Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · Sep 2021
Observational StudyVisitation policies at NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Family/caregiver visitation provides critical support for patients confronting cancer and is associated with positive outcomes. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought historic disruptions including widespread visitation restrictions. Here, we characterize in-depth the visitor policies of NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers (CCCs) and analyze geographic/temporal patterns across CCCs. ⋯ CCCs enacted strict but strikingly variable COVID-19 visitation restrictions, with important implications for patients/families seeking cancer care. A unified, evidence-based approach to visitation policies is needed to balance proven infection control measures with the needs of patients and families.
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Support Care Cancer · Sep 2021
Financial worry and psychological distress among cancer survivors in the United States, 2013-2018.
A growing proportion of cancer survivors experience financial toxicity. However, the psychological burden of cancer costs and associated mental health outcomes require further investigation. We assessed prevalence and predictors of self-reported financial worry and mental health outcomes among cancer survivors. ⋯ A majority of cancer survivors reported financial worry, which was associated with greater odds of reporting psychological distress. Policies and guidelines are needed to identify and mitigate financial worries and psychologic distress among patients with cancer, with the goal of improving psychological well-being and overall cancer survivorship care.
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Breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) benefit from local control. However, RT can give rise to increased fatigue, lowering quality of life. The aim of this study was to prospectively identify trends and risk factors in patient-reported fatigue associated with breast RT. ⋯ Fatigue associated with breast irradiation increased up to 6 weeks during RT and returned to near baseline scores at 1-3 months post treatment. Given that fatigue was significant in mastectomy patients, further research is needed to reduce fatigue among this cohort, especially those who have received previous chemotherapy and younger patients who are receiving breast RT.