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Factors influencing older women's decision-making related to treatment of operable breast cancer: A qualitative systematic reviewObjective There is variation in practice in the treatment of older women with breast cancer. International guidelines highlight the importance of patient autonomy in treatment decision-making. The aim of this study is to identify factors which influence decision-making in older women with operable breast cancer, which will enable us to further understand how to support these patients. Methods Systematic review in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines was performed to identify factors which influence treatment decision-making in older women with operable breast cancer. Medline, Web of Science and SCOPUS were searched. Results The search yielded 5840 results; 13 articles met the inclusion criteria and reported on a total of 1118 women. Thematic analysis identified three key themes in which decision-making factors could be categorised. These were healthcare-related factors, patient-related factors and impact of treatment. Healthcare-related factors included communication with clinicians and provision of information. Patient-related factors were age, pre-existing knowledge, preconceptions of breast cancer and treatment, decision-making style and co-morbidities. The impact of treatment considerations included body image and effect on quality of life. Decision-making style was frequently reported; older women did not demonstrate one preferred style. Conclusions The findings have highlighted the complex interplay of factors which influence how older women make breast cancer treatment-decisions. Clinicians should have an awareness of the factors highlighted to maximise their ability to provide support and personalised care to older women with breast cancer whilst treatment decisions are made.
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The Quality of Life after Lymphaticovenous Anastomosis in 118 Lower Limb Lymphedema Patients.Background This is a prospective study on 118 patients who underwent lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) due to secondary lower limb lymphedema between January 2018 and October 2020 to evaluate patients' quality of life (QOL) using the Quality of Life Measure for Limb Lymphedema (LYMQoL) questionnaire. Methods The outcome measurement included the LYMQoL leg scoring system tool evaluating the function, appearance, symptom, mood, and overall outcome. In addition, correlation analysis was performed for three factors: based on International Society of Lymphology (ISL) stages, disease duration, and amount of volume reduction. Results The LYMQoL tool overall satisfaction score significantly increased at all intervals from 4.4 ± 0.2 preoperative to 6.5 ± 0.3 postoperative at 12 months ( p < 0.001). Significant findings were seen for each domain scores compared preoperatively and at 12 months: function score (18.6 ± 0.5 to 15.4 ± 0.6), appearance score (17.8 ± 0.5 to 16.0 ± 0.6), symptom score (11.8 ± 0.3 to 8.9 ± 0.4), and mood score (14.5 ± 0.4 to 11.4 ± 0.5; p < 0.05). The correlation analysis between improvement of the overall score and the ISL stage ( p = 0.610, correlation coefficient [ r ] = - 0.047), disease duration ( p = 0.659, r = - 0.041), and amount of limb volume reduction ( p = 0.454, r = - 0.070) showed no statistical significance. Conclusion The QOL of secondary lower limb lymphedema patients was significantly improved after LVA regardless of the severity of disease, duration of disease, and amount of volume reduction after LVA. Understanding the patient-reported outcome measurement will help the surgeons to manage and guide the expectations of the patients.
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The Application of Kirkpatrick's Evaluation Model in the Assessment of Interprofessional Simulation Activities Involving Pharmacy Students: A Systematic Review.OBJECTIVES: To our knowledge, this systematic review is the first to assess pharmacy-involved interprofessional education (IPE) simulation activities in establishing current methodological effectiveness using Kirkpatrick's Evaluation Model. This is a training evaluative model that assesses educational training activities according to 4 levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. FINDINGS: From the 3108 studies retrieved, 14 studies met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen studies achieved levels 1 and 2 of Kirkpatrick's Evaluation Model, and 1 achieved level 3. One study only achieved level 1. Single-group, pre- and posttest studies were the most common study designs (n = 9), and 1 study followed a longitudinal approach. IPE duration ranged from 45 min to 5 days, and most of the studies were conducted in the United States (n = 10). Most studies alluded to an underpinning theory behind IPE simulation design and chose surveys as their mode of data collection. SUMMARY: The most common limitation reported was the uneven representation of professions and a lack of data on the studies' effect in practice. To demonstrate the achievement of outcomes in relation to levels 3 and 4, there is a need for longitudinal studies of IPE simulation activities. Although evaluative studies showed a positive response to IPE simulation at a basic level, there is a lack of effective integration of theory behind IPE design. Future studies need to consider this when setting the infrastructure of IPE design, as well as making efforts to mobilize stakeholders in the workplace to help facilitate transfer of learning.
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Nutritional interventions in prehabilitation for cancer surgery.PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Nutrition remains a key focus in the preoptimization of patients undergoing cancer surgery. Given the catabolic nature of cancer, coupled with the physiological insult of surgery, malnutrition (when assessed) is prevalent in a significant proportion of patients. Therefore, robust research on interventions to attenuate the detrimental impact of this is crucial. RECENT FINDINGS: As a unimodal prehabilitation intervention, assessment for malnutrition is the first step, as universal supplementation has not been shown to have a significant impact on outcomes. However, targeted nutritional therapy, whether that is enteral or parenteral, has been shown to improve the nutritional state of patients' presurgery, potentially reducing the rate of postoperative complications such as nosocomial infections. As part of multimodal prehabilitation, the situation is more nuanced given the difficulty in attribution of effects to the differing components, and vast heterogeneity in intervention and patient profiles. SUMMARY: Multimodal prehabilitation is proven to improve length of hospital stay and postoperative outcomes, with nutrition forming a significant part of the therapy given. Further work is required to look at not only the interplay between the optimization of nutritional status and other prehabilitation interventions, but also how to best select which patients will achieve significant benefit.
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Comparison of add-on medications for persistent storage symptoms after α-blocker treatment in BPH patients - a network meta-analysis.BACKGROUND: Patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) receive α-blockers as first-line therapy to treat lower urinary tract symptoms; however, some individuals still experience residual storage symptoms. Antimuscarinics, β3-agonists, and desmopressin are effective add-on medications. Nevertheless, there is currently no evidence for the appropriate choice of the first add-on medication. This systematic review aimed to investigate the clinical benefits of antimuscarinics, β3-agonists, and desmopressin, in addition to α-blockers, for persistent storage symptoms in BPH patients. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the efficacy of different add-on medications in BPH patients with persistent storage symptoms despite α-blocker treatment was conducted. Clinical outcomes included the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), IPSS storage subscore, nocturia, micturition, and urgency. A network meta-analysis was performed to estimate the effect size. Surface under cumulative ranking curves (SUCRAs) were used to rank the included treatments for each outcome. RESULTS: A total of 15 RCTs were identified. Add-on imidafenacin and mirabegron resulted in significant improvement in all outcomes assessed. Other add-on medications such as desmopressin, tolterodine, solifenacin, fesoterodine, and propiverine showed positive benefits for most, but not all, outcomes. Based on the SUCRA rankings, add-on desmopressin was the best-ranked treatment for IPSS and nocturia, and add-on imidafenacin was the best for the IPSS storage subscore and micturition. CONCLUSIONS: BPH patients presenting with persistent storage symptoms despite α-blocker administration are recommended to include additional treatment. Desmopressin and imidafenacin may be considered high-priority add-on treatments because of their superior efficacy compared with other medications.
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A systematic review and meta-analysis of miRNAs for the detection of cervical cancer.Aim: This study aimed to critically appraise the evidence of the diagnostic effectiveness of miRNAs for the detection of cervical cancer. Methods & materials: A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed, searching PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. An umbrella meta-analysis of meta-analyses of individual biomarkers was performed. A Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) assessment of evidence was also performed. Results: A total of 52 miRNAs were included. Umbrella meta-analysis revealed significant heterogeneity in terms of sensitivity, specificity, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), positive predictive value and/or negative predictive value. Umbrella effects were 0.76 (95% CI: 0.73-0.78), 0.78 (95% CI: 0.75-0.81), 0.77 (95% CI: 0.75-0.80), 0.75 (95% CI: 0.71-0.79) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.74-0.79), respectively. Conclusion: Moderate quality evidence suggested miR199a-5p, miR21-5p and miR-141a had excellent diagnostic performance. Plain Language Summary: miRNAs are small chemical messengers that play a role in the regulation of protein produced inside the cytoplasm of cells, including cancer cells. In cervical cancer cells, miRNAs become dysregulated – that is, their levels become increased or decreased – and therefore detecting their relative abundance or absence in test samples may enable identification of cervical cancer. This study aimed to systematically collect and appraise the evidence for the diagnostic ability of miRNAs for detection of cervical cancer. A systematic appraisal of the evidence was conducted by searching three research databases (PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science) to collect evidence published up to 13 November 2022. Results for diagnostic performance of 52 miRNAs were extracted from 20 relevant studies. An assessment of risk of bias for each study was performed using a standardized checklist, which identified one high-quality study, 18 moderate-quality studies and one low-quality study. Results for each individual biomarker were assessed by meta-analytic methods, which generated weighted averages for 38 of 52 miRNAs. All 52 miRNAs were then compared using an umbrella meta-analysis (a weighted average of all miRNA biomarkers), which identified significant differences in diagnostic ability between miRNAs. Sensitivity analyses suggested that these differences were partly explained by differences in grades of cervical cancer and differences in types of sample used for testing. A GRADE assessment of the overall evidence quality suggested that moderate-quality evidence supported further investigation of three miRNA biomarkers (miR-199a-5p, miR-21-5p and miR-141a), which performed excellently (i.e., better than the umbrella weighted average) across five performance parameters, including sensitivity, specificity, receiver operator characteristic, positive predictive value and negative predictive value. In summary, this study suggested miR-199a-5p, miR-21-5p and miR-141a had excellent diagnostic performance for detection of cervical cancer and recommends further investigation of these miRNAs in randomized controlled trials.
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'PartBreCon' study. A UK multicentre retrospective cohort study to assess outcomes following PARTial BREast reCONstruction with chest wall perforator flaps.BACKGROUND: Partial breast reconstruction with a pedicled chest wall perforator flap (CWPF) enables breast conservation in a higher tumour: breast volume ratio scenario. Since there is limited evidence, this retrospective cohort study aimed to ascertain immediate (30-days) and medium-term (follow-up duration) surgical outcomes. METHODS: STROBE-compliant protocol ascertained CWPF outcomes between March 2011-March 2021. UK centres known to perform CWPF were invited to participate if they performed at least 10 cases. Data were retrospectively collected, including patient demographics, tumour and treatment characteristics, and surgical and oncological outcomes. Statistical analysis (R™) included multivariable logistic regression and sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Across 15 centres, 507 patients with median age (54 years, IQR; 48-62), body mass index (25.4 kg/m2, IQR; 22.5-29), tumour size (26 mm, IQR; 18-35), and specimen weight (62 g, IQR; 40-92) had following flap types: LiCAP (54.1%, n = 273), MiCAP/AiCAP (19.6%, n = 99), LiCAP + LTAP (19.8%, n = 100) and TDAP (2.2%, n = 11). 30-days complication rates were in 12%: haematoma (4.3%, n = 22), wound infection (4.3%, n = 22), delayed wound healing (2.8%, n = 14) and flap loss (0.6%, n = 3; 1 full) leading to readmissions (2.6%, n = 13) and re-operations (2.6%, n = 13). Positive margins (n = 88, 17.7%) led to 15.9% (n = 79) re-excisions, including 7.5% (n = 37) at the planned 2nd of 2-stage surgery and 1.8% (n = 9) mastectomy. At median 23 months (IQR; 11-39) follow-up, there were 1.2% (n = 6) symmetrisations; recurrences: local (1%), regional/nodal (0.6%) and distant (3.2%). CONCLUSIONS: This large multicentre cohort study demonstrates acceptable complication and margin re-excision rates. CWPF extends the range of breast conservation techniques. Further studies are required for long-term oncological outcomes.
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Primary Hyperparathyroidism: Outcomes of Repeated Imaging After Initial Negative Radiological Localization.BACKGROUND: Radiological localization imaging aids in the identification of abnormal parathyroid glands resulting in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), thereby facilitating minimally invasive parathyroid surgery. Sometimes initial imaging may fail to identify the abnormal gland and imaging may therefore be repeated. This study explored patient outcomes of repeated parathyroid localization imaging, after initial negative gland localization, at a United Kingdom institution. METHODOLOGY: Data was retrospectively collected and analyzed for patients with PHPT undergoing repeated imaging during a five-year period (2015-2020). The total number of episodes of scanning, types of scans performed, the time interval between scans and the imaging success of gland localization were recorded. We explored the reasons for repeated imaging and attempted to identify any factors that might predict subsequent positive radiological localization. RESULTS: A total of 45 patients were identified who underwent repeated localizing imaging after first localizing imaging was negative. Of these, 39 did not undergo surgery despite repeat imaging being undertaken; 11 out of these 39 patients (28%) had subsequent positive localization scans. Again, a large proportion of patients were managed conservatively, despite the repeated sets of imaging being done. Patients undergoing three or four sets of repetitive imaging did not have imaging or surgical success. CONCLUSION: A streamlined parathyroid pathway should be followed whereby patients should be triaged for suitability for surgery prior to repeated imaging. A second set of scans should be offered when patients are unsuitable for conservative management and are willing and fit to undergo surgery. There is no merit to repeating imaging more than twice.
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Diagnostic accuracy of intraoperative margin assessment techniques in surgery for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A meta-analysisBACKGROUND: Positive margins following head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) surgery lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Existing Intraoperative Margin Assessment (IMA) techniques are not widely used due to limitations in sampling technique, time constraints and resource requirements. We performed a meta-analysis of the diagnostic performance of existing IMA techniques in HNSCC, providing a benchmark against which emerging techniques may be judged. METHODS: The study was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. Studies were included if they reported diagnostic metrics of techniques used during HNSCC surgery, compared with permanent histopathology. Screening, manuscript review and data extraction was performed by multiple independent observers. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were estimated using the bivariate random effects model. RESULTS: From an initial 2344 references, 35 studies were included for meta-analysis. Sensitivity (Sens), specificity (Spec), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) were calculated for each group (n, Sens, Spec, DOR, AUROC): frozen section = 13, 0.798, 0.991, 309.8, 0.976; tumour-targeted fluorescence (TTF) = 5, 0.957, 0.827, 66.4, 0.944; optical techniques = 10, 0.919, 0.855, 58.9, 0.925; touch imprint cytology = 3, 0.925, 0.988, 51.1, 0.919; topical staining = 4, 0.918, 0.759, 16.4, 0.833. CONCLUSIONS: Frozen section and TTF had the best diagnostic performance. Frozen section is limited by sampling error. TTF shows promise but involves administration of a systemic agent. Neither is currently in widespread clinical use. Emerging techniques must demonstrate competitive diagnostic accuracy whilst allowing rapid, reliable, cost-effective results.
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Abiraterone acetate plus prednisolone with or without enzalutamide for patients with metastatic prostate cancer starting androgen deprivation therapy: final results from two randomised phase 3 trials of the STAMPEDE platform protocolBACKGROUND: Abiraterone acetate plus prednisolone (herein referred to as abiraterone) or enzalutamide added at the start of androgen deprivation therapy improves outcomes for patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Here, we aimed to evaluate long-term outcomes and test whether combining enzalutamide with abiraterone and androgen deprivation therapy improves survival. METHODS: We analysed two open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trials of the STAMPEDE platform protocol, with no overlapping controls, conducted at 117 sites in the UK and Switzerland. Eligible patients (no age restriction) had metastatic, histologically-confirmed prostate adenocarcinoma; a WHO performance status of 0-2; and adequate haematological, renal, and liver function. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) using a computerised algorithm and a minimisation technique to either standard of care (androgen deprivation therapy; docetaxel 75 mg/m2 intravenously for six cycles with prednisolone 10 mg orally once per day allowed from Dec 17, 2015) or standard of care plus abiraterone acetate 1000 mg and prednisolone 5 mg (in the abiraterone trial) orally or abiraterone acetate and prednisolone plus enzalutamide 160 mg orally once a day (in the abiraterone and enzalutamide trial). Patients were stratified by centre, age, WHO performance status, type of androgen deprivation therapy, use of aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, pelvic nodal status, planned radiotherapy, and planned docetaxel use. The primary outcome was overall survival assessed in the intention-to-treat population. Safety was assessed in all patients who started treatment. A fixed-effects meta-analysis of individual patient data was used to compare differences in survival between the two trials. STAMPEDE is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00268476) and ISRCTN (ISRCTN78818544). FINDINGS: Between Nov 15, 2011, and Jan 17, 2014, 1003 patients were randomly assigned to standard of care (n=502) or standard of care plus abiraterone (n=501) in the abiraterone trial. Between July 29, 2014, and March 31, 2016, 916 patients were randomly assigned to standard of care (n=454) or standard of care plus abiraterone and enzalutamide (n=462) in the abiraterone and enzalutamide trial. Median follow-up was 96 months (IQR 86-107) in the abiraterone trial and 72 months (61-74) in the abiraterone and enzalutamide trial. In the abiraterone trial, median overall survival was 76·6 months (95% CI 67·8-86·9) in the abiraterone group versus 45·7 months (41·6-52·0) in the standard of care group (hazard ratio [HR] 0·62 [95% CI 0·53-0·73]; p<0·0001). In the abiraterone and enzalutamide trial, median overall survival was 73·1 months (61·9-81·3) in the abiraterone and enzalutamide group versus 51·8 months (45·3-59·0) in the standard of care group (HR 0·65 [0·55-0·77]; p<0·0001). We found no difference in the treatment effect between these two trials (interaction HR 1·05 [0·83-1·32]; pinteraction=0·71) or between-trial heterogeneity (I2 p=0·70). In the first 5 years of treatment, grade 3-5 toxic effects were higher when abiraterone was added to standard of care (271 [54%] of 498 vs 192 [38%] of 502 with standard of care) and the highest toxic effects were seen when abiraterone and enzalutamide were added to standard of care (302 [68%] of 445 vs 204 [45%] of 454 with standard of care). Cardiac causes were the most common cause of death due to adverse events (five [1%] with standard of care plus abiraterone and enzalutamide [two attributed to treatment] and one (<1%) with standard of care in the abiraterone trial). INTERPRETATION: Enzalutamide and abiraterone should not be combined for patients with prostate cancer starting long-term androgen deprivation therapy. Clinically important improvements in survival from addition of abiraterone to androgen deprivation therapy are maintained for longer than 7 years. FUNDING: Cancer Research UK, UK Medical Research Council, Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research, Janssen, and Astellas.
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Email alerts allow more rapid assessment by palliative care service and decrease length of hospital stay for those discharged homeThe Hospital Palliative Care Team (HPCT) at Royal Derby Hospital, part of Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is a team of Medics and Clinical Nurse Specialists who review in-patients with specialist palliative care needs. Our team identified a number of circumstances where patients were readmitted, but not promptly re-referred, to HPCT. Through analysis of our statistics, we found that the average length of time between admission to hospital and referral to HPCT was 8 days. It was felt that earlier HPCT intervention may have facilitated better patient outcomes through more timely assessment and symptom review; and that through early review there was potential to reduce length of stay and improve rates of discharge to a preferred place of care. We therefore introduced an electronic alert (e-alert) system
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The Prognostic Value of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio for Small Renal Cell Carcinomas after Image-Guided Cryoablation or Radio-Frequency Ablation.There is a lack of cheap and effective biomarkers for the prediction of renal cancer outcomes post-image-guided ablation. This is a retrospective study of patients with localised small renal cell cancer (T1a or T1b) undergoing cryoablation or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) at our institution from 2003 to 2016. A total of 203 patients were included in the analysis. In the multivariable analysis, patients with raised neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) pre-operatively, post-operatively and peri-operatively are associated with significantly worsened cancer-specific survival, overall survival and metastasis-free survival. Furthermore, an increased PLR pre-operatively is also associated with increased odds of a larger than 25% drop in renal function post-operatively. In conclusion, NLR and PLR are effective prognostic factors in predicting oncological outcomes and peri-operative outcomes; however, larger external datasets should be used to validate the findings prior to clinical application.
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Fibroepithelial lesions of the breast: improving the accuracy of imaging diagnosis and reducing unnecessary biopsy.Fibroadenomas and phyllodes tumours are fibroepithelial lesions of the breast. Fibroadenomas are common benign breast masses encountered both symptomatically and incidentally. Phyllodes tumours are uncommon and usually present symptomatically. Management of fibroadenomas focuses on reducing biopsies without missing cancers while radiological management of phyllodes tumours should focus on predicting the need for surgical excision with or without margins.
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British Gynaecological Cancer Society Recommendations for Evidence Based, Population Data Derived Quality Performance Indicators for Ovarian Cancer.Ovarian cancer survival in the UK lags behind comparable countries. Results from the ongoing National Ovarian Cancer Audit feasibility pilot (OCAFP) show that approximately 1 in 4 women with advanced ovarian cancer (Stage 2, 3, 4 and unstaged cancer) do not receive any anticancer treatment and only 51% in England receive international standard of care treatment, i.e., the combination of surgery and chemotherapy. The audit has also demonstrated wide variation in the percentage of women receiving anticancer treatment for advanced ovarian cancer, be it surgery or chemotherapy across the 19 geographical regions for organisation of cancer delivery (Cancer Alliances). Receipt of treatment also correlates with survival: 5 year Cancer survival varies from 28.6% to 49.6% across England. Here, we take a systems wide approach encompassing both diagnostic pathways and cancer treatment, derived from the whole cohort of women with ovarian cancer to set out recommendations and quality performance indicators (QPI). A multidisciplinary panel established by the British Gynaecological Cancer Society carefully identified QPI against criteria: metrics selected were those easily evaluable nationally using routinely available data and where there was a clear evidence base to support interventions. These QPI will be valuable to other taxpayer funded systems with national data collection mechanisms and are to our knowledge the only population level data derived standards in ovarian cancer. We also identify interventions for Best practice and Research recommendations.
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Cohort profile of the Sloane Project: methodology for a prospective UK cohort study of >15 000 women with screen-detected non-invasive breast neoplasia.PURPOSE: The introduction of breast screening in the UK led to an increase in the detection of non-invasive breast neoplasia, predominantly ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a non-obligatory precursor of invasive breast cancer. The Sloane Project, a UK prospective cohort study of screen-detected non-invasive breast neoplasia, commenced in 2003 to evaluate the radiological assessment, surgical management, pathology, adjuvant therapy and outcomes for non-invasive breast neoplasia. Long-term follow-up and accurate data collection are essential to examine the clinical impact. Here, we describe the establishment, development and analytical processes for this large UK cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Women diagnosed with non-invasive breast neoplasia via the UK National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) from 01 April 2003 are eligible, with a minimum age of 46 years. Diagnostic, therapeutic and follow-up data collected via proformas, complement date and cause of death from national data sources. Accrual for patients with DCIS ceased in 2012 but is ongoing for patients with epithelial atypia/in situ neoplasia, while follow-up for all continues long term. FINDINGS TO DATE: To date, patients within the Sloane cohort comprise one-third of those diagnosed with DCIS within the NHSBSP and are representative of UK practice. DCIS has a variable outcome and confirms the need for longer-term follow-up for screen-detected DCIS. However, the radiology and pathology features of DCIS can be used to inform patient management. We demonstrate validation of follow-up information collected from national datasets against traditional, manual methods. FUTURE PLANS: Conclusions derived from the Sloane Project are generalisable to women in the UK with screen-detected DCIS. The follow-up methodology may be extended to other UK cohort studies and routine clinical follow-up. Data from English patients entered into the Sloane Project are available on request to researchers under data sharing agreement. Annual follow-up data collection will continue for a minimum of 20 years.
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A systematic review and meta-analysis on delaying surgery for urothelial carcinoma of bladder and upper tract urothelial carcinoma: Implications for the COVID19 pandemic and beyond.PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to competing strains on hospital resources and healthcare personnel. Patients with newly diagnosed invasive urothelial carcinomas of bladder (UCB) upper tract (UTUC) may experience delays to definitive radical cystectomy (RC) or radical nephro-ureterectomy (RNU) respectively. We evaluate the impact of delaying definitive surgery on survival outcomes for invasive UCB and UTUC. METHODS: We searched for all studies investigating delayed urologic cancer surgery in Medline and Embase up to June 2020. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS: We identified a total of 30 studies with 32,591 patients. Across 13 studies (n = 12,201), a delay from diagnosis of bladder cancer/TURBT to RC was associated with poorer overall survival (HR 1.25, 95% CI: 1.09-1.45, p = 0.002). For patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy before RC, across the 5 studies (n = 4,316 patients), a delay between neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical cystectomy was not found to be significantly associated with overall survival (pooled HR 1.37, 95% CI: 0.96-1.94, p = 0.08). For UTUC, 6 studies (n = 4,629) found that delay between diagnosis of UTUC to RNU was associated with poorer overall survival (pooled HR 1.55, 95% CI: 1.19-2.02, p = 0.001) and cancer-specific survival (pooled HR of 2.56, 95% CI: 1.50-4.37, p = 0.001). Limitations included between-study heterogeneity, particularly in the definitions of delay cut-off periods between diagnosis to surgery. CONCLUSIONS: A delay from diagnosis of UCB or UTUC to definitive RC or RNU was associated with poorer survival outcomes. This was not the case for patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
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Reporting of Surgically Removed Lymph Nodes for Breast Tumors: Recommendations From the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting.CONTEXT.—: The International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR), supported by major pathology and cancer organizations, aims at the standardization of evidence-based pathology reporting of different types of cancers, with the inclusion of all parameters deemed to be relevant for best patient care and future data collection. Lymph node metastasis is one of the most important prognostic factors in breast cancer. OBJECTIVE.—: To produce a histopathology reporting guide by a panel of recognized experts from the fields of pathology and surgery with elements deemed to be core (required) and noncore (recommended) to report when assessing regional lymph nodes of patients with breast cancer. DATA SOURCES.—: Published literature, previous guidelines/recommendations, and current cancer staging principles were the basis of the data set drafted by the expert panel. This was discussed in a series of teleconferences and email communications. The draft data set was then made available for public consultation through the ICCR Web site. After this consultation and ICCR ratification, the data set was finalized. CONCLUSIONS.—: The ICCR has published a data set for the reporting of surgically removed lymph nodes (including sentinel lymph node biopsy, axillary lymph node dissection, targeted axillary surgery, and lymph node sampling specimens) for breast tumors. This is part of a series of 4 ICCR breast cancer-related data sets. It includes 10 core elements along with 2 noncore elements. This should allow for synoptic reporting, which is more precise, uniform, and complete than nonsynoptic reporting, and leads to improved patient outcomes.