Agnieszka Lemanska

Patient-reported Outcome Measures in Radiotherapy: Clinical Advances and Research Opportunities in Measurement for Survivorship.

Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are a useful way of recording patient perceptions of the impact of their cancer and the consequences of treatment. Understanding the impact of radiotherapy longer term requires tools that are sensitive to change but also meaningful for patients. PROMs are useful in defining symptom severity but also the burden of illness for cancer patients. Patient-reported outcomes are increasingly being seen as a way to improve practice by enhancing communication, improving symptom management as well as identifying patient care needs. This paper provides an overview of the use of PROMs in radiotherapy and considerations for tool choice, analysis and the logistics of routine data collection. Consistent assessment is essential to detect patient problems as a result of radiotherapy, but also to address emerging symptoms promptly.

Do patients on oral chemotherapy have sufficient knowledge for optimal adherence? A mixed methods study

A new treatment paradigm has emerged with many patients now receiving oral chemotherapy (OC) as first-line treatment for cancer. Treatment with OC has resulted in reduced hospital costs, more autonomy for patients but with added responsibilities for patient self-management. Little is known about patients knowledge following patient education to enable optimal adherence with OC. A mixed methods study was carried out using a self-report questionnaire to patients on OC for multiple myeloma (MM) followed by semi-structured interviews with patients at home. Analysis identifies high rates of adherence (92.2%) with OC for MM. However, statistically significant knowledge deficits were identified, which were related to patient ethnicity and to gender. There is the potential for non-intentional non-adherence with OC due to deficits in knowledge of OC. Support at home needs to include primary care practitioners such as GPs, practice nurses and pharmacists so that timely support is easily accessible especially in the early phase of treatment.

Predictive Modelling of Patient Reported Radiotherapy-Related Toxicity by the Application of Symptom Clustering and Autoregression

Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly being used in research to explore experiences of cancer survivors. Techniques to predict symptoms, with the aim of providing triage care, rely on the ability to analyse trends in symptoms or quality of life and at present are limited. The secondary analysis in this study uses a statistical method involving the application of autoregression (AR) to PROMs in order to predict symptom intensity following radiotherapy, and to explore its feasibility as an analytical tool. The technique is demonstrated using an existing dataset of 94 prostate cancer patients who completed a validated battery of PROMs over time. In addition the relationship between symptoms was investigated and symptom clusters were identified to determine their value in assisting predictive modeling. Three symptom clusters, namely urinary, gastrointestinal and emotional were identified. The study indicates that incorporating symptom clustering into predictive modeling helps to identify the most informative predictor variables. The analysis also showed that the degree of rise of symptom intensity during radiotherapy has the ability to predict later radiotherapy-related symptoms. The method was most successful for the prediction of urinary and gastrointestinal symptoms. Quantitative or qualitative prediction was possible on different symptoms. The application of this technique to predict radiotherapy outcomes could lead to increased use of PROMs within clinical practice. This in turn would contribute to improvements in both patient care after radiotherapy and also strategies to prevent side effects. In order to further evaluate the predictive ability of the approach, the analysis of a larger dataset with a longer follow up was identified as the next step.

Integrative review on the non‐invasive management of lower urinary tract symptoms in men following treatments for pelvic malignancies

To develop a non‐invasive management strategy for men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) after treatment for pelvic cancer, that is suitable for use in a primary healthcare context.

Linking CHHiP prostate cancer RCT with GP records: A study proposal to investigate the effect of co-morbidities and medications on long-term symptoms and radiotherapy-related toxicity

Highlights • Data linkage allows combining patient records from different healthcare settings.• Linkage to GP data can support conduct of clinical trials and long-term follow-up.• The effect of co-morbidities and medications on cancer recovery is of interest.• Co-morbidities are potential risk factors for radiotherapy-related toxicity.• Statins or antihypertensives may potentially have protective effect.

Older Age, Early Symptoms and Physical Function are Associated with the Severity of Late Symptom Clusters for Men Undergoing Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer

Aims To identify symptom clusters and predisposing factors associated with long-term symptoms and health-related quality of life after radiotherapy in men with prostate cancer. Materials and methods Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) data from the Medical Research Council RT01 radiotherapy with neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy trial of 843 patients were used. PROs were collected over 5 years with the University of California, Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) and the 36 item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Symptom clusters were explored using hierarchical cluster analysis. The association of treatment dose, baseline patient characteristics and early symptom clusters with the change in severity of PROs over 3 years was investigated with multivariate linear mixed effects models. Results Seven symptom clusters of three or more symptoms were identified. The clusters were stable over time. The longitudinal profiles of symptom clusters showed the onset of acute symptoms during treatment for all symptom clusters and significant recovery by 6 months. Some clusters, such as physical health and sexual function, were adversely affected more than others by androgen deprivation therapy, and were less likely to return to pretreatment levels over time. Older age was significantly associated with decreased long-term physical function, physical health and sexual function (P < 0.001). Both baseline and acute symptom clusters were significant antecedents for impaired function and health-related quality of life at 3 years. Conclusions Men with poorer physical function and health before or during treatment were more likely to report poorer PROs at year 3. Early assessment using PROs and lifestyle interventions should be used to identify those with higher needs and provide targeted rehabilitation and symptom management.