Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology最新文献

5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is one of the most common adjuvant antineoplastic agents used in the treatment of localized and metastatic colon cancer. Frequent side effects of 5-FU include myelosuppression, mucositis, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. However, hyperammonemic encephalopathy is a rare neurologic toxicity that can occur after 5-FU chemotherapy administration. Patients with 5-FU-induced hyperammonemic encephalopathy often exhibit symptoms of altered mental status with no radiologic abnormalities or laboratory abnormalities except for significantly elevated ammonia levels with occasional lactic acidosis and respiratory alkalosis. We report a case of a patient with stage IV colon adenocarcinoma who experienced altered state of consciousness due to hyperammonemia during the administration of palliative chemotherapy with 5-FU, bevacizumab, and leucovorin. On cycle 1 day 2 of chemotherapy, the patient became drowsy and confused at home, prompting a visit to the emergency department and ultimately hospital admission. Laboratory tests revealed an elevated blood ammonia level (838 μg/dL). After an extensive negative workup, his altered state of consciousness was thought to be secondary to 5-FU-induced hyperammonemia. Upon admission, 5-FU was immediately discontinued and the patient was treated with lactulose enemas, intravenous fluids, rifaximin, and continuous renal replacement therapy with gradual recovery to baseline mental status. It is crucial for advanced practitioners to be aware of this rare side effect to ensure prompt diagnosis and maximize treatment effectiveness.

Polycythemia vera is a Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasm that results in increased myeloproliferation. It is a debilitating disease characterized by the overproduction of red blood cells, but it also can result in increased white blood cells and platelets. Patients experience a shortened overall survival due to an increased risk of thrombotic events, including stroke, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis. Current treatment strategies in clinical practice are driven by mitigating the risk of these thrombotic events by reducing patients' hematocrit. In addition to thrombosis risk, polycythemia vera patients have constitutional symptoms such as fatigue, itching, bone pain, erythromelalgia, and splenomegaly. An increased risk of transformation of their disease to acute myeloid leukemia and/or myelofibrosis can also affect long-term survival in polycythemia vera. Additional research has identified other risk factors, such as increased white blood cells, increased platelet count, and cytokine levels, which can alter the prognosis of the disease. In this review, we will discuss the current treatment strategies in polycythemia vera and determine if incorporating additional biomarkers as endpoints is feasible in clinical practice.

Background: Advanced practice providers (APPs) affect high-quality health care through leadership, evidence-based practice implementation, and quality improvement projects. When planning solutions to clinical problems, leadership must solicit APP input to promote success. Hematology patients are more likely to receive poor-quality end-of-life (EOL) care than those with solid tumors. Regardless of disease, aggressive EOL care is increasing despite evidence that it is often inconsistent with patients' goals of care (GOC). Data regarding this phenomenon in hematology specifically is lacking. The distorted association of "end of life" with "goals of care" has "silenced" crucial goals discussions in patients with relapsed or refractory high-risk leukemia, which raises concerns for the provision of care that is inconsistent with patients' values and preferences. Hematologists may possess certain traits and distinct barriers leading to what one might call an aversion to GOC discussions in the inpatient setting.

Aims: (1) Quantify hematologists' rate of participation in a GOC pathway initiative during two separate months. (2) Explore the hematologists' definition of and barriers to having GOC discussions.

Design: This is a mixed-methods, explanatory sequential design (follow-up explanations variant).

Sample: Quantitative: Hematology inpatient admissions during two nonconsecutive months in 2021. Qualitative: Eighteen leukemia hematologists from one dedicated cancer center.

Results: During the 2 months, an average of 36% of admissions met the criteria for GOC pathway initiation, 19% of those had an appropriate initiation order, and < 1% had a properly documented and billed GOC discussion. Nine hematologists responded to a SurveyMonkey poll with two questions. All nine included clinical situation and communication in their definition of GOC discussions. Time limitations and prognostic uncertainty were the two most reported barriers.

Discussion: The findings demonstrate that the apprehension of hematologists to have GOC conversations is similarly seen in the APPs' reluctance to initiate a pathway intended to lead to GOC conversations. The percentage of eligible inpatient admissions meeting the specified criteria was similar between the 2 months; however, the number of appropriate referrals and documented or billed GOC discussions was higher in the earlier month, demonstrating temporal decline. Further research inquiry is needed to explore causation of this phenomenon.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients were excluded from the initial SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination efficacy trials. Suboptimal vaccine responses have been reported in immunocompromised cohorts such as patients with solid tumors or hematologic malignancies, suggesting the need for additional research. Widespread data on the antibody responses and vaccine efficacy in allo-HSCT recipients is limited. In our single-center, retrospective study, we analyzed the anti-spike IgG antibody responses in 75 allo-HSCT recipients who received a series of two doses of mRNA vaccination. We collected data on previous COVID-19 infection, B and T lymphocyte recovery, donor types, graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD), and immunosuppressive medications at the time of vaccination. With the original variant, a cutoff of 4,160 arbitrary units (AU)/mL has been correlated with a 0.95 probability of a viral neutralization. We also examined the number of allo-HSCT recipients who achieved this conservative threshold. To our knowledge, no correlate exists for the currently prevalent Omicron variant and viral neutralization. Despite 29.3% (22/75) of patients being on systemic immunosuppressive medications due to chronic GVHD, positive antibody responses > 50 AU/mL were seen in 96% of patients. However, only 48% (36/75) of patients were above the neutralizing antibody threshold. Those with previous COVID-19 infection had significantly higher antibody responses. Although encouraging, the variability of the responses underscores the concept of ongoing antibody monitoring as well as consideration of additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in this cohort.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are considered rare, yet they represent the most common sarcomas of the gastrointestinal tract. The development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) for the treatment of GISTs changed the way we treat patients and has greatly impacted outcomes. However, most patients who initially benefit from TKIs eventually develop disease progression and require subsequent therapies. Ripretinib is a switch-control TKI approved for the treatment of adult patients with advanced GIST who received prior treatment with three or more TKIs, including imatinib. Our objective was to review existing treatment options for patients with advanced GIST, focusing on management optimization for heavily pretreated patients receiving ripretinib. With the integration of ripretinib as a fourth-line therapy, the GIST treatment landscape continues to evolve. As the treatment paradigm becomes increasingly complex, successful management of adverse events and individualized supportive care remain crucial to maintaining effective treatment and patient quality of life. Additionally, we present a detailed case study of a heavily pretreated patient with advanced GIST who received ripretinib as fourth-line therapy. The information provided here should help inform advanced practitioners on the effective management of patients with GIST who have progressed on multiple therapies. Advanced practitioners are well positioned to provide the necessary supportive care to achieve optimal outcomes and drug compliance.

Patients with neuroendocrine malignancy with liver metastases are at risk for carcinoid heart disease which, if left unchecked, can lead to heart failure. This case study demonstrates a clinical situation in which an advanced practitioner performed a thorough workup consisting of lab work and imaging studies, including echocardiogram, cardiac MRI, and dotatate PET/CT, as well as outside record review and comprehensive physical exam. Early detection, intervention, and control of disease are paramount to prevent potentially life-limiting carcinoid heart disease.

Medical aid in dying is the act of prescribing lethal medications to a consenting patient who can self-ingest them with the intent of hastening their death. A majority of patients who utilize medical aid in dying are patients with terminal cancer. As oncology patients continue to choose deaths most suitable to them, it is critical that advanced practitioners in oncology be knowledgeable regarding this end-of-life decision. With 40 states denying patients access to medical aid in dying, the purpose of this end-of-life care review is not to persuade for or against medical aid in dying, active euthanasia, or other forms of dying with dignity, but rather to shed light on patient decisions and available end-of-life options for patients where medical aid in dying is not honored. One author has succinctly named this era as "Dying in the Age of Choice," and therefore the purpose of this article is to present the current state of medical aid in dying. The article presents case studies for the reader, as well as a comparison of California's statistics with the national average. Much like other controversial subjects that intersect morality, religion, and Hippocratic medical ethics, practitioners in the healing arts must remain unbiased and honor the wishes of patients even when they differ from their own. In serving the population with the highest utilization of medical aid in dying, advanced practitioners in oncology should be familiar with the legal specifications in their state or be abreast of solutions for guiding patients through end of life in the states where medical aid in dying remains illegal.

A review of the published literature confirms the challenge in quantifying the value of oncology pharmacists. This editorial expands on a 2020 study by Meleis and colleagues published in the Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology and seeks to correlate pharmacist interventions to cost-saving and cost-avoidance measures to show the value of ambulatory oncology clinical pharmacists in patient care. A total of 4,686 interventions were reviewed. The 6-month intervention data demonstrate an annualized value of approximately $1.1 million dollars from nine ambulatory oncology clinical pharmacists showcasing the essential role of the clinical pharmacist in ambulatory oncology settings.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a deadly cancer, especially for patients over 60 years of age who face the dilemma of choosing the best treatment during a time of crisis. Current research in the older AML population is focused on survival without addressing quality of life (QOL). Survival and QOL data are essential for patients to decide which treatment best aligns with their goals, whether for survival or improved QOL. Research aims: The aims of this study are to: (1) Describe differences in QOL among newly diagnosed older AML patients receiving intensive chemotherapy compared with nonintensive chemotherapy (at baseline, and days 30, 60, 90, and 180 post treatment); (2) Identify the individual clinical disease characteristics and patient factors of newly diagnosed AML patients that predict QOL among those receiving two treatment intensities; and (3) Design a patient decision-making model that integrates the significant clinical disease and patient factor predictors of QOL for newly diagnosed older AML patients. Methods: An exploratory observational design will be used to address aims 1 and 2. Data will be collected from 200 patients ≥ 60 years of age with newly diagnosed AML. Subjects will complete the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Leukemia, Brief Fatigue Inventory, and Memorial Symptom Assessment Short Form within 7 days of beginning new treatment and at days 30, 60, 90 and 180. Clinical disease characteristics will be completed by the health-care team. A patient decision-making model will be developed to provide survival and quality-of-life data for intensive and nonintensive chemotherapy.