Health Care Professional Education on Cancer Screening of SGM Individuals: An Integrative Review.

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals are disproportionately affected by cancer. Health care professional (HCP) and health sciences education rarely includes content on cancer screening in this population. This article aims to synthesize literature on educational programs for HCPs and health sciences students related to cancer screening for SGM individuals. An integrative review methodology guided a systematic search of five databases: CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, and ERIC. Articles were included if they were empirically-based and described educational programs targeted at HCPs and health sciences students with content of cancer screening for SGM people. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Of these, three were pilot studies and the majority of the articles (n = 9) used pre- and post-test designs. All of the interventions showed efficacy in increasing knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behavior. However, the vastly different programs and the fact that most of the cancer screening content was embedded in programs with broad SGM issues content limit the ability to make firm recommendations for any one particular program. In-person didactic content delivered multiple times incorporating modalities such as standardized patient encounters, case studies, and guest speakers increased knowledge, attitude, and skills of participants. Future studies should incorporate behavioral theories, develop more consistent aspects of educational programs, report demographic and pertinent data on participants, and utilize established instruments to measure outcomes when conducting educational interventions on HCPs and students in this area.

NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Survivorship, Version 1.2023.

The NCCN Guidelines for Survivorship are intended to help healthcare professionals address the complex and varied needs of cancer survivors. The NCCN Guidelines provide screening, evaluation, and treatment recommendations for psychosocial and physical problems resulting from adult-onset cancer and its treatment; recommendations to help promote healthy behaviors and immunizations in survivors; and a framework for care coordination. These NCCN Guidelines Insights summarize recent guideline updates and panel discussions pertaining to sleep disorders, fatigue, and cognitive function in cancer survivors.

NCCN Guidelines® Insights: Survivorship, Version 1.2022.

The NCCN Guidelines for Survivorship are intended to help healthcare professionals who work with survivors to ensure that the survivors' complex and varied needs are addressed. The NCCN Guidelines provide screening, evaluation, and treatment recommendations for the consequences of adult-onset cancer and its treatment; recommendations to help promote physical activity, weight management, and immunizations in survivors; and a framework for care coordination. This article summarizes updates to the NCCN Guidelines pertaining to preventive health for cancer survivors, including recommendations about alcohol consumption and vaccinations.

Survivorship, Version 1.2021.

The NCCN Guidelines for Survivorship are intended to help healthcare professionals working with cancer survivors to ensure that each survivor's complex and varied needs are addressed. The Guidelines provide screening, evaluation, and treatment recommendations for consequences of adult-onset cancer and its treatment; recommendations to help promote healthful lifestyle behaviors, weight management, and immunizations in survivors; and a framework for care coordination. This article summarizes the recommendations regarding employment and return to work for cancer survivors that were added in the 2021 version of the NCCN Guidelines.

Consortium Building for Nurse Scientists Interested in Symptoms Research in the Era of Precision Health.

PURPOSE: This article aims to provide perspectives on the establishment of a consortium for nurse scientists with similar career trajectories interested in cancer-related symptoms (CRS) research. Hereby, we describe the development of and recent outcomes from the CRS consortium, the lessons learned in establishing the consortium, and future directions to advance the science of CRS. MODEL AND METHODS: New and innovative strategies are needed to address the complexity of CRS research. A CRS consortium was created to allow a mechanism for oncology nurse scientists with varying expertise to collaborate to advance CRS research. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Symptom Science Model (SSM) guides the research of the CRS Consortium. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: A need for improved CRS assessment and management has been identified. The CRS consortium was created as a collaborative think tank to begin to address this need. Guided by the NIH SSM, CRS consortium members have worked to define symptom phenotypes, enhance understanding of the biologic mechanisms that can contribute to symptom phenotypes, and develop tailored interventions to improve symptom management. Dissemination of the CRS consortium efforts involve publications and presentations. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Nurse scientists interested in symptom science and biobehavorial research face many challenges on how to initiate and sustain independent programs of research. Through the formation of a CRS consortium, oncology nurse scientists can work together to address identified issues in symptom measurement and management.

Co-Occurring Symptoms Contribute to Persistent Fatigue in Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most debilitating side effects of cancer and cancer therapy. We aimed to investigate co-occurring symptoms associated with persistent fatigue in men receiving external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) for nonmetastatic prostate cancer. METHODS: A sample of 47 men with prostate cancer scheduled to receive radiotherapy (RT) were followed at baseline and 1 year after RT. Clinical and demographic data were obtained from chart review. Symptom measurements included urinary dysfunction (American Urological Association symptoms score), fatigue (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Fatigue questionnaire), sleep disturbance (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System - Sleep Disturbance form), pain (physical well-being domain pain item of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General), and depressive symptoms (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale). Paired t tests, correlations, general linear models, and logistic regressions were used to determine associations between fatigue and other symptom scores. RESULTS: At 1 year after RT, 34% of subjects continued to experience fatigue. Urinary dysfunction was the best clinical predictor of persistent fatigue. Pain and depressive symptoms further improved the predictive power of the model. A multivariate linear regression model containing all these three clinical variables (urinary dysfunction, pain, and depressive symptoms) explained 74% of total variance associated with persistent fatigue after RT. CONCLUSIONS: Persistent fatigue at 1 year after EBRT in prostate cancer survivors is likely related to a cluster of symptoms elicited by chronic inflammation. Therapies that target each of these symptoms will likely reduce fatigue in this patient population.

Development of the PROMIS-based Research Assessment and Clinical Tool-Fatigue (ReACT-F).

PURPOSE: Evidence has shown that cancer-related fatigue (CRF) may be a treatment-limiting symptom and often impairs health-related quality of life. Accurate assessment of the multidimensional nature of CRF could help drive interventions to mitigate this debilitating symptom. Currently, there are no clinical tools to effectively and efficiently assess the multidimensionality of CRF. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a CRF-specific short form that can assess the multidimensional nature of CRF for use in the clinical setting. METHODS: The CRF-specific short form was developed using the 95-item PROMIS® fatigue bank. Bi-factor analysis was used to evaluate dimensionality of the alternative model using fatigue for the general factor and physical, cognitive, affective, global, and motivational for the local factors. After unidimensionality was confirmed (loading factor > 0.3), one item from each local factor was selected using discrimination power for inclusion in the CRF-specific short form. RESULTS: The Research Assessment and Clinical Tool-Fatigue (ReACT-F) was created from the 95-item PROMIS fatigue bank using established item parameters. The ReACT-F assesses five common dimensions of CRF as well as perceived burden of the fatigue dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: The ReACT-F is a CRF-specific self-report short form that addresses the need for a brief, clinically useful tool to quickly assess the multidimensional nature of CRF. We anticipate that the ReACT-F can be completed in the clinical setting in approximately 3 minutes, providing clinicians with meaningful data to drive personalized interventions. Further validation of the ReACT-F is highly encouraged.

Exogenous APN protects normal tissues from radiation-induced oxidative damage and fibrosis in mice and prostate cancer patients with higher levels of APN have less radiation-induced toxicities.

Radiation causes damage to normal tissues that leads to increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and fibrosis, highlighting the need for the selective radioprotection of healthy tissues without hindering radiotherapy effectiveness in cancer. This study shows that adiponectin, an adipokine secreted by adipocytes, protects normal tissues from radiation damage invitro and invivo. Specifically, adiponectin (APN) reduces chronic oxidative stress and fibrosis in irradiated mice. Importantly, APN also conferred no protection from radiation to prostate cancer cells. Adipose tissue is the primary source of circulating endogenous adiponectin. However, this study shows that adipose tissue is sensitive to radiation exposure exhibiting morphological changes and persistent oxidative damage. In addition, radiation results in a significant and chronic reduction in blood APN levels from adipose tissue in mice and human prostate cancer patients exposed to pelvic irradiation. APN levels negatively correlated with bowel toxicity and overall toxicities associated with radiotherapy in prostate cancer patients. Thus, protecting, or modulating APN signaling may improve outcomes for prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

Demographic, Symptom, and Lifestyle Factors Associated With Cancer-Related Fatigue in Men With Prostate Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To identify potential demographic, symptom, and lifestyle factors associated with cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in men with prostate cancer. SAMPLE & SETTING: Data were retrieved from men with prostate cancer across the disease trajectory who were enrolled in the Genitourinary Cancer Collaborative Registry-Prostate Cancer. METHODS & VARIABLES: Self-reported data on demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits (smoking history, alcohol consumption, physical activity/exercise, dietary habits, and vitamins/supplements), and symptom experiences (measured using the Brief Fatigue Inventory, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-Prostate Cancer and -Bone Metastasis, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were included in the registry. RESULTS: Demographic (younger age) and symptom (sleep quality, urinary, bowel, hormone-related, and sexual activity) correlates of CRF were identified. Higher levels of moderate to vigorous exercise and activities were associated with lower CRF in the sample as a whole. However, there was no association between CRF and physical activity in men with bone metastasis. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: CRF is a common and burdensome symptom among individuals with cancer and survivors. Identification of demographic, symptom, and lifestyle factors associated with CRF can enhance understanding of this symptom and contribute to early risk assessment and intervention.

Evaluating Dimensions of Fatigue in Men With Prostate Cancer Receiving Radiation Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a complex multidimensional symptom. Identifying the fatigue dimension that may be most bothersome can guide in the development of individualized management strategies. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to describe the multidimensional fatigue experience of men with prostate cancer. METHODS: Data for this study were obtained from an ongoing descriptive longitudinal study at the National Institutes of Health, involving men diagnosed with nonmetastatic prostate cancer scheduled to receive external beam radiation therapy. Data were analyzed at 7 time points: baseline, before treatment initiation (T1), treatment midpoint (T2), treatment completion (T3), and 1 month (T4), 3 months (T5), 6 months (T6), and 12 months (T7) after treatment completion. Study data were obtained from medical records and self-report (fatigue, depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbance) questionnaires. RESULTS: Scores for total fatigue peaked at T2 and remained significantly different from baseline at T3. After T3, total fatigue scores were not significantly different from baseline. Affective fatigue had the highest scores (worst fatigue) reported during treatment, sensory fatigue scores were highest from T4 to T6, and cognitive fatigue scores were highest at T7. Affective and sensory fatigue scores peaked at T2, whereas behavioral and cognitive fatigue scores peaked at T3. CONCLUSION: Independent changes in specific dimensions of CRF were observed during and post treatment. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Understanding the specific dimensions of CRF and how they change during and post treatment can help guide clinicians to recommend targeted and personalized management strategies.

Exploring Biologic Correlates of Cancer-Related Fatigue in Men With Prostate Cancer: Cell Damage Pathways and Oxidative Stress.

The pathobiology of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) remains elusive, hindering the development of targeted treatments. Radiation therapy (RT), a common treatment for men with prostate cancer, induces cell damage through the generation of free radicals and oxidative stress. We hypothesized that disruption in cellular responses to this surge of nonphysiological oxidative stress might contribute to CRF in men with prostate cancer treated with RT. We evaluated the potential role of three cell damage pathways (apoptosis, autophagy, necrosis) and oxidative stress in CRF in men with prostate cancer receiving RT. Fatigue was measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue (FACT-F) questionnaire. Gene expression was measured in whole blood using RT2 profiler™ PCR arrays. Data were collected at two time points: either baseline or Day 1 of treatment (T1) and completion of treatment (T2). Participants were grouped into either the fatigued or nonfatigued phenotype at T2 using the recommended FACT-F cut-off score for clinical significance. We observed significant upregulation of seven genes related to three cell damage pathways in the fatigued group from T1 to T2 and no significant changes in the nonfatigued group. We also observed significant downregulation of two genes related to oxidative stress in the fatigued group compared to the nonfatigued group at T2. These collective results provide preliminary evidence that cell damage might be upregulated in the CRF phenotype. Validation of these findings using a larger and more diverse sample is warranted.

Different Phenotyping Approaches Lead to Dissimilar Biologic Profiles in Men With Chronic Fatigue After Radiation Therapy.

CONTEXT: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) persists months after treatment completion. Although a CRF biomarker has not yet been identified, validated self-report questionnaires are used to define and phenotype CRF in the discovery of potential biomarkers. OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study are to identify CRF subjects using three well-known CRF phenotyping approaches using validated self-report questionnaires and to compare the biologic profiles that are associated with each CRF phenotype. METHODS: Fatigue in men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer receiving external beam radiation therapy was measured at baseline (T1), midpoint (T2), end point (T3), and one-year post-external beam radiation therapy (T4) using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue (FACT-F) and Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Fatigue. Chronic fatigue (CF) and nonfatigue subjects were grouped based on three commonly used phenotyping approaches: 1) T4 FACT-F <43; 2) T1-T4 decline in FACT-F score ≥3 points; 3) T4 Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Fatigue T-score >50. Differential gene expressions using whole-genome microarray analysis were compared in each of the phenotyping criterion. RESULTS: The study enrolled 43 men, where 34%-38% had CF based on the three phenotyping approaches. Distinct gene expression patterns were observed between CF and nonfatigue subjects in each of the three CRF phenotyping approaches: 1) Approach 1 had the largest number of differentially expressed genes and 2) Approaches 2 and 3 had 40 and 21 differentially expressed genes between the fatigue groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: The variation in genetic profiles for CRF suggests that phenotypic profiling for CRF should be carefully considered because it directly influences biomarker discovery investigations.

Biological Basis for the Clustering of Symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: Identification of biologic pathways of symptom clusters is necessary to develop precision therapies for distressing symptoms. This review examined extant literature evaluating relationships between biomarkers and symptom clusters in cancer survivors. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were searched using terms "biological markers" or "biomarkers" and "symptom cluster" or "symptom complex" or "multiple symptoms." CONCLUSION: Biomarkers related to inflammation (eg, cytokines) were the most studied and showed the most significant relationships with clusters of symptoms. This review suggests that clustering of symptoms related to cancer or cancer therapy is linked to immune/inflammatory pathways. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Understanding the etiology of symptom clusters may guide future nursing interventions for symptom management.