Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Mainehealth Cancer Care Network Ticket Intake Process, Lauren Couture, Brett Cropp, Gavin Carr, Ashok Kunche, Heather Boulier, Evelyn Taylor

Operations Transformation

The MaineHealth Cancer Care Network informatics team is manually submitting most reporting tickets for oncology customers. The current intake ticket process includes various communication channels to the business intelligence developers [BID] when a reporting need is identified resulting in workflow deficiencies and redundancies. As of FY23, MaineHealth has moved to a new ticket reporting system called ServiceHub which includes new customer self-service tools that have not yet been utilized.

Genetic Variants For Head Size Share Genes And Pathways With Cancer, Maria J Knol, Raymond A Poot, Tavia E Evans, Claudia L Satizabal, Aniket Mishra, Muralidharan Sargurupremraj, Sandra Van Der Auwera, Marie-Gabrielle Duperron, Xueqiu Jian, Isabel C Hostettler, Dianne H K Van Dam-Nolen, Sander Lamballais, Mikolaj A Pawlak, Cora E Lewis, Amaia Carrion-Castillo, Theo G M Van Erp, Céline S Reinbold, Jean Shin, Markus Scholz, Asta K Håberg, Anders Kämpe, Gloria H Y Li, Reut Avinun, Joshua R Atkins, Fang-Chi Hsu, Alyssa R Amod, Max Lam, Ami Tsuchida, Mariël W A Teunissen, Nil Aygün, Yash Patel, Dan Liang, Alexa S Beiser, Frauke Beyer, Joshua C Bis, Daniel Bos, R Nick Bryan, Robin Bülow, Svenja Caspers, Gwenaëlle Catheline, Charlotte A M Cecil, Shareefa Dalvie, Jean-François Dartigues, Charles Decarli, Maria Enlund-Cerullo, Judith M Ford, Barbara Franke, Barry I Freedman, Nele Friedrich, Melissa J Green, Simon Haworth, Catherine Helmer, Per Hoffmann, Georg Homuth, M Kamran Ikram, Clifford R Jack, Neda Jahanshad, Christiane Jockwitz, Yoichiro Kamatani, Annchen R Knodt, Shuo Li, Keane Lim, W T Longstreth, Fabio Macciardi, Outi Mäkitie, Bernard Mazoyer, Sarah E Medland, Susumu Miyamoto, Susanne Moebus, Thomas H Mosley, Ryan Muetzel, Thomas W Mühleisen, Manabu Nagata, Soichiro Nakahara, Nicholette D Palmer, Zdenka Pausova, Adrian Preda, Yann Quidé, William R Reay, Gennady V Roshchupkin, Reinhold Schmidt, Pamela J Schreiner, Kazuya Setoh, Chin Yang Shapland, Stephen Sidney, Beate St Pourcain, Jason L Stein, Yasuharu Tabara, Alexander Teumer, Anne Uhlmann, Aad Van Der Lugt, Meike W Vernooij, David J Werring, B Gwen Windham, A Veronica Witte, Katharina Wittfeld, Qiong Yang, Kazumichi Yoshida, Han G Brunner, Quentin Le Grand, Kang Sim, Dan J Stein, Donald W Bowden, Murray J Cairns, Ahmad R Hariri, Ching-Lung Cheung, Sture Andersson, Arno Villringer, Tomas Paus, Sven Cichon, Vince D Calhoun, Fabrice Crivello, Lenore J Launer, Tonya White, Peter J Koudstaal, Henry Houlden, Myriam Fornage, Fumihiko Matsuda, Hans J Grabe, M Arfan Ikram, Stéphanie Debette, Paul M Thompson, Sudha Seshadri, Hieab H H Adams

Journal Articles

The size of the human head is highly heritable, but genetic drivers of its variation within the general population remain unmapped. We perform a genome-wide association study on head size (N = 80,890) and identify 67 genetic loci, of which 50 are novel. Neuroimaging studies show that 17 variants affect specific brain areas, but most have widespread effects. Gene set enrichment is observed for various cancers and the p53, Wnt, and ErbB signaling pathways. Genes harboring lead variants are enriched for macrocephaly syndrome genes (37-fold) and high-fidelity cancer genes (9-fold), which is not seen for human height variants. Head size …

Dual Functional Magnetic Nanoparticles Conjugated With Carbon Quantum Dots For Hyperthermia And Photodynamic Therapy For Cancer, Mounika Choppadandi, Kondi Soumya, Sumanta Ghosh, Aishwarya Balu, Tanvi Shingote, Srivalliputtur Sarath Babu, Vani Sai Prasanna, Somasundaram Arumugam, Ravichandiran Velyutham, Murali M. Yallapu, Govinda Kapusetti

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

The global incidence of cancer continues to rise, posing a significant public health concern. Although numerous cancer therapies exist, each has limitations and complications. The present study explores alternative cancer treatment approaches, combining hyperthermia and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and amine-functionalized carbon quantum dots (A-CQDs) were synthesized separately and then covalently conjugated to form a single nanosystem for combinational therapy (M-CQDs). The successful conjugation was confirmed using zeta potential, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and UV-visible spectroscopy. Morphological examination in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further verified the conjugation of CQDs with MNPs. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) revealed …

Implementing Distress Screening And Hospital Management Of Oncology Patients With Distress, Rhezarie Mae Agtarap

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Of the nearly 2 million new cancer cases projected to occur in the United States in 2022, up to 65% of patients may be hospitalized in the first year of their diagnosis. Hospitalized oncology patients have been documented to experience psychological distress during their hospitalization related to physical and emotional challenges related to their disease. In ***, a tertiary hospital located in ***, Oregon, hospitalized cancer patients with hematologic malignancies and aggressive or advanced solid cancers have verbalized distress, including depression, anxiety, feelings of isolation, and fatigue during prolonged hospital stays. According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), distress …

Prevalence Of Frailty And Pain In Hospitalised Cancer Patients: Implications For Older Adult Care, Heather Lane, Rosemary Saunders, Kate Crookes, Seng G. M. Ang, Caroline Bulsara, Max K. Bulsara, Beverley Ewens, Olivia Gallagher, Karen Gullick, Sue Haydon, Jeff Hughes, Kim-Huong Nguyen, Karla Seaman, Christopher Etherton-Beer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

A hospital-wide point prevalence study investigated frailty and pain in patients with a cancer-related admission. Modifiable factors associated with frailty in people with cancer were determined through logistic regression. Forty-eight patients (19%) with cancer-related admissions were 2.65 times more likely to be frail and 2.12 more likely to have moderate pain. Frailty and pain were highly prevalent among cancer-related admissions, reinforcing the need for frailty screening and importance of pain assessment for patients with cancer.

Temporal Considerations In Brain Metastases Radiation Therapy: The Intersection Of Chronobiology And Patient Profiles, Nicolas Nelson, Sara Burke, Louis Cappelli, Lauren Matlack, Alexandria Smith, Noelle Francois, Joseph Lombardo, Yash Shah, Kuang-Yi Wen, Ayesha A Shafi, Nicole Simone

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

The circadian system, a vital temporal regulator influencing physiological processes, has implications for cancer development and treatment response. Our study assessed circadian timing’s impact on whole-brain radiotherapy outcomes in brain metastases for personalized cancer therapy insights. The aim of the study was to evaluate circadian influence on radiation treatment timing and its correlation with clinical outcomes and to identify patient populations benefiting from interventions synchronizing circadian rhythms, considering subgroup differences and potential disparities. An IRB-approved retrospective analysis of 237 patients undergoing whole-brain radiotherapy for brain metastases (2017–2021), receiving over 80% of treatments in the morning or afternoon, was performed. Survival …

The Effects Of Curcumin On Erα, P53, And P21 In The Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line, Samantha E. Pfiffner, Mia Morse, Erin Hallman, Kaylin Whittaker, Aisha Zanib, Sumi Dinda Ph.D.

Medical Student Research Symposium

Curcumin is a golden-yellow flavonoid compound derived from the turmeric plant root that has been used in Chinese and Indian medicine for centuries. Curcumin has been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and because of this, has been gaining traction in the field of cancer research. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women, and is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, next to lung cancer. Because of the prevalence and mortality of breast cancer, possible therapeutics must be investigated. Due to the beneficial properties of curcumin and pervasiveness of breast cancer, we have …

Flash Radiation Ultra-High Dose Rate Radiation With Potential For Sensitization By Platinum, Abigail A. Jaczkowski, Stephen Brown Ph.D.

Medical Student Research Symposium

External beam radiation therapy, a cornerstone in cancer treatment for 50% of patients, poses challenges due to its toxicity to both cancer and healthy cells. Seeking to mitigate side effects, the emerging FLASH radiation technology employs ultra-high dose rates, promising quicker treatments with reduced impact on surrounding normal tissue. Platinum, recognized as a radiation sensitizer, enhances the effectiveness of radiation therapy by increasing sensitization at higher energy levels through pair-production.

This study explores the hypothesis that Cisplatin, a platinum-based chemotherapy agent, will exhibit a synergistic effect when combined with FLASH radiation. Using A549 cells from non-small cell lung cancer, the …

Integrating Primary Care, Shared Decision Making, And Community Engagement To Facilitate Equitable Access To Multi-Cancer Early Detection Clinical Trials, Cheryl L. Thompson, Adam H. Buchanan, Ronald E. Myers, David S. Weinberg

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Effective implementation of cancer screening programs can reduce disease-specific incidence and mortality. Screening is currently recommended for breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer. However, initial and repeat adherence to screening tests in accordance with current guidelines is sub-optimal, with the lowest rates observed in historically underserved groups. If used in concert with recommended cancer screening tests, new biospecimen-based multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests could help to identify more cancers that may be amendable to effective treatment. Clinical trials designed to assess the safety and efficacy of MCED tests to assess their potential for reducing cancer mortality are needed and many …

Dropout From Exercise Trials Among Cancer Survivors—An Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis From The Polaris Study, Benedikte Western, Andreas Ivarsson, Ingvild Vistad, Ingrid Demmelmaier, Neil K. Aaronson, Gillian Radcliffe, Marc Van Beurden, Martin Bohus, Kerry S. Courneya, Amanda J. Daley, Daniel A. Galvão, Rachel Garrod, Martine M. Goedendorp, Kathleen A. Griffith, Wim H. Van Harten, Sandi C. Hayes, Fernando Herrero-Roman, Anouk E. Hiensch, Melinda L. Irwin, Erica James, Marlou-Floor Kenkhuis, Marie J. Kersten, Hans Knoop, Alejandro Lucia, Anne M. May, Alex Mcconnachie, Willem Van Mechelen, Nanette Mutrie, Robert U. Newton, Frans Nollet, Hester S. Oldenburg, Ron Plotnikoff, Martina E. Schmidt, Katie H. Schmitz, Karl-Heinz Schulz, Camille E. Short, Gabe S. Sonke, Karen Steindorf, Martijn M. Stuiver, Dennis R. Taaffe, Lene Thorsen, Miranda J. Velthuis, Jennifer Wenzel, Kerri M. Winters-Stone, Joachim Wiskemann, Sveinung Berntsen, Laurien M. Buffart

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: The number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of exercise among cancer survivors has increased in recent years; however, participants dropping out of the trials are rarely described. The objective of the present study was to assess which combinations of participant and exercise program characteristics were associated with dropout from the exercise arms of RCTs among cancer survivors. Methods: This study used data collected in the Predicting OptimaL cAncer RehabIlitation and Supportive care (POLARIS) study, an international database of RCTs investigating the effects of exercise among cancer survivors. Thirty-four exercise trials, with a total of 2467 patients …

Exploratory Analysis Of The Spatial Distribution Of Adult Glioma Age-Adjusted County Incidence Rates, Nebraska Medicine, 2009-2019, Kendra Ratnapradipa, Amulya Yellala, Nicole Shonka

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Central nervous system (CNS) cancers including gliomas have low incidence but high mortality. The age-adjusted incidence rate for CNS cancers is higher in Nebraska than nationally. This exploratory study was motivated by glioma patient inquiries about possible clustering of cases within the state to see if more in-depth investigation was warranted.

METHODS: Using electronic health records from Nebraska Medicine, we identified Nebraska adult (age ≥19) glioma patients diagnosed between January 1, 2009 and November 1, 2019. Patient residential addresses were geocoded, mapped, and combined with annual US Census data to compute age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIR) at the county level. …

Quality Of Life Among Cancer Survivors: Comparison Of Multiple Cancers Using Icare2, Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, Rachael L. Schmidt, Kendra Ratnapradipa, Kristin Dickinson, Abbey Fingeret, Whitney Goldner

Manuscripts: Epidemiology

Background: The number of cancer survivors continues to increase due to dramatic improvements in cancer treatment, accounting for approximately 5% of the entire population. As cancer survivors continue to live longer, it is important to understand their quality of life (QoL) in order to maximize supportive care efforts.

Objectives: In this study, the quality of life (QoL) among patients with different types of cancer was examined. The objectives were to: 1) compare patient-reported outcome measures of QoL using the Short-Form (SF-36) Health Survey scores among patients of different cancer types and 2) identify demographic, oncologic, and clinical factors that are …

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy For Cancer Patients With Radiation-Induced Tissue Injuries, Abigail R. Roy, Julia Shannon, Sampaguita French, Daniel Weaver

Non-Thesis Student Work

Cancer, secondary to cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of death worldwide (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). Radiation is a standard cancer therapy, however it can cause fibrosis of blood vessels, the breakdown of soft tissue, and subsequently lead to necrosis. When caring for cancer patients, it is imperative to consider the lasting effects interventions pose on their long-term health. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a healing treatment consisting of administering 100% oxygen to the body in a pressurized chamber; in turn, HBOT facilitates capillary regrowth, blood flow restoration, and increased efficiency of wound healing time. The efficacy …

Machine Learning As A Tool For Early Detection: A Focus On Late-Stage Colorectal Cancer Across Socioeconomic Spectrums, Hadiza Galadima, Rexford Anson-Dwamena, Ashley Johnson, Ghalib Bello, Georges Adunlin, James Blando

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Purpose: To assess the efficacy of various machine learning (ML) algorithms in predicting late-stage colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses against the backdrop of socio-economic and regional healthcare disparities. Methods: An innovative theoretical framework was developed to integrate individual- and census tract-level social determinants of health (SDOH) with sociodemographic factors. A comparative analysis of the ML models was conducted using key performance metrics such as AUC-ROC to evaluate their predictive accuracy. Spatio-temporal analysis was used to identify disparities in late-stage CRC diagnosis probabilities. Results: Gradient boosting emerged as the superior model, with the top predictors for late-stage CRC diagnosis being anatomic site, …

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy For Advanced Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma In Australia: A Retrospective Real World Cohort Study, Luke S. Mclean, Annette M. Lim, Mathias Bressel, Jenny Lee, Rahul Ladwa, Alexander D. Guminski, Brett Hughes, Samantha Bowyer, Karen Briscoe, Samuel Harris, Craig Kukard, Rob Zielinski, Muhammad Alamgeer, Matteo Carlino, Jeremy Mo, John J. Park, Muhammad A. Khattak, Fiona Day, Danny Rischin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: To review the outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment of advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) outside clinical trials. Study design: Retrospective observational study; review of patient records in fifteen Australian institutions. Setting, participants: All Australian adults with locally advanced or metastatic CSCC not amenable to curative surgery or radiotherapy treated with ICIs, 5 May 2017 – 23 May 2022, through a cemiplimab compassionate access scheme (Therapeutic Goods Administration Special Access Scheme) or who personally covered the cost of pembrolizumab prior to the start of the access scheme. Main outcome measures: Best overall response rate (ORR) according to …