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Purpose To measure financial toxicity and explore its association with quality of life (QOL) in an emerging population of survivors: advanced melanoma patients treated with immunotherapy. Design Cross-sectional survey and medical record review. Sample 106 survivors (39% response). Median time since start of immunotherapy was 36.4 months (range: 14.2–133.9). Methods The Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity measured financial toxicity, and the EORTC-QLQ30 assessed QOL and functioning across five domains. Data were collected online, by phone, or in clinic. Findings: Younger patients (<65 years) reported higher financial toxicity (p <.001) than older patients. Controlling for age, financial toxicity was correlated with QOL (p <.001), financial difficulties (p <.001), and EORTC-QLQ30 functioning subscales. Conclusions Given the demonstrated association between financial toxicity and QOL, our study highlights the importance of addressing financial toxicity, particularly among patients receiving high-cost treatments. Implications for Psychosocial Providers: Providers should educate patients and their caregivers about cost-management techniques, link them with available resources, and provide psychosocial counseling to alleviate related distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine a set of proposed eligibility factors for hemi‐ablative focal therapy in prostate cancer and to determine the likelihood of residual extensive disease. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 98 patients with unilateral prostate cancer on biopsy with detailed tumor maps from whole‐mount slides and preoperative magnetic resonance imaging data. These patients met the focal therapy consensus meeting inclusion criteria (prostate‐specific antigen <15 ng/mL, clinical stage T1c‐T2a and Gleason score 3 + 3 or 3 + 4 on needle biopsy), and underwent radical prostatectomy between 2000 and 2014. Extensive disease was defined as having Gleason pattern 4/5 in bilateral lobes, any extraprostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion or lymph node invasion. Both lobes of the prostate were scored on magnetic resonance imaging. Preoperative characteristics including biopsy and magnetic resonance imaging data were used to predict extensive disease. Results: Among our cohort of 98 patients, 40% (95% CI 30–50%) had extensive disease. A total of 33% (95% CI 24–43%) had Gleason pattern 4/5 in both lobes with a median Gleason pattern 4/5 tumor volume in the biopsy negative lobe of 0.06 cm3, 17 patients had pathological tumor stage ≥3 and one patient had lymph node invasion. Conclusions: An important number of patients meeting the focal therapy consensus meeting inclusion criteria can present extensive disease. Further studies using targeted biopsies might provide more accurate information about the selection of focal therapy candidates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The addition of targeted prostate biopsy to systemic biopsy impacts patient experience. We examined patient-reported pain, discomfort, anxiety, and tolerability among men undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-targeted prostate biopsy in addition to transrectal ultrasound-guided systematic biopsy compared to those undergoing systematic biopsy alone., Methods: All patients underwent transrectal systematic 14-core biopsies. Patients with regions of interest on MRI underwent additional targeted biopsies. All patients received equivalent periprostatic nerve block. Four single-item, standard, 11-point numerical rating scales evaluating pain, discomfort, anxiety, and tolerability were completed immediately after biopsy. Differences in means were compared using t-tests. Correlation between rated domains was tested using Spearman's correlation coefficient., Results: Of 273 consecutive patients, 195 (71%) underwent targeted biopsy and 188 (69%) had undergone prior biopsy. In all men, the median score for pain and tolerability was 3, while the median score for discomfort and anxiety was 4. Pain was rated at 7 or above by 15% of patients. Moderate correlation between pain, discomfort, anxiety, and tolerability of repeat biopsy was observed (Spearman's ρ between 0.48 and 0.76). Compared to patients undergoing systematic biopsy alone, men who received both targeted and systematic biopsies reported higher anxiety scores (difference 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.4-2.0; p=0.004) and discomfort (difference 1.0; 95% CI 0.3-1.7; p<0.001)., Conclusions: Patients undergoing targeted and systematic biopsies report more discomfort and anxiety than patients undergoing systematic biopsies alone. Absolute differences are small, and patients are willing to undergo repeat biopsy if advised. Interventions to reduce biopsy-related anxiety are needed.