylaxis. The selected patient charts were reviewed for the incidence and severity of FN. Among the patients who had documented FN, further subgroup analyses were done regarding baseline characteristics, timing of neutropenia, regimens, regimen sequence, and reported ADRs associated with pegfilgrastim-cbqv. Results: 9 (16.4%) of the 55 patients experienced FN (Grades 3-4) and 6 (10.9%) patients were hospitalized. There were no Grade 5 events and none had therapy discontinued due to FN. 8 (88.9%) of the patients experienced FN between cycles 1 and 2. Of note, there were no cases of COVID-19 among the 9 patients who had an episode of FN. 52 (94.5%) of the 55 patients received treatment with curative intent and 3 (5.5%) had metastatic disease on a subsequent line of therapy. The median age was 49.1 years (range 29-71) and patients were 56.4% Caucasian, 18.1% Black or African American, 12.7% Asian, and 12.7% Hispanic/Latina. Conclusions: Based on the retrospective data analysis, same day pegfilgrastim-cbqv appears to be a safe and effective option in the primary and secondary prophylaxis of FN with myelosuppressive standard of care chemotherapy used in breast cancer treatment. Though our review was limited by a relatively small sample size and confined to younger (49.1 median age) breast cancer patients, this opens the door to further re-evaluation of same day pegfilgrastim-cbqv administration in other patient populations. In a post pandemic treatment world, this slight change in practice has the potential to reduce patient financial toxicity associated with multiple medical visits, provide an alternative to on-body injector formulations, and ensure treatment adherence.


2021 ◽  
pp. 000313482110547
Author(s):  
Anees B. Chagpar ◽  
Marissa Howard-McNatt ◽  
Akiko Chiba ◽  
Edward A. Levine ◽  
Jennifer S. Gass ◽  
...  

Background We sought to determine factors affecting time to surgery (TTS) to identify potential modifiable factors to improve timeliness of care. Methods Patients with clinical stage 0-3 breast cancer undergoing partial mastectomy in 2 clinical trials, conducted in ten centers across the US, were analyzed. No preoperative workup was mandated by the study; those receiving neoadjuvant therapy were excluded. Results The median TTS among the 583 patients in this cohort was 34 days (range: 1-289). Patient age, race, tumor palpability, and genomic subtype did not influence timeliness of care defined as TTS ≤30 days. Hispanic patients less likely to have a TTS ≤30 days ( P = .001). There was significant variation in TTS by surgeon ( P < .001); those practicing in an academic center more likely to have TTS ≤30 days than those in a community setting (55.1% vs 19.3%, P < .001). Patients who had a preoperative ultrasound had a similar TTS to those who did not (TTS ≤30 days 41.9% vs 51.9%, respectively, P = .109), but those who had a preoperative MRI had a significantly increased TTS (TTS ≤30 days 25.0% vs 50.9%, P < .001). On multivariate analysis, patient ethnicity was no longer significantly associated with TTS ≤30 ( P = .150). Rather, use of MRI (OR: .438; 95% CI: .287-.668, P < .001) and community practice type (OR: .324; 95% CI: .194-.541, P < .001) remained independent predictors of lower likelihood of TTS ≤30 days. Conclusions Preoperative MRI significantly increases time to surgery; surgeons should consider this in deciding on its use.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 719-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Floortje K. Ploos van Amstel ◽  
Marlies E. W. J. Peters ◽  
Rogier Donders ◽  
Margrethe S. Schlooz‐Vries ◽  
Lenny J. M. Polman ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 29 (27_suppl) ◽  
pp. 24-24
Author(s):  
L. B. Cornwell ◽  
K. McMasters ◽  
A. B. Chagpar

24 Background: Lymphatic and/or vascular invasion (LVI) is not uniformly reported in breast cancer tumors, and may be absent even in LN+ patients. The purpose of this study was to define factors associated with (a) the non-reporting of LVI, and (b) the finding of no LVI in LN+ patients. Methods: Data from 400 LN+ patients from a cohort of patients in a prospective multicenter study were reviewed. Institutional and clinicopathologic factors correlating with the reporting and finding of LVI were assessed using non-parametric statistical analysis. Results: Of the 400 LN+ patients in this cohort, LVI was not reported in 98 (24.5%) patients. Of the remaining 302 patients, LVI was reported as negative in 147 (48.7%). LVI was more often reported in later years (84.9% in 2001-2004 vs. 67.9% in 1997-2000, p<0.001). The reporting of LVI did not vary significantly by region, teaching affiliation, community size, or the surgeon’s proportion of breast practice or number of cases. Further, reporting of LVI was not associated with surgery type, patient age, number of positive nodes, size of largest metastasis, nor extracapsular extension. LVI was, however, more frequently reported in larger tumors (median tumor size 2.0 cm vs. 1.8 cm, p=0.030). Despite the finding that LVI was more frequently reported in later years, the proportion of patients found to have LVI did not vary by year (53.3% in 2001-2004 vs. 49.3% in 1997-2000, p=0.565), region, teaching affiliation, community size, or surgeon practice. LVI positivity was associated with younger age (median age 53 vs. 60, p=0.001), larger tumors (median size 2.5 vs. 1.8 cm, p<0.001), more positive lymph nodes (median 2.5 vs. 1, p<0.001), more macrometastases (58.7% vs. 36.5%, p=0.002), and more extracapsular extension (70.3% vs. 46.0%, p=0.001). Conclusions: Reporting of LVI has improved in recent years, and while the rate of LVI positivity has not changed in LN+ patients, it remains associated with poor prognostic factors in this cohort. Therefore, reporting of LVI should be encouraged as a standard part of synoptic pathology reports for breast cancer patients, regardless of lymph node status.


2012 ◽  
Vol 30 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 6081-6081
Author(s):  
Steven F. Abboud ◽  
Emad S. Allam ◽  
Julie A. Margenthaler ◽  
Ling Chen ◽  
Katherine S. Virgo ◽  
...  

6081 Background: Breast carcinoma is a large health care concern for patients, physicians, and society. 2.5 million women have been treated for breast cancer and are candidates for surveillance in the US. We have documented dramatic variation in post-treatment surveillance strategies utilized by ASCO experts caring for such patients. Since it is often asserted that younger physicians order more tests than older physicians, we sought to measure the effect of clinician age on post-treatment surveillance intensity for breast cancer patients by analyzing a recent survey of ASCO members. Methods: We surveyed the 3245 ASCO members who indicated that breast cancer treatment was a major focus of their practice. 4 succinct clinical vignettes describing generally healthy women with breast cancer of varying prognoses and a menu of 12 surveillance modalities were offered. The menu was chosen after a literature search indicated that no other surveillance tests were commonly used. We analyzed data from one of the 4 idealized vignettes only (the patient with TNM IIA carcinoma) and stratified responses by clinician age. Practice patterns were compared by years after completion of training (0-10, 11-20, 21-30, 30-40, >40 years), a surrogate measure of physician age. Statistical analysis employed ANOVA. Results: There were 1012 responses; 915 were evaluable. Statistically significant differences were observed across age strata for CBC, liver function tests (LFTs), and serum CEA level only. For example, ASCO clinicians in practice for 0-10 years after completion of training recommended CBCs 1.3 + 1.4 (mean + SD) times in year 1. Those > 40 years after completion of training recommended CBCs 2.4 + 1.3 times in year 1 (p<0.001). Conclusions: Younger physicians recommend statistically significantly fewer CBCs, LFTs, and serum CEA levels during post-treatment surveillance than older physicians. However, the magnitude of the difference is clinically small for all 3 modalities and does not explain the known overall variation in surveillance practice among clinically active experts.


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