Cathcart-Rake, Elizabeth

Abstract Funding Source: Institutional funds at Mayo Clinic. Background: While alopecia is a common and distressing acute side effect of chemotherapy, chronic hair thinning is also reported by some survivors during endocrine therapy. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate real world experiences of late/long-term alopecia among breast cancer survivors. Methods: Breast cancer survivors participating in the ongoing prospective Mayo Clinic Breast Disease Registry (MCBDR) were mailed a survey six years after diagnosis, between June and November 2020. Respondents were asked to report how bothered they are by hair thinning and hair loss over the last year on a scale from 0 “not at all” to 4 “extremely”. They were also asked whether they used any hair thickening or regrowth products. Results: 552/899 survivors responded (response rate 61%); 403 survivors’ responses were available for analysis. Respondents’ median age was 66 years, and median time since diagnosis was 78 months. Seventy patients (17%) were diagnosed with stage 0 breast cancer, 195 (48%) were diagnosed with stage 1 cancer, 104 (26%) with stage 2, 25 (6%) with stage 3; 6 (1%) had been diagnosed with metastatic or recurrent disease at the time of this survey. 139 (34%) patients had received chemotherapy. Of the patients who received chemotherapy, 82 (59%) had received doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, 41 (29%) received docetaxel and cyclophosphamide, 77 (55%) received paclitaxel, and 27 (19%) received carboplatin. 258 (64%) received endocrine therapy. Of these patients who received endocrine therapy, 131 (51%) received Tamoxifen and 186 (72%) received aromatase inhibitors. 309 survivors (77%) were 55 years or older. 189 (47%) of all patients reported that they were bothered by chronic hair loss, and 225 (56%) reported that they were bothered by hair thinning; 71 (18%) reported use of thickening/regrowth products. There did not appear to be differences in chronic hair loss or thinning by receipt of chemotherapy: 64 patients (46%) who received chemotherapy reported hair loss and 79 (56%) reported hair thinning, compared with 123 patients (46%) who did not receive chemotherapy and reported hair loss and 142 (54%) who reported hair thinning. Hair thinning or loss did not appear to differ based upon age (Table 1). Symptoms did not appear to be more common amongst current or previous endocrine therapy recipients, with 113 (44%) of that subset bothered by hair loss and 128 (50%) by hair thinning. Conclusion: Hair loss and thinning are frequently reported as bothersome symptoms by long-term breast cancer survivors. Future investigations into treatments for chronic hair thinning during and after cancer therapy are needed. Table 1.< 5555+Bothered by hair loss (n)%Bothered by hair thinning (n)%Bothered by hair loss (n)%Bothered by hair thinning (n)%Not at all5761%4649%15751%13142%Slightly1920%2426%8728%9731%Moderately77%910%3110%4113%BOTHERED BY HAIR LOSS (N)%BOTHERED BY HAIR THINNING (N)%BOTHERED BY HAIR LOSS (N)%BOTHERED BY HAIR THINNING (N)%Quite a bit77%1112%227%268%Extremely44%33%93%103%Missing00%11%31%41% Citation Format: Elizabeth Cathcart-Rake, Charles L Loprinzi, Janet E Olson, Fergus Couch, Brittany Dulmage, Maryam Lustberg, Nicole Larson, Kathryn J Ruddy. Alopecia among breast cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-10-17.

Abstract Background: Eyebrow and eyelash loss are widely recognized as consequences of some chemotherapies, but prevalence and predictors are understudied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate real world experiences of eyebrow and eyelash loss during treatment for breast cancer. Methods: Breast cancer survivors participating in the ongoing prospective Mayo Clinic Breast Disease Registry (MCBDR) were mailed a survey one year after diagnosis. Respondents were asked to recall their severity of eyebrow and eyelash loss since diagnosis, measured from “no loss” to “a little loss” to “a lot of loss” to “complete loss”. Results: 524 participants were mailed a survey including these questions between May 2020 and November 2020; the median time from diagnosis to survey completion was 12 months (range 6 months). Of the 265 participants whose responses were available for analysis (median age 60.8 years), 88 (33%) had received chemotherapy, including 39 (44%) who received doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, 16 (18%) who received docetaxel and cyclophosphamide, 56 (64%) who received paclitaxel, and 11 (13%) who received carboplatin. 173 (65%) had received endocrine therapy: 56 (32%) of patients who received endocrine therapy received tamoxifen, and 115 (66%) received aromatase inhibitors. 124 (47%) reported at least a little eyebrow loss, and 22 (8%) reported complete loss. Forty-seven percent reported at least a little eyelash loss, and 27 (10%) reported complete loss (Table 1). In the subgroup of 88 patients who received chemotherapy, the rates of at least a little eyebrow and eyelash loss were 50% and 55%, respectively, and rates of complete loss were 8% and 9%. Rates of eyebrow and eyelash loss did not appear to differ significantly by age. Conclusion: Eyebrow and eyelash loss are frequently reported during breast cancer-directed therapy. Future investigations into the incidence and treatment of this side effect are needed. Table 1.<55 years old55+ years oldEyebrow Loss (N)%Eyelash Loss (N)%Eyebrow Loss (N)%Eyelash Loss (N)%No Loss4551%4753%9655%9353%A Little Loss2629%2225%3922%3922%A lot of loss1011%1112%2715%2514%Complete Loss89%910%148%1810%Funding Source: Breast Cancer Research Foundation (CLL) Clinic Citation Format: Elizabeth Cathcart-Rake, Charles L Loprinzi, Fergus Couch, Janet Olson, Brittany Dulmage, Maryam Lustberg, Nicole Larson, Kathryn J Ruddy. Eyebrow/eyelash loss among survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-10-11.

The Oncology Grand Rounds series is designed to place original reports published in the Journal into clinical context. A case presentation is followed by a description of diagnostic and management challenges, a review of the relevant literature, and a summary of the authors' suggested management approaches. The goal of this series is to help readers better understand how to apply the results of key studies, including those published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, to patients seen in their own clinical practice.

e24030 Background: Physical activity (PA) in cancer survivors improves quality of life (QOL), functioning, fatigue, and reduces the risk of treatment complications, cancer recurrence and death. However, the optimal intervention for increasing PA is not established. Most prospective studies have shown a 6-12-week program to be an effective intervention but this is often not feasible. Therefore, we piloted a one-time individualized exercise prescription in our cardiac rehabilitation center to improve PA in cancer survivors. Methods: We prospectively enrolled cancer survivors who had completed curative intent treatment, with no evidence of active disease in this pilot study. Survivors who consented underwent a consultation with an exercise physiologist for needs assessment followed by a supervised exercise session with a tailored exercise prescription. Survivors also filled out surveys assessing their PA and QOL at baseline (bl), 3, 6 and 12 months after intervention. Clinical information was collected via chart review. We estimated longitudinal PA score and change in PA using mixed models incorporating scores from all available time points using SAS (v 9.4). Results: Between May 2018 and January 2020, 50 participants (26 lymphoma and 24 solid tumor survivors) completed the intervention. 20% participants were on maintenance therapy during the study. Clinical characteristics of 42 evaluable participants are summarized in Table. The survey response rate was 82%, 58%, 58%, 46% at bl, 3, 6 and 12 months respectively. The level of PA improved with time [mean (SE) PA score: 58.5 (4.3) bl, 63.9 (4.8) at 3, 57.6 (4.8) at 6, 62.6 (5.3) at 12 months]. The change in PA from baseline to follow-up time-points [bl vs 3m p=0.41; bl vs 6m p=0.88; bl vs 12m p=0.55] or between the lymphoma and solid tumor survivors was not statistically significant and limited by sample size. No significant trend in QOL was seen. Conclusions: Individualized exercise prescription using the cardiac rehabilitation program may be a feasible, widely applicable tool to implement a PA intervention among cancer survivors. The trend towards improvement in PA in this novel one-time intervention provides intriguing evidence and deserves future study in larger sample sizes to understand if it can improve and create sustainable PA change comparable to longer term exercise interventions.[Table: see text]

e18739 Background: Hair loss is a well-known side effect of chemotherapy. The Paxman Hair Loss Prevention System, a scalp cooling device, has been shown to be effective in reducing chemotherapy induced alopecia in patients receiving chemotherapy (Nangia, JAMA, 2017). The National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the European Society for Medical Oncology guidelines have recommended scalp cooling as category 2A and 2B options, respectively. Methods: The real world use of scalp cooling using the Paxman device, as documented by orders through the Paxman Hub during the years of 2017-2020 was summarized. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographics and utilization. Results: Data from 6649 patients who used scalp cooling were reviewed. Patients with breast cancer were the most common users of scalp cooling (78%, n=5197) followed by gynecology (12%, n=775), gastrointestinal (3%, n=201), lung (1%, n=81) and genitourinary (1%, n=52). The majority of patients were between the ages of 45-65 (55%), followed by 65-74 (18%), older than 75 (5%), and 25-44 (2%). Average number (#) of cycles of cooling completed was 6.53 (range of average # of cycles 4.50-12). Scalp cooling with this device was commonly used in 39 out of 50 states. Conclusions: This is the largest report of scalp cooling usage in the real world setting in the USA, including scalp cooling usage in older adults. Uptake of scalp cooling across various cancers has not been uniform and this deserves further study.

In the United States, one in 196 women is diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 40 years. Adolescents and young adults (AYAs), of age 15-39 years at diagnosis, experience a number of unique challenges when confronting breast cancer. The incidence of invasive breast cancer has increased among AYA women in the United States since 2004, and most of this change is due to an increase in young women diagnosed with distant disease. AYAs are more likely than older women to present with aggressive subtypes and advanced disease, and they often require systemic staging at diagnosis. Clinical trials should be considered whenever possible, particularly in AYAs with locally advanced or metastatic disease at diagnosis and those with disease progression or recurrence. A significant proportion of AYAs carry germline cancer predisposition mutations, which necessitates prompt genetic testing for all AYAs at diagnosis and may influence choice of local therapy. Suppression of ovarian function, as an adjunct to chemotherapy, may improve breast cancer survival in AYAs. To provide optimal care for AYAs with breast cancer, clinicians should engage multidisciplinary teams that offer fertility preservation, genetic counseling, physical and occupational therapy, nutrition, and psychosocial support, along with medical expertise in tailoring cancer-directed therapy and symptom management toward young women.

Purpose Integrative therapies such as yoga are potential treatments for many psychological and physical symptoms that occur during and/or after treatment for cancer. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the patient-perceived benefit of yoga for symptoms commonly experienced by breast cancer survivors. Methods 1,049 breast cancer survivors who had self-reported use of yoga on a follow up survey, in an ongoing prospective Mayo Clinic Breast Disease Registry (MCBDR), received an additional mailed yoga-focused survey asking about the impact of yoga on a variety of symptoms. Differences between pre- and post- scores were assessed using Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test. Results 802/1,049 (76%) of women who were approached to participate, consented and returned the survey. 507/802 (63%) reported use of yoga during and/or after their cancer diagnosis. The vast majority of respondents (89.4%) reported some symptomatic benefit from yoga. The most common symptoms that prompted the use of yoga were breast/chest wall pain, lymphedema, and anxiety. Only 9% of patients reported that they had been referred to yoga by a medical professional. While the greatest symptom improvement was reported with breast/chest wall pain and anxiety, significant improvement was also perceived in joint pain, muscle pain, fatigue, headache, quality of life, hot flashes, nausea/vomiting, depression, insomnia, lymphedema, and peripheral neuropathy, (all p-values <0.004). Conclusion Data supporting the use of yoga for symptom management after cancer are limited and typically focus on mental health. In this study, users of yoga often reported physical benefits as well as mental health benefits. Further prospective studies investigating the efficacy of yoga in survivorship are warranted.

e24086 Background: Nasal vestibulitis has been infrequently described as a side effect of cancer-directed therapy; however, a preliminary study reported that 71% of patients undergoing taxane chemotherapy experienced nasal vestibulitis symptoms. This natural history trial describes the incidence, characteristics, and severity of nasal vestibulitis symptoms among patients undergoing paclitaxel, docetaxel, and non-taxane chemotherapy. Methods: Eligible participants who reported baseline (prior to starting chemotherapy) nasal symptoms ≤ 2 on a 10-point scale were enrolled in this trial upon initiation of a new treatment regimen, involving paclitaxel or docetaxel, or non-taxane chemotherapy. Participants completed nasal symptom logs each time they received a dose of therapy until either the regimen was stopped or four months had passed. The proportion of patients reporting new nasal symptoms was estimated within each cohort with the 95% exact confidence interval (CI). A cumulative incidence model was utilized to quantify the incidence of treatment-emergent nasal symptoms within each cohort, while controlling for age, sex, smoking history, and history of asthma or allergies. Results: Thirty-five participants received paclitaxel, 21 received docetaxel, and 25 received other types of chemotherapy. 86.4% of participants were female, mean age was 60.2 ± 11.2 years; 93.8% of participants completed 2 or more surveys. A higher percentage of participants in the paclitaxel cohort experienced new nasal vestibulitis symptoms than participants in the other two cohorts. The percentage (95% CI) of participants with nasal symptoms, for patients receiving paclitaxel, docetaxel, and non-taxane chemotherapy were 74.3% (56.7%, 87.5%), 47.6% (25.7%, 70.2%), and 44.0% (24.4%, 65.1%), respectively. Epistaxis was reported by 60% of participants in the paclitaxel cohort. Paclitaxel-receiving participants also reported nasal dryness (48.6%), scabbing (40.0%), and pain (20.0%). Nearly half of participants reported moderate symptoms (4-7 out of a 10-point scale), with 8.6% reporting symptoms as severe (8-10 on a 10-point scale). Conclusions: Nasal vestibulitis is a common side effect of chemotherapy, especially paclitaxel chemotherapy.

Objective: This study sought to understand the patients’ perspective of what contributes to an absence of discussions of sexual orientation (SO), gender identity (GI), and sexual health in cancer care. Methods: Patients were recruited from oncology, gynecology, and a gender transition clinic to participate in semistructured interviews, which were analyzed with qualitative methods. Results: A total of 25 patients were interviewed, shedding light on 2 themes. The first was that these conversations are important but infrequent. One patient explained, “…. we know people who have had sex changes…[they] would have appreciated that question.” In response to whether sexual health was ever brought up, one patient responded, “No doctor ever has.” Patients described unaddressed issues: “There have been times, you know, we’ve wondered if it was okay to make love.” The second theme consisted of 4 pragmatic, patient-provided points to facilitate discussions: (1) implementation of a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being comfortable) to first gauge patients’ comfort in talking about SO, GI, and sexual health; (2) having the health-care provider explore the topic again over-time; (3) making sure the health-care provider is comfortable, as such comfort appears to enhance the patient’s comfort (“I have a doctor here, a female doctor, who just matter of fact will ask if I get erections and so on because of the medication she’s giving me);” and (4) eliminating euphemisms (one patient stated, “I don’t know what you mean by ‘sexual health’.”). Conclusion: Oncology health-care providers have a unique opportunity and responsibility to address SO, GI, and sexual health.