The prevalence and spectrum of reported incidental adrenal abnormalities in abdominal computed tomography of cancer patients: The experience of a comprehensive cancer center.

Background: The increasing use of computed tomography (CT) has identified many patients with incidental adrenal lesions. Further evaluation of these lesions is often dependent on the language used in the radiology report. Compared to the general population, patients with cancer have a higher risk for adrenal abnormalities, yet data on the prevalence and type of incidental adrenal lesions reported on radiologic reports in cancer patients is limited. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence and nature of adrenal abnormalities as an incidental finding reported on radiology reports of cancer patients evaluated for reasons other than suspected adrenal pathology. Methods: Radiology reports of patients who underwent abdominal CT within 30 days of presentation to a tertiary cancer center were reviewed and analyzed. We used natural language processing to perform a multi-class text classification of the adrenal reports. Patients who had CT for suspected adrenal mass including adrenal protocol CT were excluded. Three independent abstractors manually reviewed abnormal and questionable results, and we measured the interobserver agreement. Results: From June 1, 2006, to October 1, 2017, a total of 600,399 abdominal CT scans were performed including 66,478 scans obtained within 30 days of the patient's first presentation. Of these, 58,512 were eligible after applying the exclusion criteria. Adrenal abnormalities were identified in 7,817 (13.4%) reports, with adrenal nodularity (3,401 [43.5%]), adenomas (1,733 [22.2%]), and metastases (1,337 [17.1%]) being the most reported categories. Only 10 cases (0.1%) were reported as primary adrenal carcinomas and 2 as pheochromocytoma. Interobserver agreement using 300 reports yielded a Fleiss kappa of 0.893, implying almost perfect agreement between the abstractors. Conclusions: Incidental adrenal abnormalities are commonly reported in abdominal CT reports of cancer patients. As the terminology used by radiologists to describe these findings greatly determine the subsequent management plans, further studies are needed to correlate some of these findings to the actual confirmed diagnosis based on hormonal, histological and follow-up data and ascertain the impact of such reported findings on patients' outcomes.

Cyst(e)ine in nutrition formulation promotes colon cancer growth and chemoresistance by activating mTORC1 and scavenging ROS.

Weight loss and cachexia are common problems in colorectal cancer patients; thus, parenteral and enteral nutrition support play important roles in cancer care. However, the impact of nonessential amino acid components of nutritional intake on cancer progression has not been fully studied. In this study, we discovered that gastrointestinal cancer patients who received cysteine as part of the parenteral nutrition had shorter overall survival (P < 0.001) than those who did not. Cystine indeed robustly promotes colon cancer cell growth in vitro and in immunodeficient mice, predominately by inhibiting SESN2 transcription via the GCN2-ATF4 axis, resulting in mTORC1 activation. mTORC1 inhibitors Rapamycin and Everolimus block cystine-induced cancer cell proliferation. In addition, cystine confers resistance to oxaliplatin and irinotecan chemotherapy by quenching chemotherapy-induced reactive oxygen species via synthesizing glutathione. We demonstrated that dietary deprivation of cystine suppressed colon cancer xenograft growth without weight loss in mice and boosted the antitumor effect of oxaliplatin. These findings indicate that cyst(e)ine, as part of supplemental nutrition, plays an important role in colorectal cancer and manipulation of cyst(e)ine content in nutritional formulations may optimize colorectal cancer patient survival.

Intranasal fentanyl spray versus intravenous opioids for the treatment of severe pain in patients with cancer in the emergency department setting: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Intranasal fentanyl (INF) quickly and noninvasively relieves severe pain, whereas intravenous hydromorphone (IVH) reliably treats severe cancer pain but requires vascular access. The trial evaluated the efficacy of INF relative to IVH for treating cancer patients with severe pain in an emergency department (ED) setting. METHODS: We randomized 82 patients from a comprehensive cancer center ED to receive INF (n = 42) or IVH (n = 40). Eligible patients reported severe pain at randomization (≥7, scale: 0 "none" to 10 "worst pain"). We conducted non-inferiority comparisons (non-inferiority margin = 0.9) of pain change from treatment initiation (T0) to one hour later (T60). T0 pain ratings were unavailable; therefore, we estimated T0 pain by comparing 1) T60 ratings, assuming similar group T0 ratings; 2) pain change, estimating T0 pain = randomization ratings, and 3) pain change, with T0 pain = 10 (IVH group) or T0 pain = randomization rating (INF group). RESULTS: At T60, the upper 90% confidence limit (CL) of the mean log-transformed pain ratings for the INF group exceeded the mean IVH group rating by 0.16 points (>pain). Substituting randomization ratings for T0 pain, the lower 90% CL of mean pain change in the INF group extended 0.32 points below (

Association Between Acupoint Selection, Target Symptoms, and Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis in Real-Time Clinical Practice in a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Background: Acupuncture intervention in actual practice is rarely reported and may be different from that applied in acupuncture research. Objectives: To review acupuncture practice in an integrative medicine clinic and characterize the association between targeted symptoms, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnosis, and acupoint selection. Methods: We reviewed outpatient acupuncture records from March 2016 to April 2018. Statistical analyses were applied to characterize referral symptoms and associated TCM diagnosis as well as acupoint selection. Results: The final analysis included 5393 acupuncture records (1264 patients). Twelve TCM diagnosis components were identified in the referral symptoms of pain, neuropathy, xerostomia, and hot flashes. Pain was associated with 78 different TCM diagnoses (combinations of TCM diagnosis components). Total of 217 different acupoints were used in the acupuncture treatments (1739) for neuropathy. The acupoint yintang was used in 73.8% of the visits for neuropathy, yet only in 26.5% (P < .001) of the treatments when patients had a TCM diagnosis of qi deficiency, qi stagnation, and blood stagnation. Similarly, both consistencies and variations were seen in acupoint selection with each targeted symptom and its associated TCM diagnoses. Conclusions: TCM diagnosis was not homogeneous among acupuncture treatments for a single referral symptom. In contrast to most of the research on acupuncture for symptom control, there were considerable variations in acupoint selection among treatments for the same symptom in a clinical setting. Future research is needed to examine the clinical relevance of a fixed intervention structure in acupuncture research and the value of individualized acupuncture treatment.

Evaluation of Cancer Patients With Suspected Pulmonary Embolism: Performance of the American College of Physicians Guideline.

BACKGROUND: Accurate risk stratification of pulmonary embolism (PE) can reduce unnecessary imaging. We investigated the extent to which the American College of Physicians (ACP) guideline for evaluation of patients with suspected PE could be applied to cancer patients in the emergency department of a comprehensive cancer center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from cancer patients who underwent CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) between August 1, 2015, and October 31, 2015, were collected. We assessed each patient's diagnostic workup for its adherence to the ACP guideline in terms of clinical risk stratification and age-adjusted d-dimer level and the degree to which these factors were associated with PE. RESULTS: Of the 380 patients identified, 213 (56%) underwent CTPA indicated per the ACP guideline, and 78 (21%) underwent CTPA not indicated per the guideline. Only one of the patients who underwent nonindicated CTPA had a PE. Fifty-seven patients underwent unnecessary d-dimer evaluation, and 71 patients with negative d-dimer test results underwent nonindicated CTPA. PEs were found in 6 of 108 (6%) low-risk patients, 22 of 219 (10%) intermediate-risk patients, and 13 of 53 (25%) high-risk patients. The ACP guideline had negative predictive value of 99% (95% confidence interval: 93%-100%) and sensitivity of 97% (95% confidence interval: 86%-100%) in predicting PE. CONCLUSION: The ACP guideline has good sensitivity for detecting PE in cancer patients and thus can be applied in this population. Compliance with the ACP guideline when evaluating cancer patients with suspected PE could reduce the use of unnecessary imaging and laboratory studies.

Acupuncture for Hot Flashes in Cancer Patients: Clinical Characteristics and Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis as Predictors of Treatment Response.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is a recognized integrative modality for managing hot flashes. However, data regarding predictors for response to acupuncture in cancer patients experiencing hot flashes are limited. We explored associations between patient characteristics, including traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnosis, and treatment response among cancer patients who received acupuncture for management of hot flashes. METHODS: We reviewed acupuncture records of cancer outpatients with the primary reason for referral listed as hot flashes who were treated from March 2016 to April 2018. Treatment response was assessed using the hot flashes score within a modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (0-10 scale) administered immediately before and after each acupuncture treatment. Correlations between TCM diagnosis, individual patient characteristics, and treatment response were analyzed. RESULTS: The final analysis included 558 acupuncture records (151 patients). The majority of patients were female (90%), and 66% had breast cancer. The median treatment response was a 25% reduction in the hot flashes score. The most frequent TCM diagnosis was qi stagnation (80%) followed by blood stagnation (57%). Older age ( P = .018), patient self-reported anxiety level ( P = .056), and presence of damp accumulation in TCM diagnosis ( P = .047) were correlated with greater hot flashes score reduction. CONCLUSIONS: TCM diagnosis and other patient characteristics were predictors of treatment response to acupuncture for hot flashes in cancer patients. Future research is needed to further explore predictors that could help tailor acupuncture treatments for these patients.

Adverse Effects of Immune Checkpoint Therapy in Cancer Patients Visiting the Emergency Department of a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Cancer immunotherapy is evolving rapidly and is transforming cancer care. During the last decade, immune checkpoint therapies have been developed to enhance the immune response; however, specific adverse effects related to autoimmunity are increasingly apparent. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap related to the spectrum of immune-related adverse effects among cancer patients visiting emergency departments (EDs). METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients treated with immune checkpoint therapy who visited the ED of a comprehensive cancer center between March 1, 2011, and February 29, 2016. Immune-related adverse effects from the ED visits were identified and profiled. We analyzed the association of each immune-related adverse effect with overall survival from the ED visit to death. RESULTS: We identified 1,026 visits for 628 unique patients; of these, 257 visits (25.0%) were related to one or more immune-related adverse effects. Diarrhea was the most common one leading to an ED visit. The proportions of ED visits associated with diarrhea, hypophysitis, thyroiditis, pancreatitis, or hepatitis varied significantly by immune checkpoint therapy agent. Colitis was significantly associated with better prognosis, whereas pneumonitis was significantly associated with worse survival. CONCLUSION: Cancer patients treated with ipilimumab, nivolumab, or pembrolizumab may have a spectrum of immune-related adverse effects that require emergency care. Future studies will need to update this profile as further novel immunotherapeutic agents are added.

Association of emergency department admission and early inpatient palliative care consultation with hospital mortality in a comprehensive cancer center.

PURPOSE: Consultation to palliative care (PC) services in hospitalized patients is frequently late after admission to a hospital. The purpose of this study is to examine the association of in-hospital mortality and timing of palliative care consultation in cancer patients admitted through the emergency department (ED) of MD Anderson Cancer Center. METHODS: Institutional databases were queried for unique medical admissions over a period of 1 year. Primary cancer type, ED versus direct admission, length of stay (LOS), presenting symptoms, and in-hospital mortality were reviewed; patient data were analyzed, and risk factors for in-hospital mortality were identified. The association of early palliative care consultation (within 3 days of admission) with these outcomes was studied. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression model were used. RESULTS: Equal numbers of patients were admitted directly versus through the ED (7598 and 7538 respectively). However, of all patients who died in the hospital, 990 (88%) were admitted through the ED, compared with 137 admitted directly (P < 0.001). Patients who died in the hospital had longer median LOS compared with patients who were discharged alive (11 vs. 4 days, respectively, P < 0.001). Early palliative care consultation was associated with decreased mortality, compared with late consultation (P < 0.001). Chief complaints of respiratory problems, neurologic issues, or fatigue/weakness were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: We found an association between ED admission and hospital mortality. Decedent cancer patients had a prolonged LOS, and early palliative care consultation for terminally ill symptomatic patients may prevent in-hospital mortality and improve quality of cancer care.

Oncologic emergencies in a cancer center emergency department and in general emergency departments countywide and nationwide.

BACKGROUND: Although cancer patients (CPs) are increasingly likely to visit emergency department (ED), no population-based study has compared the characteristics of CPs and non-cancer patients (NCPs) who visit the ED and examined factors associated with hospitalization via the ED. In this study, we (1) compared characteristics and diagnoses between CPs and NCPs who visited the ED in a cancer center or general hospital; (2) compared characteristics and diagnoses between CPs and NCPs who were hospitalized via the ED in a cancer center or general hospital; and (3) investigated important factors associated with such hospitalization. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We analyzed patient characteristic and diagnosis [based on International Classification of Diseases-9 (ICD-9) codes] data from the ED of a comprehensive cancer center (MDACC), 24 general EDs in Harris County, Texas (HCED), and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) from 1/1/2007-12/31/2009. Approximately 3.4 million ED visits were analyzed: 47,245, 3,248,973, and 104,566 visits for MDACC, HCED, and NHAMCS, respectively, of which 44,143 (93.4%), 44,583 (1.4%), and 632 (0.6%) were CP visits. CPs were older than NCPs and stayed longer in EDs. Lung, gastrointestinal (excluding colorectal), and genitourinary (excluding prostate) cancers were the three most common diagnoses related to ED visits at general EDs. CPs visiting MDACC were more likely than CPs visiting HCED to be privately insured. CPs were more likely than NCPs to be hospitalized. Pneumonia and influenza, fluid and electrolyte disorders, and fever were important predictive factors for CP hospitalization; coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and heart failure were important factors for NCP hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: CPs consumed more ED resources than NCPs and had a higher hospitalization rate. Given the differences in characteristics and diagnoses between CPs and NCPs, ED physicians must pay special attention to CPs and be familiar with their unique set of oncologic emergencies.

A Comprehensive Lifestyle Randomized Clinical Trial: Design and Initial Patient Experience.

BACKGROUND: Although epidemiological research demonstrates that there is an association between lifestyle factors and risk of breast cancer recurrence, progression of disease, and mortality, no comprehensive lifestyle change clinical trials have been conducted to determine if changing multiple risk factors leads to changes in biobehavioral processes and clinical outcomes in women with breast cancer. This article describes the design, feasibility, adherence to the intervention and data collection, and patient experience of a comprehensive lifestyle change clinical trial (CompLife). METHODS: CompLife is a randomized, controlled trial of a multiple-behavior intervention focusing on diet, exercise, and mind-body practice along with behavioral counseling to support change. The initial exposure to the intervention takes place during the 4 to 6 weeks of radiotherapy (XRT) for women with stage III breast cancer and then across the subsequent 12 months. The intervention group will have 42 hours of in-person lifestyle counseling during XRT (7-10 hours a week) followed by up to 30 hours of counseling via video connection for the subsequent 12 months (weekly sessions for 6 months and then monthly for 6 months). The primary outcome is disease-free survival. Multiple secondary outcomes are being evaluated, including: (1) biological pathways; (2) overall survival; (3) patient-reported outcomes; (4) dietary patterns/fitness levels, anthropometrics, and body composition; and (5) economic outcomes. Qualitative data of the patient experience in the trial is collected from exit interviews, concluding remarks, direct email correspondences, and web postings from patients. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients have been recruited and randomized to the trial to date. Accrual of eligible patients is high (72%) and dropout rates extremely low (5%). Attendance to the in-person sessions is high (95% attending greater than 80% of sessions) as well as to the 30 hours of video counseling (88% attending more than 70% of sessions). Adherence to components of the behavior change intervention is high and compliance with the intensive amount of data collection is exceptional. Qualitative data collected from the participants reveals testimonials supporting the importance of the comprehensive nature of intervention, especially the mind-body/mindfulness component and social support, and meaningful lifestyle transformations. CONCLUSION: Conducting a comprehensive, multicomponent, lifestyle change clinical trial for women with breast was feasible and collection of biobehavioral outcomes successful. Adherence to behavior change was high and patient experience was overwhelmingly positive.

Presenting Symptoms in the Emergency Department as Predictors of Intensive Care Unit Admissions and Hospital Mortality in a Comprehensive Cancer Center.

PURPOSE: The identification of patients at high risk for poor outcomes may allow for earlier palliative care and prevent futile interventions. We examined the association of presenting symptoms on risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and hospital death among patients with cancer admitted through an emergency department (ED). METHODS: We queried MD Anderson Cancer Center databases for all patients who visited the ED in 2010. Presenting symptoms, ICU admissions, and hospital deaths were reviewed; patient data analyzed; and risk factors for ICU admission and hospital mortality identified. RESULTS: The main presenting symptoms were pain, fever, and respiratory distress. Of the patients with cancer who visited the ED, 5,362 (58%) were admitted to the hospital at least once (range, 1 to 13 admissions), 697 (13%) were admitted to the ICU at least once, and 587 (11%) died during hospitalization (31% of 233 patients with hematologic malignancies and 27% of 354 patients with solid tumors died in the ICU; P < .001). In multivariable logistic regression, presenting symptoms of respiratory distress or altered mental status; lung cancer, leukemia, or lymphoma; and nonwhite race were independent predictors of hospital death. Patients who died had a longer median length of hospital stay than patients discharged alive (14 v 6 days for hematologic malignancies and 7 v 5 days for solid tumors; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Patients with cancer admitted through an ED experience high ICU admission and hospital mortality rates. Patients with advanced cancer and respiratory distress or altered mental status may benefit from palliative care that avoids unnecessary interventions.

Cardiac Troponin Is a Predictor of Septic Shock Mortality in Cancer Patients in an Emergency Department: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Septic shock may be associated with myocardial damage; however, the prognostic value of cardiac enzymes in cancer patients with septic shock is unknown. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic significance of cardiac enzymes in combination with established prognostic factors in predicting the 7-day mortality rate of patients with septic shock, and we constructed a new scoring system, Septic Oncologic Patients in Emergency Department (SOPED), which includes cardiac enzymes, to predict 7-day mortality rates. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 375 adult cancer patients with septic shock who visited the emergency department of a comprehensive cancer center between 01/01/2004 and 12/31/2013. The 7-day and 28-day mortality rates were 19.7% and 37.6%, respectively. The creatine kinase myocardial band fraction and troponin-I were significantly higher in patients who died in ≤7 days and ≤28 days than in those who did not. In Cox regression models, troponin-I >0.05 ng/mL plus Predisposition, Infection, Response, and Organ Failure (PIRO2011) or Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis (MEDS) score was a significant predictor of survival for ≤7 days. With our new SOPED scoring system, the receiver operating characteristic area under the curve was 0.836, higher than those for PIRO2011 and MEDS. CONCLUSIONS: Troponin-I >0.05 ng/mL was an important predictor of short-term mortality (≤7 days). The SOPED scoring system, which incorporated troponin-I, was more prognostically accurate than were other scores for 7-day mortality. Large multicenter studies are needed to verify our results and prospectively validate the prognostic performance of the SOPED score.

Intratumoral heterogeneity: Role of differentiation in a potentially lethal phenotype of testicular cancer.

BACKGROUND: Intratumoral heterogeneity presents a major obstacle to the widespread implementation of precision medicine. The authors assessed the origin of intratumoral heterogeneity in nonseminomatous germ cell tumor of the testis (NSGCT) and identified distinct tumor subtypes and a potentially lethal phenotype. METHODS: In this retrospective study, all consecutive patients who had been diagnosed with an NSGCT between January 2000 and December 2010 were evaluated. The histologic makeup of primary tumors and the clinical course of disease were determined for each patient. A Fine and Gray proportional hazards regression analysis was used to determine the prognostic risk factors, and the Gray test was used to detect differences in the cumulative incidence of cancer death. In a separate prospective study, next-generation sequencing was performed on tumor samples from 9 patients to identify any actionable mutations. RESULTS: Six hundred fifteen patients were included in this study. Multivariate analysis revealed that the presence of yolk sac tumor in the primary tumor (P = .0003) was associated with an unfavorable prognosis. NSGCT could be divided into 5 subgroups. Patients in the yolk sac-seminoma subgroup had the poorest clinical outcome (P = .0015). These tumors tended to undergo somatic transformation (P < .0001). Among the 9 NSGCTs that had a yolk sac tumor phenotype, no consistent gene mutation was detected. CONCLUSIONS: The current data suggest that intratumoral heterogeneity is caused in part by differentiation of pluripotent progenitor cells. Integrated or multimodal therapy may be effective at addressing intratumoral heterogeneity and treating distinct subtypes as well as a potentially lethal phenotype of NSGCT. Cancer 2016;122:1836-43. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Cancer Society. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.

Hypercortisolism Manifesting as Severe Weight Loss, Hypokalemia, and Hyperglycemia in the Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: The concurrence of ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) syndrome (ectopic Cushing syndrome) and cancer is uncommon in the emergency department (ED) setting, but a constellation of nonspecific signs and symptoms can suggest the presence of Cushing syndrome. CASE REPORT: A 65-year-old woman with diabetes visited the ED complaining of severe weight loss, generalized weakness, and hypokalemia. She was treated for hypokalemia and thrush. She was found to have a lung mass with a large pleural effusion. Upon discovery of the suspected malignancy, the patient was referred to the ED of a comprehensive cancer center, where she was diagnosed with ectopic Cushing syndrome and admitted to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment. WHY SHOULD THE EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: The emergency physician should be able to recognize Cushing syndrome in cancer patients so that the paraneoplastic syndrome can be managed to avoid complications during cancer treatment.

Maintenance Therapy Containing Metformin and/or Zyflamend for Advanced Prostate Cancer: A Case Series.

Metformin is derived from galegine, a natural ingredient, and recent studies have suggested that metformin could enhance the antitumor effects of hormone ablative therapy or chemotherapy and reduce prostate cancer-specific mortality. Zyflamend is a combination of herbal extracts that reduces inflammation and comprises turmeric, holy basil, green tea, oregano, ginger, rosemary, Chinese goldthread, hu zhang, barberry, and basil skullcap. We propose a maintenance regimen with metformin and/or Zyflamend that targets cancer stem cells and the tumor microenvironment to keep the cancer dormant and prevent it from activation from dormancy. Herein, we report the clinical course of four patients who experienced a clinical response after treatment with metformin and/or Zyflamend.

Association of body composition with outcome of docetaxel chemotherapy in metastatic prostate cancer: a retrospective review.

BACKGROUND: Docetaxel, a lipophilic drug, is indicated for castration-resistant metastatic prostate cancer. Most men with such disease would have had androgen-deprivation therapy, which decreases muscle and increases body fat. Obesity and body composition changes may influence the outcomes of docetaxel therapy. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of 333 patients with metastatic prostate cancer treated with docetaxel at a comprehensive cancer center between October 7, 2004 and December 31, 2012. Body composition parameters were measured based on the areas of muscle and adipose tissues in the visceral and subcutaneous compartments on CT images at L3-4 levels. Dose calculations, toxicity and adverse reaction profiles, and overall survival were analyzed. RESULTS: Obese patients were younger at the diagnosis of prostate cancer and had a shorter duration from diagnosis to docetaxel therapy. Analysis of body composition found that a high visceral fat-to-subcutaneous fat area ratio (VSR) was associated with poor prognosis but a high visceral fat-to-muscle area ratio (VMR) and high body mass index were associated with increased duration from starting docetaxel to death, allowing such men to catch up with patients with normal body mass index in overall survival from cancer diagnosis to death. Cox proportional hazard regression showed that age ≥65 years, high VSR, abnormal serum alkaline phosphatase, and >10% reduction of initial dosage were significant predictors of shorter time between starting docetaxel and death, and that high VMR, obesity, and weekly regimens were significant predictors of longer survival after docetaxel. CONCLUSION: Obese and overweight patients may benefit more from weekly docetaxel regimens using the reference dosage of 35 mg/m2 without empirical dosage reduction.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia among patients of a comprehensive cancer center.

Most clinical studies of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia have not included cancer patients who have high risk of thromboembolism, frequent exposure to heparin, and many potential causes of thrombocytopenia other than heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. To estimate the incidence and prevalence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in cancer patients, we identified cases based on diagnostic codes, anti-heparin antibody testing, and clinical characteristics (4T score) at a comprehensive cancer center between 1 October 2008 and 31 December 2011. We estimated that the prevalence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia to be 0.02% among all cancer patients and 0.24% among cancer patients exposed to heparin. The annual incidence of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia was 0.57 cases per 1000 cancer patients exposed to heparin. Of the 40 cancer patients with the International Classification of Diseases (Ninth Revision; ICD-9) code for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, positive anti-heparin antibody, and 4T score ≥4, 5 (12.5%) died of related thromboembolic or hemorrhagic complications. In a multivariate logistic regression model, male gender was a significant (p = 0.035) factor, and non-hematological malignancy was a significant (p = 0.017) factor associated with anti-heparin antibody positivity. Future studies may further examine the risk factors associated with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in larger cohorts.

Implementation of modified early-goal directed therapy for sepsis in the emergency center of a comprehensive cancer center.

PURPOSE: The investigation examines the impact of a standardized sepsis order set and algorithm utilizing non-invasive monitoring for early-goal directed therapy (EGDT) in an emergency center setting on the clinical outcomes of sepsis in cancer patients. METHODS: Single-center, retrospective study comparing clinical outcomes of sepsis before and after routine usage of a standardized order set and algorithm for non-invasive elements of EGDT for sepsis in an emergency center of a comprehensive cancer center. The outcomes measures evaluated were 28-day in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit length of stay, hospital length of stay, goal mean arterial pressure and urine output within the first 6 h of treatment, time to measurement of lactic acid, and appropriateness and timeliness of initial antibiotic therapy. RESULTS: The 28-day in-hospital mortality was significantly lower in the post-intervention group compared to the pre-intervention group (20 vs. 38%, p = 0.005). The percentages of patients who reached their goal mean arterial pressure (74 vs. 90%, p = 0.004) and goal urine output (79 vs. 96%, p = 0.002) during the first 6 h of treatment were higher the after than the before group. No significant differences were detected in the rest of the outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a standardized sepsis order set and algorithm to improve compliance with the non-invasive elements of EGDT for sepsis in cancer patients in the emergency center setting was associated with a decreased 28-day in-hospital mortality rate.