Differing Experiences of Nutrition Care During Treatment Among Oncology Nurses, Providers, and Patients.

BACKGROUND: Provision of nutrition care for patients with cancer represents a key component of holistic oncology care. However, information is limited about the use and perceptions of registered dietitian-led nutrition care in the oncology setting. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to better understand the experiences and expectations of patients and healthcare workers regarding nutrition care during outpatient cancer treatment. METHODS: Oncology care team members (N = 55) and patients (N = 90) completed a survey about their knowledge of and interest in nutrition care. A subset of participants completed semistructured interviews to capture experiences with and perspectives on nutrition care practices. FINDINGS: The majority of patients (n = 73) reported experiencing at least one nutrition impact symptom, but only 14 indicated that they frequently discussed nutrition during provider visits. In addition, 40 oncology care team members indicated frequently discussing nutrition at visits, although 13 were unaware of local nutrition resources.

"Care needs to be integrated" Patient and provider perspectives on a cancer shared-care model.

PURPOSE: Current early-stage breast and gynecological cancer care models often begin with a referral from a primary care provider (PCP) or gynecologist (OB/Gyn) and end with a patient being transitioned back to the referring provider at the completion of treatment. There is frequently little communication between oncologists and the referring provider during treatment, and this pattern continues after the patient completes their treatment. METHODS: We convened a diverse Patient Advisory Board (PAB) to identify areas where breast or gynecological cancer patients felt they could benefit from additional support during and after their cancer care. PAB members attended five Zoom meetings and completed four online surveys. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with primary care or OB/Gyn physicians to collect information on current practices. RESULTS: Patients identified multiple areas in which they needed additional support from their PCP. Providers also identified topics on which they could use additional training. However, there was little overlap between patient and provider priority topics. Both patients and providers agreed that there was inadequate communication between the cancer center and PCPs before, during, and after cancer treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A shared-care model that emphasizes communication between primary care providers, the oncology care team, and patients is urgently needed. Patients indicated the need for additional support from their PCP on specific topics, and PCPs were interested in continuing their education to better serve their patients with cancer. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: The importance of consistent communication among all parties during the entire cancer journey was emphasized as a key area for improvement.

"Did I get into the twilight zone somehow?": sexual and gender minority cancer caregiver experiences during COVID.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for cancer patients and caregivers. Little is known about the confluence of the pandemic and people with multiple marginalized identities, such as those in the Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) community. METHODS: We conducted a mixed-methods pilot study using semi-structured interviews to elicit experiences of cancer among a diverse population of SGM patients and caregivers and a matched set of cisgender heterosexual (cishet) individuals. Here, we present qualitative findings focused on caregiver experiences as ascertained from the broader study. RESULTS: We discovered differences between SGM and cishet caregiving experiences, with SGM caregivers reporting less comfort in the cancer center environment; dissatisfaction with patient-provider communication; feeling excluded from their loved ones' care; and increased social isolation resulting from the caregiver experience. SGM and cishet caregivers described the detrimental impact of the pandemic. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest SGM caregivers experience additional burdens to cancer caregiving when compared to cishet peers. Although SGM and cishet caregivers reported challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges appeared greater and more acute for SGM caregivers. Pandemic-related findings point to overall gaps in SGM cancer caregiver supports that may be remedied by additional research and targeted intervention development.

Food Insecurity and Forgone Medical Care Among Cancer Survivors.

PURPOSE: Financial hardship is increasingly understood as a negative consequence of cancer and its treatment. As patients with cancer face financial challenges, they may be forced to make a trade-off between food and medical care. We characterized food insecurity and its relationship to treatment adherence in a population-based sample of cancer survivors. METHODS: Individuals 21 to 64 years old, diagnosed between 2008 and 2016 with stage I-III breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer were identified from the New Mexico Tumor Registry and invited to complete a survey, recalling their financial experience in the year before and the year after cancer diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95%CIs. RESULTS: Among 394 cancer survivors, 229 (58%) were food secure in both the year before and the year after cancer diagnosis (persistently food secure), 38 (10%) were food secure in the year before and food insecure in the year after diagnosis (newly food insecure), and 101 (26%) were food insecure at both times (persistently food insecure). Newly food-insecure (OR, 2.82; 95% CI, 1.02 to 7.79) and persistently food-insecure (OR, 3.04; 95% CI,1.36 to 6.77) cancer survivors were considerably more likely to forgo, delay, or make changes to prescription medication than persistently food-secure survivors. In addition, compared with persistently food-secure cancer survivors, newly food-insecure (OR, 9.23; 95% CI, 2.90 to 29.3), and persistently food-insecure (OR, 9.93; 95% CI, 3.53 to 27.9) cancer survivors were substantially more likely to forgo, delay, or make changes to treatment other than prescription medication. CONCLUSION: New and persistent food insecurity are negatively associated with treatment adherence. Efforts to screen for and address food insecurity among individuals undergoing cancer treatment should be investigated as a strategy to reduce socioeconomic disparities in cancer outcomes.

Relationship between Insurance Type at Diagnosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Survival.

BACKGROUND: For individuals with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), type of insurance may be an important prognostic factor because of its impact on access to care. This study investigates the relationship between insurance type at diagnosis and stage-specific survival. METHODS: This retrospective cohort analysis used data from 18 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program cancer registries. Individuals ages 20 to 64 years, diagnosed with primary HCC between 2010 and 2015, with either private, Medicaid, or no insurance were eligible for cohort inclusion. Adjusted Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to generate HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for associations between insurance type at diagnosis and overall survival. All models were stratified by stage at diagnosis. RESULTS: This analysis included 14,655 cases. Compared with privately insured individuals with the same stage of disease, those with Medicaid had a 43% (HR = 1.43; 95% CI, 1.13-1.32), 22% (HR = 1.22; 95% CI, 1.13-1.32), and 7% higher risk of death for localized, regional, and distant stage, respectively. Uninsured individuals had an 88% (HR = 1.88; 95% CI, 1.65-2.14), 59% (HR = 1.59; 95% CI, 1.41-1.80), and 35% (HR = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.18-1.55) higher risk of death for localized, regional, and distant stage, respectively, compared with privately insured individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Disparities in survival exist by the type of insurance that individuals with HCC have at the time of diagnosis. IMPACT: These findings support the need for additional research on access to and quality of cancer care for Medicaid and uninsured patients.