European Journal of Cancer Care

Objective. Secondary prevention of breast cancer (BC) helps diagnose the disease in the early stages and prevent disease progression. World Health Organization and the American Cancer Society consider early diagnosis as the best way to control BC. Mammography screening is the most sensitive and specific test that can be conducted along with the clinical examination for the early diagnosis of BC. However, like other tests, mammography is not a perfect test. The purpose of the present study is to measure willingness to pay (WTP) for mammography among a sample of women by providing each of them one of two scenarios describing medical information on the test. Methods. 450 women aged 35–55 years were assigned randomly into two groups of equal numbers in a quasi-experimental study conducted in Tabriz city, Iran. Each group was presented with one of the two designed scenarios. First scenario described the basic medical information on mammography as a good test of BC screening. The alternative scenario described some information on potential diagnostic errors of the mammography result alongside basic medical information about this test. The double bounded dichotomous choice method was used to extract women’s WTP for mammography under each scenario. Results. Based on the official currency exchange rate of 37000 IRR/USD, the mean WTP for BC screening with mammography was estimated as 30.5$ in the group receiving basic medical information and 26.8$ in the other group. However, the result of regression analysis revealed receiving information on potential diagnostic errors of mammography result did not lead to significant higher WTP for the test. The WTP for mammography raised significantly among older women, employed women, and those with higher level of education. Conclusion. The result of our study suggests that providing women with information about the potential diagnostic errors of mammography may not be correlated to economic value they give to this test. However, women with different individual status may reveal different economic value on mammography.

Purpose. Skeletal muscle mass (SMM) is an important biomarker for health in older cancer patients. However, there is limited information on the recovery course of SMM after esophagectomy in older patients. This study aimed to investigate the recovery course of SMM after esophagectomy and the predictors in older cancer patients. Methods. We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study. Esophageal cancer patients who underwent esophagectomy were included. The skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was calculated using computed tomography images. The loss of SMI at 4 and 12 months after surgery was calculated as [(preoperative − postoperative SMI) ÷ preoperative SMI] × 100%. Nonrecovery was defined as an SMI loss of ≥2% at 12 months after surgery, considering physiological loss with aging. One-way analysis of variance and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used for statistical analysis. Results. A total of 105 older (≥70 years) and 156 nonolder (<70 years) patients were analyzed. Older patients had a significantly larger loss of SMI 4 months (mean: 5.7% vs. 3.1%; ) and 12 months (mean: 1.0% vs. −1.4%; ) after surgery than nonolder patients. In older patients, the number of patients with nonrecovery of SMI at 12 months after surgery was 55 (52%). In older patients, significant predictors for the nonrecovery of SMI were preoperative sarcopenia (adjusted OR: 0.297; ), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (adjusted OR: 0.248; ), and loss of SMI 4 months after surgery (per 1%; adjusted OR: 1.076; ). Conclusions. It is suggested that older esophageal cancer patients have a larger unmet need for long-term postoperative loss of SMM than nonolder patients. Continuous outpatient rehabilitation, including exercise and nutritional therapy after discharge, which targets improvement in SMM at 4 months, may improve SMI at 12 months after surgery in older esophageal cancer patients.

Objective. (1) Examine QoL of caregivers of patients with brain tumours compared to population norms and other cancer caregiver groups, (2) appraise the content of quantitative QoL outcome measures utilised, and (3) assess to what extent QoL measures used in research align with caregivers’ priorities. Methods. Systematic literature search of studies including caregivers of brain tumour patients using self-completed assessments of QoL. Extracted data from included studies included quantitative QoL outcome data, QoL outcome measures utilised, and the included QoL domains. The impact of brain tumour patient caregiving was assessed by summarising included data comparing brain tumour caregivers to other cancer caregivers and normative population data. QoL measures utilised by the studies and their domains were extracted, coded, and analysed by themes. The rates of investigation by theme were then compared to existing data on caregiver-own preference in relation to QoL. Results. 49 studies, including 57 outcome measures, incorporating a combined 124 QoL domains. Brain tumour caregivers reported lower QoL outcomes than population norms but similar to other cancer caregiver groups. Thematic analysis of QoL domains generated 7 themes: caregiving burden and adaptation, existential and self, family and social support, finances, information needs, physical symptoms and functioning, and psychological symptoms and wellbeing. The most investigated themes were physical and psychological symptoms, the most important for caregivers themselves were family and social support. Conclusions. Caregiving for brain tumour patients is shown to negatively affect QoL, particularly mental health, burden, and social life. Existing QoL research in caregivers of brain tumour patients predominantly utilises generic QoL measures designed for use in patients and draws a medicalised view of QoL priorities. The few studies using caregiver-specific QoL measures demonstrated closer alignment to caregiver preferences such as family and social support.

Objective. The aim of the study is to provide the burden of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in 21 regions, 204 countries, and territories from 1990 to 2019 by age, sex, and sociodemographic index (SDI) and to predict the global burden of cSCC to 2035. Methods. We use estimates from 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study to conduct the analysis and prediction. The burden of cSCC was estimated for 21 regions, 204 countries, and territories from 1990 to 2019, through a systematic analysis of incidence, death, and disability adjusted life years (DALYs) modelled data using the methods reported in the GBD 2019 study. We predicted the age-standardized incidence rates to 2035 at the global, regional, and national level. Results. There were 2,402,221 global incidence cases and 356,054 deaths in 2019. The age-standardized incidence rate was 30.3 and the age-standardized death rate was 0.7. cSCC, which caused 1.2 million DALYs with an ASR of 14.6 in 2019. Between 1990 and 2019, the age-standardized incidence rate increased by 36.1%, death rate increased by 6.1%, and DALY rate increased by 1.5% globally. At the regional level, the highest age-standardized incidence rate was found in high-income North America, the highest death and DALY rates were shown in Australasia. At the national level, Canada had the highest age-standardized incidence and DALY rates in 2019, and the highest death rate was shown in Tonga. A total of 11 GBD regions and 114 countries were predicted to increase in age-standardized incidence rates between 2019 and 2035, respectively. Conclusions. The cSCC is a major global public health challenge and the burden was often underestimated. The burden is increasing in most countries, especially in countries such as Canada, China, and regions such as Caribbean.

Background. Strong evidence supports the beneficial impact of exercise on cancer patients. However, the provision of exercise programs in Germany is highly heterogeneous. Therefore, the network OnkoAktiv (OA) enables patient consultations and referrals from coordinating regional OA centers (RE) into community-based exercise programs (CBEP). Objective. The aim of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators for the implementation of OA network structures from the perspective of RE and certified CBEP. Methods. This evaluation was executed in a sequential mixed methods design. We conducted 16 qualitative interviews with each leader in RE and the certified CBEP. Then, 89 certified CBEP were invited to a quantitative, cross-sectional survey. Results. We identified 11 facilitators each for RE and certified CBEP, 7 barriers for RE and 5 for certified CBEP. Barriers dealt with, for example, financing OA network structures, a lack of knowledge of exercise trainers, inadequate patient referral, and missing collaborations by healthcare professionals (HCPs). Most of the named facilitators were adequate internal organizational resources, support and reachability of OA staffs, and collaboration with HCPs. Conclusion. Our findings indicate different challenges for the implementation of OA network structures. Future implementation efforts should consider the evaluation of individual barriers and the development of specific solutions.

Introduction. This review sought to synthesise the qualitative evidence pertaining to the experiences of myeloma patients and relatives of work, given the distinct symptom burden and illness trajectory. Methods and Designs. CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science, PsychINFO, SocIndex were searched on 22-Apr-2022. No limiters were used for language or date of publication. CASP was used for critical appraisal. An integrative synthesis was conducted to inductively construct analytic themes PROSPERO CRD42022323137. Results. 34 articles were included, published from 2004 to 2022. Nineteen were assessed as having low risk of bias, and four with moderate risk of bias. The following four themes were derived from analysis of the papers: (i) side effects, medicines, and stigma; (ii) relationships; (iii) creation and maintenance of identity; (iv) privilege and income. Conclusion. Myeloma impacts the engagement of patients and relatives in paid and unpaid work, yet very little is currently known on how the cancer impacts these important interdependent systems. Addressing workplace stigma, understanding the role of workplace relationships, the construction of self through work, interpreting data through a lens of life-course and, privilege offer helpful starting points.