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Marks J, Sridhar A, Ai A, Kiel L, Kaufman R, Abioye O, Mantz C, Florez N. Precision Immuno-Oncology in NSCLC through Gender Equity Lenses. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1413. [PMID: 38611091 PMCID: PMC11010825 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16071413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Precision immuno-oncology involves the development of personalized cancer treatments that are influenced by the unique nature of an individual's DNA, immune cells, and their tumor's molecular characterization. Biological sex influences immunity; females typically mount stronger innate and adaptive immune responses than males. Though more research is warranted, we continue to observe an enhanced benefit for females with lung cancer when treated with combination chemoimmunotherapy in contrast to the preferred approach of utilizing immunotherapy alone in men. Despite the observed sex differences in response to treatments, women remain underrepresented in oncology clinical trials, largely as a result of gender-biased misconceptions. Such exclusion has resulted in the development of less efficacious treatment guidelines and clinical recommendations and has created a knowledge gap in regard to immunotherapy-related survivorship issues such as fertility. To develop a more precise approach to care and overcome the exclusion of women from clinical trials, flexible trial schedules, multilingual communication strategies, financial, and transportation assistance for participants should be adopted. The impact of intersectionality and other determinants of health that affect the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes in women must also be considered in order to develop a comprehensive understanding of the unique impact of immunotherapy in all women with lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Marks
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA;
| | | | - Angela Ai
- Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
| | - Lauren Kiel
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (L.K.); (R.K.); (O.A.); (C.M.)
| | - Rebekah Kaufman
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (L.K.); (R.K.); (O.A.); (C.M.)
| | - Oyepeju Abioye
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (L.K.); (R.K.); (O.A.); (C.M.)
| | - Courtney Mantz
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (L.K.); (R.K.); (O.A.); (C.M.)
| | - Narjust Florez
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (L.K.); (R.K.); (O.A.); (C.M.)
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Degu A, Karimi PN, Opanga SA, Nyamu DG. Drug-related problems among esophageal, gastric and colorectal cancer patients at the National and referral hospital in Kenya. J Oncol Pharm Pract 2024; 30:493-506. [PMID: 37272031 DOI: 10.1177/10781552231178297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cancer therapy has remarkable potential for drug-related problems due to the high cytotoxicity and narrow therapeutic index of most anti-neoplastic regimens. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on drug-related problems in patients with gastrointestinal cancer in Kenya. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence, types and predictors of drug-related problems among gastrointestinal cancer patients at Kenyatta National Hospital. METHODS A cross-sectional study was used to assess the prevalence of drug-related problems among a random sample of 160 esophageal, 103 gastric, and 96 colorectal cancer patients. Data were collected using a researcher-administered questionnaire and data abstraction tool after training the data collectors. Patient-specific details such as socio-demographic features, histological cancer types, cancer stage, comorbidity types, and treatment regimen were recorded after the review of medical records and patient interviews. The potential of drug-related problems was determined as per the standard guidelines. The data were entered and analysed using version 26.0 SPSS statistical software. RESULTS Most esophageal (51.9%), gastric (59.2%), and colorectal (62.5%) cancer patients had a high prevalence of drug-related problems. The need for additional drug therapy and adverse drug reactions were the predominant categories of drug-related problems. Most adverse drug reactions identified had possible categories of causality score, mild severity levels, and definitely preventable types of adverse drug reactions among all gastrointestinal cancer patients. Comorbidity and advanced-stage disease were significant predictors of drug-related problems. CONCLUSIONS Drug-related problems were prevalent among gastrointestinal cancer patients in our setting. Comorbidity and advanced stages of disease were significant predictors of drug-related problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amsalu Degu
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, United States International University-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Peter N Karimi
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Sylvia A Opanga
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - David G Nyamu
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
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Florez N, Kiel L, Riano I, Patel S, DeCarli K, Dhawan N, Franco I, Odai-Afotey A, Meza K, Swami N, Patel J, Sequist LV. Lung Cancer in Women: The Past, Present, and Future. Clin Lung Cancer 2024; 25:1-8. [PMID: 37940410 DOI: 10.1016/j.cllc.2023.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women in multiple countries including the United States. Women are exposed to unique risk factors that remain largely understudied such as indoor pollution, second-hand tobacco exposure, biological differences, gender differences in tolerability and response to therapy in lung cancer, and societal gender roles, that create distinct survivorship needs. Women continue to lack representation in lung cancer clinical trials and are typically treated with data generated from majority male patient study populations, which may be inappropriate to extrapolate and generalize to females. Current lung cancer treatment and screening guidelines do not incorporate sex-specific differences and physicians also often do not account for gender differences when choosing treatments or discussing survivorship needs. To best provide targeted treatment approaches, greater representation of women in lung cancer clinical trials and further research is necessary. Clinicians should understand the unique factors and consequences associated with lung cancer in women; thus, a holistic approach that acknowledges environmental and societal factors is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narjust Florez
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
| | | | - Ivy Riano
- Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH
| | - Shruti Patel
- Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Kathryn DeCarli
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI
| | - Natasha Dhawan
- Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Dartmouth Cancer Center, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH
| | - Ivy Franco
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | | | - Kelly Meza
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | - Nishwant Swami
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | | | - Lecia V Sequist
- Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Abushanab D, Gulied A, Hamad A, Abu-Tineh M, Abdul Rouf PV, Al Hail M, El-Kassem W, El Hajj MS, Al-Badriyeh D. Cost savings and cost avoidance with the inpatient clinical pharmacist interventions in a tertiary cancer care hospital. J Oncol Pharm Pract 2023; 29:1935-1943. [PMID: 36946146 DOI: 10.1177/10781552231160275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The economic benefit of the clinical pharmacist's role in ensuring the optimum use of medicines is potentially considerable, particularly when it comes to cancer management. We sought to evaluate the overall economic impact of clinical pharmacist interventions in the main cancer setting in Qatar. METHODS The total economic benefit of the clinical pharmacy interventions were analyzed from the public hospital perspective. Patient records in March 2018, July/August 2018, and January 2019 were retrospectively reviewed at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Qatar. The total benefit from interventions was the total cost avoidance due to preventable adverse drug events plus any cost savings associated with therapeutic-based resource use. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the results' robustness and increased generalizability. RESULTS A total of 1352 interventions based on 281 patients were analyzed. The majority of the drug-related problems were related to the appropriateness of therapy, followed by dosing and administration. The total population benefit over the 3-months study period was QAR 4,879,185 (USD 1,336,763), constituting cost avoidance of QAR 4,234,012 (USD 1,160,003) and negative resource-use cost savings of -QAR 645,174 (-USD 176,760). Projected annual overall benefit was QAR 14,355,354 (USD 3,932,974). The increase in resource use with therapies was mostly because of the addition of other medications. Cost avoidance was mostly driven by recommending additional medications and discontinuation of medications. The uncertainty analysis demonstrated the robustness of outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The clinical pharmacist intervention increased resource use and its cost. In overall, however, taking avoided cost of adverse drug events in consideration, it is an economically beneficial practice in the National Center for Cancer Care and Research setting, associated with adverse drug events prevention and substantial economic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Abushanab
- Pharmacy Department, Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar
| | - Amaal Gulied
- Pharmacy Department, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar
| | - Anas Hamad
- Pharmacy Department, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar
| | - Mohammad Abu-Tineh
- Department of Medical Oncology-Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Section, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar
| | - Palli V Abdul Rouf
- Pharmacy Department, Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar
| | - Moza Al Hail
- Pharmacy Department, Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar
| | - Wessam El-Kassem
- Pharmacy Department, Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar
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Du R, Yang H, Zhu J, Zhou H, Ma L, Amare Getu M, Chen C, Wang T. Experience of patients with lung cancer and with targeted therapy-related skin adverse drug reactions: A qualitative study. Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs 2022; 9:100115. [PMID: 36118625 PMCID: PMC9479359 DOI: 10.1016/j.apjon.2022.100115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To explore the experience of non-small-cell lung cancer patients with targeted therapy-related skin adverse drug reactions. Methods This is a descriptive quantitative study conducted in a comprehensive hospital in Henan, China. Purposive sampling was used to recruit patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and with targeted therapy-related skin adverse drug reactions. In total, 23 patients were approached when the data were saturated. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by an independent researcher using a semi-structured interview guide. Interview data were transcribed and analyzed by qualitative inductive content analysis. Results Based on the analysis, four main categories were identified according to patients' descriptions of their experience: a lack of self-management ability, psychological and emotional problems, a barrier to social participation, and a need for social support. Suffering from persistent symptoms, insufficient knowledge, skills and strategies for skin adverse drug reaction management, psychological problems, social avoidance/withdrawal, and reduced willingness to work were core experiences that would affect patients' compliance with treatment, prognosis, and the overall quality of life. Conclusions This study revealed the real experience of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and with targeted therapy-related skin adverse drug reactions which contributed to the development of targeted interventions to manage skin adverse reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruofei Du
- College of Nursing and Health of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Department of Quality Control, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Academy of Medical Sciences of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Huashan Yang
- College of Nursing and Health of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jizhe Zhu
- College of Nursing and Health of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Huiyue Zhou
- College of Nursing and Health of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lixia Ma
- School of Statistics, Henan University of Economics and Law, Zhengzhou, China
| | | | - Changying Chen
- Department of Quality Control, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Tao Wang
- College of Nursing and Health of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, Australia
- Medical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- People’s Hospital of Hebi, Shijiazhuang, China
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