The Psychosocial Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors in the United States: An Integrative Review.

Adolescent and young adult cancer survivors (AYAs) are uniquely challenged with navigating health care systems during an important developmental phase of life. During the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many people experienced social isolation, mental health symptoms, and schooling and employment changes, which may have affected vulnerable AYA cancer survivors. The purpose of this integrative review is to explore the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AYA cancer survivors in the United States. A literature search was conducted in November 2022 using PubMed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS databases with the following search terms: distress*, depress*, lonel*, anx*, insomnia*, cancer*, neoplasm, COVID-19, coronavirus, young adult, AYA, teen*, and adolescen*. The initial search yielded 468 articles. Inclusion criteria required that studies were conducted in the United States, published in English, with a sample of patients diagnosed with cancer between ages 15 and 39. After review and appraisal of each relevant article, eight were included. Through comparative analysis of eight articles, including qualitative and quantitative studies, three themes emerged: mental health impact, health care impact, and financial impact. Mental health impact included increased anxiety, worsening depression and social isolation, and sleep disturbances. Changes in health care included delays in care, medical cost-coping and benefits of virtual care. Financial difficulties included employment changes and benefits of remote work. The COVID-19 pandemic had an immense impact on the psychosocial health of AYA cancer survivors. It is essential that oncology providers and health care teams consider specific interventions to best serve the psychosocial needs of their AYA patients.

Quality of Life in Adult Cancer Patients With Underage Children: An Integrative Review.

As many as 24.7% of cancer patients are also parents to children younger than 18 years of age. This population faces unique challenges, and quality of life in parental cancer patients has not been well studied. This integrative review assessed parental cancer patients' quality of life. PubMed and Scopus were searched using the following terms: quality of life, distress, anxiety, coping, emotion, social support, employment, work, psychosocial, physical, function, parental cancer, and parents with cancer. English publications conducted within the past 15 years that used an objective instrument to measure quality of life in adult cancer patients with children 18 years of age or younger were included. Studies with an intervention focus were excluded. After review of 672 articles, nine studies met the criteria for inclusion. Several instruments were utilized to measure quality of life. Some parental cancer patients reported decreased quality of life when compared with other cancer patients and the general population at diagnosis and years after. Parental cancer patients may be at an increased risk of decreased quality of life. With this understanding, health-care providers should complete comprehensive assessments routinely so that these patients' unique needs may be more adequately addressed.

A new leadership frontier: Nurse practitioners and physician associates as inpatient medical directors.

ABSTRACT: Nurse practitioners and physician associates (NPs and PAs) have become an integral part of health care delivery in every clinical setting. Both NPs and PAs possess the knowledge and skills to deliver quality care to patients that may otherwise go without. There is a push to have NPs and PAs work to the top of their licenses and take on leadership roles as they help reshape health care delivery in the United States. However, high-level leadership positions for this group of clinicians are not abundant, and no specific pathway has been established to develop these skills. The aim of this report is to share the early experience of a small group of NPs and PAs, given the opportunity to function as inpatient medical directors (IMD) and the qualities that make them ideal for this novel leadership role.

Role of Preemptive Cytomegalovirus Hyperimmunoglobulin in Cytomegalovirus Viremia Following Stem Cell Transplant: An Integrative Review.

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in stem cell transplant (SCT) patients. Cytomegalovirus hyperimmunoglobulin (CMV-HIG) therapy has been described in the solid organ transplant setting. However, no review has focused on preemptive use of intravenous CMV immunoglobulins in the SCT setting. This review aims to consolidate findings regarding the preemptive use of CMV-HIG for CMV viremia in SCT patients. Methods: PubMed and Scopus were searched using specific search criteria for publications from 2011 to 2021. Search terms were: cytomegalovirus, CMV, immunoglobulins, immunoglobulin, IVIG, CMVIG, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and stem cell. Included studies discussed stem cell transplantation, immunoglobulins, and cytomegalovirus. 366 articles were identified from the search. Five articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Preemptive CMV-HIG resulted in an overall response in 65% to 100% of patients with a clearance time of 14 to 21 days. Early use of CMV-HIG may shorten clearance time. No treatment-related mortality or serious adverse events were associated. Conclusion: CMV-HIG is an effective treatment option in SCT patients that is as safe as antivirals alone. Preemptive CMV-HIG with antivirals may provide the added advantage of reduced time to viremia clearance without adding renal injury. Larger, prospective studies are needed to evaluate CMV-HIG's impact on time to viremia clearance and the effectiveness of preemptive CMV-HIG use with antivirals.

The Role of Echocardiogram and Cardiac Rhythm Analysis for Early Detection of Cardiac Amyloidosis.

Purpose: The purpose of this integrative review was to establish the role of cardiac rhythm analysis (electrocardiogram; EKG) and echocardiogram in increasing clinical suspicion for and earlier diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis. Methods: A literature review was conducted using PubMed and Scopus databases. Dates searched were from January 2017 to May 2021. Inclusion criteria included a diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis, use of EKG, and echocardiogram participants 18 years and older. Articles were excluded if they were duplicates, had an irrelevant title, or were incomplete. Results: Results indicated neither EKG nor echocardiogram alone or in combination are sufficient for diagnosing cardiac amyloidosis. There is, however, a combination of findings that could potentially prove useful in "ruling in" cardiac amyloidosis and prompt further evaluation. Predominant findings in cardiac amyloidosis cohorts found on EKG showed low-voltage QRS complexes, a pseudo-infarct pattern in precordial leads, and an absence of left ventricular hypertrophy on EKG. There is no single echocardiogram finding specific to cardiac amyloidosis. Patients will generally present with thickened ventricular walls, and nearly all patients will display a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction until later stages of disease. Strain imaging, either via 2D or 3D transthoracic echocardiogram, is more useful in screening for or detecting cardiac amyloidosis and should be utilized in this instance. Findings in cardiac amyloidosis include decreased global longitudinal strain and relative apical sparing. Conclusion: Overall, EKG and echocardiogram are effective, feasible, and practical tools to increase clinical suspicion for cardiac amyloidosis for the purposes of early recognition and evaluation. These are useful only to "rule in" a diagnosis. Future studies are needed to validate these findings.

Ultrasound Evaluation of Carotid Artery Intima-Media Thickness: Effective Early Marker of Carotid Artery Disease in Adult Head and Neck Cancer Patients After Neck Radiation?

Radiation is a recommended front-line treatment for many adult head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. Early identification of radiation-associated carotid artery disease (CAD), a well-known phenomenon, can minimize long-term sequelae. This integrative literature review assesses the use of ultrasound measured carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) as an early marker of CAD in adult HNC patients after neck radiation. A search of PubMed and Scopus databases in December 2020 yielded 475 unique articles published between January 2011 and December 2020, of which eight met inclusion criteria. Carotid IMT, measured by ultrasound, was significantly increased after neck radiation in all reviewed publications. Ultrasound was able to detect IMT measurements exceeding or at risk of exceeding pathologic IMT, indicating higher risk for future cardiovascular events. Findings suggest that radiation-associated carotid IMT increase occurs early and persists for years. Ultrasound adequately detects post-radiation carotid IMT changes and is a reliable early marker for radiation-associated CAD. Initiation of ultrasound screening should be considered prior to neck radiation for a baseline and at 1 year post treatment to optimize medical management.

Antibiotic Therapy and Gastrointestinal Graft-Versus-Host Disease in the Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation Population.

PURPOSE: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients undergo rigorous courses of myeloablative chemotherapy that increase vulnerability for infections. Complications can arise in the form of graft-vs.-host disease (GvHD) manifesting in various organs, including the skin, lung, liver, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Antibiotic therapy is generally begun in order to prevent further complications from infection but may increase the risk for acute GI GvHD. Studies that investigated antibiotic therapy and the subsequent occurrence of GI GvHD in allogeneic stem cell transplantation (aSCT) patients were reviewed. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL databases were utilized. Articles published between January 1, 2009, and December 15, 2019, were included in this review. A total of 1,142 articles were retrieved. Duplicates, reviews, letters to the editors, irrelevant interventions/outcomes, and non-English articles were excluded. Inclusion criteria included individuals who were undergoing an aSCT and received antibiotic therapy. A total of seven articles were included for this review after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS: The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics increased the risk of developing GI GvHD. Stool analysis when available showed a decrease in the diversity of the gut microbiome, which in turn led to the increase in acute GvHD. IMPLICATIONS: The increased risk of GvHD may have implications for the standard of care therapy, which includes treatment, for infections during SCTs. Providers will need to weigh the risk vs. benefit of antibiotic therapy and exercise judicious selection of antibiotics prior to engraftment.

Early Detection of Vulvovaginal Graft-Versus-Host Disease: An Integrative Review.

INTRODUCTION: Vulvovaginal graft-vs.-host disease (VVGvHD) is a condition caused by a T-cell mounted immune response after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (alloHSCT), which can lead to sclerotic changes of the external genital organs. A common complication of alloHSCT, VVGvHD is underreported and underdiagnosed in female patients. Without detection and treatment, VVGvHD can progress to complete obliteration of the vaginal canal requiring surgical intervention in severe cases. DESIGN: This review summarizes findings to assist providers in detecting and treating VVGvHD. It utilized PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL databases. Inclusion criteria consisted of female patients, a history of stem cell transplantation, and a history of VVGvHD. Studies not published in English and dated more than 15 years were excluded. After the evaluation of 333 articles, 10 were included based on relevance and applicability. Limitations of this review included small sample sizes, retrospective nature of articles, and lack of randomized control trials. FINDINGS: Early identification of VVGvHD requires identifying the rate of occurrence and risk factor profile, recognizing the presenting symptoms, improving VVGvHD assessment techniques, ascertaining when to biopsy, and establishing clinically targeted surveillance programs. CONCLUSION: For female patients who have undergone alloHSCT, targeted surveillance for early identification of VVGvHD results in earlier treatment initiation. Subsequently, this can improve sexual health, partner relationships, and quality of life in patients after stem cell transplant.

Telehealth Interventions for Supportive Management and Early Recognition of Treatment-Related Symptoms in Patients With Hematologic Malignancies.

Purpose: The purposes of this literature review were to (1) establish the utility of supportive telehealth interventions focusing on early identification of treatment-related symptoms in adult patients with hematologic malignancies, with a secondary aim to (2) evaluate acceptability and feasibility. Methods: A literature review was conducted using PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL, Scopus, and Embase. Dates searched were from January 2007 through December 2019. Inclusion criteria included a diagnosis of hematologic malignancy, incorporation of telehealth interventions, effects on physiological outcomes, and participants ages 18 or older. Articles were excluded if they were a duplicate, had an irrelevant title, or were an incomplete study. Results: Results indicated overall utility, acceptability, and feasibility of the interventions, including improved awareness of late and long-term therapy-related sequelae in survivorship, an overall decline in the number of chemotherapy delays with decreased rates in dose reductions, a means to further manage exercise remotely, and finally, improved communication between provider and patient with real-time management of acute and chronic treatment-related side effects using supportive telemetric interventions. Conclusion: Overall, the use of telehealth interventions in adult patients with hematologic malignancies positively impacts patient health, and telehealth interventions were found to be both accepted and feasible. Future studies should be directed at the role and involvement of the advanced practitioner, and current literature calls for well-planned studies as methodologic limitations remain in the evidence.

Advanced Care Planning and End-of-life Outcomes in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Patients.

AIM/PURPOSE: This integrative review addresses whether the presence and timing of advanced care planning (ACP) with or without a palliative care (PC) consultation affect place of death and use of high-intensity medical care at end-of-life (EOL) in adolescent and young adult and adult cancer patients receiving hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) therapy. METHODS AND RESULTS: A literature search was completed in the Scopus and PubMed databases. The search was not restricted by date but was restricted to English language. A total of 1,616 articles were found, and after exclusion of duplicates and irrelevance, 79 articles were available to review. After reviewing inclusion and exclusion criteria, 9 articles related to ACP with HSCT were found, and 4 were eliminated after further review, resulting in 5 viable articles for review related to EOL outcomes. EOL outcomes reviewed were place of death and high-intensity medical care. Factors noted to influence these measures included the presence or absence of ACP, the timing of ACP, and PC consultation. Overall survival also emerged as an EOL outcome affected by ACP. CONCLUSION: Although there have been many barriers identified to ACP discussions in the HSCT population, the findings from the integrative literature review support the use of early ACP with patients who have hematologic malignancies undergoing HSCT to address patient EOL goals and reduce healthcare utilization at the EOL. The data also suggest that identification of patients who would most benefit from early engagement in ACP may positively impact outcomes.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers for Graft-Versus-Host Disease After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: A lack of testing options for the diagnosis and prognosis of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a barrier to clinical management. Studies that have investigated the role of blood proteins as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for cGVHD were reviewed. LITERATURE SEARCH: PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for articles published from January 1, 2000, to May 31, 2019. 660 articles were retrieved. DATA EVALUATION: The authors appraised seven articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria to summarize identified blood protein biomarkers for cGVHD. SYNTHESIS: Several blood proteins were identified as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Most of these proteins are thought to be key contributors in cGVHD pathogenesis and, therefore, could be ideal biomarkers to guide clinical management. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: These biomarkers could aid providers in diagnosing cGVHD, identifying patients at high risk for development of cGVHD, and initiating preemptive therapy.

The Impact of Peripheral Cooling on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: An Integrative Review.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a prevalent, potentially long-lasting side effect of select chemotherapies. It contributes to suboptimal chemotherapy dosing, and its symptoms negatively impact patients' quality of life. To date, interventions to effectively prevent this toxicity have not been established, and interventions to treat CIPN have produced only modest results. The purpose of this integrative review is to examine the impact of regional cooling applied to distal extremities on the severity of CIPN. A literature review was performed using SCOPUS and PubMed databases. The search was not restricted by date but was restricted to English language. Forty-two articles were identified in the search, and six were included in the review after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results related to protective effects from peripheral cooling against CIPN were variable. Four out of six studies demonstrated benefit of peripheral cooling in reducing the severity of CIPN. There was evidence to suggest that applying a relatively greater degree of cooling compared with a lesser degree may confer benefit in reducing the severity of CIPN. Both direct application of cooling and use of compression to achieve fingertip cooling showed potential benefit.

Risk Factors for Ifosfamide-Related Encephalopathy in Adult Cancer Patients: An Integrative Review.

Patients receiving ifosfamide as part of their cancer treatment are at risk for ifosfamide-related encephalopathy (IRE), a potentially serious adverse event affecting up to 60% of patients. Symptoms range from transient altered mental status to coma and death. Consensus regarding risk factors for the development of IRE has not been reached in the literature. The purpose of this review is to identify risk factors for the development of IRE in adult cancer patients. A literature review was completed by searching PubMed and Scopus databases to identify articles published between 2008 and 2018. A total of 76 search results were reduced to a final sample of seven articles after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria. Published data suggest that Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of greater than or equal to 2, impaired renal function, hypoalbuminemia, and having multiple risk factors are risk factors for the development of IRE. Knowledge of which patients are at increased risk for the development of IRE could help clinicians to appropriately counsel patients and families regarding personal risk for the development of IRE. Clinicians may also more closely monitor patients with risk factors for IRE.

Adverse Effects of Virus-Specific T-Cell Therapy: An Integrative Review.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) remains the mainstay in treating many hematologic malignancies. T-cell-depleted grafts designed to reduce graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) may be complicated by severe viral infections that increase morbidity and mortality. Despite the use of antiviral pharmacologic therapy, challenges in controlling viral infections include drug resistance and/or side-effect intolerability. Virus-specific T-cell (VST) therapy is a promising targeted therapy for treating severe or drug-refractory viral infections after HSCT. An integrative review was conducted to inform advanced practitioners of the adverse effects associated with VST. A total of 836 articles were identified using PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL databases, with 7 included in this review. Studies reviewed indicate that the adverse effects associated with VST therapy are limited and generally treatable. These studies reported low rates of adverse events of mild to moderate severity, including acute, recurrent, chronic, and de novo GVHD; cytokine release syndrome; infusion toxicity; and other adverse events. No deaths were attributed to VSTs in these studies.

Botulinum Toxin for Side-Effect Management and Prevention of Surgical Complications in Patients Treated for Head and Neck Cancers and Esophageal Cancer.

The management of head and neck cancers (HNC) and esophageal cancer (EC) is complex and often involves multiple modalities of treatment, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. The side effects associated with these therapies and disease processes are extensive. A literature review was performed to evaluate the use of botulinum toxin as an intervention for side-effect management in patients with HNC and EC. Specific adverse events reviewed included salivary function (hypersalivation, fistula, hyposalivation) and gastrointestinal motility (esophageal stricture, delayed gastric emptying after esophagectomy). Published results demonstrate an improvement in hypersalivation and, when botulinum toxin was used as an adjunct to treatment, a reduction in symptoms associated with salivary fistula, or an inappropriate communication between the salivary gland and the skin that causes the leakage of saliva through the skin. Positive effects were also demonstrated in regard to esophageal stricture and equivalent effects in the management of gastric emptying to prevent complications after esophagectomy when compared to currently available interventions. However, the potential for increased symptoms associated with botulinum toxin injection related to its use in the management of gastric secretions was noted in one of the studies reviewed.

Clinical Management of Pneumonitis in Patients Receiving Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 Therapy.

CASE STUDY A 48-year-old gentleman with metastatic melanoma currently receiving the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) inhibitor, ipilimumab (Yervoy), and the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor, nivolumab (Opdivo), returned for evaluation prior to receiving cycle 2. The patient presented with new onset dyspnea and a non-productive cough over the past week, with a temperature of 100.6°F at home on one occasion. He was placed on observation for fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The patient had no previous history of lung disease and was a nonsmoker. Diminished breath sounds were noted on auscultation. However, the patient was without fever or chills, with a heart rate of 101 beats per minute and a blood pressure of 110/75 mm Hg. We obtained a computed tomography (CT) of his chest. The CT demonstrated diffuse ground-glass opacities in his bilateral lower lobes and some minor interstitial thickening of his right middle lobe, possibly suggestive of inflammation or cryptogenic organizing pneumonia. Based on his presentation and CT findings, the patient was initially treated empirically with antibiotics for suspected pneumonia vs. pneumonitis. During the first 12 hours in observation, the patient experienced increasing dyspnea and cough and was admitted to the hospital. Nebulizer treatments were administered with no improvement, so the patient was started on high-dose corticosteroids at 1 mg/kg, and pulmonary and infectious disease consults were ordered. After the administration of steroids, the patient's cough and breathing improved and he remained afebrile, eliciting a high suspicion for immune-related pneumonitis. The patient then underwent bronchoscopy to rule out other etiologies. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed, which yielded no pathogenic organisms. The patient was placed on a 3-week course of a high-dose steroid taper, following which immunotherapy was reinstated. Within 4 days he again presented with similar symptoms, was restarted on high-dose steroids, and immunotherapy was permanently discontinued.

Comparing Outcomes of Genetic Counseling Options in Breast and Ovarian Cancer: An Integrative Review
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PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Genetic counseling is vital in helping people at high risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) make informed decisions to undergo BRCA testing. Many people, particularly those in rural locations, lack access to these services. This review examines evidence to determine if remotely delivered genetic counseling via telephone or telemedicine is an effective alternative to in-person counseling for people who are at high risk for HBOC.
. LITERATURE SEARCH: A literature review was completed by searching PubMed, SCOPUS, and CINAHL® databases.
. DATA EVALUATION: 151 articles were identified from the search, and 7 were included in the review.
. SYNTHESIS: Patients' BRCA knowledge acquisition, cancer-specific distress, anxiety, depression, and satisfaction with mode of counseling delivery were equivalent between in-person and remotely delivered counseling groups. Genetic testing rates were significantly higher in participants receiving in-person counseling. Remotely delivered genetic counseling was more convenient and less expensive. Mixed outcomes existed regarding counselor-patient communication. 
. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The demand for genetic counseling will grow as advances in cancer genomics reveal genes that may contribute to cancer predisposition. Innovative delivery models are necessary to ensure that all people have access to care.

Vaginal Testosterone for Management of Aromatase Inhibitor-Related Sexual Dysfunction: An Integrative Review.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Women taking aromatase inhibitors (AIs) as part of the management of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer experience more symptoms of sexual dysfunction, including vaginal atrophy, as opposed to postmenopausal women and women treated with tamoxifen (Nolvadex®). Vaginal testosterone could be an alternative to estrogen, which is contraindicated in this population.
. LITERATURE SEARCH: A systematic review was completed by searching PubMed and Scopus databases.
. DATA EVALUATION: 64 search results were reduced to a final sample of 3 articles after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria.
. SYNTHESIS: Published results suggest that vaginally applied testosterone doses of 150 mcg and 300 mcg improve symptoms of sexual dysfunction in women taking AIs. Minimal side effects are observed, and estradiol levels are not affected by vaginally applied testosterone. Additional research is needed to evaluate vaginal testosterone in women taking AIs.
. CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal testosterone shows preliminary promise as an option to manage sexual side effects of AI therapy in postmenopausal cancer survivors; however, available data are too limited to draw practice-changing conclusions.
. IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH: Large-scale randomized, controlled trials need to be completed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of vaginal testosterone in women taking AIs.