Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Quality Outcomes In A Behavioral Oncology Program: Capstone Project, Elizabeth M. Archer-Nanda

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

The landscape of cancer care has changed dramatically over the past several decades. An illness that was once often fatal, now represents both an acute life threatening illness and a chronic condition. While there have been tremendous advancements in the treatment of the physiological aspects of cancer, management of related psychosocial and emotional issues have not seen this same progress. Limited information exists related to both the evaluation and outcome metrics associated with the screening and management of psychiatric sequelae after referral to specialized psychiatric services in cancer patient populations. This capstone project focused on (a) implementation of consistent use …

Communication During Palliative Care And End Of Life: Perceptions Of Experienced Pediatric Oncology Nurses, Kathleen Montgomery

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in cancer and supportive therapy have led to improved outcomes for children with cancer. Despite progress, children still die from complications of cancer therapy or their disease. Communication during palliative care and end of life is essential to successful navigation through the end of life continuum. Nurse communication during palliative care and end of life is a phenomenon with limited research, and it is unclear how the level of nursing experience influences the perspectives of nurses communicating during end of life. The purpose of this dissertation study was to describe the commonalities of nurses' experiences of communicating palliative care …

Anthracycline-Induced Cardiotoxicity: Prospective Cohort Study From Pakistan, Abdul Sattar Shaikh, Ali Faisal Saleem, Shazia Samad Mohsin, Muhammad Matloob Alam, Mehnaz Atiq Ahmed

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Objectives: To identify anthracycline-induced acute (within 1 month) and early-onset chronic progressive (within 1 year) cardiotoxicity in children younger than 16 years of age with childhood malignancies at a tertiary care centre of Pakistan.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.

Participants: 110 children (aged 1 month–16 years).

Intervention: Anthracycline (doxorubicin and/or daunorubicin).

Outcome measurements: All children who received anthracycline as chemotherapy and three echocardiographic evaluations (baseline, 1 month and 1 year) between July 2010 and June 2012 were prospectively analysed for cardiac dysfunction. Statistical analysis including systolic and diastolic functions at baseline, 1 month and 1 …

Cervical Spine Nerve Sheath Tumor: Surgical Experience Of A Clinical Case Series, Ehab Eissa, Hossam El-Fol

Advanced Spine Journal

Background Data: Cervical spine nerve sheath tumors (SNTSs) represent a special location of interest and challenge for neurosurgeons because the lesion in this region tend more to have extradural and extraspinal component (dumb-bell tumors) than dorsal or lumbar region. These tumors extension is most likely because of short intraduradural root in thecervical region. Dumb-bell tumors require special surgical strategy and approaches to allow complete removal of these tumors from both intraspinal and extraspinal components without traction on the spinal cord. Purpose: to evaluate our experience in management of cervical spinal nerve sheath tumors with special consideration for dumb-bell tumors that …

Percutaneous Vertebroplasty For Osteolytic Spinal Lesion. A Pilot Study, Mohamed Amer

Advanced Spine Journal

Background Data: The clinical management of osteolytic spinal lesion is unique, because it is challenging to approach these lesions. Surgery and/or radiotherapy has been the treatments of choice for many years; but, surgery may not be an option for patients with multiple spinal lesion and poor general medical status, and radiotherapy carries the risk of vertebral collapse and consequent neural compression. Through different approaches, vertebroplasty has been introduced into clinical practice as an alternative to traditional surgery and radiotherapy of osteolytic spinal lesion.Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous vertebroplasty for selected patients with osteolytic vertebral compression fractures …

Construing Natural Restorative Environments In Individuals Treated For Cancer, Adam M.B. Day

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Restorative environments (RE) are increasingly being explored for their potential to foster psychophysiologic restoration and promote health and well-being. However, there is a paucity of research that focuses on oncology populations. The purpose of this study was to explore whether individuals treated for cancer with chemotherapy construed natural restorative environments (NREs) differently than age- and gender-matched individuals never treated for cancer. Fifteen individuals treated for cancer with chemotherapy (11 females and 4 males; treatment group) and 15 age- and gender-matched individuals (comparison group) participated in interviews and completed repertory grids based on construing NREs. Constructs were elicited directly from participants …

Primary Osseous Tumors Of The Subaxial Cervical Spine, Clinical Case Series, Mohamed El-Gaidi, Ehab Eissa

Advanced Spine Journal

Background Data: Primary osseous tumors of the subaxial cervical spine are rare and can present with different clinical presentations and pathologies. Study Design: Retrospective descriptive clinical case series.Purpose: To assess the prognosis, surgical management, outcome of primary osseous tumors of the subaxial cervical spine Patients and Methods: Eight patients underwent surgical treatment for primary cervical bony tumors at Kasr Al-Aini Medical School, Cairo University, between 2007 and 2012. Mean follow-up was 24.4±6.8 months. Clinical outcome wereevaluated neurologically using Frankel grading system, while visual analog scale (VAS) has been used to evaluate neck pain. Results: There was equal sex distribution and …

Evidence For Tankyrases As Antineoplastic Targets In Lung Cancer, Alexander M. Busch, Kevin C. Johnson, Radu V. Stan, Aarti Sanglikar, Yashi Ahmed, Ethan Dmitrovsky, Sarah J. Freemantle

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: New pharmacologic targets are urgently needed to treat or prevent lung cancer, the most common cause of cancer death for men and women. This study identified one such target. This is the canonical Wnt signaling pathway, which is deregulated in cancers, including those lacking adenomatous polyposis coli or β -catenin mutations. Two poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) enzymes regulate canonical Wnt activity: tankyrase (TNKS) 1 and TNKS2. These enzymes poly-ADP-ribosylate (PARsylate) and destabilize axin, a key component of the β -catenin phosphorylation complex. Methods: This study used comprehensive gene profiles to uncover deregulation of the Wnt pathway in murine transgenic and …

Pain Interventions In Pediatric Oncology Patients, Allison P. Mcconnell

Senior Honors Theses

Managing pain in the pediatric oncology population can be a daunting task. Often pain in these patients is severe and often not adequately treated or assessed. Studies have found that the reason for this disconnect is due to the impulse to follow unsubstantiated fears and myths held by healthcare professionals and even by the caregivers of the patients. For this reason, many pediatric oncology patients suffer from unnecessary pain when there are both pharmacological and non-pharmacological means available to intervene. The diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer is multidimensional; however, it can be managed based on recent research and evidence-based …

Perceived Recurrence Risk And Health Behavior Change Among Breast Cancer Survivors, E Konieczny

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Over one third of breast cancer survivors report “fear of recurrence” as the primary concern after diagnosis and treatment. Behavior changes such as exercise and weight loss post cancer may reduce recurrence risk. How perceived recurrence risk affects behavior change is unknown. We evaluated this association in the Breast Cancer Survivorship Study, a cross-sectional study of 301 breast cancer survivors. Data on perceived recurrence risk (local and distant) and health behavior change (alcohol, exercise, nutrition, smoking, sun exposure, supplement use, weight) were assessed by mailed questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to evaluate associations between perceived recurrence risk and health …

Methadone Use In Palliative Care Patients, Kim Ruprecht

Nursing Posters

Methadone is increasingly being used for palliative cancer patients for pain management. Physicians are "rotating" opioids to help reduce opioid side effects, and help increase pain response due to tolerance of another opioid. Methadone has been compared to other opioids in studies in which it has been rotated with another opioid. The studies compared the adverse effects, cost, and the rate of success to achieve adequate pain management.

Improving Muscular Endurance With The Mve Fitness Chairtm In Breast Cancer, Eric Martin, Claudio Battaglini, Dianne Groff, Fiona Naumann

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives

To assess the feasibility and efficacy of delivering Pilates exercises for resistance training to breast cancer survivors using the MVe Fitness Chair™.

Design

Pilot randomized controlled trial.

Methods

Twenty-six female breast cancer survivors were randomized to use the MVe Fitness Chair™ (n = 8), traditional resistance training (n = 8), or a control group (no exercise) (CO) (n = 10). The MVe Fitness Chair™ and traditional resistance training groups completed 8 weeks of exercise. Muscular endurance was assessed pre and post-test for comparisons within and between groups using push ups, curl ups, and the Dynamic Muscular …

Benefits, Issues, And Recommendations For Personalized Medicine In Oncology In Canada, C Butts, S Kamel-Reid, G Batist, S Chia, C Blanke, M Moore, M B. Sawyer, C Desjardins, A Dubois, J Pun, K Bonter, F D. Ashbury

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

The burden of cancer for Canadian citizens and society is large. New technologies have the potential to increase the use of genetic information in clinical decision-making, furthering prevention, surveillance, and safer, more effective drug therapies for cancer patients. Personalized medicine can have different meanings to different people. The context for personalized medicine in the present paper is genetic testing, which offers the promise of refining treatment decisions for those diagnosed with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Personalized medicine and genetic characterization of tumours can also give direction to the development of novel drugs. Genetic testing will increasingly become an essential part …