Digital Commons Network^™

Momentum Clinic For Teen And Young Adult Cancer Patients, Merian O'Neil

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the needs of teen and young adult cancer patients undergoing long-term chemotherapy treatments and the design of an outpatient clinic that accommodates this population’s unique needs. Most teens endure long-term treatments in a pediatric facility targeted primarily for children, while others are treated in adult facilities. Teens have different privacy and social needs than children, and while they are not adults, they are involved in their own treatment decisions, unlike children. The target age group for this study is teens and young adults, ages thirteen to twenty-two. A common theme emerged from research and interviews conducted in …

Modeling Spatially Varying Effects Of Chemical Mixtures, Jenna Czarnota

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer incidence is associated with exposures to multiple environmental chemicals, and geographic variation in cancer rates suggests the importance of accommodating spatially varying effects in the analysis of environmental chemical mixtures and disease risk. Traditional regression methods are challenged by the complex correlation patterns inherent among co-occurring chemicals, and the applicability of geographically weighted regression models is limited in the setting of environmental chemical risk analysis. In comparison to traditional methods, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression performs well in the identification of important environmental exposures, but is limited by the assumption that effects are fixed over space. We present an …

Federal Policies And Prescription Drugs, Ali Bonakdar Tehrani

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises three discrete empirical papers, with an introductory essay that evaluates the impact of different federal policies on prescription drug prices, utilization, and spending. Two main databases are used: (a) Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data and (b) the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data. These two databases are designed to track Medicaid drug utilization and overall medical use and expenditures, respectively. The variables of interest in this dissertation are prescription drug price, prescription drug use and spending, and overall drug expenditures.

The objective of the first paper (Chapter 2) is to examine whether oncology drug prices have significantly …

Investigating The Effects Of Nucleosome Remodeling Factor Knockdown On Anti-Tumor Immunity, Mark G. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

The nucleosome remodeling factor (NURF) is a chromatin remodeling complex involved in early animal development and is implicated in a number of cancers. In previous work, knockdown of NURF’s largest subunit, BPTF, resulted in diminished tumor growth in mouse cancer cell lines. Other studies in our lab demonstrated increased activation of T-lymphocytes into BPTF KD tumors. In order to examine if this approach has any therapeutic potential, this work investigates the effects of BPTF knockdown in established tumors by using recombinant adenoviruses (rAd), as well as observe the way the immune system interacts with BPTF knockdown cells, both in vivo …

Testing A Low-Intensity And Accessible Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Insomnia (Cbt-I) Intervention In Individuals Newly Diagnosed With Cancer, Amma Agyemang

Theses and Dissertations

Insomnia is defined as difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, or nonrestorative sleep that lasts for at least one month and is accompanied by significant impairment in daytime functioning including fatigue, irritability, and/or difficulty concentrating. It is one of the most common complaints reported by individuals with cancer, especially around the time of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Yet it is often unrecognized and untreated, leading to adverse health consequences and increased healthcare costs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) has been recommended as the gold standard for treating insomnia among individuals with cancer. Multiple studies have tested and proven the efficacy …