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Background: Assessing and Listening to Individual Goals and Needs (ALIGN) is a palliative care social work intervention that aims to improve delivery of goal-concordant care for hospitalized older adults with cancer discharged to skilled nursing facilities. Objective: Explore processes through which ALIGN may improve delivery of goal-concordant care to substantiate the conceptual model grounding the intervention and to inform mechanistic hypotheses of how the intervention might be effective. Design: A process evaluation triangulating findings from patient and caregiver interviews with a matrix analysis of ALIGN social worker notes. Setting/Participants: Patients (n = 6) and caregivers (n = 13) who participated in a single-arm pilot study of ALIGN in the United States and 113 intervention notes (n = 18 patients) written by 2 ALIGN social workers. Measurement: Qualitative thematic content analysis Results: Themes included the following: (1) ALIGN helped reconcile participants' misaligned expectations of rehabilitation with the reality of the patient's progressive illness; (2) ALIGN helped participants manage uncertainty and stress about forthcoming medical decision making; (3) the longitudinal nature of ALIGN allowed for iterative value-based goals of care discussions during a time when patients were changing their focus of treatment; and (4) ALIGN activated participants to advocate for their needs. Conclusions: ALIGN offers support in prognostic understanding, communication, and decision making during a pivotal time when patient and caregivers' goals have not been met and they are reassessing priorities. A larger trial is needed to understand how these processes may improve the ability of participants to make value-based decisions and aide in delivery of goal-concordant care. Clinical Trial Registration Number: NCT04882111. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Young adult cancer survivors (YACS) aged 18-39 report age-specific multifactorial challenges with self-care, leisure, work and education requiring multicomponent rehabilitation intervention. Therefore, the 'Young Adult Taking Action' (YATAC) programme was developed. Aims/Objectives: To present a protocol for a feasibility study evaluating the acceptability of the YATAC programme and exploring implementation, mechanisms of impact and outcomes. Material and methods: A mixed-method feasibility study with a convergent research design will be conducted. The programme is an age-specific, multicomponent, goal-oriented, and peer-based rehabilitation programme delivered by an interdisciplinary staff consisting of nine components: 1) Goal setting, 2) Everyday life, 3) Physical activity, 4) Psychological issues, 5) Work and study, 6) Sexuality and relationship, 7) Rights and finance, 8) Peer-to-peer support and 9) Individual consultation. Quantitative and qualitative data about acceptability, implementation, mechanisms of impact and outcomes will be collected. Results: The results will provide essential knowledge about the programme's acceptability, implementation, mechanisms of impact and outcomes. Conclusion and significance: The study will inform adjustment of the programme and will provide knowledge of whether and how to deliver age-specific rehabilitation to YACS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Family members can support advance care planning conversations. However, how family involvement in advance care planning operates to achieve goal-concordant care remains unclear. Aim: To explore how family involvement impacts the process of advance care planning for advanced cancer patients and their family members to achieve goal-concordant care in Japan. Design: Qualitative study incorporating semi-structured in-depth interviews with thematic analysis informed by Family Systems Theory. Setting/participants: Medical oncology departments at two tertiary hospitals in Japan. A purposive sample of 13 advanced cancer patients, 10 family members and 9 healthcare professionals who cared for them. Results: Twenty-five interviews were conducted, comprising 7 dyads of patients and their family members and 18 individual interviews. Four themes were identified: characteristics of patients and family members and their views on illness and advance care planning; family context and communication; interactions with healthcare professionals and societal and cultural influences; and family members' acceptance, preparation and confidence. Family involvement was observed as being variable at an individual level and also across generations. Family members provided patients with the instrumental and emotional support that facilitated the advance care planning process. Family involvement enabled family members to better prepare for realising patients' wishes. It increased family members' confidence in surrogate decision-making. Conclusions: Two mechanisms of how family involvement may enable goal-concordant care were identified: family members' support provision and their preparation for realising patients' wishes. Healthcare professionals should assess family's readiness to engage in advance care planning, and the time required to prepare them for the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Colorectal cancer is a clinically common malignancy arising in the digestive tract. Aim: To evaluate the influence of goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) guided by the Vigileo-FloTracTM system on intestinal mucosal barrier function in elderly patients with colorectal cancer. Material and methods: A prospective study was conducted on 106 elderly patients with colorectal cancer. They were divided into control and research groups (n = 53) using a random number table, and subjected to conventional fluid therapy and Vigileo-FloTracTM system-guided GDFT, respectively. Their intraoperative indicators, postoperative indicators, and changes of haemodynamics, oxygen metabolism, intestinal mucosal barrier function at different time points, and incidence rates of complications were compared. Results: Compared with the control group, the intraoperative urine volume, colloid fluid volume, crystalloid fluid volume, and total infusion volume were lower, and the first postoperative exhaust time, first postoperative feeding time, and hospital stay were shorter in the research group (p < 0.05). At T1 and T2, mean artery pressure, heart rate, central venous pressure, oxygen consumption, oxygen delivery, and oxygen extraction ratio in the research group were lower than in the control group, but all of them first rose and then fell in the 2 groups (p < 0.05). On the 3rd day after surgery, the levels of serum endothelin, diamine oxidase and D-lactate declined in both groups, and the decline was more obvious in the research group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: GDFT guided by the Vigileo-FloTracTM system is beneficial to the prognosis of patients by effectively decreasing fluid infusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The goal of this work was to improve the tumor selectivity of chemotherapy to reduce side effects and improve efficacy. We designed a drug called VIP236 that delivers chemotherapy directly to tumors due to a specialized "homing feature" that binds to αvβ3 integrins. Solid tumors express high levels of αvβ3 integrins. In contrast, expression of αvβ3 is low in healthy tissues. This difference in expression levels leads to preferential homing of the chemotherapy to tumor cells over healthy tissue to reduce side effects. In human cancer models conducted in mice, VIP236 was shown to substantially accumulate in tumors compared with normal tissue. The high accumulation of VIP236 in the tumors resulted in high and long-lasting tumor regression and reduced metastasis formation in brain and lung in cancer models. The emerging field of small-molecule–drug conjugates (SMDCs) using small-molecule biomarker-targeted compounds for tumor homing may provide new perspectives for targeted delivery. Here, for the first time, we disclose the structure and the synthesis of VIP236, an SMDC designed for the treatment of metastatic solid tumors by targeting αvβ3 integrins and extracellular cleavage of the 7-ethyl camptothecin payload by neutrophil elastase in the tumor microenvironment. Imaging studies in the Lewis lung mouse model using an elastase cleavable quenched substrate showed pronounced elastase activity in the tumor. Pharmacokinetics studies of VIP236 in tumor-bearing mice demonstrated high stability of the SMDC in plasma and high tumor accumulation of the cleaved payload. Studies in bile-duct-cannulated rats showed that biliary excretion of the unmodified conjugate is the primary route of elimination. Treatment- and time-dependent phosphorylation of H2AX, a marker of DNA damage downstream of topoisomerase 1 inhibition, verified the on-target activity of the payload cleaved from VIP236 in vivo. Treatment with VIP236 resulted in long-lasting tumor regression in subcutaneous patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models from patients with non-small-cell lung, colon, and renal cancer as well as in two orthotopic metastatic triple-negative breast cancer PDX models. In these models, a significant reduction of brain and lung metastases also was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study investigated HPV vaccination rates and associated factors among 265,554 patients aged 18–26 within a large healthcare system. Alarmingly, only 30% had completed the vaccine series, far below national averages and targets. Significant disparities were found, with males less likely to be vaccinated than females and Black Americans less likely to complete vaccination despite higher initiation rates. Many patients remained unvaccinated despite recent primary care visits, highlighting missed opportunities. Low uptake, particularly among males, and disparities emphasize the urgent need for targeted interventions to improve provider communication and community education around HPV risks and vaccine benefits to increase vaccination coverage in this population. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection, with over 40% prevalence in the US. Oropharyngeal cancers (OPCs) driven by high-risk HPV are increasing (up to 90%), with HPV vaccination being the only prevention available. The aim of this study was to investigate HPV vaccination among patients aged between 18 and 26 years old with at least one encounter at a large healthcare system and identify sociodemographic factors associated with vaccine initiation and completion. A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted between 2018 and 2021, including 265,554 patients identified from the Clinical Data Warehouse. HPV vaccination status by age, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance type, primary care (PCP) visits in the past year, alcohol, tobacco, illicit drug use, and age at vaccination was examined. Overall, 33.6% of females and 25.4% of males have completed the HPV vaccine. Black Americans were 35% more likely to initiate the vaccine than White Americans but were less likely to complete the entire course. Overall, HPV vaccination prevalence was far below the Health People 2030 goal of 80%, especially in young males. This low rate is troubling, since many patients had a PCP visit and remained unvaccinated, which serves as a missed opportunity for vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is growing evidence that conversations between healthcare professionals and patients with serious illness can improve the quality of end-of-life cancer care. Yet, there is lack of insight into how different healthcare professions collaborate to deliver serious illness communication, as well as patients' and caregivers' perceptions of this collaboration between the nurse and physician. This study explores the interdisciplinary collaboration between nurses and physicians in serious illness conversations with patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma and their caregivers. Methods: Eleven dyadic interviews were conducted with 22 patients and caregivers, and two focus group interviews involving four nurses and the other with four physicians. Data analysis and reporting were conducted using reflexive thematic analysis within phenomenological epistemology. Results: The interdisciplinary collaboration was characterized by three main themes: (1) Importance of relationships, (2) Complementary perspectives, and (3) The common goal. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of interdisciplinarity in serious illness conversations as it enhances the use of existential and descriptive language when addressing medical, holistic, and existential issues. The use of broader language also reflects that interdisciplinary interaction strengthens the expertise of each professional involved in patient care. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, the preferences, hopes, and values of the patient and caregiver can be integrated into the treatment plan, which is key in providing the delivery of optimal care. To promote cohesive and coordinated collaboration, organizational changes are recommended such as supporting continuity in patient–healthcare professional relationships, providing interdisciplinary training, and allocating time for pre-conversation preparation and post-conversation debriefing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, interest in prognostic calculators for predicting patient health outcomes has grown with the popularity of personalized medicine. These calculators, which can inform treatment decisions, employ many different methods, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. Methods: We present a comparison of a multistate model (MSM) and a random survival forest (RSF) through a case study of prognostic predictions for patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The MSM is highly structured and takes into account some aspects of the clinical context and knowledge about oropharyngeal cancer, while the RSF can be thought of as a black-box non-parametric approach. Key in this comparison are the high rate of missing values within these data and the different approaches used by the MSM and RSF to handle missingness. Results: We compare the accuracy (discrimination and calibration) of survival probabilities predicted by both approaches and use simulation studies to better understand how predictive accuracy is influenced by the approach to (1) handling missing data and (2) modeling structural/disease progression information present in the data. We conclude that both approaches have similar predictive accuracy, with a slight advantage going to the MSM. Conclusions: Although the MSM shows slightly better predictive ability than the RSF, consideration of other differences are key when selecting the best approach for addressing a specific research question. These key differences include the methods' ability to incorporate domain knowledge, and their ability to handle missing data as well as their interpretability, and ease of implementation. Ultimately, selecting the statistical method that has the most potential to aid in clinical decisions requires thoughtful consideration of the specific goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with cancer often experience nutrition-related challenges for which they are subsequently connected with nutritional support. Yet to date there are no validated tools to assess whether nutrition interventions sufficiently address patients' needs. A vital step toward developing a tool is to identify primary patient-important goals related to receiving nutrition support during cancer care. To that end, we interviewed patients and clinicians to identify nutrition-related needs and goals of patients undergoing cancer treatment. We interviewed 31 patients undergoing cancer treatment and 17 clinicians at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. Two coders analyzed transcripts using a conventional qualitative content analysis approach. Patients and clinicians both identified weight maintenance, improved food satisfaction and intake, and improved quality of life metrics – such as reduced emotional and financial stress – as top nutrition-related goals. Participants also highlighted the importance of patients receiving food they like and having control over what they eat when designing optimal nutrition interventions. These findings will be used in future work to create a patient-centered assessment tool designed to capture a range of patient goals related to nutrition interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work ability, or the perception of one's ability to work presently and in the future, may impact quality of life (QOL) among young adult (YA) cancer survivors. Through a convergent mixed methods design, we explored work ability, work-related goals, and QOL among YA hematologic cancer survivors within five years of diagnosis. We described associations at the individual- and microsystem (work)- levels; and compared factors across low and high work ability groups. Participants (N = 40) completed a survey and interview via digital platforms. Qualitative analysis revealed self-assessed declines in work ability led to questioning work-related goals and influenced QOL. Integrated analysis led to the development of four profiles, growing our understanding of work's influence on QOL for YA cancer survivors, and identifying components YAs considered when contemplating work-related goals after a cancer diagnosis. Larger studies are needed to elucidate these profiles and identify modifiable factors to inform targeted interventions to improve QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In positive psychology, increased recognition of the phenomenon of hope among people suffering from cancer, along with alleviating their negative mental states like anxiety, depression, and fear of death is evident and promising. The aim of the study was to explore the lived experience of hope in cancer patients. Materials: Qualitative phenomenological research approach was used. A semi-structured in-depth interview with open-ended questions was administered to explore the patient's hope related experiences during the journey of cancer. A purposive sampling technique was used to select a total of 10 participants for the study. The size of the sample was decided on the basis of literature for the interpretive phenomenological study. Results: Results revealed five major common themes related to hope during illness: (1) survival expectation; (2) will to live; (3) prognostic clarification; (4) positivity of health providers; and (5) recovery of other patients: A source of hopefulness. Conclusion: The lived experiences of cancer patients shows that hope is the positive expectation of survival, which is a source of motivation during their journey of illness. It also denotes goal setting behaviour. Thus, hope is the "will to live" which is related to social support, positive communication with healthcare providers, and recovery of fellow patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In recent years, interest in prognostic calculators for predicting patient health outcomes has grown with the popularity of personalized medicine. These calculators, which can inform treatment decisions, employ many different methods, each of which has advantages and disadvantages. METHODS: We present a comparison of a multistate model (MSM) and a random survival forest (RSF) through a case study of prognostic predictions for patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The MSM is highly structured and takes into account some aspects of the clinical context and knowledge about oropharyngeal cancer, while the RSF can be thought of as a black-box non-parametric approach. Key in this comparison are the high rate of missing values within these data and the different approaches used by the MSM and RSF to handle missingness. RESULTS: We compare the accuracy (discrimination and calibration) of survival probabilities predicted by both approaches and use simulation studies to better understand how predictive accuracy is influenced by the approach to (1) handling missing data and (2) modeling structural/disease progression information present in the data. We conclude that both approaches have similar predictive accuracy, with a slight advantage going to the MSM. CONCLUSIONS: Although the MSM shows slightly better predictive ability than the RSF, consideration of other differences are key when selecting the best approach for addressing a specific research question. These key differences include the methods' ability to incorporate domain knowledge, and their ability to handle missing data as well as their interpretability, and ease of implementation. Ultimately, selecting the statistical method that has the most potential to aid in clinical decisions requires thoughtful consideration of the specific goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Personal values are individual conceptions of the desirable appraisals and actions that guide our attitudes and behaviour. Advance care planning (ACP) now emphasises the consideration of personal life goals and values expressed as a Values Directive (VD) to guide discussions concerning medical treatment.Objective: To investigate the diversity of values, experiences and adaptations expressed in cancer patients VDs.Methods: Contents of the VDs of ACPs of cancer patients who participated in a randomised control trial comparing a video intervention showing values communication between cancer patient-caregivers with usual care were analysed. Qualitative phenomenological content analysis was used to understand how participants made meaning of their lived experiences.Results: Forty-two participants completed an ACP (37.2% response rate), with 97.6% of these completing a VD (57.1% female, mean age 72 years, 30.1% gastrointestinal cancer). Participants described diverse adjustments to frailty and adaptive coping with deteriorating functionality. Emotional and financial concerns were eased through experiencing benevolence and trust established through family and friendship bonds and reciprocation of care. Death anxiety and ambivalence were expressed concurrently with the experiential acceptance of dying. Secular and sacred rituals featured as an affirmation of their faith or beliefs.Conclusion: Cancer patients seek to make meaning of their experiences, concurrently posturing vulnerability and resilience, despite conflicting emotions and experiences. Given that the choices people make as they approach dying relate to their most deeply held values, ACP conversations should explore how patients draw from their values and life goals to optimise their adaptations to illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Neuroendocrine neoplasms are increasing in incidence at a remarkable rate meaning more providers are encountering them in both adult and pediatric patients. This classification of neoplasm encompasses a wide range of different malignancies with a variety of symptoms at presentation and each treated differently. Additionally, over the past few years there has been a change in classification of these neoplasms and a variety of changes and advances in how they are treated. Given this and their rarity in pediatric patients, healthcare providers may not be familiar with these changes. Our goal with this review was to provide an overview of all the most commonly encountered forms of neuroendocrine neoplasms in pediatric patients with up to date recommendations so any healthcare provider can quickly and accurately acclimate themselves. Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) encompass a variety of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) which can arise anywhere in the body. While relatively rare in the pediatric population, the incidence of NENs has increased in the past few decades. These neoplasms can be devastating if not diagnosed and treated early, however, symptoms are variable and can be indolent for many years. There is a reported median of 10 years from the appearance of the first symptoms to time of diagnosis. Considering some of these neoplasms have a mortality rate as high as 90%, it is crucial healthcare providers are aware of NENs and remain vigilant. With better provider education and easily accessible resources for information about these neoplasms, awareness can be improved leading to earlier disease recognition and diagnosis. This manuscript aims to provide an overview of both the most common NENs as well as the rarer NENs with high lethality in the pediatric population. This review provides up to date evidence and recommendations, encompassing recent changes in classification and advances in treatment modalities, including recently completed and ongoing clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: There is a limited knowledge base about factors affecting advance directives and code status decisions among veterans with malignancy. In addition, few studies have focused on the benefit of palliative care (PC) in goals-of-care discussions among veterans with cancer. OBJECTIVES: This study examined advance care planning and goals-of-care decisions among veterans with malignancy. METHODS: Demographic and clinical data were obtained using retrospective chart analysis. Patient characteristics were analyzed using univariate descriptive statistics. To compare patients with and without a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) decision, chi-square test was performed. FINDINGS: More than half of the patients in the study were referred to PC within one year of their cancer diagnosis. Most had documented metastatic disease at the time of their PC referral. Veterans with prostate cancer were more likely to elect full code status. In this study, White veterans were more likely to choose a DNR order than African American veterans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overall survival (OS) with advanced esophageal or gastric cancer is poor. To avoid overly aggressive treatments at the end-of-life and assure adequate end-of-life quality, the decision to focus on symptom-centered palliative care (PC) and terminate anticancer treatments, i.e., the PC decision, should be made in time. We reviewed the charts of patients (N = 160) with esophageal or gastric cancer treated at the Department of Oncology at Helsinki University Central Hospital in 2013 and deceased by December 2014. The use of acute services (Emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations) and places of death were compared according to the timing of the PC decision. Reasons for ED visits and hospitalizations were collected. The median OS from diagnosis of advanced cancer was 6 months. Anti-cancer treatments were never started for 34% of the patients. The PC decision was made early (>30 days before death) for 54% of the patients and late (≤30 days before death) or not at all for 46%. Patients with late or no PC decision died more often in tertiary/secondary hospital (29 versus 7%, p = 0.001) and had more ED visits (49 versus 29%, p < 0.001) and hospitalizations (53 versus 28%, p = 0.001) in their last month, and visited the PC unit less often (18 versus 69%, p < 0.001), than the patients with early PC decision. The ED visits were most commonly related to cancer progression, and clinical deterioration (17%), fever (16%), and dysphagia (15%) were the most common symptoms. The decision to focus on PC and terminate anticancer treatments, i.e., the PC decision, was made late or not at all in every other patient, leading to increased tertiary/secondary hospital service use and deaths at tertiary/secondary hospital. Early decision-making increased end-of-life care at specialized PC services or at home, implying better end-of-life care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Simple methods to help teams identify patients with goals of care (GOC) conversation needs are lacking. Objectives: To develop a tool to identify hospitalized patients who may benefit from GOC conversations. Methods: The Preference-Aligned Communication and Treatment (PACT) Conversation Trigger Tool was implemented as part of a quality improvement initiative in 10 Illinois hospitals and validated in a cohort of patients admitted to the coordinating site's oncology unit (n = 135). Results: The tool was reliable and acceptable to clinicians using it across sites. Thirty percent (n = 40) of patients screened at the coordinating site's oncology unit triggered positive. These patients were more likely to have a do-not-resuscitate order (43% vs. 11%) and palliative care consult (53% vs. 20%) and had lower mean survival time (125 vs. 248 days) than those who did not trigger (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The tool is reliable, acceptable, and can identify hospitalized oncology patients who may benefit from GOC conversations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Goals-of-care communication (GOCC) is recommended to increase the value of cancer care near the end of life (EOL).Objectives: Conduct a systematic review of the evidence that GOCC is associated with higher-value care.Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, EMB Reviews, CINAHL, and PsycInfo from inception to July 2019. We analyzed the population,design, and results and the authors' definitions of GOCC. Risk of bias was assessed.Results: Thirty-two articles were selected. Ten articles reported results from 8 interventions; 17 characterized participants' perspectives; and 5 were retrospective The topics, behaviors, timing, and anticipated outcomes of GOCC varied significantly and were indistinguishable from practices such as advance care planning. GOCC typically focused on treatment outcomes rather than patients' goals. Four of 5 interventions increased evidence of GOCC after clinician training. Only one reported improved patient outcomes.Conclusion: No consensus exists about what GOCC entails. There is limited evidence that GOCC increases the value of EOL care.Practice Implications: Future studies should focus on how to engage patients in conversations about their personal goals and integrate their goals into care planning. Clinicians can encourage GOCC by explaining how patients' goals influence decisions especially as treatment options become limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the presented study was to investigate gender differences in the changes of value systems after a cancer diagnosis.Methods: In the study, we used the Polish adaptation of the Rokeach Value Survey and compared within-subject differences in the obtained results from before (retrospective) and after patients' cancer diagnosis. In the analysis, we used the Aranowska ω Coefficient of Choice and Single-Sample t-test statistics.Results: Generally, after cancer diagnosis communal values gained, and agentic - lost importance regardless of patients' gender. However, we found statistically significant effects of gender in value system changes, namely agency values ("independent" and "intellectual") become less important for men than women, while the communal value "Mature love" was placed higher by men than women.Conclusion: The results of the study confirm our initial hypothesis about significant gender differences in the changes of the value system.Practice Implications: Obtained knowledge can be used to better predict patient motivation and behavior in the face of oncological treatment. It is important that gender differences are considered in the process of cancer patients treatment. It can be beneficial for communication between a doctor and a patient and for counseling regarding coping with the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Uncertainty has been associated with distress and poorer quality of life in patients with advanced cancer. Prior studies have focused on prognostic uncertainty; little is known about other types of uncertainty that patients and family members experience when discussing goals of care. Understanding the types of uncertainty expressed and differences between Black and White patients can inform the development of uncertainty management interventions. Methods: This study sought to characterize the types of uncertainty expressed by Black and White patients and family members within the context of information needs during inpatient goals-of-care discussions. We performed a secondary analysis of transcripts from 62 recorded goals-of-care discussions that occurred between 2012 and 2014 at an urban, academic medical center in the United States. We applied an adapted taxonomy of uncertainty to data coded as describing information needs and used an inductive qualitative analysis method to analyze the discussions. We report the types of uncertainty expressed in these discussions. Results: Fifty discussions included patient or family expressions of information needs. Of these, 40 discussions (n=16 Black and n=24 White) included statements of uncertainty. Black and White patients and families most frequently expressed uncertainty related to processes and structures of care (system-centered uncertainty) and to treatment (scientific uncertainty). Statements of prognostic uncertainty focused on quantitative information among Whites and on qualitative information and expectations for the future among Blacks. Conclusions: Black and White patients and families frequently expressed system-centered uncertainty, suggesting this may be an important target for intervention. Addressing other sources of uncertainty, such as prognostic uncertainty, may need more tailored approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The number of cancer survivors is increasing as a result of advances in detection and treatment. Lifestyle is a significant modifiable factor in the development of cancer. Most studies on healthy lifestyles have been conducted in Western countries. Cultural influences on the pursuit of healthy lifestyles among Chinese cancer survivors remain largely unexplored. The objectives of this qualitative study are to explore the experiences of Chinese cancer survivors in adopting healthy lifestyles, with a focus on their goals, the challenges they face, and the influences of Chinese culture. Design: Thirty-two Chinese breast and colorectal cancer survivors in their first five years after treatment were recruited from a hospital in Hong Kong to participate in eight focus groups. Qualitative content analysis was adopted to analyse the data. Results: The adoption of a healthy lifestyle was a strategy through which the participants exercised choice to restore balance in their health after developing cancer. Diet, exercise, psychological well-being, the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and health/dietary supplements, and attending medical consultations/follow-up visits were the behaviours adopted by the participants, with the goal of improving their health, controlling their cancer and preventing relapse, and managing the residual physical symptoms of their illness. In adopting a healthy lifestyle, the participants encountered challenges such as a lack of reliable and practical instructions from healthcare professionals. Chinese cultural beliefs concerning the nature of food, TCM, minimizing social disturbances, and collaborative control influenced their lifestyle. Conclusions: The cancer survivors adopted a range of healthy lifestyles but encountered challenges. Clarifying the principles of food choice while addressing Chinese beliefs regarding therapeutic food and the use of TCM, clarifying queries about conflicting information, and developing plans according to the needs, and competing demands of survivors can facilitate collaborative control between healthcare professionals and cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A diagnosis of cancer often derails an individual's goals. The purpose of this mixed-methods analysis was to describe the evolution of adolescent and young adult (AYA)-reported goals in the year after a diagnosis of new or advanced cancer. Methods: As part of the Promoting Resilience in Stress Management (PRISM) phase 2 randomized controlled trial, AYAs with cancer (ages 12–25 years) were asked at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months: "Please give an example of a goal you hope to accomplish over the next month/year." We used content analysis to categorize goals as follows: life milestones, physical health, mental/emotional health, cancer specific, and hobbies/interests. We summarized goal categories at each time point: for the entire cohort, by baseline diagnosis status (new vs. advanced cancer), treatment status (on-therapy vs. off-therapy), and baseline health-related quality of life (high vs. low). Results: Eighty-six participants completed the study and were included in the analysis (control: n = 41, PRISM: n = 45); 69 reported their goals at 6 months, and 54 at 12 months. Participants submitted a total of 169 goals at baseline, 148 at 6 months, and 126 at 12 months. At baseline, cancer-specific goals were most common for the short-term (35%), whereas milestone goals were most common for the long-term (46%). At 6 months, milestone goals were most common in both short- (38%) and long-term (51%) categories. A similar pattern was seen at 12 months. Conclusion: AYAs' goals change over the first year of their cancer experience, with a shift in short-term goals from cancer-specific goals at baseline to milestone goals at later time points. ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02340884). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First person profile: Himisha Beltran, MD: By all accounts, Dr Beltran is living her wish and achieving her goal of marrying research to clinical work to, in the end, better the lives of people with cancer GLO:23I/01dec22:cncr34536-fig-0001.jpg PHOTO (COLOR): . gl Adesire to bridge her love for science with caring for patients led Himisha Beltran, MD, to pursue medicine, and oncology in particular, as a career. Dr Beltran underscores the need to better understand treatment resistance in prostate cancer given that it is the major cause of mortality in these patients. [Extracted from the article]

Adopted on 3rd February 2021, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan aims to reduce the cancer burden for patients, their families and health systems, and is a major strategic priority of the European Commission in its present mandate. The Cancer Plan commits to updating the European Code Against Cancer and includes the objective of making ‘‘at least 80% of the population aware of the Code by 2025’’. In order to measure progress towards and attainment of this goal, metrics and tools at European level would be needed. Possible options include, but are not limited to, the ‘‘Eurobarometer’’. Since 1973, the European institutions commission regular public opinion surveys in all EU Member States. The European Commission’s Eurobarometer Surveys is a series of multitopic, pan-European surveys covering attitudes towards policies, economy, and health, among other topics. It comprises survey series or instruments such as the Standard Eurobarometer (regular face-to-face interviews with approximately 1,000 subjects in each Member State), the Special Eurobarometer (in-depth thematic studies relevant to the activities of the European institutions) or the Flash Eurobarometer (ad-hoc thematic surveys carried out within a short timespan), among others. Some of these options may provide a suitable tool to standardize and measure awareness and perceptions on cancer risk factors in a valid and reliable way, as well as the corresponding cancer preventive measures, and the European Code against Cancer itself, in the European population overtime. However, developments arising from the Cancer Plan, such as the recently established Knowledge Centre for Cancer of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, may offer more a suitable, continuous process. This brief presentation will prepare the audience for an interactive discussion on the pragmatic challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the monitoring and evaluation of the European Code against Cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]