The effect of body mass index on overall and disease-free survival in node-positive breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel and doxorubicin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy: the experience of the BIG 02-98 trial.

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been shown to be an indicator of poor prognosis for patients with primary breast cancer (BC) regardless of the use of adjuvant systemic therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of 2,887 node-positive BC patients enrolled in the BIG 02-98 adjuvant study, a randomised phase III trial whose primary objective was to evaluate disease-free survival (DFS) by adding docetaxel to doxorubicin-based chemotherapy. In the current analysis, the effect of body mass index (BMI) on DFS and overall survival (OS) was assessed. BMI was obtained before the first cycle of chemotherapy. Obesity was defined as a BMI >or= 30 kg/m2. RESULTS: In total, 547 (19%) patients were obese at baseline, while 2,340 (81%) patients were non-obese. Estimated 5-year OS was 87.5% for non-obese and 82.9% for obese patients (HR 1.34; P = 0.013). Estimated 5-years DFS was 75.9% for nonobese and 70.0% for obese patients (HR 1.20; P = 0.041). Ina multivariate model, obesity remained an independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS. CONCLUSIONS: In this study,obesity was associated with poorer outcome in node-positive BC patients. Given the increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide, more research on improving the treatment of obese BC patients is needed.

Evaluation of a Remote Symptom Assessment and Management (SAM) System for People Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast or Colorectal Cancer: Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: The Symptom Assessment and Management (SAM) program is a structured, online, nurse-supported intervention to support symptom self-management in people receiving adjuvant chemotherapy post surgery for breast or colorectal cancer. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to describe the development, implementation strategy, and evaluation of the SAM system. METHODS: The development of the SAM program involved 3 phases. In phase 1, the web app was developed through consultation with consumers and clinicians and of the literature to ensure that the system was evidence-based and reflected the realities of receiving treatment and supporting patients through treatment. In phase 2, 7 participants recorded the severity of 6 symptoms daily over the course of 1 cycle of chemotherapy. In phase 3, 17 participants recorded their symptoms daily over the course of 3 cycles of chemotherapy. Once symptoms were recorded, participants received immediate feedback on the severity of their symptoms and self-management recommendations, which could include seeking immediate medical attention. Data on quality of life, symptom burden, anxiety and depression, distress, and self-efficacy were collected during treatment; participants' perceptions of the SAM program were evaluated following participation via interview. RESULTS: The outcomes of the SAM project include the development of a system that is reliable and easy to use and navigate. Participants reported benefits related to using the SAM program that included feeling more in control of managing their symptoms and feeling reassured. Engagement with the system on a daily basis was variable, with some participants completing the symptom tracker daily and others engaging some of the time. The feedback from all participants was that the system was easy to navigate and the information was relevant and supportive. CONCLUSIONS: The SAM program has the potential to enhance the management of symptoms for people receiving chemotherapy treatment. The system creates an accurate repository of symptoms that can be accessed easily and highlight patterns in symptom experience. These can be shared with clinicians, with patient permission, to inform and support treatment plans. The potential to predict the risk of developing severe symptoms can be developed to anticipate the need for care and support. Further considerations on how to increase engagement with the system, the value of the system for people diagnosed with other tumor types and treatment regimes, and the incorporation of the system into everyday clinical practice are needed.

Rational use of trastuzumab in metastatic and locally advanced breast cancer: implications of recent research.

The management of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, a disease renowned for its aggressive natural history, has been revolutionized by the introduction of trastuzumab. Indeed, outcomes for patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer are now equivalent to, if not better than, those of their HER2-negative counterparts. Since the pivotal registration trial, a wealth of new clinical data has emerged regarding the use of trastuzumab in a variety of clinical contexts - adding to the evidence but also highlighting areas of uncertainly and debate. These include the optimal partner chemotherapy(ies) to trastuzumab; the effectiveness of combining trastuzumab with endocrine therapy; the benefits of continuing trastuzumab after progression on a trastuzumab-containing regimen; and the role of trastuzumab in locally advanced and inflammatory breast cancer. In this paper we review major clinical trials addressing these questions, clinical recommendations that can be made as a result, and the strength of evidence that supports them. Finally, we identify areas of ongoing uncertainty, and propose recommendations for future research in this field.

Achieving equal standards in medical student education: is a national exit examination the answer?

Although it is commonly assumed that the quality of medical school education in Australia is uniformly high, there is no national process for assessing its outcomes. There is substantial variability in the content of medical school curricula, and the process of curriculum change is becoming more challenging because of intense competition for time and space in the course. A national exit examination could provide a uniform standard of assessment for all medical school graduates in Australia, as well as foreign graduates applying to work in Australia. Such an examination could assess medical school outcomes, monitor the effects of curriculum change, and provide a benchmark for new medical schools that would help medical curricula evolve to better meet society's needs.

Breast cancer in Western Australia: clinical practice and clinical guidelines.

OBJECTIVES: To review changes in patterns of care for women with early invasive breast cancer in Western Australia from 1989 to 1999, and compare management with recommendations in the 1995 National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines. DESIGN AND SETTING: Population-based surveys of all cases listed in the Western Australian Cancer Registry and Western Australian Hospital Morbidity Data System. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Congruence of care with guidelines. RESULTS: Data were available for 1649 women with early invasive breast cancer (categories pT1or pT2; pN0 or pN1; and M0). In 1999, 96% had a preoperative diagnosis by fine-needle aspiration or core biopsy (compared with 66% in 1989), with a synoptic pathology report on 95%. Breast-conserving surgery was used for 66% of women with mammographically detected tumours (v 35% in 1989) and 46% of those with clinically detected tumours (v 28% in 1989), with radiotherapy to the conserved breast in 90% of these cases (83% in 1989). Adjuvant chemotherapy was given to 92% of premenopausal women with node-positive disease and 63% with poor-prognosis node-negative tumours (v 78% and 14%, respectively, in 1989). Among postmenopausal women with receptor-positive tumours, tamoxifen was prescribed for 91% of those with positive nodes (85% in 1989) and 79% of those with negative nodes (30% in 1989). Among postmenopausal women with receptor-negative tumours, chemotherapy was prescribed for 70% with positive nodes (v 33%) and 58% with negative nodes (v none). CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of management of women with early invasive breast cancer in Western Australia during the 1990s changed significantly in all respects toward those recommended in the 1995 guidelines.