Citations

Abstract BACKGROUND: The American Cancer Society recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate and/or strenuous exercise and muscle-strengthening activities each week for adults. Exercise has been associated with decreased breast cancer mortality and adverse symptoms. This study’s purpose is to understand prevalence and predictors of inadequate aerobic exercise in patients recently diagnosed with breast cancer to inform interventions to increase exercise participation. METHODS: Patients seen at least once at Mayo Clinic Rochester were prospectively enrolled within one year of an initial breast cancer diagnosis in the Mayo Clinic Breast Disease Registry after providing informed consent. This analysis includes those who completed a baseline survey with self-reported exercise data using the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. This longitudinal cohort study was approved by the Mayo Clinic institutional review board. RESULTS: 1,738 participants reported their usual weekly quantity of moderate and strenuous exercise an average of 95 days (SD 71 days, range 0-365) after diagnosis. Table 1 displays participant characteristics overall and by whether participants reported at least 150 minutes of moderate and/or strenuous activity weekly (“met guidelines”) or not (“did not meet guidelines”). Overall, 39% of participants met guidelines, including 56% of those aged 18-39 years, 40% of those aged 40-69 years, and 27% of those aged 70+ years. CONCLUSION: Older age was associated with less likelihood of meeting exercise guidelines (all age groups vs 70+, p < 0.05). A more diverse cohort will be needed to evaluate differences by gender and race/ethnicity. There did not appear to be any obvious impact on exercise level by time since diagnosis (during the first year after diagnosis) or educational status, though substantial missing data limit conclusions related to the latter. Additional research is needed to assess exercise levels later in survivorship and the impact of various treatment modalities on exercise habits Table 1. Patient and tumor characteristics Citation Format: Paulina S. Marell, Janet E. Olson, Joerg Herrmann, Nicole L. Larson, Nathan K. LeBrasseur, Stacy D. D'Andre, Andrea L. Cheville, Toure Barksdale, Charles L. Loprinzi, Fergus J. Couch, Kathryn J. Ruddy. Factors associated with exercise participation in patients with breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5868.

PURPOSE: Exercise has been underutilized in people with advanced or incurable cancer despite the potential to improve physical function and reduce psychosocial morbidity, especially for people with bone metastases because of concerns over skeletal complications. The International Bone Metastases Exercise Working Group (IBMEWG) was formed to develop best practice recommendations for exercise programming for people with bone metastases on the basis of published research, clinical experience, and expert opinion. METHODS: The IBMEWG undertook sequential steps to inform the recommendations: (1) modified Delphi survey, (2) systematic review, (3) cross-sectional survey to physicians and nurse practitioners, (4) in-person meeting of IBMEWG to review evidence from steps 1-3 to develop draft recommendations, and (5) stakeholder engagement. RESULTS: Recommendations emerged from the contributing evidence and IBMEWG discussion for pre-exercise screening, exercise testing, exercise prescription, and monitoring of exercise response. Identification of individuals who are potentially at higher risk of exercise-related skeletal complication is a complex interplay of these factors: (1) lesion-related, (2) cancer and cancer treatment–related, and (3) the person-related. Exercise assessment and prescription requires consideration of the location and presentation of bone lesion(s) and should be delivered by qualified exercise professionals with oncology education and exercise prescription experience. Emphasis on postural alignment, controlled movement, and proper technique is essential. CONCLUSION: Ultimately, the perceived risk of skeletal complications should be weighed against potential health benefits on the basis of consultation between the person, health care team, and exercise professionals. These recommendations provide an initial framework to improve the integration of exercise programming into clinical care for people with bone metastases.

Abstract Background The symptom burden associated with cancer and its treatment can negatively affect patients’ quality of life and survival. Symptom-focused collaborative care model (CCM) interventions can improve outcomes, but only if patients engage with them. We assessed the receptivity of severely symptomatic oncology patients to a remote nurse-led CCM intervention. Methods In a pragmatic, cluster-randomized, stepped-wedge trial conducted as part of the National Cancer Institute IMPACT Consortium (E2C2, NCT03892967), patients receiving cancer care were asked to rate their sleep disturbance, pain, anxiety, emotional distress, fatigue, and limitations in physical function. Patients reporting at least 1 severe symptom (≥7/10) were offered phone consultation with a nurse symptom care manager (RN SCM). Initially, patients had to “opt-in” to receive a call, but the protocol was later modified so they had to “opt-out” if they did not want a call. We assessed the impact of opt-in vs opt-out framing and patient characteristics on receptiveness to RN SCM calls. All statistical tests were 2-sided. Results Of the 1204 symptom assessments (from 864 patients) on which at least 1 severe symptom was documented, 469 (39.0%) indicated receptivity to an RN SCM phone call. The opt-out period (odds ratio [OR] = 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12 to 2.32, P = .01), receiving care at a tertiary care center (OR = 3.59, 95% CI = 2.18 to 5.91, P < .001), and having severe pain (OR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.24 to 2.62, P = .002) were associated with statistically significantly greater willingness to receive a call. Conclusions Many severely symptomatic patients were not receptive to an RN SCM phone call. Better understanding of reasons for refusal and strategies for improving patient receptivity are needed.

Abstract Background: The influence of prenatal diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure on cancer incidence among middle-aged men has not been well-characterized. We investigated whether exposure to DES before birth impacts overall cancer risk, and risk of site-specific cancers. Methods: Men (mean age in 2016 = 62.0 years) who were or were not prenatally DES exposed were identified between 1953 and 1994 and followed for cancer primarily via questionnaire approximately every 5 years between 1994 and 2016. The overall and site-specific cancer rates of the two groups were compared using Poisson regression and proportional hazards modeling with adjustment for age. Results: DES exposure was not associated with either overall cancer [hazard ratio (HR), 0.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.77–1.15] or total prostate cancer rates (HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.68–1.33), but was inversely associated with urinary tract cancer incidence (HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.23–1.00). Conclusions: There was no increase in either overall or prostate cancer rates among men prenatally DES exposed relative to those unexposed. An unexpected risk reduction was observed for urinary system cancers among the exposed relative to those unexposed. These findings suggest that prenatal DES exposure is unlikely to be an important contributor to cancer development in middle-aged men. Impact: The results of this study could lend reassurance to middle-aged men who were prenatally DES exposed that their exposure does not adversely influence their overall cancer risk.

Objective: To evaluate the comprehensiveness of primary care sports medicine fellowship websites and identify potential areas of improvement. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of fellowship program websites using quantitative and descriptive statistics. Setting: Internet. Participants: A total of 192 primary care sports medicine fellowship websites listed on the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) website. Independent Variables: Program Specialty and Program Region. Main Outcome Measures: The presence or absence of 19 predetermined criteria on primary care sports medicine fellowship websites. Results: The average number of criteria that was included on each website was 9.8 (SD 3.5) (51.6%) of the possible 19. Programs had as few as 2 of the 19 (10.5%) criteria included on their website, and others had as many as 17 of the 19 (89.4%) criteria. Of the 192 primary care sports medicine fellowships, only 5 (2.6%) addressed at least 80% of the 19 different criteria. No primary care sports medicine fellowship website included all 19 criteria. Conclusions: Most primary care sports medicine fellowship websites do not offer comprehensive information about their programs for prospective applicants.

5554 Background: A better understanding regarding the burden of treatment side effects in patients with gynecological malignancies could help guide symptom interventions and oncologic therapy decision-making. We aim to inform understanding of symptom burden in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) by analyzing patient-reported symptom data from patients treated for this condition over a 16-month period. Methods: Patients receiving medical oncology care at Mayo Clinic Rochester and at Midwest Mayo Clinic Health System community sites have received symptom-focused surveys prior to each medical oncology visit since March 28, 2019 through the Enhanced Electronic Health Record Facilitated Cancer Symptom Control Study (E2C2). These surveys, administered either through the electronic medical record portal or on a clinic tablet prior to each oncology office visit, no more frequently than every 2 weeks, include six linear analogue scales measuring sleep disturbance, pain, anxiety, emotional distress, and fatigue (SPADE), as well as physical dysfunction on a scale of 0 (none) to 10 (as bad as you can imagine). Scores of 0-3 were considered mild symptoms, 4-6 moderate symptoms, and 7-10 severe symptoms. We collected survey results from March 28, 2019 to July 20, 2020 for patients with EOC and reviewed the number of surveys per patient in addition to the average symptom scores. Results: From March 2019 to July 2020, for patients with EOC, there were 2974 encounter-based surveys from 762 patients. The number of surveys completed by each patient ranged from 1-20. The following number of patients returned the correlating number of surveys: 1 survey:240 patients; 2 surveys:145; 3 surveys:79; 4 surveys:56; 5 surveys:58; 6 surveys:45; 7 surveys:38; 8 surveys:27; 9 surveys:22; ≥10 surveys:52. The average score from all surveys for each symptom was: 2.41 for sleep disturbance, 2.03 for pain, 2.32 for anxiety, 1.97 for emotional distress, 3.26 for fatigue, and 2.50 for physical dysfunction. Please see the table for the proportion of surveys that reported symptoms as mild, moderate, or severe. Conclusions: Fatigue and physical dysfunction were reported most frequently in patients with EOC, while emotional distress and pain were reported least frequently. 20% of surveys reported moderate to severe emotional distress, while 40% reported moderate to severe fatigue. A targeted approach to symptom management is needed for patients undergoing EOC evaluation and treatment. Our next steps in this analysis include an assessment of potential predictors of greater symptom burden (e.g., specific treatments, age, and other clinical and sociodemographic characteristics). Clinical trial information: NCT03892967. [Table: see text]

BACKGROUND: There is a continued perception that intravenous line (IV) placement is contraindicated in the arm ipsilateral to prior breast cancer surgery to avoid breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL). The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the risk for development of BCRL in ipsilateral arm IV placement compared to contralateral arm IV placement to prior breast cancer surgery. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review, via our Integrated Clinical Systems and Epic Electronic Heath Record of IV placement for anesthesia and surgery in patients with a prior history of breast cancer surgery with or without axillary lymph node dissection. Complication rates were compared for IVs placed in the ipsilateral and contralateral arms. We identified 3724 patients undergoing 7896 IV placements between January 1, 2015, and May 5, 2018, with a prior history of breast cancer surgery via their index anesthesia and surgical procedures. RESULTS: The median time from breast cancer surgery to IV placement was 1.5 years (range, 1 day to 17.8 years). Of 2743 IVs placed in the arm contralateral to prior breast cancer surgery, 2 had a complication, corresponding to an incidence of 7.3 per 10,000 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9–26.3 per 10,000). Of 5153 IVs placed in the arm ipsilateral to prior breast cancer surgery, 2 IVs had a complication, for an incidence of 3.9 per 10,000 (95% CI, 0.5–14.0 per 10,000). The frequency of complications was not found to differ significantly between the groups ( P = .91), and the 95% CI for the risk difference (ipsilateral minus contralateral) was −23 to +8 complications per 10,000. The complication rate is similar when only the first IV placed following breast cancer surgery is considered (overall 5.4 per 10,000 [95% CI, 0.7–19.4] per 10,000; contralateral 7.0 [95% CI, 0.2–39.0] per 10,000, ipsilateral 4.4 [95% CI, 0.1–24.2] per 10,000; P = 1.00; 95% CI for risk difference [ipsilateral minus contralateral], −41 to +22 per 10,000). CONCLUSIONS: We found very few complications in patients who had an IV placed for surgery following a previous breast cancer surgery and no complications in those patients with IV placement ipsilateral with axillary node dissection. Avoidance of IV placement in the arm ipsilateral to breast cancer surgery is not necessary.

Effective delivery of cancer care via telehealth requires a planned care system that accounts for myriad patient, provider, and practice/cancer center resources before, during, and after the care episode. Telehealth is broadly defined as a method to have virtual, bidirectional communication between patients and providers. Telehealth can include methods such as audio-only, video-consultation, and tele-monitoring, which can occur in a synchronous, asynchronous, or blended format. The purpose of this review is to present common foundational principles for providing clinical cancer care via telehealth, followed by an overview of three distinct examples of comprehensive telehealth programs that have been developed to meet the needs of patients and families across the cancer trajectory, including survivorship, rehabilitation, and palliative care phases. The programs described are exemplars that were developed and implemented prior to the coronavirus pandemic, so they reflect many years of planning and evidence. Lessons learned include the need for ongoing patient support, clinician training, and cancer health system/practice programmatic considerations such as billing, scheduling, reimbursement, software, and hardware/platform security. Although the COVID-19 pandemic produced an explosive shift in regulations and implementation, sustainability of these changes may not be long-term. Nevertheless, a permanent shift in cancer care to include telehealth is likely here to stay.

9567 Background: Functional disability degrades cancer patients' quality of life, exhausts caregivers and incurs significant expense yet little is know of the factors that contribute to disablement or whether the impact of these factors differs across functional domains. Better understanding of the influence that symptoms, physical impairments, and disease characteristics exert on disablement is needed in order to develop service delivery models that preserve function. Methods: To identify factors that influence functional performance in community dwelling people with stage IV breast cancer we conducted a cross-sectional study in a tertiary medical center outpatient cancer clinic. A consecutive sample of 163 community-dwelling patients with stage IV breast cancer were administered self- and clinician-rated functional metrics covering multiple domains including overall functioning, mobility, and self care. Self report measures included the Medical Outcomes Study Physical Function Subscale (PF-10) and the Older Americans Resource Study (OARS) Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental ADL (IADL) subscales, and clinician report measures included the Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) Total and Mobility scores. Pain and mental health were assessed through administration of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and Mental Health Inventory-17 (MHI-17), respectively. Electronic medical record review provided cancer-related and demographic information. The presence of physical impairments was determined through a comprehensive musculoskeletal and neurological physical examination including the 6 minute walk test. Linear and ordinal logistic regression models were constructed with function metrics as dependent variables. Results: Total number of physical impairments, BPI scores, and the presence of pleural effusions were highly significant in all models (p<0.01). Exertional intolerance and age were associated with PF-10 and OARS-ADL scores (p<0.01), while the presence of a pre-morbid disability was associated compromised mobility. Conclusions: Potentially remediable factors; pain intensity, cumulative impairment burden and pleural effusions, degrade all functional domains in patients with stage IV breast cancer. No significant financial relationships to disclose.