Comprehensive evaluation of a cutaneous T-cell lymphoma education webinar.

BACKGROUND: Effective and timely referral, treatment and care of people with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) depend on clinical staff possessing highly specialised knowledge and skills. Because of the fragmented nature of the CTCL workforce, specialist education was delivered via a webinar. AIM: The study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the webinar and test the validity of using an evaluation model for a one-off education event. METHODS: The webinar was evaluated using Moore et al's conceptual model for evaluation of education. Data were collected using polling questions and post-webinar questionnaires and analysed using descriptive summaries and content analysis. FINDINGS: Respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the webinar was an effective way to learn, enjoyable, relevant to their role and interesting. Learners also reported improvements in awareness, knowledge and understanding of CTCL, its referral and treatment. CONCLUSION: Evaluating one-off education events using a conceptual model of evaluation for continuous medical education is recommended, with some adaptations to overcome limitations.

Optimising patient-initiated follow-up care - A qualitative analysis of women with breast cancer in the UK.

PURPOSE: Current policy in the United Kingdom (UK) recommends that people with breast cancer (PWBC) are managed in follow-up pathways that suit their needs. With an increasing trend towards patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) pathways for PWBC, this study conducted qualitative research exploring PWBC's experiences of a nurse-led PIFU service (termed 'Supported Early Discharge') to inform how PIFU pathways could be optimised. METHOD: PWBC on a PIFU pathway were recruited from two UK hospitals (one large cancer centre, one district general hospital) as part of a wider mixed-methods study (N = 118). Following completion of a series of surveys, a purposive subsample of 20 women were interviewed in-depth about their experiences. Thematic analysis was conducted. RESULTS: The majority of participants described positive views towards being on PIFU; however a significant minority struggled with uncertainties and difficulties related to: accessing ongoing care and support; performing breast self-examination (BSE); managing ongoing treatment side-effects; and fear of recurrence. Themes included: self-efficacy to manage own health; barriers and facilitators to help-seeking on a PIFU pathway; effective information sharing about side effects; preferences for personalised care; emotional wellbeing on PIFU- influences on fear of recurrence. A novel conceptual model is presented that highlights influences on self-management during PIFU. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight ways in which PIFU pathways could be further optimised through greater and more effective education on BSE and recognising signs of recurrence, information on when and how to seek further help with any problems, targeted provision of psychological support, and clearer signposting to support for ongoing side-effects.

The role of the nurse in supporting cancer clinical trials.

Clinical trials are a fundamental component of high-quality care, and have been widely reported to improve care and patient outcomes. For research trials to be successful, patients need to have awareness of trials, be invited to participate, and be supported to make informed decisions about consenting to enrol in clinical trials. Some cancer nurses have been reported to be reluctant to discuss clinical trials with patients, based on their own beliefs about the perceived burden of clinical trials, while others have been reported to facilitate patient access to clinical trials by working closely with their clinical research nurse colleagues. Nursing patients enrolled in cancer clinical trials is a specialised (and often complex) area of practice. There is significant opportunity for nurses to develop their knowledge about clinical trials, for example, through reciprocal learning between clinical and research teams, which might enhance patients' experiences of, and outcomes from, clinical trials.

Health professional perceptions of communicating with adolescents and young adults about bone cancer clinical trial participation.

PURPOSE: Low recruitment of adolescents and young adults in cancer clinical trials is widely reported and may be linked to limited improvements in survival. Research to date does not adequately explain all underlying reasons for poor trial accrual. This paper reports health professional perceptions of communicating with adolescents and young adults with bone sarcoma about clinical trial participation. METHODS: This study used narrative inquiry. Findings are reported from thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 18 multidisciplinary health professionals working in a supra-regional bone and soft tissue sarcoma centre. RESULTS: Participants described professional expertise, the development of specialist knowledge and skills and strategies used to develop trusting relationships with adolescents and young adults with bone sarcoma. These factors were perceived to facilitate communication about clinical trial participation. Emergent themes were having credibility through expertise of the team, developing specialist communication skills through reflection on practice, having inclusive approaches to education and training about clinical trials, individual communication styles used to form trusting relationships, using a patient-centred approach to connect with adolescents and young adults, creating time needed to form trusting relationships and effective team working. CONCLUSIONS: We aligned findings of this study with characteristics of patient-physician trust and provide a basis for transferable recommendations. Our findings can be used to inform the development of age-specific, specialist communication skills and highlight health professional education needs about clinical trials. Additional research is needed to explore which elements of team working optimise improved clinical trial participation, in what contexts and why.

A systematic review of non-standard dosing of oral anticancer therapies.

BACKGROUND: The use of oral systemic anticancer therapies (SACT) has increased and led to improved cancer survival outcomes, particularly with the introduction of small molecule targeted agents and immunomodulators. Oral targeted SACT are, however, associated with toxicities, which might result in reduced quality of life and non-adherence. To reduce treatment-related toxicity, the practice of non-standard dosing is increasing; however guidance to govern this practice is limited. A systematic review was conducted to identify evidence of, and outcomes from, non-standard dosing of oral SACT in oncology and malignant haematology. METHODS: A comprehensive search of 78 oral SACT was conducted in the following databases: MEDLINE®, EMBASE®, Cochrane Library©, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL©). Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria, and were critically appraised. Extracted data were tabulated to summarise key findings. Due to diversity of study designs and heterogeneity of reported outcomes, studies were categorised and evidence was synthesised in three main themes: dose interruption; dose reduction; and other dosing strategies. RESULTS: Thirty-four studies were eligible for inclusion: four clinical trials, fifteen cohort studies and fifteen case reports. Evidence for non-standard dosing was reported for eleven oral SACT. Dose interruptions were the most commonly reported strategy (14 studies); nine studies reported dose reductions; and eleven reported other dosing strategies. Eight retrospective cohort studies reported dose interruption of sunitinib in renal cell carcinoma and showed either similar or improved responses and survival outcomes, and fewer or equivalent high grade toxicities, compared to the standard schedule. Four cohort studies retrospectively evaluated dose reductions of imatinib, gefitinib or erlotinib, for chronic myeloid leukaemia and non-small cell lung cancer, respectively. Other dosing strategies included alternate-day dosing. The quality of the evidence was limited by the small sample size in many studies, retrospective study designs, and lack of reported toxicity and/or QoL outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This review identified limited evidence to support current non-standard dosing strategies, but some of findings, e.g. dose interruption of sunitinib, warrant further investigation in large-scale prospective clinical trials.

Non-conventional dosing of oral anticancer agents in oncology and malignant haematology: a systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Recent advances in cancer therapeutics have resulted in significantly improved overall survival and progression-free survival for patients. Targeted oral systemic anticancer therapies (SACT) offer a range of treatment approaches that differ from traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy: non-cytotoxic oral SACT target malignant disease continuously, have less broad and more favourable safety profiles, which can improve patients' quality of life (QoL). Toxicities associated with daily oral SACT administration can, however, result in non-adherence and a reduced QoL. Non-conventional dosing of oral SACT, where unlicensed doses/schedules of drugs are prescribed, is one approach increasingly adopted by clinicians to reduce toxicities and subsequent non-adherence and to improve QoL. Guidance governing this practice is, however, limited. This systematic review aims to identify evidence about prescribing practices of, and outcomes from, non-conventional dosing of oral SACT in oncology and malignant haematology. METHODS: A search using the following electronic databases will be conducted: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Cochrane Registry of Controlled Trials. Studies will be selected based on predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Critical appraisal will be conducted to identify potential biases, strengths and limitations of included studies. Extracted data will be tabulated to sort and summarise key findings. An initial literature search indicated that studies reporting non-standard dosing of oral SACT intervention studies are diverse and heterogeneous in study design. Extracted data will, therefore, be tabulated, and together with a narrative synthesis of integrated key findings, will be presented and discussed in reference to the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence base. If sufficient stratified data is available (e.g. age group, tumour type, disease stage) or intervention (drug, dosing schedule), sub-group analysis will be conducted to inform prescribing practice. DISCUSSION: This review will identify relevant literature on the topic to inform prescribers working in oncology and malignant haematology. It will also analyse any evidence of the following outcomes: toxicity, treatment adherence and/or QoL outcomes for patients receiving non-standard doses of oral SACT. Limitations in the evidence base may arise from variability in both the type and quality of studies reviewed. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42017076195 .

ECCO Essential Requirements for Quality Cancer Care: Soft Tissue Sarcoma in Adults and Bone Sarcoma. A critical review.

BACKGROUND: ECCO essential requirements for quality cancer care (ERQCC) are checklists and explanations of organisation and actions that are necessary to give high-quality care to patients who have a specific tumour type. They are written by European experts representing all disciplines involved in cancer care. ERQCC papers give oncology teams, patients, policymakers and managers an overview of the elements needed in any healthcare system to provide high quality of care throughout the patient journey. References are made to clinical guidelines and other resources where appropriate, and the focus is on care in Europe. Sarcoma: essential requirements for quality care • Sarcomas - which can be classified into soft tissue and bone sarcomas - are rare, but all rare cancers make up more than 20% of cancers in Europe, and there are substantial inequalities in access to high-quality care. Sarcomas, of which there are many subtypes, comprise a particularly complex and demanding challenge for healthcare systems and providers. This paper presents essential requirements for quality cancer care of soft tissue sarcomas in adults and bone sarcomas. • High-quality care must only be carried out in specialised sarcoma centres (including paediatric cancer centres) which have both a core multidisciplinary team and an extended team of allied professionals, and which are subject to quality and audit procedures. Access to such units is far from universal in all European countries. • It is essential that, to meet European aspirations for high-quality comprehensive cancer control, healthcare organisations implement the requirements in this paper, paying particular attention to multidisciplinarity and patient-centred pathways from diagnosis and follow-up, to treatment, to improve survival and quality of life for patients. CONCLUSION: Taken together, the information presented in this paper provides a comprehensive description of the essential requirements for establishing a high-quality service for soft tissue sarcomas in adults and bone sarcomas. The ECCO expert group is aware that it is not possible to propose a 'one size fits all' system for all countries, but urges that access to multidisciplinary teams is guaranteed to all patients with sarcoma.

Breast cancer osteomimicry and its role in bone specific metastasis; an integrative, systematic review of preclinical evidence.

Metastasis accounts for most of the deaths from breast cancer and the preference of invasive breast cancer metastasising to bone has been widely reported. However, the biological basis of breast cancer osteotropism is not fully understood. This paper provides, for the first time, an integrative, systematic review of evidence of molecular factors that have functional roles in the homing of metastatic breast cancer to the bone. Pubmed, Web of Science and EBSCOhost were searched using keywords and synonyms for molecular, metastasis, breast cancer and bone to identify articles published between January 2004 and August 2016. 4491 potentially relevant citations were retrieved. 63 articles met the inclusion criteria, which were primary studies reporting evidence of molecular factors that have functional roles in predisposing breast cancer bone metastasis in vivo. 12 of those 63 articles that additionally met quality criteria were included in the review. Extracted data were tabulated and key findings that indicated biological mechanisms involved in breast cancer metastasis to bone were synthesised. 15 proteins expressed by breast cancer cells were identified as factors that mediate breast cancer bone metastasis: ICAM-1, cadherin-11, osteoactivin, bone sialoprotein, CCN3, IL-11, CCL2, CITED2, CXCR4, CTGF, OPN, CX3CR1, TWIST1, adrenomedullin and Enpp1. Upregulation or overexpression of one or more of them by breast cancer cells resulted in increased breast cancer metastasis to bone in vivo, except for CCL2 where bone-metastatic cells showed a reduced expression of this factor. All factors identified, here expressed by breast cancer cells, are proteins that are normally expressed in the bone microenvironment and linked to physiologic bone functions. All have a functional role in one of more of the following: cell proliferation and differentiation, bone mineralization and remodelling, cell adhesion and/or chemokine signalling. Six of them (cadherin-11, ICAM-1, OPN, CX3CR1, CCN3 and osteoactivin) have a reported function in cell adhesion and another eight (CCN3, osteoactivin, Enpp1, IL-11, CTGF, TWIST1, adrenomedullin and CITED2) are reported to be involved in cell proliferation and differentiation. This review collates and synthesises published evidence to increase our understanding of the biology of breast cancer osteomimicry in the development of bone metastasis. Findings of this review suggest that changes in expression of proteins in breast cancer cells that confer osteomimicry facilitate homing to bone to enable the development of bone metastasis.

The Experiences of Young Adults With Hodgkin Lymphoma Transitioning to Survivorship: A Grounded Theory Study.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To explore the experiences of young adults with Hodgkin lymphoma during the first year following the end of initial treatment. 
. RESEARCH APPROACH: A qualitative grounded theory study.
. SETTING: Interviews with patients recruited from three cancer centers in England.
. PARTICIPANTS: 10 Hodgkin lymphoma survivors (four men and six women aged 21-39 years) recruited as part of a larger study of 28 young adult cancer survivors.
. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: Semistructured interviews were conducted about two months after treatment completion, and follow-up interviews were conducted seven months later. The authors' grounded theory of positive psychosocial adjustment to cancer provided the conceptual framework.
. FINDINGS: Positive reframing, informal peer support, acceptance, and normalization helped young adults dismantle the threats of Hodgkin lymphoma during the course of treatment. However, they described losing a sense of security following treatment completion. Greater age-specific information to enable better preparation for the future was desired regarding body image, fertility, sexual relationships, work, and socializing.
. CONCLUSIONS: Informal support mechanisms, like peer support and patient navigator interventions, may be useful ways to further support young adults after treatment completion.
. INTEPRETATION: Positive psychosocial adjustment to cancer survivorship in young adults is facilitated by having informal peer support; being able to positively reframe, accept, and normalize their experience; and being prepared for the future.

Functional Quality-of-Life Outcomes Reported by Men Treated for Localized Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Literature Review.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: To systematically evaluate the literature for functional quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes following treatment for localized prostate cancer. 
. LITERATURE SEARCH: The MEDLINE®, CINAHL®, EMBASE, British Nursing Index, PsycINFO®, and Web of Science™ databases were searched using key words and synonyms for localized prostate cancer treatments.
. DATA EVALUATION: Of the 2,191 articles screened for relevance and quality, 24 articles were reviewed. Extracted data were tabulated by treatment type and sorted by dysfunction using a data-driven approach.
. SYNTHESIS: All treatments caused sexual dysfunction and urinary side effects. Radiation therapy caused bowel dysfunction, which could be long-term or resolved within a few years. Sexual function could take years to return. Urinary incontinence resolved within two years of surgery but worsened following radiation therapy. Fatigue was worse during treatment with adjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy, and some men experienced post-treatment fatigue for several years. 
. CONCLUSIONS: This review identified that QOL outcomes reported by men following different treatments for localized prostate cancer are mostly recorded using standardized health-related QOL outcome measures. Such outcome measures collect data about body system functions but limit understanding of men's QOL following treatment for prostate cancer. Holistic outcome measures are needed to capture data about men's QOL for several years following the completion of treatment for localized prostate cancer.
. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nurses need to work with men to facilitate information sharing, identify supportive care needs, and promote self-efficacy, and they should make referrals to specialist services, as appropriate.

Dismantling the present and future threats of testicular cancer: a grounded theory of positive and negative adjustment trajectories.

PURPOSE: Testicular cancer commonly affects men in the prime of their lives. While survival rates are excellent, little previous research has examined men's experiences of adjustment to survivorship. We aimed to explore this issue in younger testicular cancer survivors. METHODS: In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with testicular cancer survivors over two time points approximately 6 months apart in the year following treatment completion. Interviews were analysed using a grounded theory approach. RESULTS: The sample included 18 testicular cancer survivors between 22 and 44 years (mean age 34). A grounded theory was developed, which explained the process of positive adjustment over the first year following the treatment completion in terms of men's ability to dismantle the present and future threats of cancer, involving the key transitions of gaining a sense of perspective and striving to get on with life and restore normality. These were facilitated by six key processes. The processes that explained a negative adjustment trajectory are also presented. CONCLUSIONS: These findings contribute to the understanding of the psychosocial impact of testicular cancer on younger men's lives and have implications for the provision of support to testicular cancer survivors. Further investigation into the feasibility of one-on-one peer support interventions is warranted, as well as informal support that respects men's desire for independence. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Understanding the processes involved in adjustment highlights ways in which health professionals can offer support to those struggling to adjust through challenging illness beliefs, encouraging emotional disclosure and facilitating peer mentoring.

The characteristics and experiences of anticipatory mourning in caregivers of teenagers and young adults.

This article reports a systematic review of literature undertaken to identify characteristics and experiences of anticipatory mourning in caregivers of teenagers and young adults with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the key words 'anticipatory', 'mourning', 'grief', and synonyms. This review focused on six studies that met inclusion criteria and reported characteristics of anticipatory mourning in caregivers of teenagers and young adults. Characteristics and experiences were sorted into four main themes: symptoms; a sense of loss; caregiver behaviour; and the unique experience of caring for, or losing, a teenager or young adult. The review suggests that there are characteristics and experiences of anticipatory mourning that are unique to caregivers of this age group. The review also suggests that consideration of anticipatory mourning is important in offering holistic care to young adults and their caregivers, and points to the need for further research in this area.

Cannabinoids for nausea and vomiting in adults with cancer receiving chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis has a long history of medicinal use. Cannabis-based medications (cannabinoids) are based on its active element, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and have been approved for medical purposes. Cannabinoids may be a useful therapeutic option for people with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting that respond poorly to commonly used anti-emetic agents (anti-sickness drugs). However, unpleasant adverse effects may limit their widespread use. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of cannabis-based medications for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in adults with cancer. SEARCH METHODS: We identified studies by searching the following electronic databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and LILACS from inception to January 2015. We also searched reference lists of reviews and included studies. We did not restrict the search by language of publication. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared a cannabis-based medication with either placebo or with a conventional anti-emetic in adults receiving chemotherapy. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: At least two review authors independently conducted eligibility and risk of bias assessment, and extracted data. We grouped studies based on control groups for meta-analyses conducted using random effects. We expressed efficacy and tolerability outcomes as risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). MAIN RESULTS: We included 23 RCTs. Most were of cross-over design, on adults undergoing a variety of chemotherapeutic regimens ranging from moderate to high emetic potential for a variety of cancers. The majority of the studies were at risk of bias due to either lack of allocation concealment or attrition. Trials were conducted between 1975 and 1991. No trials involved comparison with newer anti-emetic drugs such as ondansetron. Comparison with placebo People had more chance of reporting complete absence of vomiting (3 trials; 168 participants; RR 5.7; 95% CI 2.6 to 12.6; low quality evidence) and complete absence of nausea and vomiting (3 trials; 288 participants; RR 2.9; 95% CI 1.8 to 4.7; moderate quality evidence) when they received cannabinoids compared with placebo. The percentage of variability in effect estimates that was due to heterogeneity rather than chance was not important (I(2) = 0% in both analyses).People had more chance of withdrawing due to an adverse event (2 trials; 276 participants; RR 6.9; 95% CI 1.96 to 24; I(2) = 0%; very low quality evidence) and less chance of withdrawing due to lack of efficacy when they received cannabinoids, compared with placebo (1 trial; 228 participants; RR 0.05; 95% CI 0.0 to 0.89; low quality evidence). In addition, people had more chance of 'feeling high' when they received cannabinoids compared with placebo (3 trials; 137 participants; RR 31; 95% CI 6.4 to 152; I(2) = 0%).People reported a preference for cannabinoids rather than placebo (2 trials; 256 participants; RR 4.8; 95% CI 1.7 to 13; low quality evidence). Comparison with other anti-emetics There was no evidence of a difference between cannabinoids and prochlorperazine in the proportion of participants reporting no nausea (5 trials; 258 participants; RR 1.5; 95% CI 0.67 to 3.2; I(2) = 63%; low quality evidence), no vomiting (4 trials; 209 participants; RR 1.11; 95% CI 0.86 to 1.44; I(2) = 0%; moderate quality evidence), or complete absence of nausea and vomiting (4 trials; 414 participants; RR 2.0; 95% CI 0.74 to 5.4; I(2) = 60%; low quality evidence). Sensitivity analysis where the two parallel group trials were pooled after removal of the five cross-over trials showed no difference (RR 1.1; 95% CI 0.70 to 1.7) with no heterogeneity (I(2) = 0%).People had more chance of withdrawing due to an adverse event (5 trials; 664 participants; RR 3.9; 95% CI 1.3 to 12; I(2) = 17%; low quality evidence), due to lack of efficacy (1 trial; 42 participants; RR 3.5; 95% CI 1.4 to 8.9; very low quality evidence) and for any reason (1 trial; 42 participants; RR 3.5; 95% CI 1.4 to 8.9; low quality evidence) when they received cannabinoids compared with prochlorperazine.People had more chance of reporting dizziness (7 trials; 675 participants; RR 2.4; 95% CI 1.8 to 3.1; I(2) = 12%), dysphoria (3 trials; 192 participants; RR 7.2; 95% CI 1.3 to 39; I(2) = 0%), euphoria (2 trials; 280 participants; RR 18; 95% CI 2.4 to 133; I(2) = 0%), 'feeling high' (4 trials; 389 participants; RR 6.2; 95% CI 3.5 to 11; I(2) = 0%) and sedation (8 trials; 947 participants; RR 1.4; 95% CI 1.2 to 1.8; I(2) = 31%), with significantly more participants reporting the incidence of these adverse events with cannabinoids compared with prochlorperazine.People reported a preference for cannabinoids rather than prochlorperazine (7 trials; 695 participants; RR 3.3; 95% CI 2.2 to 4.8; I(2) = 51%; low quality evidence).In comparisons with metoclopramide, domperidone and chlorpromazine, there was weaker evidence, based on fewer trials and participants, for higher incidence of dizziness with cannabinoids.Two trials with 141 participants compared an anti-emetic drug alone with a cannabinoid added to the anti-emetic drug. There was no evidence of differences between groups; however, the majority of the analyses were based on one small trial with few events. Quality of the evidence The trials were generally at low to moderate risk of bias in terms of how they were designed and do not reflect current chemotherapy and anti-emetic treatment regimens. Furthermore, the quality of evidence arising from meta-analyses was graded as low for the majority of the outcomes analysed, indicating that we are not very confident in our ability to say how well the medications worked. Further research is likely to have an important impact on the results. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Cannabis-based medications may be useful for treating refractory chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. However, methodological limitations of the trials limit our conclusions and further research reflecting current chemotherapy regimens and newer anti-emetic drugs is likely to modify these conclusions.

Increasing the expression of calcium-permeable TRPC3 and TRPC7 channels enhances constitutive secretion.

The hTRPC [human TRPC (canonical transient receptor potential)] family of non-selective cation channels is proposed to mediate calcium influx across the plasma membrane via PLC (phospholipase C)-coupled receptors. Heterologously expressed hTRPC3 and hTRPC7 have been localized at the cell surface; however, a large intracellular component has also been noted but not characterized. In the present study, we have investigated the intracellular pool in COS-7 cells and have shown co-localization with markers for both the TGN (trans-Golgi network) and the cis-Golgi cisternae by immunofluorescence microscopy. Addition of BFA (Brefeldin A) to cells expressing hTRPC3 or hTRPC7 resulted in the redistribution of the Golgi component to the endoplasmic reticulum, indicating that this pool is present in both the Golgi stack and the TGN. Expression of either TRPC3 or TRPC7, but not TRPC1 or the cell surface marker CD8, resulted in a 2-4-fold increase in secreted alkaline phosphatase in the extracellular medium. Based on these results, we propose that an additional function of these members of the hTRPC family may be to enhance secretion either by affecting transport through the Golgi stack or by increasing fusion at the plasma membrane.