A closer look at quality of life in the hepatocellular carcinoma literature.

PURPOSE: Adults with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have a high symptom burden. Their quality of life (QOL) has been shown to be significantly impacted by both the disease and its treatment, adding to the high symptom burden that these patients experience. The primary aims of this paper are as follows: (1) to identify how QOL is being defined in HCC literature and (2) to identify how QOL is being measured in the HCC literature using Ferrell's model of QOL. METHODS: A systematic review was completed of relevant studies published after 2014, using PubMed, CINHAL, and PsycInfo. Relevant studies were reviewed by 2 reviewers using PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: From a total of 1312 papers obtained in the initial database search, 30 met inclusion criteria and are included in this review. From the included articles, 10% included a definition of QOL and 3% addressed the spiritual domain of QOL. Majority of study participants were in the early stage of HCC, though the majority of adults with HCC are diagnosed in the advanced stage. Only 3% of included studies included greater than 22% population of advanced stage of HCC. CONCLUSION: The results of this systematic review demonstrate the need for future research into QOL in the advanced stage of QOL. It also identified gap in the literature concerning the definition of QOL in HCC and the spiritual domain of QOL in HCC.

Structured simulations improves students' knowledge acquisition and perceptions of teaching effectiveness: A quasi-experimental study.

AIMS: To determine the effect of adding structured simulation to a traditional classroom lecture format on students' knowledge acquisition and their evaluation of faculty teaching effectiveness, compared to traditional classroom lectures alone. BACKGROUND: There is a critical lack of high-quality clinical placements/experiences in nursing education, particularly in clinical specialty populations, such as paediatrics. Simulation has been shown to help students practice in a safe environment. However, less is known about the outcomes of embedding simulation in didactic class sessions or classroom lectures. Additionally, data on the impact of simulation as a teaching pedagogy on faculty teaching effectiveness is limited. DESIGN: Post-test, nonequivalent control group quasi-experimental study. METHODS: Students in two prelicensure nursing programs participated in a 10-week term paediatric nursing course taught by the same faculty member on two different campuses. The students at one campus, designated as the control group (n = 43), received four hours of traditional, lecture-only, instructions. The group at a second campus, the intervention group (n = 44), received the same lectures with added structured simulations. Students' knowledge acquisition and their evaluation of faculty teaching effectiveness were measured in both groups using the same standardised assessment measures. The CONSORT checklist was followed. RESULTS: Students' knowledge acquisition scores and their evaluation scores of faculty teaching effectiveness were significantly higher in the intervention (simulation) group compared to the control group. A significantly higher number of students in the simulation group scored above the national average Nursing Care of Children score as compared to students in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating simulation with didactic instruction enhanced students' knowledge acquisition and improved their opinion of faculty teaching effectiveness. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Augmenting lecture with simulation may provide students with learning experiences that they may not have during clinical rotation due to a lack of paediatric clinical placement sites and differences between sites.

Quantitative comparison of delayed ferumoxytol T1 enhancement with immediate gadoteridol enhancement in high grade gliomas.

PURPOSE: Delayed ferumoxytol enhancement on T1 -weighted images appears visually similar to gadoteridol enhancement. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively compare ferumoxytol T1 enhancement to gadoteridol enhancement with an objective, semi-automated method. METHODS: 206 sets of post-gadoteridol and 24 h post-ferumoxytol T1 -weighted scans from 58 high grade glioma patients were analyzed (9 pre-chemoradiation, 111 < 90 days post-chemoradiation, 21 > 90 days post-chemoradiation, 65 post-bevacizumab scans). Enhancement volumes and signal intensities normalized to normal appearing tissue proximal to enhancement were calculated with a semi-automated method. Enhancement cube root volumes (D) and signal intensities (SI) were compared between the 2 contrast agents, and relative difference of D and SI were compared in different treatment groups with multivariate analysis. Within patient differences in D and SI before and after treatment with bevacizumab or steroid were assessed in 26 patients in each treatment group. RESULTS: When compared to gadoteridol, ferumoxytol D was 13.83% smaller and SI was 7.24% lower (P < 0.0001). The relative differences in D and SI between the 2 contrast agents were not significantly different between treatment groups (P > 0.05). Relative difference in D and SI did not change significantly in response to bevacizumab (P = 0.5234 and P = 0.2442, respectively) or to steroid (P = 0.3774, P = 0.0741) in the within patient comparison. CONCLUSION: The correlation between the 2 contrast agents' enhancement size and signal intensity and their similar behavior in response to therapy suggest that ferumoxytol can be used for revealing enhancement in high grade glioma patients. Magn Reson Med 80:224-230, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

The Role of Financial Security on Physical and Mental Health in Young-Midlife Couples Surviving Cancer.

BACKGROUND: A cancer diagnosis carries a significant economic burden. Yet little is known about perceived financial security on the health of couples with a partner diagnosed with cancer. OBJECTIVE: The current study explored perceived financial security in young-midlife couples. METHODS: The study included 49 couples (aged 27-58 years) 1 to 3 years after diagnosis. Multilevel modeling was used to examine the association of perceived financial security on physical and mental health of couples controlling for interdependent data; hierarchical linear regression was used to examine perceived financial security on survivor symptoms and partner care strain. RESULTS: Mean age of survivors was 43.5 (±9.0) years. Most survivors were female (69%) and 2.2 (±0.6) years after diagnosis. Lower levels of perceived financial security were significantly associated with poorer physical (P < .001) and mental (P < .05) health status for survivors, controlling for age, sex, education, and years since diagnosis; there were no significant associations with partner health status. Lower levels of perceived financial security were significantly associated with higher survivor pain severity (P < .001), pain interference (P < .001), and fatigue (P < .01); there was no significant association with partner care strain. CONCLUSIONS: Financial security plays a role on the physical and mental health of couples after diagnosis. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Screening for financial hardship at diagnosis and posttreatment can identify couples at high risk and in need of additional resources and counseling. Greater assessment and reporting of financial security in studies of families surviving cancer are needed to understand the impact on health outcomes.

Personality Traits and Traumatic Outcome Symptoms in Registered Nurses in the Aftermath of a Patient Safety Incident.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits (perfectionism and neuroticism) and the traumatic outcomes of reexperiencing, avoidance, and alcohol abuse severity of registered nurses (RNs) who have been involved with a patient safety incident (PSI). We hypothesized that higher scores for perfectionism and neuroticism would predict higher reexperiencing and avoidance symptoms in RNs in the aftermath of a PSI. Also, RNs with higher perfectionism and neuroticism sum scores would be more likely to abuse alcohol. METHODS: A descriptive, correlational study design was used to characterize the relationships of personality traits and potential traumatic outcomes of RNs in the aftermath of a PSI. The Almost Perfect Scale-Revised, Neuroticism Scale, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption measures were administered to RNs licensed in Oregon and New York. RESULTS: Perfectionist-discrepancy personality traits (P < 0.01) were the strongest predictors for reexperiencing symptoms and neuroticism (P < 0.05) was the strongest predictor for avoidance symptoms, when controlling for sociodemographics and experience. We found a negative linear relationship between perfectionism-order and alcohol abuse severity (ß = -0.15, P < 0.01; confidence interval, -0.24 to 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between perfectionism-discrepancy and reexperiencing as well as between neuroticism and reexperiencing and avoidance, each explaining 4% of variance of their model. The results add to the nurse second victim literature by validating 2 posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in RNs in the aftermath of a PSI. Registered nurses with perfectionism-order were less likely to abuse alcohol.

Long-Term Outcomes of Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy for Progressive or Unresectable Pilocytic Astrocytomas: Case Studies.

BACKGROUND: Progressive and/or unresectable pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs) carry a poor prognosis compared to typical PA. Early radiotherapy (RT) may have severe long-term neurocognitive side effects in this patient population. Intra-arterial (IA) chemotherapy is a viable alternative or addition to intravenous (IV) chemotherapy, which may be beneficial in avoidance of early RT. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of IA chemotherapy in this subset of patients. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of medical records of PA patients who are treated with IA chemotherapy at Oregon Health & Science University from 1997 until 2019. Response to treatment was categorized as complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), or progressive disease (PD). Progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) are also reported. RESULTS: Twelve patients were identified. All patients experienced progression prior to initiation of IA chemotherapy. The most common grade 3 or 4 toxicities related to chemotherapy were thrombocytopenia (66%), neutropenia (66%), leukopenia (50%), anemia (33%), and lymphopenia (16%). Responses achieved were CR in 1, PR in 3, SD in 7, and PD in 1. Median PFS and median OS were 16.5 and 83.5 mo, respectively. A total of 112 procedures (IA injections) were performed and 250 arteries were catheterized. There were 3 minor and no major complications attributable to procedures. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that IA chemotherapy can be safely used in patients with unresectable or progressive PA.

Quality of life in "chronic" cancer survivors: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Cancer survivors are now living longer giving rise to a new concept-chronic cancer as survivors continue to face long-term consequences of cancer and its treatment. For these survivors, QOL becomes a vital consideration in understanding their survivorship and the long-term impact of cancer and its treatment. The primary aim of this review is to describe QOL in cancer survivors two or more years from diagnosis. METHODS: A meta-analysis was completed of relevant studies assessing QOL in long-term cancer survivorship using PubMed, CINHAL, and PsycINFO. A total of 64 articles met inclusion criteria and included in the analysis. Standardized effect sizes and errors were calculated using previously published standard QOL pass rates to compare QOL across measurement tools and calculate cumulative effect sizes (CES). Fixed-effect or random-effects models were used based on the presence of significant heterogeneity of ≤ 0.10. RESULTS: Physical health (CES = - 0.894; CI, - 1.472, - 0.316), role-physical health (CES = - 2.039; CI, - 2.643, - 1.435), and mental health (CES = - 0.870; CI, - 1.447, - 0.292) had large, negative cumulative effect sizes signifying worse QOL compared with acceptable QOL rates. Tested moderators, cancer type, average age, country of origin, time since diagnosis, or decade of diagnosis, were not significant to explain heterogeneity between included studies. CONCLUSION: QOL is significantly impacted 2 to 26 years after cancer diagnosis. More research is needed to determine possible moderators of QOL in long-term cancer survivors. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: QOL continues to be significantly impacted in long-term cancer survivorship. More research is needed to understand the impact of these findings on care needs for survivors with chronic cancer.

Combined iron oxide nanoparticle ferumoxytol and gadolinium contrast enhanced MRI define glioblastoma pseudoprogression.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasively differentiating therapy-induced pseudoprogression from recurrent disease in patients with glioblastoma is prospectively difficult due to the current lack of a biologically specific imaging metric. Ferumoxytol iron oxide nanoparticle MRI contrast characterizes innate immunity mediated neuroinflammation; therefore, we hypothesized that combined ferumoxytol and gadolinium enhanced MRI could serve as a biomarker of glioblastoma pseudoprogression. METHODS: In this institutional review board-approved, retrospective study, we analyzed ferumoxytol and gadolinium contrast enhanced T1-weighted 3T MRI in 45 patients with glioblastoma over multiple clinical timepoints. Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH-1) mutational status was characterized by exome sequencing. Sum of products diameter measurements were calculated according to Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria from both gadolinium and ferumoxytol enhanced sequences. Enhancement mismatch was calculated as the natural log of the ferumoxytol to gadolinium sum of products diameter ratio. Analysis of variance and Student's t-test assessed differences in mismatch ratios. P-value <0.05 indicated statistical significance. RESULTS: With the development of pseudoprogression we observed a significantly elevated mismatch ratio compared with disease recurrence (P < 0.01) within IDH-1 wild type patients. Patients with IDH-1 mutation demonstrated significantly reduced mismatch ratio with the development of pseudoprogression compared with disease recurrence (P < 0.01). Receiver operator curve analysis demonstrated 100% sensitivity and specificity for the use of mismatch ratios as a diagnostic biomarker of pseudoprogression. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that ferumoxytol to gadolinium contrast mismatch ratios are an MRI biomarker for the diagnosis of pseudoprogression in patients with glioblastoma. This may be due to the unique characterization of therapy-induced neuroinflammation.

Patterns of relapse in primary central nervous system lymphoma: inferences regarding the role of the neuro-vascular unit and monoclonal antibodies in treating occult CNS disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The radiologic features and patterns of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) at initial presentation are well described. High response rates can be achieved with first-line high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) based regimens, yet many relapse within 2 years of diagnosis. We describe the pattern of relapse and review the potential mechanisms involved in relapse. METHODS: We identified 78 consecutive patients who attained complete radiographic response (CR) during or after first-line treatment for newly diagnosed PCNSL (CD20+, diffuse large B cell type). Patients were treated with HD-MTX based regimen in conjunction with blood-brain barrier disruption (HD-MTX/BBBD); 44 subsequently relapsed. Images and medical records of these 44 consecutive patients were retrospectively reviewed. The anatomical location of enhancing lesions at initial diagnosis and at the time of relapse were identified and compared. RESULTS: 37/44 patients fulfilled inclusion criteria and had new measureable enhancing lesions at relapse; the pattern and location of relapse of these 37 patients were identified. At relapse, the new enhancement was at a spatially distinct site in 30 of 37 patients. Local relapse was found only in seven patients. DISCUSSION: Unlike gliomas, the majority of PCNSL had radiographic relapse at spatially distinct anatomical locations within the brain behind a previously intact neurovascular unit (NVU), and in few cases outside, the central nervous system (CNS). This may suggest either (1) reactivation of occult reservoirs behind an intact NVU in the CNS (or ocular) or (2) seeding from bone marrow or other extra CNS sites. CONCLUSION: Recognizing patterns of relapse is key for early detection and may provide insight into potential mechanisms of relapse as well as help develop strategies to extend duration of complete response.