Can we use gonadotropin plasma concentration as surrogate marker for BMI-related incomplete estrogen suppression in breast cancer patients receiving anastrozole?

BACKGROUND: BMI has been suggested to impact on estrogenic activity in patients receiving anastrozole resulting in a reduced treatment efficacy in obese women. Current evidence in this regard is controversially discussed. Since estradiol is inversely correlated with gonadotropins it can be assumed that an impact of BMI is also reflected by gonadotropin plasma concentrations. We aim at investigating the impact of BMI on the hormonal state of breast cancer (BC) patients receiving anastrozole indicated by LH, FSH and SHBG as well as estradiol. METHODS: We determined gonadotropin-, estradiol- and anastrozole- serum concentrations from postmenopausal, early stage breast cancer patients receiving upfront anastrozole within routine after care. Gonadotropin plasma concentrations were derived from the routine laboratory examination report. A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was used for the measurement of anastrozole serum concentrations. BMI was assessed within the routine after-care check-up. RESULTS: The overall sample comprised 135 BC patients with a mean age of 65.3 years. BMI was significantly correlated with LH, FSH and SHBG. This association was neither influenced by age nor by anastrozole serum concentrations according to the regression model. Despite aromatase inhibition 12% of patients had detectable estrogen levels in routine quantification. CONCLUSION: Obese women have an altered hormonal situation compared to normally weight women under the same dose of anastrozole. Our study findings are a further indicator for the relevance of BMI in regard of anastrozole metabolism and possible estrogenic activity indicated by gonadotropin plasma level.

Evaluation of electronic patient-reported outcome assessment with cancer patients in the hospital and at home.

BACKGROUND: Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) provide a more comprehensive picture of patients' quality of life than do mere physicians' ratings. Electronic data collection of PRO offers several advantages and allows assessments at patients' homes as well. This study reports on patients' personal internet use, their attitudes towards electronic and web-based PRO assessment (clinic-ePRO and home-ePRO) and the feasibility of these two assessment modes. METHODS: At the Medical University of Innsbruck and Kufstein County Hospital, cancer patients who participated in clinic-ePRO/home-ePRO were asked to complete a comprehensive evaluation form on their personal internet usage, attitudes towards and the feasibility of routine clinic-ePRO/home-ePRO with the Computer-based Health Evaluation System (CHES) software. RESULTS: In total, 113 patients completed the evaluation form for clinic-ePRO (Ø 45 years, SD 14) and 45 patients for home-ePRO (Ø 58 years, SD 10; 33.1 per cent inclusion rate for this sample). Most patients expressed willingness to complete routine clinic-ePRO assessments in the future (94.7 per cent of clinic-ePRO patients and 84.4 per cent of home-ePRO patients) and to discuss their data with attending physicians (82.2 per cent, home-ePRO patients only). Overall, patients preferred the software over paper-pencil questionnaires (67.2 per cent of clinic-ePRO patients and 60 per cent of home-ePRO patients) and experienced it as easy to use. Only a few minor suggestions for improvement were made (e.g. adjustable font sizes). CONCLUSIONS: The use of clinic-ePRO/home-ePRO was in general shown to be feasible and well accepted. However, to be more inclusive in the implementation of clinic-ePRO/home-ePRO, educational programs concerning their particular benefit in oncology practice potentially could enhance patients' attitudes towards, and consequently their acceptance of and compliance with electronic PRO assessments.

Quality of life during chemotherapy in lung cancer patients: results across different treatment lines.

BACKGROUND: Most lung cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced disease stage and predominantly receive palliative treatment, which increasingly consists of several chemotherapy lines. We report on patients' quality of life (QOL) to gain knowledge on QOL during and across multiple lines of chemotherapy. This includes patients with (neo)adjuvant therapy up to 3rd or above line palliative chemotherapy. METHODS: Lung cancer patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy at the Kufstein County Hospital completed an electronic version of the EORTC QLQ-C30. Linear mixed models were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: One hundred and eighty seven patients were included in the study. Surprisingly, irrespective of the chemotherapy line patients reported stable QOL scores during treatment. None of the calculated monthly change rates attained clinical significance, referring to established guidelines that classify a small clinical meaningful change as 5 to 10 points. According to treatment line, 3rd or above line palliative chemotherapy was associated with the worst QOL scores, whereas patients undergoing (neo)adjuvant or 1st line palliative chemotherapy reported fairly comparable QOL. CONCLUSION: The essential finding of our study is that all QOL aspects of the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire remained unchanged during each chemotherapy line in an unselected population of lung cancer patients. Between treatment lines pronounced differences were found, indicating that later palliative chemotherapy lines are associated with higher QOL impairments. These changes in QOL may not primarily be related to the treatment, but rather refer to impairments due to disease progression and may be partly due to a consequence of the prior therapies.

Cancer care for Ukrainian refugees: Strategic impact assessments in the early days of the conflict.

BACKGROUND: The invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 has resulted in destruction of healthcare infrastructure and triggered the largest wave of internally displaced populations and refugees since World War Two. Conflicts in transitioned countries such as Ukraine create new non-communicable disease (NCD) challenges, especially for cancer care for refugees and humanitarian assistance in host countries. In the early days, rapid attempts were made to model possible impacts. METHODS: By evaluating open source intelligence used in the first three months of the conflict through snowball search methods, we aimed to address: (i) burden of cancer in Ukrainian population, specifically considering translating to the refugees population, and its cancer care capacity; ii) baseline capacity/strengths of cancer systems in initial host countries. Moreover, using a baseline scenario based on crude cancer incidence in Ukraine, and considering data from UNHCR, we estimated how cancer cases would be distributed across host countries. Finally, a surveillance assessment instrument was created, intersecting health system's capacity and influx of internally displaced populations and refugees. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: The total new cancer patients per month in pre-conflict Ukraine was estimated as 13,106, of which < 1 % are paediatric cases. The estimated cancer cases in the refugee population (combining prevalent and incident), assuming 7.5 million refugees by July 2022 and a female:male ratio of 9:1, was 33,121 individuals (Poland: 19284; Hungary: 3484; Moldova: 2651; Slovakia: 2421; Romania: 5281). According to our assessments, Poland is the only neighbouring country classified as green/yellow for cancer capacity, i.e. sufficient ablility to absorb additional burden into national health system; Slovakia we graded as yellow, Hungary and Romania as yellow/red and Moldova as red.

Cancer patients' understanding of longitudinal EORTC QLQ-C30 scores presented as bar charts.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate cancer patients' understanding of graphical presentations of longitudinal EORTC QLQ-C30 scores. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with brain tumour patients participating in routine patient-reported outcome (PRO) monitoring. We assessed understanding of longitudinal quality of life (QOL) profiles, presented as bar charts objectively and with self-ratings. In addition, patients' opinions on congruency of the QOL scores with their self-perceived health status were evaluated. RESULTS: We recruited 40 brain tumour patients (57.5% female; mean age 52.7, SD 13.7). In total, 90% of patients rated the graphs as easy to understand. Accordingly, almost all questions on assessing understanding objectively were answered correctly by at least 80% of the patients. More than 95% indicated that the displayed QOL scores matched their personal perception of symptom burden and functional health in the observed period. CONCLUSION: Patients are able to understand their QOL results when presented graphically and are able to interpret important changes. Displayed QOL scores obtained with the EORTC QLQ-C30 are consistent with the patients' personal perception of physical and emotional functioning, pain and fatigue. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Knowledge about patients' understanding of graphically displayed QOL results contributes to creation of optimal evidence-based feedback on the patients' present QOL and its trajectory.

Rickettsiae of the spotted fever group in Hungary.

Rickettsiae were detected by haemocyte test in 7.2% of Dermacentor marginatus and 4.7% of D. reticulatus ticks collected in Hungary. Six strains of rickettsiae were isolated from positive specimens. These rickettsiae according to CFR are closely related, probably identical with R. slovaca and they represent the first rickettsiae of the Spotted Fever group found in that country.

The ecology of ticks in the Tribec and Hronský Inovec Mountains.

Ecological studies on ticks are an essential part of epidemiological investigations on arbovirus infections. The paper deals with the distribution, bionomy, trophic relationships and rearing of ticks in the laboratory and refers to the role of Ixodes ricinus ticks as vectors of the tick-borne encephalitis virus. The ticks that are common to the region are I. ricinus, I. hexagonus, I. trianguliceps, Haemaphysalis concinna, H. punctata, H. inermis and Dermacentor marginatus. I. ricinus, which is very widely distributed, is the principal vector of tick-borne encephalitis. The hosts, both mammals and birds, of the different stages (larvae, nymphs and adults) of the ticks are listed.