Coffee and tea consumption, patient-reported, and clinical outcomes in a longitudinal study of patients with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Higher consumption of coffee and tea has been associated with improved health outcomes in the general population and improved breast cancer (BC) prognosis. This study investigated patterns of coffee and tea consumption and association with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and clinical outcomes among survivors of BC. METHODS: The authors included survivors of stage I-III BC enrolled in the CANTO cohort (NCT01993498) that provided post-treatment assessment of coffee and tea consumption from years 1 to 4 after diagnosis. Group-based trajectory modeling clustered patients according to daily consumption of coffee and tea. Multivariable mixed models and Cox models examined associations between consumption, PROs and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Among 3788 patients, the authors identified four stable patterns of consumption: "Low" (25.8%), "Moderate" (37.6%), "High" (25.3%), and "Very high" (11.3%), corresponding to <1, 2, 3, and ≥ 4 cups of coffee and/or tea per day. Patients in the "Very high" group (vs. "Low"), were more likely to be younger, smokers, with higher monthly income and education. PROs and survival outcomes were similar across the four groups. CONCLUSIONS: Over one in three survivors of BC reported high or very high consumption of coffee and/or tea. The authors found no association between higher consumption of coffee and/or tea, worse PROs and clinical outcomes.

Determinants of use of oral complementary-alternative medicine among women with early breast cancer: a focus on cancer-related fatigue.

BACKGROUND: Despite the questionable effectiveness of oral complementary and alternative medicine (OCAM) in relieving cancer-related symptoms, including fatigue (CRF), many patients use it aiming to improve their quality of life. We assessed factors associated with OCAM use, focusing on CRF. METHODS: Women with stage I-III breast cancer (BC) were included from CANTO (NCT01993498). OCAM use was defined as taking homeopathy, vitamins/minerals, or herbal/dietary supplements. Multivariable multinomial logistic regressions evaluated associations of CRF (EORTC QLQ-C30), patient, and treatment characteristics with OCAM use. RESULTS: Among 5237 women, 23.0% reported OCAM use overall (49.3% at diagnosis, 50.7% starting post-diagnosis), mostly homeopathy (65.4%). Mean (SD) CRF score was 27.6 (24.0) at diagnosis and 35.1 (25.3) at post-diagnosis. More intense CRF was consistently associated with OCAM use at diagnosis and post-diagnosis [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for 10-point increase 1.05 (95% Confidence interval 1.01-1.09) and 1.04 (1.01-1.09) vs. never use, respectively]. Odds of using OCAM at diagnosis were higher among older [for 5-year increase, 1.09 (1.04-1.14)] and more educated patients [college vs. primary 1.80 (1.27-2.55)]. Women with income > 3000 [vs. < 1500 euros/month, 1.44 (1.02-2.03)], anxiety [vs. not, 1.25 (1.01-1.54)], and those receiving chemotherapy [vs. not, 1.32 (1.04-1.68)] had higher odds of using OCAM post-diagnosis. CONCLUSION: One-in-four patients reported use of OCAM. More severe CRF was consistently associated with its use. Moreover, older, better educated, wealthier, more anxious women, and those receiving chemotherapy seemed more prone to use OCAM. Characterizing profiles of BC patients more frequently resorting to OCAM may help deliver targeted information about its benefits and potential risks.

Efficacy and activity of treatments after progression from palbociclib plus endocrine therapy in patients with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer: a prospective, monocentric study.

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequent tumour worldwide, and the HR+/HER2- subtype is the most common. For this tumour type, endocrine therapy (ET) is the mainstay of treatment. The association of ET and CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) represents the gold standard for first-line or second-line therapies. However, the optimal therapeutic strategy after CDK4/6i progression is still a matter of debate, with several randomized clinical trials still ongoing. Patients and methods: This is an observational, prospective, real-world study including women with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer progressing to palbociclib plus ET. Patients received either ET or chemotherapy (CT). The primary objective was the evaluation of efficacy of the different therapeutic strategies after palbociclib in terms of median progression-free survival 2. Secondary objectives were the activity of therapeutic strategies measured with the clinical benefit rate, evaluation of the parameters used for the treatment choice, and progression-free survival 1 related to palbociclib plus ET treatment. Results: Overall, 48 patients (median age 53, range 33-78 years) were included. The median progression-free survival 2 was of 5 months in the overall cohort (95% CI 4-48 months) with a statistically significant difference between the two therapeutic strategies adopted (ET versus CT, 10 months versus 5 months, respectively). Regarding secondary objectives, the clinical benefit rate was 55.2% in the CT cohort and 50% in ET. Moreover, women treated with CT had a greater number of visceral metastases and a shorter median progression-free survival 1 than patients who received ET. Conclusions: ET and CT represent two possible therapeutic alternatives for patients progressing on CDK4/6i plus ET. The choice is based on clinical parameters, with a potential preference for ET.

Telehealth in breast cancer following the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Breast cancer (BC) is the second most diagnosed cancer in 2018 with around 2.3 million cases globally in 2020. In March 2020 and after its worldwide spread, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, a respiratory disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, a pandemic. During this time, cancer patients were heavily impacted and their treatment plans were changed due to measures to fight the disease and solutions had to be found to maintain their follow-up and management from a distance. Some cancer groups worldwide have recommended then the use of telemedicine for oncology patients to ensure the continuity of medical care during the pandemic. This method was considered effective and clinicians worldwide continued using telehealth even after the cessation of worldwide restrictions. To this end, current up-to-date data on the use of telemedicine in BC patient after the COVID-19 outbreak are summarized in this narrative review.

Long-Term Longitudinal Patterns of Patient-Reported Fatigue After Breast Cancer: A Group-Based Trajectory Analysis.

PURPOSE: Fatigue is recognized as one of the most burdensome and long-lasting adverse effects of cancer and cancer treatment. We aimed to characterize long-term fatigue trajectories among breast cancer survivors. METHODS: We performed a detailed longitudinal analysis of fatigue using a large ongoing national prospective clinical study (CANcer TOxicity, ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01993498) of patients with stage I-III breast cancer treated from 2012 to 2015. Fatigue was assessed at diagnosis and year 1, 2, and 4 postdiagnosis. Baseline clinical, sociodemographic, behavioral, tumor-related, and treatment-related characteristics were available. Trajectories of fatigue and risk factors of trajectory-group membership were identified by iterative estimates of group-based trajectory models. RESULTS: Three trajectory groups were identified for severe global fatigue (n = 4,173). Twenty-one percent of patients were in the high-risk group, having risk estimates of severe global fatigue of 94.8% (95% CI, 86.6 to 100.0) at diagnosis and 64.6% (95% CI, 59.2 to 70.1) at year 4; 19% of patients clustered in the deteriorating group with risk estimates of severe global fatigue of 13.8% (95% CI, 6.7 to 20.9) at diagnosis and 64.5% (95% CI, 57.3 to 71.8) at year 4; 60% were in the low-risk group with risk estimates of 3.6% (95% CI, 2.5 to 4.7) at diagnosis and 9.6% (95% CI, 7.5 to 11.7) at year 4. The distinct dimensions of fatigue clustered in different trajectory groups than those identified by severe global fatigue, being differentially affected by sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment-related factors. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the multidimensional nature of cancer-related fatigue and the complexity of its risk factors. This study helps to identify patients with increased risk of severe fatigue and to inform personalized interventions to ameliorate this problem.

Side effects of using granulocyte-colony stimulating factors as prophylaxis of febrile neutropenia in cancer patients: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: We systematically reviewed the literature regarding short- and long-term safety and tolerability of prophylactic use of Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF) for chemotherapy-related febrile neutropenia (FN). METHODS: 730 pertinent records published from 1994 to 2020 were identified. Exclusion criteria included no assessment of safety or Quality of life (QOL). RESULTS: Among 88 full-texts included, most studies were conducted during or shortly after G-CSF administration. Mild-to-moderate medullary bone pain was the most reported side effect, usually responsive to anti-inflammatory drugs although potentially impactful on daily functioning. Transient leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia and alterations in biochemistry were also commonly reported. Short-term improvements in patient-reported outcomes were observed as a result of reduction of FN and secondary complications. Secondary myeloid neoplasms were the only reported late effect. No studies evaluated the long-term impact on QOL. CONCLUSIONS: G-CSF seem safe and well-tolerated, although few data are available on long-term impact of use of G-CSF.

Long-term patient reported outcomes and hematologic toxicity among patients who received Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factors during chemotherapy for early breast cancer.

We assessed long-term associations of Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factors (G-CSF) use with patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and hematologic toxicity among chemotherapy-treated, early-stage breast cancer patients in CANTO (NCT01993498). Among 2920 patients longitudinally followed-up until year-4 after diagnosis, 49% used G-CSF. In multivariable-adjusted mixed-models, EORTC QLQ-C30 pain and summary score were not substantially different between groups (overall adjusted mean difference, use vs no-use [95%CI]: +1.27 [-0.33 to +2.87] and -1.01 [-1.98 to -0.04], respectively). PROs were slightly worse at year-4 among patients receiving G-CSF, although differences were of trivial clinical significance. No major differences were observed in leukocyte or platelet count over time.

Palbociclib in metastatic breast cancer: current evidence and real-life data.

The purpose of this review is to summarize the background and latest evidence for the use of palbociclib, an oral, first-in-class, highly selective cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor, in advanced breast cancer, with a focus on some of the unanswered questions about the performance of this agent in clinical practice. The available clinical data from both controlled clinical trials and real-life experiences concerning palbociclib-based combinations in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) metastatic disease, including patient-reported outcomes and subgroup analyses, have been reviewed and discussed. Palbociclib significantly improved progression-free survival and clinical benefit rates when added to letrozole in postmenopausal women as initial endocrine-based therapy, and it prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival when added to fulvestrant in women who progressed on previous endocrine therapy in randomized clinical trials. Tolerability profile was manageable, with neutropenia occurring most commonly, without detrimental impact on quality of life. Available data from real-life experiences confirm the good performance of palbociclib in unselected, heavily pretreated populations. Palbociclib in combination with endocrine therapy is a valuable emerging option for patients with HR+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Further investigation is needed to provide solutions for palbociclib resistance and to identify the best sequence to use for the best patient benefit with a minimal toxicity.

Patterns of treatment and outcome with 500-mg fulvestrant in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer: a real-life multicenter Italian experience.

BACKGROUND: Fulvestrant 500 mg (F500) is the most active endocrine single agent in hormone receptor-positive (HR+)/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Few data are available regarding the effectiveness of the drug in a real-world setting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective, multicenter cohort study aimed to describe the patterns of treatment and performance of F500 in a large population of unselected women with MBC, focusing on potential prognostic or predictive factors for disease outcome and response. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and clinical benefit rate. RESULTS: From January 2011 to December 2015, 490 consecutive patients treated with F500 were enrolled. Overall, three different cohorts were identified and analyzed: the first received F500 after progression from previous chemotherapy (CT) or endocrine therapy; the second received the drug for de novo metastatic disease; and the third was treated as maintenance following disease stabilization or a response from a previous CT line. Median overall survival (OS) in the whole population was 26.8 months, ranging from 32.4 in first line to 22.0 and 13.7 months in second line and subsequent lines, respectively. Both the presence of liver metastasis and the treatment line were significantly associated with a worse PFS, while only the presence of liver metastasis maintained its predictive role for OS in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of F500 was detected in patients treated both upon disease progression and as maintenance. The relevant endocrine sensitivity of 80% of patients included in the study could probably explain the good results observed in terms of outcome.

"Christmas Balls": a Christmas carol by the adolescent cancer patients of the Milan Youth Project.

The Youth Project is a program developed at the Pediatric Oncology Unit at the Istituto Nazionale Tumori in Milan, dedicated to adolescents and young adults with cancer. Among its various goals, the Youth Project organizes structured creative activities with the support of professionals, with the objective of offering young people a new way to express their hopes and fears. This article describes a project centered around music: patients created a Christmas carol with the help of musicians and authors. The adolescents explained with their own words the meaning of the lyrics, telling the story of a Christmas spent in a cancer hospital ward.

"There's no reason why": a campaign to raise cancer awareness among adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescents with cancer often experience a longer diagnostic delay than children, mainly because they take longer to go to a doctor. The Italian Society for Adolescents with Oncohematological Diseases (SIAMO) has launched an information campaign focusing on raising adolescents' awareness of the importance of diagnosing cancer early. METHODS: The concepts of the campaign were developed by a scientific committee of clinicians, cancer patients and their parents, and marketing experts. The title of the campaign is "There's no reason why". A video has been launched on TV channels and the Internet, and the final frame refers viewers to the SIAMO website, which provides advice to help adolescents interpret any symptoms they experience. RESULTS: The video has had 12,181 views. In the 6 months following the launch of the campaign, the SIAMO website page dedicated to the campaign was opened by 9,767 viewers for a total of 13,632 views. CONCLUSIONS: Though it remains very difficult to judge the efficacy of this initiative, the value of a campaign focusing on improving the adolescent population's cancer awareness is supported by the large number of studies published on the diagnostic delay in this age group. Our campaign goes to show the importance of ensuring cooperation between the different stakeholders involved in the global care of adolescents with cancer.