Impact of a Hematologic Malignancy Diagnosis and Treatment on Patients and Their Family Caregivers

OBJECTIVES

Hematologic malignancies (HMs) are life-threatening cancers that frequently entail aggressive, long, inpatient treatment protocols. This can result in numerous concurrent symptoms and decreased quality of life for patients and can affect family caregivers (FCs). This study examined the impact of an HM diagnosis on patients and on their FCs.

SAMPLE & SETTING

A descriptive design was used to explore the experiences of 28 newly diagnosed patients and their FCs. All patients were receiving treatment on an inpatient acute oncology unit at a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center.

METHODS & VARIABLES

Semistructured, separate interviews with patients and FCs were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Textual and content analyses were conducted to generate common themes.

RESULTS

Patients and FCs reported how diagnosis and treatment affected them physically, emotionally, logistically, and financially. They described the effects of their experiences with the health system and providers in areas such as diagnostic process, trust in the medical team, support needs, and hospitalization.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

Understanding the parallel experiences of patients with HMs and their designated FCs allows researchers to develop targeted interventions and enables clinicians to provide personalized patient- and family-centered care.

Prognostic value of sequential 18F-FDG + Na18F PET/CT (NaF+FDG PET) in metastatic genitourinary (GU) cancer patients (pts) treated with cabozantinib/nivolumab +/- ipilimumab (CaboNivoIpi)

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Background: NaF+FDG PET imaging are used to assess soft tissue and bone metastases. The prognostic value of NaF+FDG PET in GU cancer pts was assessed as a secondary endpoint within a phase I trial of combination CaboNivoIpi. Methods: NaF+FDG PET scans were collected at baseline and cycle (C)3 day (D)1 for 50pts. Up to 50 lesions/patient were analyzed at baseline, up to 10 lesions/organ in case of extensive disease. Lesion number and whole-body metabolic tumor volume (wMTV) were recorded at baseline, C3D1 and percent change for FDG and NaF scans. Whole-body total lesion glycolysis (wTLG) and its percent change was obtained for FDG scans. Parameters were evaluated with respect to OS using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank, with quartiles, then refined to show strongest distinction, adjusting p-values to account for this exploration. Parameters with strongest OS association were also analyzed for associations with OS in urothelial carcinoma (UC) pts. Results: 50 pts, (UC (n = 20); others (renal cell, prostate, urachal/adenocarcinoma, germ cell, penile, bladder squamous cell (n = 2-7 each)). Median (m) overall survival (OS) was 23.9 months (mo) (95% CI: 13.7mo – NE) with 29.7mo m potential follow up and mOS of 24.7mo (95% CI: 13.7mo-NE) for UC. For FDG in all pts, wMTV: baseline ≤ vs > 51.6, mOS (NR vs 10mo, p = .0006), C3D1 ≤ vs > 85 mOS (25.9mo vs 5.1mo, p = .0001), percent change (0/increase vs decrease, mOS 14mo vs 25.9mo, p = .015); wTLG: baseline ≤ vs > 178, mOS (NR vs 11.5mo, p = .011), C3D1 ≤ vs > 300, mOS (25.9mo vs 8.3mo, p < .0001), percent change decrease vs increase, mOS (25.9mo vs 14.0mo, p = .016); and lesion number: baseline ≤ vs > 13, mOS (25.9mo vs 9.9mo, p = .0090), C3D1 ≤ vs > 13 mOS (25.9mo vs 9.9mo, p < .0001) significantly predicted OS. In UC pts, wMTV percent change (0/increase vs decrease, mOS 14mo vs. 25.9mo, p = .057), wTLG percent change decrease vs increase, mOS (NR vs 8.4mo, p = .0015), and lesion number C3D1 ≤ vs > 13 mOS (25.9mo vs 2.8mo, p = .022) significantly predicted OS. NaF parameters failed to do so. Conclusions: FDG wMTV and wTLG at baseline, C3D1, and percent change and lesion number at baseline and C3D1, predicted OS in GU cancer pts on CaboNivoIpi. Clinical trial information: NCT02496208.

Alliance A031501: Phase III randomized adjuvant study of MK-3475 (pembrolizumab) in muscle-invasive and locally advanced urothelial carcinoma (MIBC) (AMBASSADOR) versus observation

TPS504

Background: Patients with high-risk MIBC have a poor prognosis. Radical cystectomy remains the standard treatment. Yet despite substantial improvements in surgical techniques, mortality from metastatic recurrence remains high. A large number of MIBC patients are ineligible for cisplatin-based chemotherapy or have persistent muscle-invasive disease despite neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Pembrolizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, has demonstrated significant activity and is FDA-approved for patients with advanced/chemotherapy-refractory metastatic urothelial carcinoma. We hypothesize that pembrolizumab given post-cystectomy will improve overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with high-risk MIBC. Methods: Patients must have histologically confirmed muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder or upper tract, have received NAC and have ≥ pT2 and/or pN+ at surgery or be cisplatin-ineligible and have ≥ pT3 and/or pN+ at surgery or have declined adjuvant cisplatin-based therapy and have ≥ pT3 and/or pN+ at surgery. Surgery could be radical cystectomy, nephrectomy, or ureterectomy. Patients are stratified by pathologic stage, central PD-L1 status, and prior NAC. Patients are randomized to receive pembrolizumab 240 mg every 3 weeks for 1 year, or observation. The dual primary objectives are to determine DFS and OS. Secondary objectives are to determine DFS and OS in PD-L1-positive and -negative patients and assess safety. Correlative objectives are to determine whether 12 immune gene signatures, tumor molecular subtypes, diversity of T-cell receptor (TCR) clonotypes, persistence of TCR clonotypes, tumor and neoantigen burden, HLA subtypes, and plasma HGF and VEGF levels with IL-10 and IL-17 are associated with OS and DFS. Quality of Life Correlative objectives are to compare health-related quality of life as assessed by the EORTC QLQ-C30. Clinical trial information: NCT03244384.

Circulating tumor cell (CTC) enumeration in patients (pts) with metastatic genitourinary (mGU) tumors treated in a phase I study of cabozantinib and nivolumab (CaboNivo) +/- ipilimumab (CaboNivoIpi)

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Background: CTCs may serve as biomarkers for clinical outcomes in GU tumor pts. We examined the association between baseline CTC enumeration, change in CTC enumeration post treatment, progression-free-survival, overall survival and response to therapy with combination CaboNivo or CaboNivoIpi. Methods: 128 samples from 52 pts with mGU tumors treated with CaboNivo (38 pts) or CaboNivoIpi (14 pts) were drawn at baseline, cycle (C) 2 Day (D) 1, and C3D1 and processed with Epic Sciences platform. CTCs were defined as cytokeratin (CK)+, CD45-, distinct morphology, intact nucleus. PD-L1 expression was assessed. Results: From 07/20/2016-09/01/2018, 52 pts were treated for metastatic [urothelial carcinoma (UC) N = 33; UC plasmacytoid N = 1; clear cell renal cell carcinoma N = 4; bladder adenocarcinoma (BAC) N = 8; bladder squamous cell carcinoma N = 2; bladder small cell carcinoma N = 2; renal medullary carcinoma N = 2]. Median age was 61.5 years (range 20-82); 35 (67%) were male; N = 37(71%) had visceral involvement, N = 15(29%) had liver involvement, N = 11(21%) had bone involvement. CTCs were found in the peripheral blood of 39 (75%) pts, 1 pt (BAC) had PDL1+ CTCs at baseline. Median CTC/mL at C1D1, C2D1, C3D1, were 0.5 (0-357.1), 0.4 (0-71.8), and 0.75 (0-18), respectively. Median (lower and upper quartile) CTCs in pts with complete or partial responses (responders) vs stable or progressive disease (non-responders) were: 0.0 (0 to 5.40) vs 0.7 (0 to 2.5) at baseline; -0.35 (-3.65 to 0) vs 0 (-2 to 1.7) change from baseline to C2D1; and 0 (-5.4 to 0.5) vs 0 (-0.9 to 0.65) change from baseline to C3D1 (all p > 0.15). CTC counts of > 2 and > 4 at C2D1 were potentially associated with shorter OS (p = 0.071 and p = 0.045 without adjustment for multiple cutoffs for evaluation). PFS results exhibited similar trends. Conclusions: CTC were detected in pts with mGU tumors treated with CaboNivo and CaboNivoIpi. CTC values were lower in responders than in non-responders. On treatment lower CTCs were associated with better clinical outcomes. Ongoing analyses with the CTCs include cell morphology and heterogeneity, single cell genomics, and T-cell populations.

A virtual environment for the treatment of chronic combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most disabling psychopathological conditions affecting the veteran population. An estimated 830,000 U.S. veterans currently have symptoms of chronic combat-related PTSD. No therapeutic approach has proven to be consistently effective in the management of combat-related PTSD. Behavior therapies with an exposure element have proven more effective than most other types of treatment, but a significant number of patients do not seem to benefit from them, possibly because of difficulties imagining, visualizing, or describing their traumatic experiences. In this article, we describe Virtual Vietnam, a set of two virtual environments we have developed for the treatment of combat-related PTSD, and its use as one component of a comprehensive treatment program.

Virtual reality exposure therapy for Vietnam veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder

BACKGROUND

Virtual reality (VR) integrates real-time computer graphics, body-tracking devices, visual displays, and other sensory input devices to immerse a participant in a computer-generated virtual environment that changes in a natural way with head and body motion. VR exposure (VRE) is proposed as an alternative to typical imaginal exposure treatment for Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

METHOD

This report presents the results of an open clinical trial using VRE to treat Vietnam combat veterans who have DSM-IV PTSD. In 8 to 16 sessions, 10 male patients were exposed to 2 virtual environments: a virtual Huey helicopter flying over a virtual Vietnam and a clearing surrounded by jungle.

RESULTS

Clinician-rated PTSD symptoms as measured by the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale, the primary outcome measure, at 6-month follow-up indicated an overall statistically significant reduction from baseline (p = .0021) in symptoms associated with specific reported traumatic experiences. All 8 participants interviewed at the 6-month follow-up reported reductions in PTSD symptoms ranging from 15% to 67%. Significant decreases were seen in all 3 symptom clusters (p < .02). Patient self-reported intrusion symptoms as measured by the Impact of Event Scale were significantly lower (p < .05) at 3 months than at baseline but not at 6 months, although there was a clear trend toward fewer intrusive thoughts and somewhat less avoidance.

CONCLUSION

Virtual reality exposure therapy holds promise for treating PTSD in Vietnam veterans.

Reproductive and sexual health benefits in private health insurance plans in Washington State

CONTEXT

Although unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are considerable problems in the United States, private health insurance plans are inconsistent in their coverage of reproductive and sexual health services needed to address these problems.

METHODS

A survey administered to a market-representative sample of 12 health insurance carriers in Washington State assessed benefit coverage for gynecologic services, maternity services, contraceptive services, pregnancy termination, infertility services, reproductive cancer screening, STD services, HIV and AIDS services, and sterilization, as well as for the existence of confidentiality policies. "Core" services in each category were defined based on U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and other recommendations.

RESULTS

Of the 91 top-selling plans on which data were collected, 8% were indemnity plans, 14% were point-of-service plans, 21% were preferred-provider organization plans and 57% were health maintenance organization (HMO)-type products; they had a combined enrollment of 1.4 million individuals. Coverage of core services varied widely by type of plan. While a high proportion of plans covered core gynecologic, maternity, reproductive cancer screening, STD and HIV and AIDS services, nearly half of plans did not cover any kind of contraceptive method. Approximately 13% of female enrollees did not have core coverage for gyneco!ogic services, 19% for matemity services, 75% for contraception, 37% for sterilization and 53% for pregnancy termination; 98% of women and men were not covered for infertility treatment. Most carriers did not have specific policies for maintaining privacy of sensitive health information. Overall, benefit coverage was lower for indemnity, preferred-provider organization and HMO plans in Washington State than has previously been seen nationally.

CONCLUSIONS

A sizable proportion of women and men in Washington State who rely on private-sector health insurance lack comprehensive coverage for key reproductive and sexual health services.

Virtual reality exposure therapy for PTSD Vietnam Veterans: a case study

Virtual reality (VR) integrates real-time computer graphics, body tracking devices, visual displays, and other sensory input devices to immerse a participant in a computer-generated virtual environment that changes in a natural way with head and body motion. VR exposure (VRE) is proposed as an alternative to typical imaginal exposure treatment for Vietnam combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This report presents the results of the first Vietnam combat veteran with PTSD to have been treated with VRE. The patient was exposed to two virtual environments, a virtual Huey helicopter flying over a virtual Vietnam and a clearing surrounded by jungle. The patient experienced a 34% decrease on clinician-rated PTSD and a 45% decrease on self-rated PTSD. Treatment gains were maintained at 6-month follow-up.

Regarding the database for the Peniston alpha-theta EEG biofeedback protocol

Five papers by Peniston and colleagues, which constitute the basic literature for alpha-theta EEG biofeedback treatment for alcoholism and posttraumatic stress disorder, are reviewed. As a result, we raise three questions: (a) Are the samples studied independent? (b) What was the clinical status of the participants prior to treatment? (c) What treatment did the participants actually receive? In seeking answers to these questions we aim to strengthen the database for neurofeedback with specific procedural information so that claims of efficacy can be tested and accepted or rejected on an objective basis.

Differences in baseline EEG measures for ADD and normally achieving preadolescent males

This study was designed as a replication of previous studies describing dynamic EEG differences between behaviorally dissimilar groups. This study is intended as a reference point from which other researchers can continue to establish the EEG correlates of "on-task" behavior. Eight Attention Deficit Disordered (ADD) children and eight Normally Achieving Controls (NAC) were assessed using dynamic EEG measures. Results are reported for the tasks of baseline (eyes open), reading, and drawing as recorded from FZ, CZ, PZ, C3, and C4. Significant amplitude differences between the groups were demonstrated in the theta band (4-8 hertz) during all tasks and for all sites. Amplitude differences in the beta band (12-20 hertz) were negligible. Differences between groups expressed as a ratio of theta/beta revealed significant differences mainly in the parietal region for on-task conditions. These results are discussed in relation to EEG neuro-feedback training paradigms and the importance of establishing normative "on-task" EEG values.