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Zettler CM, De Silva DL, Blinder VS, Robson ME, Elkin EB. Cost-Effectiveness of Adjuvant Olaparib for Patients With Breast Cancer and Germline BRCA1/2 Mutations. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e2350067. [PMID: 38170520 PMCID: PMC10765260 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.50067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance The OlympiA trial found that 1 year of adjuvant olaparib therapy can improve distant disease-free survival and overall survival from early-stage breast cancer in patients with a germline BRCA1/2 mutation. However, olaparib, an oral poly-adenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase inhibitor, is estimated to cost approximately $14 000 per month in the US. Objective To estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of adjuvant olaparib compared with no olaparib in eligible patients. Design, Setting, and Participants In an economic evaluation from a health care system perspective, the cost-effectiveness of adjuvant olaparib was analyzed using a Markov state-transition model. The model simulated costs and lifetime health outcomes of 42-year-old women with high-risk early-stage breast cancer and a known BRCA1/2 mutation who completed definitive primary therapy and neoadjuvant or adjuvant systemic therapy. The study was conducted from August 2021 to July 2023. The effectiveness of olaparib was based on the findings of the OlympiA randomized clinical trial, and other model parameters were identified from the literature. The model was calibrated to the 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-year distant disease-free and overall survival observed in the OlympiA trial, and olaparib was assumed to reduce the risk of distant recurrence only in the first 4 years. Exposure One year of adjuvant olaparib or no adjuvant olaparib. Main Outcome and Measure Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) in 2021 US dollars per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. All outcomes were discounted by 3% annually. Results In the base case, adjuvant olaparib was associated with a 1.25-year increase in life expectancy and a 1.20-QALY increase at an incremental cost of $133 133 compared with no olaparib. The resulting ICER was approximately $111 000 per QALY gained. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of $150 000 per QALY, olaparib was cost-effective at its 2021 price and in more than 92% of simulations in probabilistic sensitivity analysis. The results were sensitive to assumptions about the effectiveness of olaparib and quality of life for patients with no disease recurrence. Conclusions and Relevance In this study, from a US health care system perspective, adjuvant olaparib was a cost-effective option for patients with high-risk, early-stage breast cancer and a germline BRCA1/2 mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dilanka L. De Silva
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Parkville Familial Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Thoracic Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Victoria S. Blinder
- Breast Medicine Service and Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Mark E. Robson
- Breast Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Elena B. Elkin
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York
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Grabenstetter A, Brogi E, Thompson DM, Blinder VS, Norton L, Morrow M, Robson ME, Wen HY. Impact of reactive changes on multigene testing: histopathologic analysis of low-grade breast cancers with high-risk 21-gene recurrence scores. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2024; 203:153-161. [PMID: 37768520 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-023-07127-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The 21-gene recurrence score (RS) assay predicts the recurrence risk and magnitude of chemotherapy benefit in patients with invasive breast cancer (BC). This study examined low-grade tumors yielding a high-risk RS and their outcomes.Kindly check the edit made in the article titleOk METHODS: We compared patients with grade 1 BC and a high-risk RS to those with low-risk RS. Histologic sections were reviewed and features reported to elevate the RS were noted, mainly biopsy cavity and reactive stromal changes (BXC). RESULTS A total of 54 patients had high-risk RS (median RS of 28, range 26-36). On review, BXC were seen in all cases. Thirty BCs in this group also had low to negative PR. Treatment regimens included: chemoendocrine therapy (63%), endocrine therapy alone (31%) and no adjuvant therapy (6%). There were no additional breast cancer events over a median follow-up of 54.0 months (range 6.2 to 145.3). A total of 108 patients had low-risk RS (median RS of 7, range 0-9). BXC were seen in 47% of cases and none were PR negative. One patient had a recurrence at 64.8 months while the rest had no additional events over a median of 68.1 months (2.4 to 100). CONCLUSION We provide further evidence that reactive stromal changes and/or low-PR scores enhance the elevation of the RS. A high-RS result in low grade, PR-positive BC may not reflect actual risk and any suspected discrepancies should be discussed with the management teams. Multigene testing results should be interpreted after correlation with pathologic findings to optimize patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Grabenstetter
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Edi Brogi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Donna M Thompson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Victoria S Blinder
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Larry Norton
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Monica Morrow
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mark E Robson
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hannah Y Wen
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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Scott JM, Lee J, Herndon JE, Michalski MG, Lee CP, O’Brien KA, Sasso JP, Yu AF, Rowed KA, Bromberg JF, Traina TA, Gucalp A, Sanford RA, Gajria D, Modi S, Comen EA, D'Andrea G, Blinder VS, Eves ND, Peppercorn JM, Moskowitz CS, Dang CT, Jones LW. Timing of exercise therapy when initiating adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: a randomized trial. Eur Heart J 2023; 44:4878-4889. [PMID: 36806405 PMCID: PMC10702461 DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehad085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS The most appropriate timing of exercise therapy to improve cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) among patients initiating chemotherapy is not known. The effects of exercise therapy administered during, following, or during and following chemotherapy were examined in patients with breast cancer. METHODS AND RESULTS Using a parallel-group randomized trial design, 158 inactive women with breast cancer initiating (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy were allocated to receive (1:1 ratio): usual care or one of three exercise regimens-concurrent (during chemotherapy only), sequential (after chemotherapy only), or concurrent and sequential (continuous) (n = 39/40 per group). Exercise consisted of treadmill walking three sessions/week, 20-50 min at 55%-100% of peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) for ≈16 (concurrent, sequential) or ≈32 (continuous) consecutive weeks. VO2peak was evaluated at baseline (pre-treatment), immediately post-chemotherapy, and ≈16 weeks after chemotherapy. In intention-to-treat analysis, there was no difference in the primary endpoint of VO2peak change between concurrent exercise and usual care during chemotherapy vs. VO2peak change between sequential exercise and usual care after chemotherapy [overall difference, -0.88 mL O2·kg-1·min-1; 95% confidence interval (CI): -3.36, 1.59, P = 0.48]. In secondary analysis, continuous exercise, approximately equal to twice the length of the other regimens, was well-tolerated and the only strategy associated with significant improvements in VO2peak from baseline to post-intervention (1.74 mL O2·kg-1·min-1, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION There was no statistical difference in CRF improvement between concurrent vs. sequential exercise therapy relative to usual care in women with primary breast cancer. The promising tolerability and CRF benefit of ≈32 weeks of continuous exercise therapy warrant further evaluation in larger trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Scott
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 418 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Jasme Lee
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - James E Herndon
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, 2424 Erwin Road, 8020 Hock Plaza, Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - Meghan G Michalski
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Catherine P Lee
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kelly A O’Brien
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - John P Sasso
- School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia, 1147 Research Road, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Anthony F Yu
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 418 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Kylie A Rowed
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jacqueline F Bromberg
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 418 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Tiffany A Traina
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 418 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Ayca Gucalp
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 418 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Rachel A Sanford
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Devika Gajria
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 418 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Shanu Modi
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 418 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Elisabeth A Comen
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 418 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Gabriella D'Andrea
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 418 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Victoria S Blinder
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 418 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Neil D Eves
- School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia, 1147 Research Road, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Jeffrey M Peppercorn
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St., Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Chaya S Moskowitz
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Chau T Dang
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 418 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Lee W Jones
- Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, 418 E 71st St, New York, NY 10021, USA
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Blinder VS, Deal AM, Ginos B, Jansen J, Dueck AC, Mazza GL, Henson S, Carr P, Rogak LJ, Weiss A, Rapperport A, Jonsson M, Spears PA, Cella D, Gany F, Schrag D, Basch E. Financial Toxicity Monitoring in a Randomized Controlled Trial of Patient-Reported Outcomes During Cancer Treatment (Alliance AFT-39). J Clin Oncol 2023; 41:4652-4663. [PMID: 37625107 PMCID: PMC10564309 DOI: 10.1200/jco.22.02834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Financial toxicity (FT) affects 20% of cancer survivors and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. No large-scale programs have been implemented to mitigate FT. We evaluated the effect of monthly FT screening as part of a larger patient-reported outcomes (PROs) digital monitoring intervention. METHODS PRO-TECT (AFT-39) is a cluster-randomized trial of patients undergoing systemic therapy for metastatic cancer. Practices were randomly assigned 1:1 to digital symptom monitoring (PRO practices) or usual care (control practices). Digital monitoring consisted of between-visit online or automated telephone patient surveys about symptoms, functioning, and FT (single-item screening question from Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-COmprehensive Score for financial Toxicity) for up to 1 year, with automated alerts sent to practice nurses for concerning survey scores. Clinical team actions in response to alerts were not mandated. The primary outcome of this planned secondary analysis was development or worsening of financial difficulties, assessed via the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 financial difficulties measure, at any time compared with baseline. A randomly selected subset of patients and nurses were interviewed about their experiences with the intervention. RESULTS One thousand one hundred ninety-one patients were enrolled (593 PRO; 598 control) at 52 US community oncology practices. Overall, 30.2% of patients treated at practices that received the FT screening intervention developed, or experienced worsening of, financial difficulties, compared with 39.0% treated at control practices (P = .004). Patients and nurses interviewed stated that FT screening identified patients for financial counseling who otherwise would be reluctant to seek, or unaware of the availability of, assistance. CONCLUSION In this report of a secondary outcome from a randomized clinical trial, FT screening as part of routine digital patient monitoring with PROs reduced the development, or worsening, of financial difficulties among patients undergoing systemic cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Allison M. Deal
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Brenda Ginos
- Alliance Statistics and Data Management Center, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ
| | - Jennifer Jansen
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Amylou C. Dueck
- Alliance Statistics and Data Management Center, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ
| | - Gina L. Mazza
- Alliance Statistics and Data Management Center, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ
| | - Sydney Henson
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Philip Carr
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | | | - Anna Weiss
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
| | | | - Mattias Jonsson
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Patricia A. Spears
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - David Cella
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
| | | | | | - Ethan Basch
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
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5
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Blinder VS, Patil S, Finik J, Makower D, Muppidi M, Lichtenthal WG, Parker PA, Claros M, Suarez J, Narang B, Gany F. An interactive mobile application versus an educational booklet to promote job retention in women undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2022; 23:840. [PMID: 36192754 PMCID: PMC9527379 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-022-06580-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Job loss after a cancer diagnosis can lead to long-term financial toxicity and its attendant adverse clinical consequences, including decreased treatment adherence. Among women undergoing (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer, access to work accommodations (e.g., sick leave) is associated with higher job retention after treatment completion. However, low-income and/or minority women are less likely to have access to work accommodations and, therefore, are at higher risk of job loss. Given the time and transportation barriers that low-income working patients commonly face, it is crucial to develop an intervention that is convenient and easy to use. METHODS We designed an intervention to promote job retention during and after (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer by improving access to relevant accommodations. Talking to Employers And Medical staff about Work (TEAMWork) is an English/Spanish mobile application (app) that provides (1) suggestions for work accommodations tailored to specific job demands, (2) coaching/strategies for negotiating with an employer, (3) advice for symptom self-management, and (4) tools to improve communication with the medical oncology team. This study is a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the app as a job-retention tool compared to a control condition that provides the app content in an informational paper booklet. The primary outcome of the study is work status after treatment completion. Secondary outcomes include work status 1 and 2 years later, participant self-efficacy to ask an employer for accommodations, receipt of workplace accommodations during and following adjuvant therapy, patient self-efficacy to communicate with the oncology provider, self-reported symptom burden during and following adjuvant therapy, and cancer treatment adherence. DISCUSSION This study will assess the use of mobile technology to improve vulnerable breast cancer patients' ability to communicate with their employers and oncology providers, work during treatment and retain their jobs in the long term, thereby diminishing the potential consequences of job loss, including decreased treatment adherence, debt, and bankruptcy. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClincalTrials.gov NCT03572374 . Registered on 08 June 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria S. Blinder
- grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), New York, USA
| | - Sujata Patil
- grid.239578.20000 0001 0675 4725Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, USA
| | - Jackie Finik
- grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), New York, USA
| | - Della Makower
- grid.240283.f0000 0001 2152 0791Montefiore Medical Center, New York, USA
| | - Monica Muppidi
- grid.415933.90000 0004 0381 1087Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, New York, USA
| | - Wendy G. Lichtenthal
- grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), New York, USA
| | - Patricia A. Parker
- grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), New York, USA
| | - Maria Claros
- grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), New York, USA
| | - Jennifer Suarez
- grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), New York, USA
| | - Bharat Narang
- grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), New York, USA
| | - Francesca Gany
- grid.51462.340000 0001 2171 9952Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), New York, USA
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Blinder VS, Garrett-Mayer E, Jacobsen PB, Kozlik MM, Markham MJ, Siegel RD, Kamal AH, Crist STS, Rosenthal J, Chiang AC. Oral Chemotherapy Metric Performance in Quality Oncology Practice Initiative Practices: Updated Trends and Analysis. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2022; 20:1099-1106.e2. [PMID: 36240846 DOI: 10.6004/jnccn.2022.7024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oral chemotherapy performance measures were first introduced into ASCO's Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) in 2013. This study examined performance on these measures among QOPI-participating practices and evaluated whether it differed among practices based on meeting QOPI Certification Program standards. METHODS A total of 192 QOPI-participating practices (certified, n=50 [26%]; not certified, n=142 [74%]) reported performance on oral chemotherapy measures in 2017 and 2018. Inclusion was limited to practices reporting on ≥3 charts for ≥1 oral chemotherapy measure. Performance was defined as the percentage of charts examined that adhered to the measure. Descriptive analyses were used to characterize performance within and across practices, and mixed-effects logistic regression models were conducted to compare performance based on certification status. RESULTS Median performance across practices for the 9 oral chemotherapy measures examined ranged from 44% (education before the start of treatment addressing missed doses, toxicities, and clinical contact instructions [composite measure]) to 100% (documented dose, documented plan, and education about toxicities). Certified practices were more likely to provide education about clinic contact instructions than noncertified practices (odds ratio, 4.87; 95% CI, 1.00-24.0). Performance on all other measures was not significantly associated with certification status. CONCLUSIONS There is wide variability in quality related to performance on oral chemotherapy measures across all QOPI-participating practices, and several areas were identified in which administration of oral chemotherapy could be improved. Our findings highlight the need for the development and implementation of appropriate standards that apply to oral chemotherapy and address the complexities that set it apart from parenteral treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Paul B Jacobsen
- Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland
| | | | - Merry Jennifer Markham
- University of Florida College of Medicine, UF Health Cancer Center, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Robert D Siegel
- Bon Secours St. Francis Cancer Center, Greenville, South Carolina
| | - Arif H Kamal
- Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, North Carolina; and
| | | | - Jon Rosenthal
- American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, Virginia
| | - Anne C Chiang
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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de Moor JS, Williams CP, Blinder VS. Cancer-Related Care Costs and Employment Disruption: Recommendations to Reduce Patient Economic Burden as Part of Cancer Care Delivery. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr 2022; 2022:79-84. [PMID: 35788373 DOI: 10.1093/jncimonographs/lgac006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer survivors are frequently unprepared to manage the out-of-pocket (OOP) costs associated with undergoing cancer treatment and the potential for employment disruption. This commentary outlines a set of research recommendations stemming from the National Cancer Institute's Future of Health Economics Research Conference to better understand and reduce patient economic burden as part of cancer care delivery. Currently, there are a lack of detailed metrics and measures of survivors' OOP costs and employment disruption, and data on these costs are rarely available at the point of care to guide patient-centered treatment and survivorship care planning. Future research should improve the collection of data about survivors' OOP costs for medical care, other cancer-related expenses, and experiences of employment disruption. Methods such as microcosting and the prospective collection of patient-reported outcomes in cancer care are needed to understand the true sum of cancer-related costs taken on by survivors and caregivers. Better metrics and measures of survivors' costs must be coupled with interventions to incorporate that information into cancer care delivery and inform meaningful communication about OOP costs and employment disruption that is tailored to different clinical situations. Informing survivors about the anticipated costs of their cancer care supports informed decision making and proactive planning to mitigate financial hardship. Additionally, system-level infrastructure should be developed and tested to facilitate screening to identify survivors at risk for financial hardship, improve communication about OOP costs and employment disruption between survivors and their health-care providers, and support the delivery of appropriate financial navigation services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet S de Moor
- Healthcare Delivery Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Courtney P Williams
- Healthcare Delivery Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Basch E, Schrag D, Henson S, Jansen J, Ginos B, Stover AM, Carr P, Spears PA, Jonsson M, Deal AM, Bennett AV, Thanarajasingam G, Rogak LJ, Reeve BB, Snyder C, Bruner D, Cella D, Kottschade LA, Perlmutter J, Geoghegan C, Samuel-Ryals CA, Given B, Mazza GL, Miller R, Strasser JF, Zylla DM, Weiss A, Blinder VS, Dueck AC. Effect of Electronic Symptom Monitoring on Patient-Reported Outcomes Among Patients With Metastatic Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2022; 327:2413-2422. [PMID: 35661856 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2022.9265.pmid:35661856;pmcid:pmc9168923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Electronic systems that facilitate patient-reported outcome (PRO) surveys for patients with cancer may detect symptoms early and prompt clinicians to intervene. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether electronic symptom monitoring during cancer treatment confers benefits on quality-of-life outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Report of secondary outcomes from the PRO-TECT (Alliance AFT-39) cluster randomized trial in 52 US community oncology practices randomized to electronic symptom monitoring with PRO surveys or usual care. Between October 2017 and March 2020, 1191 adults being treated for metastatic cancer were enrolled, with last follow-up on May 17, 2021. INTERVENTIONS In the PRO group, participants (n = 593) were asked to complete weekly surveys via an internet-based or automated telephone system for up to 1 year. Severe or worsening symptoms triggered care team alerts. The control group (n = 598) received usual care. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The 3 prespecified secondary outcomes were physical function, symptom control, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at 3 months, measured by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30; range, 0-100 points; minimum clinically important difference [MCID], 2-7 for physical function; no MCID defined for symptom control or HRQOL). Results on the primary outcome, overall survival, are not yet available. RESULTS Among 52 practices, 1191 patients were included (mean age, 62.2 years; 694 [58.3%] women); 1066 (89.5%) completed 3-month follow-up. Compared with usual care, mean changes on the QLQ-C30 from baseline to 3 months were significantly improved in the PRO group for physical function (PRO, from 74.27 to 75.81 points; control, from 73.54 to 72.61 points; mean difference, 2.47 [95% CI, 0.41-4.53]; P = .02), symptom control (PRO, from 77.67 to 80.03 points; control, from 76.75 to 76.55 points; mean difference, 2.56 [95% CI, 0.95-4.17]; P = .002), and HRQOL (PRO, from 78.11 to 80.03 points; control, from 77.00 to 76.50 points; mean difference, 2.43 [95% CI, 0.90-3.96]; P = .002). Patients in the PRO group had significantly greater odds of experiencing clinically meaningful benefits vs usual care for physical function (7.7% more with improvements of ≥5 points and 6.1% fewer with worsening of ≥5 points; odds ratio [OR], 1.35 [95% CI, 1.08-1.70]; P = .009), symptom control (8.6% and 7.5%, respectively; OR, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.15-1.95]; P = .003), and HRQOL (8.5% and 4.9%, respectively; OR, 1.41 [95% CI, 1.10-1.81]; P = .006). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this report of secondary outcomes from a randomized clinical trial of adults receiving cancer treatment, use of weekly electronic PRO surveys to monitor symptoms, compared with usual care, resulted in statistically significant improvements in physical function, symptom control, and HRQOL at 3 months, with mean improvements of approximately 2.5 points on a 0- to 100-point scale. These findings should be interpreted provisionally pending results of the primary outcome of overall survival. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03249090.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Basch
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Deborah Schrag
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Sydney Henson
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Jennifer Jansen
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | | | - Angela M Stover
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Philip Carr
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Patricia A Spears
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Mattias Jonsson
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Allison M Deal
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Antonia V Bennett
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | | | - Lauren J Rogak
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Bryce B Reeve
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Claire Snyder
- Johns Hopkins Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - David Cella
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | | | | | - Cleo A Samuel-Ryals
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Barbara Given
- College of Nursing, Michigan State University, East Lansing
| | | | - Robert Miller
- American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, Virginia
| | | | - Dylan M Zylla
- The Cancer Research Center, HealthPartners/Park Nicollet, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Anna Weiss
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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Basch E, Schrag D, Henson S, Jansen J, Ginos B, Stover AM, Carr P, Spears PA, Jonsson M, Deal AM, Bennett AV, Thanarajasingam G, Rogak LJ, Reeve BB, Snyder C, Bruner D, Cella D, Kottschade LA, Perlmutter J, Geoghegan C, Samuel-Ryals CA, Given B, Mazza GL, Miller R, Strasser JF, Zylla DM, Weiss A, Blinder VS, Dueck AC. Effect of Electronic Symptom Monitoring on Patient-Reported Outcomes Among Patients With Metastatic Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA 2022; 327:2413-2422. [PMID: 35661856 PMCID: PMC9168923 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2022.9265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Electronic systems that facilitate patient-reported outcome (PRO) surveys for patients with cancer may detect symptoms early and prompt clinicians to intervene. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether electronic symptom monitoring during cancer treatment confers benefits on quality-of-life outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Report of secondary outcomes from the PRO-TECT (Alliance AFT-39) cluster randomized trial in 52 US community oncology practices randomized to electronic symptom monitoring with PRO surveys or usual care. Between October 2017 and March 2020, 1191 adults being treated for metastatic cancer were enrolled, with last follow-up on May 17, 2021. INTERVENTIONS In the PRO group, participants (n = 593) were asked to complete weekly surveys via an internet-based or automated telephone system for up to 1 year. Severe or worsening symptoms triggered care team alerts. The control group (n = 598) received usual care. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The 3 prespecified secondary outcomes were physical function, symptom control, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at 3 months, measured by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30; range, 0-100 points; minimum clinically important difference [MCID], 2-7 for physical function; no MCID defined for symptom control or HRQOL). Results on the primary outcome, overall survival, are not yet available. RESULTS Among 52 practices, 1191 patients were included (mean age, 62.2 years; 694 [58.3%] women); 1066 (89.5%) completed 3-month follow-up. Compared with usual care, mean changes on the QLQ-C30 from baseline to 3 months were significantly improved in the PRO group for physical function (PRO, from 74.27 to 75.81 points; control, from 73.54 to 72.61 points; mean difference, 2.47 [95% CI, 0.41-4.53]; P = .02), symptom control (PRO, from 77.67 to 80.03 points; control, from 76.75 to 76.55 points; mean difference, 2.56 [95% CI, 0.95-4.17]; P = .002), and HRQOL (PRO, from 78.11 to 80.03 points; control, from 77.00 to 76.50 points; mean difference, 2.43 [95% CI, 0.90-3.96]; P = .002). Patients in the PRO group had significantly greater odds of experiencing clinically meaningful benefits vs usual care for physical function (7.7% more with improvements of ≥5 points and 6.1% fewer with worsening of ≥5 points; odds ratio [OR], 1.35 [95% CI, 1.08-1.70]; P = .009), symptom control (8.6% and 7.5%, respectively; OR, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.15-1.95]; P = .003), and HRQOL (8.5% and 4.9%, respectively; OR, 1.41 [95% CI, 1.10-1.81]; P = .006). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this report of secondary outcomes from a randomized clinical trial of adults receiving cancer treatment, use of weekly electronic PRO surveys to monitor symptoms, compared with usual care, resulted in statistically significant improvements in physical function, symptom control, and HRQOL at 3 months, with mean improvements of approximately 2.5 points on a 0- to 100-point scale. These findings should be interpreted provisionally pending results of the primary outcome of overall survival. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03249090.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan Basch
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Deborah Schrag
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Sydney Henson
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Jennifer Jansen
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | | | - Angela M. Stover
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Philip Carr
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Patricia A. Spears
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Mattias Jonsson
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Allison M. Deal
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Antonia V. Bennett
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | | | | | - Bryce B. Reeve
- Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Claire Snyder
- Johns Hopkins Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - David Cella
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | | | | | | | - Cleo A. Samuel-Ryals
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Barbara Given
- College of Nursing, Michigan State University, East Lansing
| | | | - Robert Miller
- American Society of Clinical Oncology, Alexandria, Virginia
| | | | - Dylan M. Zylla
- The Cancer Research Center, HealthPartners/Park Nicollet, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Anna Weiss
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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Aviki EM, Manning-Geist BL, Sokolowski SS, Newman T, Blinder VS, Chino F, Doyle SM, Liebhaber A, Gordhandas SB, Brown CL, Broach V, Chi DS, Jewell EL, Leitao MM, Long Roche K, Mueller JJ, Sonoda Y, Zivanovic O, Gardner GJ, Abu-Rustum NR. Risk factors for financial toxicity in patients with gynecologic cancer. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2022; 226:817.e1-817.e9. [PMID: 34902319 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2021.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cost of cancer care is high and rising. Evidence of increased patient cost burden is prevalent in the medical literature and has been defined as "financial toxicity," the financial hardship and financial concerns experienced by patients because of a disease and its related treatments. With targeted therapies and growing out-of-pocket costs, patient financial toxicity is a growing concern among patients with gynecologic cancer. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to determine the prevalence of financial toxicity and identify its risk factors in patients with gynecologic cancer treated at a large cancer center using objective data. STUDY DESIGN Using institutional databases, we identified patients with gynecologic cancer treated from January 2016 to December 2018. Patients with a preinvasive disease were excluded. Financial toxicity was defined according to institutionally derived metrics as the presence of ≥1 of the following: ≥2 bills sent to collections, application or granting of a payment plan, settlement, bankruptcy, financial assistance program enrollment, or a finance-related social work visit. Clinical characteristics were gathered using a 2-year look-back from the time of the first financial toxicity event or a randomly selected treatment date for those not experiencing toxicity. Risk factors were assessed using chi-squared tests. All significant variables on univariate analysis were included in the logistic regression model. RESULTS Of the 4655 patients included in the analysis, 1155 (25%) experienced financial toxicity. In the univariate analysis, cervical cancer (35%), stage 3 or 4 disease (24% and 30%, respectively), younger age (35% for age <30 years), nonpartnered marital status (31%), Black (45%) or Hispanic (37%) race and ethnicity, self-pay (48%) or commercial insurance (30%), clinical trial participation (31%), more imaging studies (39% for ≥9), ≥1 emergency department visit (36%), longer inpatient stays (36% for ≥20 days), and more outpatient clinician visits (41% for ≥20 visits) were significantly associated with financial toxicity (P<.01). In multivariate analysis, younger age, nonpartnered marital status, Black and Hispanic race and ethnicity, commercial insurance, more imaging studies, and more outpatient physician visits were significantly associated with financial toxicity. CONCLUSION Financial toxicity is an increasing problem for patients with gynecologic cancer. Our analysis, using objective measures of financial toxicity, has suggested that demographic factors and healthcare utilization metrics may be used to proactively identify at-risk patients for financial toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria S. Blinder
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY,Victoria S. Blinder, MD, MSc, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 485 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10017; e-mail:
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12
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Tolaney SM, Garrett-Mayer E, White J, Blinder VS, Foster JC, Amiri-Kordestani L, Hwang ES, Bliss JM, Rakovitch E, Perlmutter J, Spears PA, Frank E, Tung NM, Elias AD, Cameron D, Denduluri N, Best AF, DiLeo A, Baizer L, Butler LP, Schwartz E, Winer EP, Korde LA. Updated Standardized Definitions for Efficacy End Points (STEEP) in Adjuvant Breast Cancer Clinical Trials: STEEP Version 2.0. J Clin Oncol 2021; 39:2720-2731. [PMID: 34003702 PMCID: PMC10166345 DOI: 10.1200/jco.20.03613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The Standardized Definitions for Efficacy End Points (STEEP) criteria, established in 2007, provide standardized definitions of adjuvant breast cancer clinical trial end points. Given the evolution of breast cancer clinical trials and improvements in outcomes, a panel of experts reviewed the STEEP criteria to determine whether modifications are needed. METHODS We conducted systematic searches of ClinicalTrials.gov for adjuvant systemic and local-regional therapy trials for breast cancer to investigate if the primary end points reported met STEEP criteria. On the basis of common STEEP deviations, we performed a series of simulations to evaluate the effect of excluding non-breast cancer deaths and new nonbreast primary cancers from the invasive disease-free survival end point. RESULTS Among 11 phase III breast cancer trials with primary efficacy end points, three had primary end points that followed STEEP criteria, four used STEEP definitions but not the corresponding end point names, and four used end points that were not included in the original STEEP manuscript. Simulation modeling demonstrated that inclusion of second nonbreast primary cancer can increase the probability of incorrect inferences, can decrease power to detect clinically relevant efficacy effects, and may mask differences in recurrence rates, especially when recurrence rates are low. CONCLUSION We recommend an additional end point, invasive breast cancer-free survival, which includes all invasive disease-free survival events except second nonbreast primary cancers. This end point should be considered for trials in which the toxicities of agents are well-known and where the risk of second primary cancer is small. Additionally, we provide end point recommendations for local therapy trials, low-risk populations, noninferiority trials, and trials incorporating patient-reported outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Tolaney
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | | | - Julia White
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH
| | | | - Jared C Foster
- Biometric Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD
| | | | - E Shelley Hwang
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Durham, NC
| | - Judith M Bliss
- Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eileen Rakovitch
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Patricia A Spears
- University of North Carolina, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Elizabeth Frank
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA
| | | | | | - David Cameron
- University of Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ana F Best
- Biometric Research Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD
| | - Angelo DiLeo
- Hospital of Prato, Istituto Toscano Tumori, Prato, Italy
| | - Lawrence Baizer
- Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD
| | | | - Elena Schwartz
- Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD
| | - Eric P Winer
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Larissa A Korde
- Cancer Therapy and Evaluation Program, Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD
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Meernik C, Sandler DP, Peipins LA, Hodgson ME, Blinder VS, Wheeler SB, Nichols HB. Breast Cancer-Related Employment Disruption and Financial Hardship in the Sister Study. JNCI Cancer Spectr 2021; 5:pkab024. [PMID: 34104865 PMCID: PMC8178802 DOI: 10.1093/jncics/pkab024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background More than one-half of breast cancer cases are diagnosed among women aged younger than 62 years, which may result in employment challenges. This study examined whether cancer-related employment disruption was associated with increased financial hardship in a national US study of women with breast cancer. Methods Women with breast cancer who were enrolled in the Sister or Two Sister Studies completed a survivorship survey in 2012. Employment disruption was defined as stopping work completely or working fewer hours after diagnosis. Financial hardship was defined as: 1) experiencing financial problems paying for cancer care, 2) borrowing money or incurring debt, or 3) filing for bankruptcy because of cancer. Prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association between employment disruption and financial hardship were estimated using multivariable Poisson regression with robust variance. Results We analyzed data from women employed at diagnosis (n = 1628). Women were a median age of 48 years at diagnosis and 5.6 years from diagnosis at survey completion. Overall, 27.3% of women reported employment disruption (15.4% stopped working; 11.9% reduced hours), and 21.0% experienced financial hardship (16.0% had difficulty paying for care; 12.6% borrowed money or incurred debt; 1.8% filed for bankruptcy). In adjusted analysis, employment disruption was associated with nearly twice the prevalence of financial hardship (prevalence ratio = 1.93, 95% confidence interval = 1.58 to 2.35). Conclusions Women experiencing employment disruptions after breast cancer may be more vulnerable to financial hardship. Findings highlight the need to target risk factors for employment disruption, facilitate return to work or ongoing employment, and mitigate financial consequences after cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Meernik
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Dale P Sandler
- Epidemiology Branch, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lucy A Peipins
- Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Victoria S Blinder
- Department of Medicine and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephanie B Wheeler
- Department of Health Policy and Management, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Hazel B Nichols
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Park KU, Gregory ME, Lustberg MB, Bazan JG, Shen C, Rosenberg SM, Blinder VS, Sharma P, Pusztai L, Partridge AH, Thompson A. Abstract SS2-05: Emerging from COVID-19 pandemic: Provider perspective on use of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) in early stage hormone receptor positive breast cancer. Cancer Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.sabcs20-ss2-05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
IntroductionDuring the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in USA, NET use has been recommended to allow safe deferral of surgical treatment in early stage, estrogen receptor positive breast cancer (ER+BC). In such circumstances, after NET use there is limited guidance on locoregional treatment, especially with management of the axilla. We aimed to evaluate patterns of care in early stage ER+BC during the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodA cross-sectional, 30-item survey was developed using a standardized survey development framework. The survey was administered May 8 - June 12, 2020 to a convenience sample of medical oncologists (MO), radiation oncologists (RO), and surgeons (SO) - breast committee members of two national cooperative groups (Alliance and SWOG) with additional participation through chain referrals. Providers were presented with general questions on NET use before and during the pandemic. They were asked their propensity for omitting axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after NET if 1 micrometastatic node is found on sentinel lymph node biopsy, based on duration of NET.Results114 providers from 29 US states completed the survey - 42 (37%) MO, 14 (12%) RO, and 58 (51%) SO, the majority (N=73/96, 76%) with practices dedicated ≥ 75% to BC, at NCI designated comprehensive cancer centers 52% (N=48/94) and in large cities (N=49/94, 52%). Prior to COVID-19, most rarely (N=49/107, 46%) or sometimes (N=36, 33%) used NET for early stage ER+BC. Nearly half were willing to delay surgery up to 2 months (46%) and 3 months (21%) without use of NET (Table 1, †p<0.05). Most providers would perform a genomic assay on the biopsy specimen on all or select patients prior to NET initiation, more frequently by MO compared to RO and SO (90% vs. 75% and 60%, p<0.05). The most preferred regimen was tamoxifen (without ovarian suppression) for premenopausal patients and aromatase inhibitor for postmenopausal patients. Most planned to use NET for as little time as possible until surgery could proceed. When stratified by specialty, more MO stated they would vary the duration of therapy based on patient’s risk of cancer progression. Most providers recommended omitting ALND after 1, 2, or 3 months of NET (1 month N=56/93, 60%; 2 months N=54/92, 59%; 3 months N=48/90, 53%). With longer duration of therapy, the propensity for omitting ALND decreased (definitely omit after 6 months N=25/91, 27%; probably omit after 6 months N=38/91, 42%; definitely omit after 1 year N=26/92, 28%; probably omit after 1 year N=29/92, 32%). Omitting ALND was not associated with provider’s years in practice, percent of practice dedicated to BC, practice type or setting, participation in multidisciplinary tumor board, or number of COVID-19 cases in the provider’s practicing state.ConclusionMost providers changed their management of early stage ER+BC during the COVID-19 pandemic by utilizing NET until surgery could proceed. As the duration of NET extended, more providers favored ALND in low volume axillary metastatic disease in early stage ER+BC. Additional data to inform the care on post-NET locoregional management is needed.
Table 1. Management of early stage, node negative, ER+BC during COVID-19 pandemicTotal (N, %)Med OncRad OncSurgeonHow long are you willing to delay surgery (without use of endocrine therapy)?Up to 1 month25 (23%)10 (24%)015 (26%)Up to 2 months51 (46%)17 (40%)7 (64%)27 (47%)Up to 3 months23 (21%)9 (21%)2 (18%)12 (21%)Up to 4 months3 (3%)2 (5%)1 (9%)0Up to 6 months8 (7%)4 (10%)1 (9%)3 (5%)Have you changed your practice during the current pandemic?Yes - institution mandated change to delay surgery8 (25%)4 (36%)04 (29%)Yes - based on multidisciplinary team discussion (no explicit institutional mandate to delay cancer surgery)21 (66%)6 (55%)7 (100%)8 (57%)No - was not allowed by institution to change0000No - was not necessary3 (9%)1 (9%)02 (14%)If using endocrine therapy before surgery, which regimen are you using?†Tamoxifen for all patients0000Tamoxifen for premenopausal patients; aromatase inhibitor for postmenopausal patients77 (81%)26 (63%)051 (94%)Ovarian suppression with aromatase inhibitor for premenopausal patients; aromatase inhibitor for postmenopausal patients18 (19%)15 (37%)03 (6%)How are you staging the axilla prior to starting endocrine therapy?Exam only28 (26%)8 (19%)2 (17%)18 (33%)Exam + US77 (71%)30 (71%)10 (83%)37 (67%)Exam + US + cross sectional image (CT scan)4 (4%)4 (10%)0 (0%)0 (0%)SLNB0000If using endocrine therapy first (before surgery), are you†Sending genomic assay on biopsy specimen on all patients28 (26%)18 (44%)1 (8%)9 (16%)Sending genomic assay on biopsy specimen on only select patients (ie. high grade, size on imaging/exam, high Ki-67)51 (48%)19 (46%)8 (67%)24 (44%)Not sending genomic assay. Using PEPI score instead.4 (4%)1 (2%)1 (8%)2 (4%)Not sending genomic assay. Using Magee Equations for Estimating Oncotype DX Recurrence Score instead.2 (2%)002 (4%)None of above21 (20%)3 (7%)2 (17%)18 (33%)If using endocrine therapy first, what duration do you plan to use it for the average patient?†Minimum 1 year for all patients0000Minimum 6 months for all patients7 (6%)4 (10%)0 (0%)3 (5%)Minimum 3 months for all patients19 (18%)7 (17%)1 (8%)11 (20%)As short as possible (less than 3 months), until it is safe to proceed with surgery in light of COVID-19 situation57 (53%)14 (34%)9 (75%)34 (62%)Duration of therapy depends on patient''s risk of cancer progression (ie. tumor grade, percent hormone positivity)25 (23%)16 (39%)2 (17%)7 (13%)If using endocrine therapy before surgery, do you plan to re-image the breast prior to surgery?†Yes, re-image all patients27 (25%)14 (34%)1 (8%)12 (22%)No8 (7%)0 (0%)2 (17%)6 (11%)Case by case basis72 (67%)27 (66%)9 (75%)36 (67%)
Citation Format: Ko Un Park, Megan E Gregory, Maryam B Lustberg, Jose G Bazan, Chengli Shen, Shoshana M Rosenberg, Victoria S Blinder, Priyanka Sharma, Lajos Pusztai, Ann H Partridge, Alastair Thompson. Emerging from COVID-19 pandemic: Provider perspective on use of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) in early stage hormone receptor positive breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr SS2-05.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ko Un Park
- 1The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Megan E Gregory
- 1The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
| | | | - Jose G Bazan
- 1The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
| | - Chengli Shen
- 1The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
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Autio KA, Klebanoff CA, Schaer D, Kauh JSW, Slovin SF, Adamow M, Blinder VS, Brahmachary M, Carlsen M, Comen E, Danila DC, Doman TN, Durack JC, Fox JJ, Gluskin JS, Hoffman DM, Kang S, Kang P, Landa J, McAndrew PF, Modi S, Morris MJ, Novosiadly R, Rathkopf DE, Sanford R, Chapman SC, Tate CM, Yu D, Wong P, McArthur HL. Immunomodulatory Activity of a Colony-stimulating Factor-1 Receptor Inhibitor in Patients with Advanced Refractory Breast or Prostate Cancer: A Phase I Study. Clin Cancer Res 2020; 26:5609-5620. [PMID: 32847933 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-0855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Tumor-associated macrophages correlate with increased invasiveness, growth, and immunosuppression. Activation of the colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R) results in proliferation, differentiation, and migration of monocytes/macrophages. This phase I study evaluated the immunologic and clinical activity, and safety profile of CSF-1R inhibition with the mAb LY3022855. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with advanced refractory metastatic breast cancer (MBC) or metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) were treated with LY3022855 intravenously in 6-week cycles in cohorts: (A) 1.25 mg/kg every 2 weeks (Q2W); (B) 1.0 mg/kg on weeks 1, 2, 4, and 5; (C) 100 mg once weekly; (D)100 mg Q2W. mCRPC patients were enrolled in cohorts A and B; patients with MBC were enrolled in all cohorts. Efficacy was assessed by RECIST and Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Working Group 2 criteria. RESULTS Thirty-four patients (22 MBC; 12 mCRPC) received ≥1 dose of LY3022855. At day 8, circulating CSF-1 levels increased and proinflammatory monocytes CD14DIMCD16BRIGHT decreased. Best RECIST response was stable disease in five patients with MBC (23%; duration, 82-302 days) and three patients with mCRPC (25%; duration, 50-124 days). Two patients with MBC (cohort A) had durable stable disease >9 months and a third patient with MBC had palpable reduction in a nontarget neck mass. Immune-related gene activation in tumor biopsies posttreatment was observed. Common any grade treatment-related adverse events were fatigue, decreased appetite, nausea, asymptomatic increased lipase, and creatine phosphokinase. CONCLUSIONS LY3022855 was well tolerated and showed evidence of immune modulation. Clinically meaningful stable disease >9 months was observed in two patients with MBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Autio
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York. .,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Christopher A Klebanoff
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, New York, New York
| | | | | | - Susan F Slovin
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Matthew Adamow
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Victoria S Blinder
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | | | | | - Elizabeth Comen
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Daniel C Danila
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | | | - Jeremy C Durack
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Josef J Fox
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Jill S Gluskin
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | | | - Suhyun Kang
- Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Praneet Kang
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Jonathan Landa
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | | | - Shanu Modi
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Michael J Morris
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Ruslan Novosiadly
- Eli Lilly and Company, New York, New York.,Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, New Jersey
| | - Dana E Rathkopf
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | - Rachel Sanford
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York
| | | | | | - Danni Yu
- Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Phillip Wong
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
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16
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Blinder VS, Patil S, Eberle C, Jung G, Kampel LJ, Hwang C, Bao T, Robson ME, Malik M, Gany F. Abstract PR03: Disparities in work status after treatment for breast cancer: A controlled, longitudinal study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7755.disp18-pr03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Low-income and minority groups appear to be at increased risk of post-treatment job loss and its sequelae, including financial strain and bankruptcy. However, the drivers of disparities in job loss are not understood. We surveyed employed women aged 18-64 with stage I-III breast cancer who spoke Chinese, English, Korean, or Spanish. Baseline surveys (telephone or online) were administered during adjuvant treatment; follow-up surveys were conducted 4 months after completion of active treatment except endocrine and targeted therapy (i.e., trastuzumab with or without pertuzumab). The primary outcome was post-treatment work status (working full- or part-time vs. any other work status). We used healthy peers to control for disparities in non-cancer unemployment and multivariable analyses to identify predictors of work status in patients. Our sample (n=479) was 28% Latina, 23% black, 21% non-Latina white, 19% Chinese, and 7% Korean; 56% were foreign-born. Overall, 31% had a household income <200% of the federal poverty level; 26% were under-/uninsured; 33% worked in service/manufacturing jobs at baseline, 19% in sales/administrative jobs, and 47% in management/profession jobs. Most underwent chemotherapy (85%). Four months after treatment completion, 71% of the survivors reported that they were working. The proportion of working patients versus controls was 0.69 for Chinese, 0.73 for Korean, 0.75 for Latinas, 0.78 for blacks, and 0.98 for non-Latina whites. Independent predictors of not working among patients were receipt of chemotherapy (OR 2.20; 95% CI 1.04-4.64); older age (OR 1.06; 95% CI 1.03-1.09); black (OR 2.37; 95% CI 1.01-5.56), Chinese (OR 2.91; 95% CI 1.20-7.05), or Korean (OR 3.68; 95% CI 1.24-10.98) race (vs. non-Latina white); household income <200% of poverty (OR 3.00; 95% CI 1.68-5.35); and service/manufacturing job-type at baseline (OR 2.41; 95% 1.30-4.44, vs. manager/professional). Having an employer who was not accommodating also predicted not working post-treatment (OR 3.05; 95% CI 1,88-4.95). Breast cancer exerts a disparate negative impact on work status in minority and low-income women, which persists after controlling for disparities in background unemployment. Women who work in service or manufacturing jobs are at greater risk. Furthermore, receipt of chemotherapy is a predictor of job loss, even after controlling for race and income. However, employer accommodations appear to abrogate the negative impact of chemotherapy on work status. Interventions are needed to promote job retention in minority and low-income women, particularly those who lack work accommodations or are in high-risk jobs.
This abstract is also being presented as Poster A100.
Citation Format: Victoria S. Blinder, Sujata Patil, Carolyn Eberle, Gabriel Jung, Lewis J. Kampel, Caroline Hwang, Ting Bao, Mark E. Robson, Manmeet Malik, Francesca Gany. Disparities in work status after treatment for breast cancer: A controlled, longitudinal study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr PR03.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sujata Patil
- 1Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY,
| | | | | | | | | | - Ting Bao
- 1Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY,
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Virgen CA, Belum VR, Kamboj M, Goldfarb SB, Blinder VS, Gucalp A, Lacouture ME. The microbial flora of taxane therapy-associated nail disease in cancer patients. J Am Acad Dermatol 2018; 78:607-609. [PMID: 29447679 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2017.08.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Revised: 08/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cesar A Virgen
- Department of Dermatology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Viswanath R Belum
- Dermatology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Mini Kamboj
- Infectious Diseases Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Shari B Goldfarb
- Breast Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Victoria S Blinder
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Ayca Gucalp
- Breast Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Mario E Lacouture
- Dermatology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
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19
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Carrera PM, Kantarjian HM, Blinder VS. The financial burden and distress of patients with cancer: Understanding and stepping-up action on the financial toxicity of cancer treatment. CA Cancer J Clin 2018; 68:153-165. [PMID: 29338071 PMCID: PMC6652174 DOI: 10.3322/caac.21443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 481] [Impact Index Per Article: 80.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
"Financial toxicity" has now become a familiar term used in the discussion of cancer drugs, and it is gaining traction in the literature given the high price of newer classes of therapies. However, as a phenomenon in the contemporary treatment and care of people with cancer, financial toxicity is not fully understood, with the discussion on mitigation mainly geared toward interventions at the health system level. Although important, health policy prescriptions take time before their intended results manifest, if they are implemented at all. They require corresponding strategies at the individual patient level. In this review, the authors discuss the nature of financial toxicity, defined as the objective financial burden and subjective financial distress of patients with cancer, as a result of treatments using innovative drugs and concomitant health services. They discuss coping with financial toxicity by patients and how maladaptive coping leads to poor health and nonhealth outcomes. They cover management strategies for oncologists, including having the difficult and urgent conversation about the cost and value of cancer treatment, availability of and access to resources, and assessment of financial toxicity as part of supportive care in the provision of comprehensive cancer care. CA Cancer J Clin 2018;68:153-165. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pricivel M. Carrera
- Assistant Professor, Health Technology and Services Research, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Hagop M. Kantarjian
- Professor and Chairman, Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
| | - Victoria S. Blinder
- Medical Oncologist, Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
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20
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Lichtenthal WG, Corner GW, Slivjak ET, Roberts KE, Li Y, Breitbart W, Lacey S, Tuman M, DuHamel KN, Blinder VS, Beard C. A pilot randomized controlled trial of cognitive bias modification to reduce fear of breast cancer recurrence. Cancer 2017; 123:1424-1433. [PMID: 28055119 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.30478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Revised: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The most common, persistent concern among survivors of breast cancer is the fear that their disease will return, yet to the authors' knowledge, few interventions targeting fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) have been developed to date. The current pilot study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a home-delivered cognitive bias modification intervention to reduce FCR. The intervention, called Attention and Interpretation Modification for Fear of Breast Cancer Recurrence (AIM-FBCR), targeted 2 types of cognitive biases (ie, attention and interpretation biases). METHODS A total of 110 survivors of breast cancer were randomized to receive 8 sessions of 1 of 2 versions of AIM-FBCR or a control condition program. Computer-based assessments of cognitive biases and a self-report measure of FCR were administered before the intervention, after the intervention, and 3 months after the intervention. RESULTS Improvements in health worries (P = .019) and interpretation biases (rates of threat endorsement [P<.001] and reaction times for threat rejection [P = .007]) were found in those survivors who received AIM-FBCR compared with the control arm. Although only 26% of participants who screened into the study agreed to participate, the trial otherwise appeared feasible and acceptable, with 83% of those who initiated the intervention completing at least 5 of 8 sessions, and 90% reporting satisfaction with the computer-based program used. CONCLUSIONS The results of the current pilot study suggest the promise of AIM-FBCR in reducing FCR in survivors of breast cancer. Future research should attempt to replicate these findings in a larger-scale trial using a more sophisticated, user-friendly program and additional measures of improvement in more diverse samples. Cancer 2017;123:1424-1433. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy G Lichtenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Geoffrey W Corner
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Elizabeth T Slivjak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Kailey E Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Yuelin Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - William Breitbart
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Stephanie Lacey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Malwina Tuman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Katherine N DuHamel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Victoria S Blinder
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Courtney Beard
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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21
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Salz T, Baxi SS, Blinder VS, Elkin EB, Kemeny MM, McCabe MS, Moskowitz CS, Onstad EE, Saltz LB, Temple LKF, Oeffinger KC. Colorectal cancer survivors' needs and preferences for survivorship information. J Oncol Pract 2014; 10:e277-82. [PMID: 24893610 DOI: 10.1200/jop.2013.001312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Before developing a survivorship care plan (SCP) that colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors will value, understanding the informational needs of CRC survivors is critical. METHODS We surveyed survivors treated for nonmetastatic CRC at two hospitals in New York about their needs and preferences for survivorship information. Participants completed treatment 6 to 24 months before the interview and had not received an SCP. We evaluated whether survivors knew their treatment history (10 topics), whether they understood ongoing risks (four topics), and their preferences for receiving 16 topics of survivorship information. RESULTS One hundred seventy-five survivors completed the survey. Most survivors remembered information about past treatment (98% to 99% for each treatment). Fewer survivors knew their risks of local recurrence, distant recurrence, or developing a new CRC (69%, 77%, and 40%, respectively). Most participants reported receiving information about their cancer history and ongoing oncology visits (77% to 86% across topics). Across all topics, 93% to 99% of those who reported receiving information found the information useful. A minority of survivors reported they received information about symptoms to report to doctors, returning to work, or financial or legal issues (5% to 48% across topics), but those who did found the information useful (89% to 100% across topics). CONCLUSIONS In the absence of an SCP, CRC survivors still generally understood their cancer history. However, many lacked knowledge of ongoing risks and prevention. Most survivors stated that they found the survivorship information they received useful. SCPs for CRC survivors should focus less on past care and more on helping survivors understand their risks and plan for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talya Salz
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital, New York, NY; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Shrujal S Baxi
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital, New York, NY; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Victoria S Blinder
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital, New York, NY; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Elena B Elkin
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital, New York, NY; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Margaret M Kemeny
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital, New York, NY; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Mary S McCabe
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital, New York, NY; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Chaya S Moskowitz
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital, New York, NY; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Erin E Onstad
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital, New York, NY; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Leonard B Saltz
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital, New York, NY; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Larissa K F Temple
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital, New York, NY; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Kevin C Oeffinger
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital, New York, NY; and Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
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Abstract
Disparities on the basis of race and ethnicity have been described in a variety of survivorship outcomes, including late and long-term effects of treatment, surveillance and health maintenance, and psychosocial outcomes. However, the current body of literature is limited in scope and additional research is needed to better define and address disparities among cancer survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria S Blinder
- Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY.
| | - Jennifer J Griggs
- Departments of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School and Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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Blinder VS. Lack of patient-reported outcomes assessment in phase III breast cancer studies: a missed opportunity for informed decision making. Ann Palliat Med 2014; 3:12-5. [PMID: 25841482 DOI: 10.3978/j.issn.2224-5820.2013.11.01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Accepted: 11/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
A phase III study comparing capecitabine monotherapy to combination treatment with capecitabine and sunitinib in patients with metastatic breast cancer failed to demonstrate a benefit in terms of progression-free or overall survival. Both regimens were reasonably well tolerated with some differences noted in the specific toxicity profiles. However, the study failed to incorporate an assessment of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) such as self-reported pain, quality of life, or employment outcomes. This is a missed opportunity. If more clinical trials included such measures, they would provide valuable information to patients and clinicians choosing from a wide array of available and otherwise similarly effective systemic therapies for metastatic breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria S Blinder
- Health Outcomes Research Group, Center for Health Policy and Outcomes, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 300 East 66th Street, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Eberle CE, Min SH, Jung S, Ramirez J, Patil S, Gany F, Blinder VS. Abstract P2-11-05: Work status and financial stability during treatment for early breast cancer: a pilot study of an ethnically diverse sample. Cancer Res 2012. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.sabcs12-p2-11-05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Black and Latina women have lower rates of return to work than non-Latina whites (NLW) after breast cancer treatment. We recently showed that stopping work during chemotherapy is associated with not returning to work for 5 years after treatment. Little is known about the impact of breast cancer on employment outcomes in other low-English proficiency (LEP) immigrant or minority groups. The ongoing longitudinal Breast Cancer and the Workforce study measures work status in LEP immigrants and ethnic minorities undergoing breast cancer treatment with curative intent. For this pilot, we assessed work status and financial stability during treatment.
Methods: Women aged 18–64, undergoing treatment for stage I-III breast cancer, employed at diagnosis, and able to consent in English, Korean, Mandarin, or Spanish were recruited at 3 community oncology clinics and an NCI-designated cancer center. Participants enrolled any time prior to completing their last treatment (chemo, XRT, or surgery) and self-administered web surveys with in-person assistance, as needed, in their preferred language. Demographic, financial, and pre- and post-diagnosis employment characteristics were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: The sample (n = 61) median age was 48 years. 20 (33%) were black, 14 (23%) NLW, 11 (18%) Latina, 8 (13%) Korean, 7 (12%) Chinese, and 1 (2%) other. 37 (61%) were foreign born, 35 (58%) had <college education, 30 (49%) had annual household income <$50,000. 41 (69%) had private insurance, 14 (24%) Medicaid or Emergency Medicaid, and 2 (3%) Medicare/VA. Before diagnosis, 47 (78%) worked full time and 13 (22%) part time. 36 (60%) had white collar jobs (37% manager/professional, 2% arts/media, 22% sales/admin. support); 24 (40%) had blue collar jobs (5% fabricators/laborers; 35% service). 32 (52%) had paid sick leave available at work; 33 (57%) had disability pay. Most were undergoing active therapy: 44 (75%) receiving chemotherapy (7% neo-adjuvant), 3 (5%) post-surgery awaiting adjuvant therapy, 7 (11%) receiving XRT and 5 (8%) awaiting surgery.
When surveyed, 25 (41%) were working full time, 11 (18%) part time and 25 (41%) not working (13% on disability, 16% on paid sick leave, 12% other). 31 (51%) changed work status – stopped working or reduced hours. Of pre-diagnosis full-time workers (n = 47), 23 (49%) changed work status – 4 (9%) to part-time, 8 (17%) sick leave, 7 (15%) disability and 4 (9%) stopped working. Of pre-diagnosis part-time workers (n = 13), 6 (46%) changed status – 2 (16%) sick leave, 1 (8%) disability and 3 (23%) stopped working. Overall, 26 (43%) had less money to spend on food since starting treatment; 31 (53%) did not have enough money to cover their needs.
Discussion: In this pilot, 51% of women changed work status during breast cancer treatment. 41% stopped working, of whom almost a third did not have sick leave or disability. 43% experienced food insecurity during treatment, and 53% said they did not have enough money to cover their needs. Additional research is needed to understand the factors that disrupt work during or soon after treatment, how these factors vary for low-income and minority groups, and to better define the impact of change in work status on financial stability.
Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-11-05.
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Affiliation(s)
- CE Eberle
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - S-H Min
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - S Jung
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - J Ramirez
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - S Patil
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - F Gany
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - VS Blinder
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
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25
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Partridge AH, Norris VW, Blinder VS, Cutter BA, Halpern MT, Malin J, Neuss MN, Wolff AC. Implementing a breast cancer registry and treatment plan/summary program in clinical practice: a pilot program. Cancer 2012. [PMID: 23197186 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.27625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a need to better measure and improve the quality of oncology care and improve communication with patients and other providers. The American Society of Clinical Oncology Breast Cancer Registry (BCR) pilot evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of prospective data collection for quality assessment in daily clinical practice. Data were used to create and share treatment plans/summaries (TPSs) at the point of care. METHODS Using a web-based tool, 20 diverse practices entered clinical data on each new early-stage breast cancer patient into the BCR for 14 months (September 2009 through November 2010). The tool created individual TPSs that were shared with patients. Practices received practice-specific and aggregate BCR quality measures data, participated in a survey, and received a participation stipend. RESULTS Twenty practices entered 2014 patients into the BCR, collecting demographic, clinical, and treatment information. Fifty-two percent of practice participants replied to an end-of-pilot survey: 73% were satisfied with the BCR and web-based tool, 31% expressed concern regarding time and effort, and 52% reported additional practice costs during the pilot. Among those who created or shared the TPSs, 90% thought the documents improved oncologist-patient communication, and 95% favored using BCR data for practice quality improvement. CONCLUSIONS Prospective data collection for quality assessment is feasible and allows sharing of TPSs with patients at the point of care. Future efforts should focus on decreasing implementation burden to practices, broadening participation, examining costs, and, most importantly, assessing its effects on patient outcomes.
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Blinder VS, Norris VW, Peacock NW, Griggs JJ, Harrington DP, Moore A, Theriault RL, Partridge AH. Patient perspectives on breast cancer treatment plan and summary documents in community oncology care. Cancer 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/cncr.27856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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27
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Blinder VS, Murphy MM, Vahdat LT, Gold HT, de Melo-Martin I, Hayes MK, Scheff RJ, Chuang E, Moore A, Mazumdar M. Employment after a breast cancer diagnosis: a qualitative study of ethnically diverse urban women. J Community Health 2012; 37:763-72. [PMID: 22109386 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-011-9509-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Employment status is related to treatment recovery and quality of life in breast cancer survivors, yet little is known about return to work in immigrant and minority survivors. We conducted an exploratory qualitative study using ethnically cohesive focus groups of urban breast cancer survivors who were African-American, African-Caribbean, Chinese, Filipina, Latina, or non-Latina white. We audio- and video-recorded, transcribed, and thematically coded the focus group discussions and we analyzed the coded transcripts within and across ethnic groups. Seven major themes emerged related to the participants' work experiences after diagnosis: normalcy, acceptance, identity, appearance, privacy, lack of flexibility at work, and employer support. Maintaining a sense of normalcy was cited as a benefit of working by survivors in each group. Acceptance of the cancer diagnosis was most common in the Chinese group and in participants who had a family history of breast cancer; those who described this attitude were likely to continue working throughout the treatment period. Appearance was important among all but the Chinese group and was related to privacy, which many thought was necessary to derive the benefit of normalcy at work. Employer support included schedule flexibility, medical confidentiality, and help maintaining a normal work environment, which was particularly important to our study sample. Overall, we found few differences between the different ethnic groups in our study. These results have important implications for the provision of support services to and clinical management of employed women with breast cancer, as well as for further large-scale research in disparities and employment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- V S Blinder
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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Ito K, Blinder VS, Elkin EB. Cost Effectiveness of Fracture Prevention in Postmenopausal Women Who Receive Aromatase Inhibitors for Early Breast Cancer. J Clin Oncol 2012; 30:1468-75. [DOI: 10.1200/jco.2011.38.7001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) increase the risk of osteoporosis and related fractures in postmenopausal women who receive adjuvant AIs for hormone receptor (HR) –positive early breast cancer (EBC). We compared the cost effectiveness of alternative screening and treatment strategies for fracture prevention. Methods We developed a Markov state transition model to simulate clinical practice and outcomes in a hypothetical cohort of women age 60 years with HR-positive EBC starting a 5-year course of AI therapy after primary surgery for breast cancer. Outcomes were quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), lifetime cost, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). We compared the following strategies: no intervention; one-time bone mineral density (BMD) screening and selective bisphosphonate therapy in women with osteoporosis or osteopenia; annual BMD screening and selective bisphosphonate therapy in women with osteoporosis or osteopenia; and universal bisphosphonate therapy. Results ICERs for annual BMD screening followed by oral bisphosphonates for those with osteoporosis, annual BMD screening followed by oral bisphosphonates for those with osteopenia, and universal treatment with oral bisphosphonates were $87,300, $129,300, and $283,600 per QALY gained, respectively. One-time BMD screening followed by oral bisphosphonates for those with osteoporosis or osteopenia was dominated. Our results were sensitive to age at the initiation of AI therapy, type of bisphosphonates, post-treatment residual effect of bisphosphonates, and a potential adjuvant benefit of intravenous bisphosphonates. Conclusion In postmenopausal women receiving adjuvant AIs for HR-positive EBC, a policy of baseline and annual BMD screening followed by selective treatment with oral bisphosphonates for those diagnosed with osteoporosis is a cost-effective use of societal resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kouta Ito
- Kouta Ito, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; and Victoria S. Blinder and Elena B. Elkin, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Victoria S. Blinder
- Kouta Ito, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; and Victoria S. Blinder and Elena B. Elkin, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
| | - Elena B. Elkin
- Kouta Ito, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; and Victoria S. Blinder and Elena B. Elkin, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
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Blinder VS, Patil S, Thind A, Diamant A, Hudis CA, Basch E, Maly RC. Return to work in low-income Latina and non-Latina white breast cancer survivors: a 3-year longitudinal study. Cancer 2011; 118:1664-74. [PMID: 22009703 DOI: 10.1002/cncr.26478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2011] [Revised: 06/28/2011] [Accepted: 07/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research has found an 80% return-to-work rate in mid-income white breast cancer survivors, but little is known about the employment trajectory of low-income minorities or whites. We set out to compare the trajectories of low-income Latina and non-Latina white survivors and to identify correlates of employment status. METHODS Participants were low-income women who had localized breast cancer, spoke English or Spanish, and were employed at the time of diagnosis. Interviews were conducted 6, 18, and 36 months after diagnosis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify independent correlates of employment status at 18 months. RESULTS Of 290 participants, 62% were Latina. Latinas were less likely than non-Latina whites to be working 6 months (27% vs 49%; P = .0002) and 18 months (45% vs 59%; P = .02) after diagnosis, but at 36 months there was no significant difference (53% vs 59%; P = .29). Latinas were more likely to be manual laborers than were non-Latina whites (P < .0001). Baseline job type and receipt of axillary node dissection were associated with employment status among Latinas but not non-Latina whites. CONCLUSIONS Neither low-income Latinas nor non-Latina whites approached the 80% rate of return to work seen in wealthier white populations. Latinas followed a protracted return-to-work trajectory compared to non-Latina whites, and differences in job type appear to have played an important role. Manual laborers may be disproportionately impacted by surgical procedures that limit physical activity. This can inform the development of rehabilitative interventions and may have important implications for the surgical and postsurgical management of patients.
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Blinder VS, Lane ME, Ward MM, Chuang E, Cigler T, Moore AL, Scheff RJ, Cobham ME, Donovan D, Rice D, Christos PJ, Vahdat LT. The effect of tetrathiomolybdate on circulating endothelial progenitor cells in patients with breast cancer at high risk of recurrence. Cancer Res 2009. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.sabcs-1036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Abstract #1036
Background: Endothelial progenitor cells are critical to tumor angiogenesis and are increased in breast cancer patients. Copper is required for angiogenesis, and pre-clinical data suggest that tetrathiomolybdate (TM), a copper-depleting compound, inhibits angiogenesis and maintains tumor dormancy. We sought to measure circulating endothelial progenitor cells (CEPCs) in patients at high risk of breast cancer recurrence and to evaluate the effect of copper depletion on CEPCs.
 Methods: This analysis is part of an ongoing phase II study of TM in breast cancer patients at high risk of recurrence defined as Stage III or IV with no evidence of disease. All therapy other than hormonal was completed at least 6 weeks prior to study. Treatment: TM 180 mg daily to achieve a target ceruloplasmin (Cp) level of 5-15 mg/dL (copper depletion), and then 100 mg daily. We monitored levels of CEPCs (CD45dim, CD133+, VEGFR2+), CEA, CA15-3, and Cp at baseline and monthly. CEPCs were also measured in 6 healthy controls.
 Results: To date we have enrolled 16 patients with a median age of 51 years (range: 29-64). 14 had a history of Stage III disease, while 2 were considered to be Stage IV with no evidence of disease. The median number of positive lymph nodes among Stage III patients was 7 (1-42), with 2 patients having received neoadjuvant therapy. The median baseline Cp level was 28 mg/dL (21-41). Among 12 patients who have reached target Cp, the median time to target was 1 month (1-3 months). The median follow-up of the 4 patients who have not yet achieved target is 2.5 months. 1 of these discontinued treatment before reaching target. The median baseline CEPCs was lower in patients than healthy controls: 0.022 cells/μL (0.000-0.286) vs. 0.123 cells/μL (0.058-0.418); p=0.03. There was no statistically significant change in CEPCs from baseline over time.
 One patient was diagnosed with recurrent breast cancer at month 10. A rise in her CEPCs preceded a rise in a CEA and overt relapse by 1 and 5 months, respectively.
 Toxicity: Grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred in 3 patients. TM was held, and this resolved 5-13 days later, after which TM was resumed. No other grade 3/4 toxicity was observed. One patient discontinued TM due to diarrhea attributed to the lactose used in the compounding of TM.
 Conclusions: TM is well tolerated in breast cancer patients. We postulate that the increased CEPCs noted in one patient at month 4, 6 months prior to overt relapse, could represent the “turning on” of an angiogenic switch, resulting in an outpouring of CEPCs to the new site of metastasis. The trial is ongoing, and with additional follow-up other trends might emerge.
 Supported by Komen for the Cure Foundation, Anbinder Foundation, NY Community Trust and Breast Cancer Alliance of Greenwich.
Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 1036.
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Affiliation(s)
- VS Blinder
- 1 Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - ME Lane
- 1 Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - MM Ward
- 1 Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - E Chuang
- 1 Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - T Cigler
- 1 Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - AL Moore
- 1 Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - RJ Scheff
- 1 Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - ME Cobham
- 1 Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - D Donovan
- 1 Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - D Rice
- 1 Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
| | - PJ Christos
- 2 Department of Public Health, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY
| | - LT Vahdat
- 1 Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital–Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY
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Abstract
Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is a highly aggressive B-cell malignancy that occurs with increased frequency among patients infected with HIV. Until recently, the immunocompromised state of patients with HIV and BL was generally deemed to preclude the use of the intensive chemotherapeutic regimens used to treat HIV-negative patients due to toxicity issues. However, the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and the mounting evidence that less intensive lymphoma regimens are ineffective in BL have led investigators to treat HIV-positive patients with the same chemotherapy now established as the standard of care for immunocompetent patients. Data suggest that these current approaches, along with supportive care, may result in improved patient outcomes. In contrast, the role of adjunctive immunotherapy with rituximab in HIV-BL remains undefined. Further studies, including randomized clinical trials, are needed to better delineate the optimal treatment for patients with this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria S. Blinder
- Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Pathology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Amy Chadburn
- Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Pathology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Richard R. Furman
- Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Pathology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - Susan Mathew
- Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Pathology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
| | - John P. Leonard
- Divisions of Hematology/Oncology and Pathology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University and New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
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Blinder VS, Roboz GJ. Hematopoietic growth factors in myelodysplastic syndromes. Curr Hematol Rep 2003; 2:453-8. [PMID: 14561388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized clinically by refractory cytopenias in one or more myeloid cell lines and an increased probability of transformation to acute leukemia. Supportive care remains the mainstay of therapy in MDS and frequently includes monotherapy and combination therapy with hematopoietic growth factors, such as erythropoietin, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Clinical trials have demonstrated the ability of growth factors to improve neutropenia and anemia in selected patients with MDS, which may have clinical, quality-of-life, and economic benefits for patients even though overall survival has not been improved. This paper reviews the role of hematopoietic growth factors in the treatment of MDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria S Blinder
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Starr Building, Room 340A, 520 East 70th Street, New York, NY 10021, USA.
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