Impact of early palliative care on additional line of chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer patients: results from the randomized study OSS.

PURPOSE: The most appropriate criteria and timing for palliative care referral remain a critical issue, especially in patients with metastatic breast cancer for whom long-term chemosensibility and survival are observed. We aimed to compare the impact of early palliative care including formal concertation with oncologists on decision for an additional line of chemotherapy compared with usual oncology care. METHODS: This randomized prospective study enrolled adult women with metastatic breast cancer and visceral metastases with a 3rd- or 4th-line chemotherapy (CT). Patients received usual oncology care with a palliative care consultation only upon patient or oncologist request (standard group, S) or were referred to systematic palliative care consultation including a regular concertation between palliative care team and oncologists (early palliative care group, EPC). The primary endpoint was the rate of an additional CT (4th or 5th line) decision. Quality of life, symptoms, social support and satisfaction were self-evaluated at 6 and 12 months, at treatment discontinuation or 3 months after discontinuation. RESULTS: From January 2009 to November 2012, two authorized cancer centers included 98 women (EPC: 50; S: 48). Thirty-seven (77.1%, 95%CI 62.7-88%) patients in the EPC group had a subsequent chemotherapy prescribed and 36 (72.0%, 95%CI 57.5-83.8%) in the S group (p = 0.646). No differences in symptom control and global quality of life were observed, but less deterioration in physical functioning was reported in EPC (EPC: 0 [- 53-40]; S: - 6; 7 [- 60 to - 20]; p = 0.027). Information exchange and communication were significant improved in EPC (exchange, EPC: - 8.3 [- 30 to + 7]; S: 0.0 [- 17 to + 23]; p = 0.024; communication, EPC: 12.5 [- 8 to - 37]; S: 0.0 [- 21 to + 17]; p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: EPC in metastatic breast cancer patients did not impact the prescription rate of additional chemotherapy in patients a 3rd- or 4th-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer; however, EPC may contribute to alleviate deterioration in physical functioning, while facilitating communication. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT00905281, May 20, 2009.

Agreement for depression diagnosis between DSM-IV-TR criteria, three validated scales, oncologist assessment, and psychiatric clinical interview in elderly patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Depression, a major outcome in cancer patients, is often evaluated by physicians relying on their clinical impressions rather than patient self-report. Our aim was to assess agreement between patient self-reported depression, oncologist assessment (OA), and psychiatric clinical interview (PCI) in elderly patients with advanced ovarian cancer (AOC). METHODS: This analysis was a secondary endpoint of the Elderly Women AOC Trial 3 (EWOT3), designed to assess the impact of geriatric covariates, notably depression, on survival in patients older than 70 years of age. Depression was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale-30 (GDS), the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, the distress thermometer, the mood thermometer, and OA. The interview guide for PCI was constructed from three validated scales: the GDS, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, revised (DSM) criteria for depression were used as a gold standard. RESULTS: Out of 109 patients enrolled at 21 centers, 99 (91%) completed all the assessments. Patient characteristics were: mean age 78, performance status ≥2: 47 (47%). Thirty six patients (36%) were identified as depressed by the PCI versus 15 (15%) identified by DSM. We found moderate agreement for depression identification between DSM and GDS (κ=0.508) and PCI (κ=0.431) and high agreement with MADRS (κ=0.663). We found low or no agreement between DSM with the other assessment strategies, including OA (κ=-0.043). Identification according to OA (yes/no) resulted in a false-negative rate of 87%. As a screening tool, GDS had the best sensitivity and specificity (94% and 80%, respectively). CONCLUSION: The use of validated tools, such as GDS, and collaboration between psychologists and oncologists are warranted to better identify emotional disorders in elderly women with AOC.

[Satisfaction of Breast Cancer patients treated by chemotherapy outpatient clinics: Results of the TemporELLES survey]. / Satisfaction des patientes traitées par chimiothérapie en hôpital de jour pour un cancer du sein : résultats de l'enquête TemporELLES.

Three thousand eight hundred and twelve patients participated in the TemporELLES survey; these patients were treated for breast cancer with intravenous chemotherapy in 105 different outpatient clinics in France. The survey shows that patients spend on average 3hours in the outpatient clinic per chemotherapy session, which includes on average 50minutes of waiting time. Forty percent of patients would like to reduce this waiting time. Availability of new dosage forms and ready to use medications will address the need for reduced waiting time while freeing up time for providing support to the patients.

Prodromal depression in pancreatic cancer: retrospective evaluation on ten patients.

OBJECTIVE: Since the description by Yaskin in 1931, it has been observed that pancreatic cancer and depression are two clinical entities that share a high affinity. This observation relies on the higher incidence of depressive syndromes associated with pancreatic cancer than in any other type of digestive tumor, and on the possible occurrence of depressive symptoms several months before the diagnosis of cancer. We present here a series of cases whose screening returned positive for depression-related diagnoses in the months prior to revelation of the cancer. METHOD: We employed a structured psychiatric interview based on DSM-IV criteria (SCID-I). The diagnoses considered were major depressive episode, minor depressive episode, and subsyndromal depression. All subjects were free of psychiatric history. RESULTS: Some 15 patients were initially included: 10 presented compatible criteria for a past depressive episode, 2 presented a major depressive episode, 4 met the diagnosis of minor depression, and 4 evidenced subsyndromal depression over the one-year period prior to cancer diagnosis. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: This series of cases is consistent with previous work on the subject that suggested an increased vulnerability to depressive events in the premorbid phase of pancreatic cancer. If the possibility of depressive syndromes constituting the early stages of neoplastic disease is a common idea, it is still impossible to determine the natural history of these two disorders and therefore their causal linkage.

Depression assessment by oncologists and palliative care physicians.

OBJECTIVE: Depression is a frequent problem in cancer patients, which is known to reduce quality of life; however, many cancer patients with depression are not treated because of the difficulties in assessing depression in this population. Our aim was to evaluate and improve the depression assessment strategies of palliative care (PC) physicians and oncologists. METHOD: We invited all medical oncologists and PC physicians from three cancer centers to participate in this multicenter prospective study. They were asked to classify 22 symptoms (related and specific to depression in cancer patients, related but not specific, and unrelated) as "very important," "important," "less important," or "not important" for the diagnosis of depression in cancer patients, at three different time points (at baseline, after a video education program, and after 4 weeks). They were also asked to complete a questionnaire exploring physicians' perceptions of depression and of their role in its systematic screening. RESULTS: All 34 eligible physicians participated. Baseline performance was good, with >70% of participants correctly classifying at least seven of nine related and specific symptoms. We found no significant improvement in scores in the immediate and 4-week follow-up tests. Additionally, 24 (83%) and 23 (79%) participants expressed support for systematic depression screening and a role for oncologists in screening, respectively. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Oncologists had good baseline knowledge about depression's main symptoms in cancer patients and a positive attitude toward being involved in screening. Underdiagnosis of depression is probably related to problems associated with the oncology working environment rather than the physicians' knowledge.

Frequency of depression among oncology outpatients and association with other symptoms.

PURPOSE: Depression occurs among an estimated 15% of cancer patients (range, 1-77.5%). Our main objective was to identify the frequency of reported depression by using the Brief Edinburgh Depression Scale (BEDS) among cancer outpatients. Our secondary objective was to identify associated symptoms of cancer using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) and to evaluate the screening performance of depression between ESAS and BEDS. METHODS: In this multicenter prospective study conducted, we used the ESAS to collect information on nine symptoms: pain, fatigue, nausea, depression, anxiety, drowsiness, shortness of breath, lack of appetite, and feeling of well-being (each rated from 0 to 10). The BEDS was used to assess for "probable depression" (score >6). Data were analyzed using a parametric and nonparametric test. RESULTS: A total of 146 patients completed the study. The prevalence of probable depression was 43/146 (29%). Probable depression was associated with increased fatigue (p = 0.008), depression (p < 0.0001), anxiety (p < 0.0001), shortness of breath (p = 0.01), and decreased feeling of well-being (p < 0.001). Among patients with probable depression, 42 (98%) patients were not using antidepressants. Regarding the sensitivity and the specificity, we determined that the optimal cutoff for using the ESAS as a depression screening tool was ≥ 2. CONCLUSION: We found significant associations between probable depression as determined with the BEDS and five symptoms as detected with the ESAS. The vast majority of patients with probable depression were not receiving pharmacological treatment. Depression should be suspected in patients with higher symptom distress as for any one of these 5 ESAS items.

[Translation and validation of Brief Edinburgh Depression Scale (BEDS) in French]. / Validation linguistique et métrique de la version française de la Brief Edinburgh Depression Scale (BEDS).

BACKGROUND: Depression is an important symptom for many palliative care patients but is rarely identified. It's known to reduce quality of life and impact on palliation of physical symptom. These physical symptoms can be improved by an adequate treatment of depression. Many depressed cancer patients are not treated due to the difficulty in assessment. The Brief Edinburgh Depression Scale (BEDS) is widely used within the UK and also in other countries but its use is limited by the lack of translations. In this study, we report the translation and validation of the BEDS in French. METHOD: A group of experts translate the BEDS using back-to-back translation and the standard procedures of the EORTC. All the patients admitted to our Palliative Care Unit between November 2007 and April 2008 were eligible to take part in the study. The French BEDS was validated against the gold standard, a semi structured psychiatric interview (according to the SADS ou Schedule for Affective Disorders Scale). For this study full regional ethical approval was obtained. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients participated in the validation study. The prevalence of depression according to psychiatric interview was found to be 56.3% and the optimum cut-off of the French BEDS was 7, which yielded a sensitivity of 82.4% and a specificity of 68.4%. CONCLUSION: We believe that the French BEDS is a valid and sensitive tool for screening depression, and that it can be used within the palliative care population. Further work might be necessary to extend its use to the wider oncology population.

[Therapeutic education in oncology: involving patient in the management of cancer]. / L'éducation thérapeutique en cancérologie: vers une reconnaissance des compétences du patient.

The notion of therapeutic education was only recently introduced in cancer. Although the term is commonly used, no standard definition exists for the concept and principles of therapeutic education and its efficacy remains to be assessed. Therapeutic education is complementary to the healthcare approach and aims to get the patients more involved in their disease and the treatment decision-making process. This discipline, placed at the interface of human and social sciences, was first developed for the management of chronic diseases (diabetes, asthma). It derives from the principle that involving patients in their own care and management can help them better adjust to life with a chronic disease. The lengthening survival time of cancer patients, which contributes to making cancer a chronic disease, as well as changes in the patient-caregiver relationship contribute to the development of therapeutic education in cancer. Pilot studies, conducted principally in the United States, evaluating the side effects of chemotherapy and the management of pain, have demonstrated that such educational programs could improve patient quality of life and decrease the side effects of treatments. The success of these programs depends on several parameters: taking into account patient's opinion in the elaboration and preparation of the programs; involving skilled multidisciplinary teams engaged in iterative educational actions; having recourse to methodological tools to evaluate the impact of implemented programs. Consistent with the World Health Organization guidelines, research should be conducted in France in order to elaborate and implement cancer-specific education programs and evaluate their potential benefit. Patient education programs on pain, fatigue, nutrition and treatment compliance are currently being developed at Saint-Etienne Regional Resource Centre for cancer information, prevention and education, within the framework of the Canceropole Lyon Auvergne Rhône-Alpes.

[Treatment planning visit in oncology: factors predictive of satisfaction with the meeting with the physician and benefits of a second interview with a nurse]. / Annonce du projet thérapeutique en cancérologie. Facteurs influençant la réussite de l'entretien patient-médecin et intérêt d'un deuxième entretien non médical.

OBJECTIVE: Effective patient-physician communication is essential in life-threatening diseases. This is why a specific process, the so-called "diagnosis disclosure visit", is included in the management protocol for cancer patients. The distress engendered by the news may, however, hinder the information process. METHODS: We analyzed the emotional aspects of the consultation before informed consent to clinical trials in 140 patients with advanced cancer, to assess whether emotions interfered with information quality and to evaluate the potential benefit of a second interview with a nurse. Principal component analysis of responses to a self-completed questionnaire determined the satisfaction scores of interviews. Factors predictive of satisfaction were tested with a logistic regression model. RESULTS: Although most patients rated themselves as fully informed, 37% required additional information. Two variables were significantly correlated with success of the interview: a low depression score on the HADS scale (included in the questionnaire) and a feeling of inability to ask all questions. A second interview with the nurse increased patient satisfaction with the information from 63% to 95% on average. CONCLUSION: Cancer patients need information and do not always feel they have received it after speaking to the oncologist. They cannot always express their concerns, or may fear the answers to questions they therefore avoid asking. Depressed patients appear to find it more difficult to understand the information provided.

[Prospective study on the quality of care and quality of life in advanced cancer patients treated at home or in hospital: intermediate analysis of the Trapado study]. / Etude prospective de qualité des soins et de qualité de vie chez des patients cancéreux en phase palliative, en hospitalisation ou à domicile: analyse intermédiaire de l'étude Trapado.

The preferences of advanced cancer patients and the impact of cancer management on relatives remain partly unknown. We present the preliminary results of a prospective study evaluating quality of care (QC), quality of life (QoL) and family impact (FI) in advanced cancer patients treated at home or in hospital, depending on their own choice. QC is evaluated using STAS questionnaire, and QoL and symptom control using EORTC QLQ-C30, Spielberger questionnaire and VAS for pain evaluation. FI is evaluated using GHQ28 and semi-structured interviews conducted at days 0, 15, 30, then monthly until death. Intermediate analysis of 52 patients (100 expected) of whom 63 % had chosen home care, 26 % in-hospital care. Actual assignment is home care: 56 %, in-hospital care: 44 %. Place of death is home: 15 %, hospital: 85 %. In the QC study, the two symptoms most frequently rated by nurses are anxiety and pain, in either group. Patient information and communication are also similar in both groups. The QoL and symptom study shows that patients also rate pain as frequent (84 %) but moderate (mean VAS score 2.5/10). However, the most frequent symptom is fatigue (100 %). Anxiety is rated higher at hospital, as well as FI (anxiety, insomnia, social dysfunction and global score). Palliative care research is sometimes difficult but feasible. In this study, most patients prefer home care. Anxiety and FI seem lower at home. However, re-hospitalisations just before death are frequent and death generally occurs in hospital.

[For a coordination of the supportive care for people affected by severe illnesses: proposition of organization in the public and private health care centres]. / Coordination des soins de support pour les personnes atteintes de maladies graves: proposition d'organisation dans les etablissements de soins publics et privés.

The concept of continuous and global care is acknowledged today by all as inherent to modern medicine. A working group gathered to propose models for the coordination of supportive care for all severe illnesses in the various private and public health care centres. The supportive care are defined as: "all care and supports necessary for ill people, at the same time as specific treatments, along all severe illnesses". This definition is inspired by that of "supportive care" given in 1990 by the MASCC (Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer): "The total medical, nursing and psychosocial help which the patients need besides the specific treatment". It integrates as much the field of cure with possible after-effects as that of palliative care, the definition of which is clarified (initial and terminal palliative phases). Such a coordination is justified by the pluridisciplinarity and hyperspecialisation of the professionals, by a poor communication between the teams, by the administrative difficulties encountered by the teams participating in the supportive care. The working group insists on the fact that the supportive care is not a new speciality. He proposes the creation of units. departments or pole of responsibility of supportive care with a "basic coordination" involving the activities of chronic pain, palliative care, psycho-oncology, and social care. This coordination can be extended, according to the "history" and missions of health care centres. Service done with the implementation of a "unique counter" for the patients and the teams is an important point. The structure has to comply with the terms and conditions of contract (Consultation, Unit or Centre of chronic pain, structures of palliative care, of psycho-oncology, of nutrition, of social care). A common technical organization is one of the interests. The structure has to set up strong links with the private practitioners, the networks, the home medical care (HAD) and the nurses services at home (SSIAD), when they exist, to guarantee the continuity of the supportive care under all its aspects and in order to take into account the preferences of the patients. According to Hospital 2007 propositions, the extended, flexible and general purpose Group of Sanitary Cooperation (GCS) meets the necessities inherent to the structures of supportive care within the territories of health because it can be established between one or several health care centres and the private health professionals, thus favouring the cooperation between public and private health care centres. PSPH and general medicine.

Cancer patients who experienced diagnostic genetic testing for cancer susceptibility: reactions and behavior after the disclosure of a positive test result.

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the consequences of the disclosure of a positive genetic test result to patients affected with cancer. Personal repercussions and patients' behavior with the transmission of their results to relatives were considered. We conducted semistructured interviews with 23 cancer patients identified as carriers of a cancer-predisposing mutation for hereditary breast ovarian or nonpolyposis colorectal cancers, 1 month after the disclosure of the test result. Eight patients spontaneously expressed distressed reactions ("you no longer feel cured"), and 14 patients reported at least one negative feeling (dissatisfied, discouraged, unhappy, or worried), despite expecting to be a carrier. Sixteen patients expressed concerns about the risk of developing another cancer, and 18 were concerned for their children's future, in that they may carry the mutation and develop a cancer. Although 8 patients found that disadvantages of knowing their genetic status outweighed the advantages, all but 1 did not regret having undergone genetic testing. All of the patients transmitted their results to at least one close relative. Although 6 of them expressed difficulties in being the only person who could transmit the information and 9 said it was a heavy responsibility, all except 1 did not want someone else to have to inform their families. Our results illustrate the potential negative impact of diagnostic genetic testing in patients with cancer. This includes distressed reactions and difficulties in transmitting their results to relatives. Future large-scale studies are warranted to confirm our findings.