Setting a Patient-Driven Agenda for Cancer Research Priorities in Geriatric Oncology: A Qualitative Study

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to explore older adults' perceptions of priorities for research in cancer and hematological malignancies and proposes an agenda of patient-driven priorities for cancer care research in the field of geriatric oncology.

DATA SOURCES

Sixteen older adults (≥65 years) living with or after a diagnosis of cancer participated in a descriptive qualitative study. Participants were purposively recruited via a regional cancer center and cancer advocacy organizations. Semistructured telephone interviews explored participants' experiences of cancer and perceptions of priorities for future cancer-related research.

CONCLUSION

Participants reported positive experiences of cancer care. However, positive and negative experiences of information, symptoms, and support both within and beyond the hospital setting were highlighted. Forty-two research priorities in six thematic areas were identified: 1) recognition of the signs and symptoms of cancer; 2) research about cancer treatment; 3) assessment and management of comorbidities; 4) unmet needs of older adults living with and after cancer; 5) impact of COVID-19; and 6) impact on caregivers and family members of people living with and after cancer.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

The results of this study provide a basis for future priority-setting activities that are culturally and contextually sensitive to health care systems, resources, and needs of older adults living with and after cancer. Based on the findings of this study, we make recommendations for the development of interventions that can build awareness, capacity, and competence in geriatric oncology among cancer care professionals and consideration of the diverse needs of older adults in the development of interventions to address unmet information and supportive care needs.

Primer in Genetics and Genomics, Article 5-Further Defining the Concepts of Genotype and Phenotype and Exploring Genotype-Phenotype Associations

As nurses begin to incorporate genetic and genomic sciences into clinical practice, education, and research, it is essential that they have a working knowledge of the terms foundational to the science. The first article in this primer series provided brief definitions of the basic terms (e.g., genetics and genomics) and introduced the concept of phenotype during the discussion of Mendelian inheritance. These terms, however, are inconsistently used in publications and conversations, and the linkage between genotype and phenotype requires clarification. The goal of this fifth article in the series is to elucidate these terms, provide an overview of the research methods used to determine genotype-phenotype associations, and discuss their significance to nursing through examples from the current nursing literature.

Functional and Morphological Parameters with Tissue Characterization of Cardiovascular Magnetic Imaging in Clinically Verified "Infarct-like Myocarditis"

PURPOSE

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has increasingly proved to be a valuable diagnostic tool for evaluating patients with suspected myocarditis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of functional and morphological parameters including tissue characterization in patients with "infarct-like myocarditis".

MATERIALS AND METHODS

43 patients with clinically verified cases of "infarct-like myocarditis" (median time to MRI scanning after admission for acute symptoms 3 days) and 35 control patients matched by age and sex were included in this retrospective case control study. In this study we used a 1.5 T MRI scanner conducting steady-state-free-precession sequences, T2-weighted imaging, T1-weighted imaging before and after contrast administration and late gadolinium enhancement sequences. According to the recommendations for CMR diagnosis of myocarditis (Lake Louise consensus criteria), a scan was positive for acute myocarditis if 2 of 3 CMR criteria were present.

RESULTS

30 % of the patients with "infarct-like myocarditis" had a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, 11 % had an increased LV end-diastolic volume index and 35 % had an increased LV mass index. The sensitivity of wall motion abnormalities was 63 % with a regional distribution in 49 %. In 47 % of cases regional wall motion abnormalities were present in the lateral left ventricular segments. Pericardial effusions were discovered in 65 % of cases with a circular appearance in 21 % and focal manifestation in 44 %. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CMR in patients with "infarct-like myocarditis" were 67 %, 100 % and 82 %, respectively. The LGE alone was the most sensitive test parameter with 86 %, providing a specificity of 100 % and accuracy of 92 %.

CONCLUSION

Our study results can be applied to the subgroup of patients with "infarct-like myocarditis", where we found that LGE alone was the most sensitive test parameter. In addition to tissue characterization, the functional and morphological analysis of patients with acute myocarditis provides a useful further diagnostic tool.

KEY POINTS

•Infarct-like myocarditis can be diagnosed by CMR with high validity and reliability. •LGE allone performed best with a sensitivity of 86 %. •Functional and morphological CMR parameters in addition to tissue characterization are useful tool in the diagnosis of acute myocarditis.

Improving practice one patient, one nurse, one day at a time: design and evaluation of a quality education workshop for oncology nurses

High-quality nursing care is not delivered consistently to the millions of Americans treated for invasive cancer in the United States. As part of its quality initiative, the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) developed and tested nursing-sensitive quality measures for breast cancer care. Findings from the pilot testing suggested significant knowledge and practice gaps that could be addressed through member education.

Development of an evidence-based, patient-centered breast cancer chemotherapy and survivorship quality measures (QM) by the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS)

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Background: QM focused on areas illustrating high-quality cancer care valued by nurses and patients are needed to complement existing measures in the ambulatory oncology setting. ONS has utilized a reproducible process for pilot testing two sets of evidence-based QM for validity and reliability in the breast cancer population, drawing on evidence from ONS Putting Evidence into Practice (PEP), Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations and other resources. Methods: The ONS Foundation supported teams of expert nurses to review evidence, draft and prioritize topic areas for potential QM. Final QM were selected after soliciting national public comment from stakeholders, and were judged on importance to clinical care, prevalence and potential for impact, scientific basis and link between process and outcome. The Joint Commission (TJC) was contracted to conduct testing, and diverse pilot sites were recruited to perform retrospective data abstraction on patient charts. The Breast Cancer Care (BCC) QM set focused on symptom management for patients receiving chemotherapy, and the Breast Cancer Survivorship (BCS) set explores needs in the first year post-treatment. TJC and ONS staff co-managed development of QM specifications, abstractor training, clinical and technical support of pilot sites, and re-abstracted 15% of 2,835 submitted cases for reliability testing. Results: QM scores were examined for gaps in care; there are clear opportunities to improve the consistency of symptom assessment and management. Symptom intensity, trajectory over time, success/failure of interventions are frequently undocumented, impacting coordination of care. Post-treatment/transition to survivorship education and resource provision as recommended by the IOM are lacking. Conclusions: Audit and feedback to practices using valid and reliable QM provide a strategy to link high-level evidence-based interventions and practice changes to improve quality cancer care. National testing across diverse practice sites illustrates a strong need to improve the consistency of symptom assessment/management and post-treatment survivorship interventions.

Medication safety in cancer clinical trials: An analysis of medication error reports at a comprehensive cancer center

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Background: Although medication errors comprise 10–25% of all medical errors, little is known concerning the occurrence or types of medication errors occurring while treating patients on a clinical trial. Therefore, we retrospectively reviewed the medication errors reported in patients enrolled on clinical trials at our center. Methods: As part of a multidisciplinary continuous quality improvement project, from January 2003 through December 2006, we collected voluntary reports of medication errors in adult and pediatric patients on clinical trials involving both oral and intravenous chemotherapy. All reports were classified prospectively regarding clinical trial involvement, severity category (A to I) per the National Coordination Council on Medical Error Reporting and Prevention, type, cause, and where in the medication use process the error occurred. Results: There were 163 reports involving patients treated on clinical trials. The most common errors were those corrected prior to reaching the patient in 68% of events (Category A&B), while 31% reached the patient but did not result in harm (Category C&D), with 1% resulting in temporary patient harm (Category E&F). The most common type of errors were prescribing (66%), improper dose (42%), and omission errors (9%). Not following an institutional procedure or the protocol was the primary cause for these errors (39%), followed by the written order (30%), and poor communication involving both the healthcare team and the patient (26%). The processes where the errors initiated were in prescribing 47%, administration 10%, dispensing 6%, and monitoring 5%. Conclusion: Medication errors do occur in clinical trials, however the majority of these are corrected prior to reaching the patient or do not result in harm. Not following an institutional procedure or the protocol was the most common cause of error. This is most likely due to the protocol procedures differing from existing standards of care. Protocol-specific education through the Centralized Education and Training Service, a shared resource within our cancer center, addresses this issue enhancing the quality and safety of clinical trials through the education and training of healthcare professionals.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Agent Orange: management of patients exposed in Vietnam

Since the Vietnam War ended in 1975, numerous studies have been conducted to determine if an association exists between Agent Orange exposure and certain disabling conditions specifically cancer. Although a definite causal relationship has not yet been established, sufficient data associate Agent Orange with certain conditions. Because of their advancing age similar to other baby boomers, Vietnam veterans are at a higher risk of developing malignancies. However, their exposure to Agent Orange also may increase their risk for cancer and other associated diseases. This article examines the latest findings of scientific research sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and discusses the importance of well-informed oncology nurses when providing care for patients with cancer exposed to Agent Orange.

Multiple myeloma: effect of daily dichloromethylene bisphosphonate on skeletal complications

In 1989, a prospective randomized multicenter study was initiated in order to determine the safety and efficacy of oral clodronate in myeloma patients. The primary objective of this long-term trial is to evaluate whether supportive clodronate is able to prevent or retard the progression of bone disease and reduce the occurrence of characteristic complications: pain, pathologic fractures, and hypercalcemia. We now report first results as an interim analysis, including data obtained from 26 patients (total number of Tübingen patients n = 36) who entered the study at the Medizinische Universitätsklinik Tübingen. Patients were randomized to receive either chemotherapy alone (melphalan 15 mg/m2 i.v. on day 1 and prednisolone 60 mg/m2 orally on days 1-4 every 4 weeks (control group) or in combination with 1600 mg clodronate/day orally as a single dose for a period of at least 1 year. Repeated radiologic examinations in addition to hematologic and biochemical analysis were performed in order to evaluate the skeletal status with respect to lytic bone lesions and osteoporosis and the course of serum M protein and light chain excretion into urine. Clodronate treatment resulted in a significant decrease of serum calcium concentrations and of biochemical indices for bone resorption. No clodronate-related toxicity or hypocalcemia was observed. In patients treated with chemotherapy alone, this effect was less marked and discontinuous. Clodronate-treated patients developed fewer progressive bone lesions (significant for lytic, not for osteoporotic lesions). No hypercalcemic episodes occurred in the clodronate-treated patients, but there were six episodes in the control group. Whereas the number of vertebral fractures was evidently less is clodronate-treated patients, three of those patients suffered from multiple fractures of long bones and ribs. All together, 12 pathologic fractures occurred in five clodronate-treated patients, whereas in the control group 23 pathologic fractures occurred in the same number of patients during the whole observation period. The final analysis of all multicenter included patients should clarify these findings. There was a significant finding that clodronate proved to have an analgesic effect.