Evaluating Systemic Burnout in Medical Oncology Through a National Oncology Mentorship Program.

PURPOSE: Mentorship has a positive influence on trainee skills and well-being. A 2022 Pilot Mentorship Program in New South Wales involving 40 participants revealed high burnout rates in Medical Oncology trainees. As part of an Australia-wide inaugural National Oncology Mentorship Program in 2023 (NOMP23), a national survey was undertaken to assess the prevalence of burnout, anxiety, depression, professional fulfilment, and drivers of distress in the Australian medical oncology workforce. METHODS: NOMP23 is a 1-year prospective cohort study that recruited medical oncology trainees and consultants using e-mail correspondence between February and March 2023. Each participant completed a baseline survey which included the Maslach Burnout Index (MBI), Stanford Professional Fulfilment Index, and Patient Health Questionnaire-4 for anxiety and depression. RESULTS: One hundred and twelve participants (56 mentors, 56 mentees) were enrolled in NOMP23, of which 86 (77%) completed the baseline survey. MBI results at baseline demonstrated that 77% of consultants and 82% of trainees experienced burnout in the past 12 months. Professional fulfilment was noted to be <5% in our cohort. Screening rates of anxiety and depression in trainees were 32% and 16%, respectively, compared with 7% and 2% for consultants. When assessing reasons for workplace stress, two thirds stated that heavy patient load contributed to stress, while almost three quarters attributed a heavy administrative load. Lack of supervision was a key stressor for trainees (39%), as was lack of support from the training college (58%). CONCLUSION: Trainees and consultant medical oncologists demonstrate high rates of burnout and low professional fulfilment. The NOMP23 program has identified a number of key stress factors driving burnout and demonstrated concerning levels of anxiety and depression. Ongoing mentorship and other well-being initiatives are needed to address these issues.

Acute Diabetes-Related Complications in Patients Receiving Chemoradiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer.

Patients with cancer and diabetes face unique challenges. Limited data are available on diabetes management in patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT), a curative intent anticancer therapy commonly associated with glucocorticoid administration, weight fluctuations and enteral feeds. This retrospective case-control study examined the real-world incidence of acute diabetes-related complications in patients with head and neck cancer receiving CCRT, along with the impact of diabetes on CCRT tolerance and outcomes. METHODS: Consecutive patients with head and neck squamous cell or nasopharyngeal cancer who underwent definitive or adjuvant CCRT between 2010 and 2019 at two large cancer centers in Australia were included. Clinicopathological characteristics, treatment complications and outcomes were collected from medical records. RESULTS: Of 282 patients who received CCRT, 29 (10.3%) had pre-existing type 2 diabetes. None had type 1 diabetes. The majority (74.5%) required enteral feeding. A higher proportion of patients with diabetes required admission to a high-dependency or intensive care unit (17.2 versus 4.0%, p = 0.003). This difference was driven by the group who required insulin at baseline (n = 5), of which four (80.0%) were admitted to a high-dependency unit with diabetes-related complications, and three (60.0%) required omission of at least one cycle of chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with diabetes requiring insulin have a high risk of acute life-threatening diabetes-related complications while receiving CCRT. We recommend multidisciplinary management involving a diabetes specialist, educator, dietitian, and pharmacist, in collaboration with the cancer care team, to better avoid these complications.

Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Autoimmune Diabetes Mellitus Is Characterized by C-peptide Loss and Pancreatic Atrophy.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a multicenter case series characterizing the clinical characteristics at presentation and pancreatic volume changes of patients with checkpoint inhibitor-associated autoimmune diabetes (CIADM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Electronic medical records were reviewed with 36 consecutive patients identified with CIADM, as defined by (1) previous immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, (2) new-onset hyperglycemia (blood glucose level ≥ 11.1 mmol/L and/or glycosylated hemoglobin ≥ 6.5%), and (3) insulin deficiency [C-peptide <0.4 nmol/L or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)] within 1 month of presentation. Pancreatic volume was available and measured using computed tomography volumetry for 17 patients with CIADM and 3 sets of control patients: 7 with ICI-related pancreatitis, 13 with asymptomatic ICI-related lipase elevation, and 11 ICI-treated controls for comparison. RESULTS: All patients had either anti-programmed cell death protein 1 or anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 therapy. Median time from ICI commencement to CIADM diagnosis was 15 weeks. At presentation, 25 (69%) had DKA, 27 (84%) had low C-peptide, and, by 1 month, 100% had low C-peptide. Traditional type 1 diabetes autoantibodies were positive in 15/35 (43%). Lipase was elevated in 13/27 (48%) at presentation. In 4 patients with longitudinal lipase testing, elevated levels peaked 1 month prior to CIADM diagnosis. Pancreatic volume was lower pre-ICI in CIADM patients compared with controls and demonstrated a mean decline of 41% from pretreatment to 6 months post-CIADM diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Pronounced biochemical and radiologic changes occur during CIADM pathogenesis. Rapid loss of C-peptide is a distinct characteristic that can be used to aid diagnosis as autoantibodies are often negative.