Pathways between Adverse Change in Employment and Alcohol Use among U.S. Women during a Global Pandemic: The Moderating Role of Conformity to Masculine Norms.

BACKGROUND: This study examined changes in reported alcohol use among women during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the relations to adverse changes in employment (e.g. job loss, furlough, reduced pay). Further, this study assessed how the relation between changes in alcohol use and experiencing an adverse change in employment was moderated by four theoretically relevant dimensions of conformity to masculine norms (CMNI, i.e. risk-taking, winning, self-reliance, and primacy of work). METHODS: The sample for the present study is a subset of a survey that was conducted in the spring of 2020 among U.S. adults and includes 509 participants who met the inclusion criteria. We assessed pandemic-related employment change status, changes in reported frequency and quantity of alcohol consumed, and four CMNI dimensions. Relations between these variables were assessed with a multinomial logistic regression path model. RESULTS: Experiencing an adverse change in employment early in the pandemic was related to increased alcohol use when moderated by the CMNI dimension primacy of work. For people higher on primacy of work, an adverse change in employment was associated with a higher likelihood of reporting an increase in frequency, but not quantity, of drinking (rather than a decrease or no change). Not experiencing an adverse change in employment early in the pandemic was associated with an increased likelihood of reporting an increase for quantity but not frequency. CONCLUSION: The results highlight the importance of considering how work-oriented women may be at risk for increasing alcohol use when confronted with changes in work status.

Cancer care in German centers of excellence during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE: An increasing number of international studies demonstrate serious negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the timely diagnosis of cancer and on cancer treatment. Our study aimed to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the capacities of German Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCCs) in different areas of complex oncology care during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Prospective panel survey over 23 rounds among 18 CCCs in Germany between March 2020 and June 2022. RESULTS: The COVID-19 pandemic substantially affected the oncological care system in Germany during the first 2 years. Persistent limitations of care in CCCs primarily affected follow-up (- 21%) and psycho-oncologic care (- 12%), but also tumor surgery (- 9%). Substantial limitations were also reported for all other areas of multidisciplinary oncological care. CONCLUSIONS: This study documents the limitations of oncological care during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the need to develop strategies to avoid similar limitations in the future.

Kapazität der onkologischen Versorgung in deutschen onkologischen Spitzenzentren während der ersten 2 Jahre der COVID-19-Pandemie Oncologic care capacity in German Comprehensive Cancer Centers during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic

Hintergrund Eine zunehmende Zahl von internationalen Studien zeigt, dass die COVID-19-Pandemie schwerwiegende negative Auswirkungen auf die rechtzeitige Diagnose von Krebs und auf die Krebsbehandlung hat. Ziel der Arbeit Ziel der Arbeit war die quantitative und qualitative Auswertung der Kapazitäten deutscher onkologischer Spitzenzentren (Comprehensive Cancer Centers, CCCs) in verschiedenen Bereichen der komplexen onkologischen Versorgung im Zeitraum März 2020 bis Juni 2022. Material und Methoden Unter 18 CCCs in Deutschland erfolgte zwischen März 2020 und Juni 2022 eine prospektive regelmäßige Panelerhebung. Ergebnisse Die COVID-19-Pandemie hat in den ersten beiden Jahren das onkologische Versorgungssystem in Deutschland substanziell beeinträchtigt. Anhaltende Einschränkungen der Versorgung in den CCCs betrafen in erster Linie die Nachsorge (−21 %) und die Psychoonkologie (−12 %), aber auch Tumoroperationen (−9 %). Deutliche Funktions- und Kapazitätseinschränkungen fanden sich ebenso in allen weiteren Bereichen der multidisziplinären onkologischen Betreuung. Diskussion Die Studie dokumentiert die eingeschränkte onkologische Versorgung der Bevölkerung während der COVID-19-Pandemie. Die Auswirkungen lassen sich noch nicht vollumfänglich darstellen. Dennoch müssen (jetzt) Strategien zur Vermeidung solcher Einschränkungen entwickelt werden.

Kapazität der onkologischen Versorgung in deutschen onkologischen Spitzenzentren während der ersten 2 Jahre der COVID-19-Pandemie

Background: An increasing number of international studies demonstrate serious negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the timely diagnosis of cancer and on cancer treatment. Objectives: This study aimed to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the capacities of German Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCCs) in different areas of the complex oncological care structure from March 2020 to June 2022. Materials and methods: Prospective, regular panel survey were conducted among 18 CCCs in Germany between March 2020 and June 2022. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic substantially affected the oncologic care system in Germany during the first 2 years. Persistent limitations of care in CCCs primarily affected follow-up (−21%) and psychooncologic care (−12%), but also tumor surgery (−9%). Substantial limitations were also reported for all other areas of the multidisciplinary oncological care. Conclusions: This study documents the limited oncological care available during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its impact on patients’ outcomes cannot be fully revealed as yet. Nevertheless, strategies to avoid similar limitations in the future need to be developed (now).

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Cancer Patients in Germany: Impact on Treatment, Follow-Up Care and Psychological Burden

In response to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, governments imposed various measures to decrease the rate of disease spread, and health care policy makers prioritized resource allocation to accommodate COVID-19 patients. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey in Germany (July 2020–June 2021) to assess the frequency of changes to cancer care among cancer patients and to explore the psychological impact of the pandemic writ large. Cancer patients who contacted the Cancer Information Service (Krebsinformationsdienst, KID) of the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) via email were invited to complete an online questionnaire, capturing demographics, cancer specifics (e.g., type, disease phase, primary place of treatment, etc.), and any changes to their medical, follow-up, psycho-oncological or nursing care. General level of psychological distress was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) along with face-validated items regarding worries and social isolation specific to the pandemic. In total, 13% of 621 patients reported a change to their treatment or care plan. Of those patients with changes, the majority of changes were made to follow-up care after treatment (56%), to monitoring during treatment (29%) and to psychological counseling (20%). Of the overall sample, more than half of patients (55%) reported symptoms of anxiety and 39% reported symptoms of depression. Patients with a change in cancer care were more likely to report symptoms of depression than those with no change (AOR: 2.18;95% CI: 1.26–3.76). Concern about the pandemic affecting the quality of health care was a predictor of both anxiety (AOR: 2.76;95% CI: 1.75–4.35) and depression (AOR: 2.15;95% CI: 1.43–3.23). Results showed that the majority of cancer patients in our study did not experience a change in their cancer care. However, the level of anxiety and psycho-social burden of cancer patients during the pandemic was high throughout the study period. Our findings underscore the need for health care services and policy makers to assess and to attend cancer patients' medical needs, with added emphasis on patients' psychological and social well-being. This applies particularly in situations where the healthcare system is strained and prioritization is necessary.

The Porto European Cancer Research Summit 2021.

Key stakeholders from the cancer research continuum met in May 2021 at the European Cancer Research Summit in Porto to discuss priorities and specific action points required for the successful implementation of the European Cancer Mission and Europe's Beating Cancer Plan (EBCP). Speakers presented a unified view about the need to establish high-quality, networked infrastructures to decrease cancer incidence, increase the cure rate, improve patient's survival and quality of life, and deal with research and care inequalities across the European Union (EU). These infrastructures, featuring Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs) as key components, will integrate care, prevention and research across the entire cancer continuum to support the development of personalized/precision cancer medicine in Europe. The three pillars of the recommended European infrastructures - namely translational research, clinical/prevention trials and outcomes research - were pondered at length. Speakers addressing the future needs of translational research focused on the prospects of multiomics assisted preclinical research, progress in Molecular and Digital Pathology, immunotherapy, liquid biopsy and science data. The clinical/prevention trial session presented the requirements for next-generation, multicentric trials entailing unified strategies for patient stratification, imaging, and biospecimen acquisition and storage. The third session highlighted the need for establishing outcomes research infrastructures to cover primary prevention, early detection, clinical effectiveness of innovations, health-related quality-of-life assessment, survivorship research and health economics. An important outcome of the Summit was the presentation of the Porto Declaration, which called for a collective and committed action throughout Europe to develop the cancer research infrastructures indispensable for fostering innovation and decreasing inequalities within and between member states. Moreover, the Summit guidelines will assist decision making in the context of a unique EU-wide cancer initiative that, if expertly implemented, will decrease the cancer death toll and improve the quality of life of those confronted with cancer, and this is carried out at an affordable cost.

Brain Concentrations of Methylone and Its Metabolites after Systemic Methylone Administration: Relationship to Pharmacodynamic Effects.

3,4-Methylenedioxy-N-methylcathinone (methylone) is a new psychoactive substance with stimulant properties and potential for abuse. Despite its popularity, limited studies have examined relationships between brain concentrations of methylone, its metabolites, and pharmacodynamic effects. The goal of the present study was 2-fold: 1) to determine pharmacokinetics of methylone and its major metabolites-4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-N-methylcathinone (HMMC), 3,4-dihydroxy-N-methylcathinone (HHMC), and 3,4-methylenedioxycathinone (MDC)-in rat brain and plasma and 2) to relate brain pharmacokinetic parameters to pharmacodynamic effects including locomotor behavior and postmortem neurochemistry. Male Sprague-Dawley rats received subcutaneous methylone (6, 12, or 24 mg/kg) or saline vehicle (n = 16/dose), and subgroups were decapitated after 40 or 120 minutes. Plasma and prefrontal cortex were analyzed for concentrations of methylone and its metabolites by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Frontal cortex and dorsal striatum were analyzed for dopamine, 5-HT, and their metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection. Brain and plasma concentrations of methylone and its metabolites rose with increasing methylone dose, but brain methylone and MDC concentrations were greater than dose-proportional. Brain-to-plasma ratios for methylone and MDC were ≥ 3 (range 3-12), whereas those for HHMC and HMMC were ≤ 0.2 (range 0.01-0.2). Locomotor activity score was positively correlated with brain methylone and MDC, whereas cortical 5-HT was negatively correlated with these analytes at 120 minutes. Our findings show that brain concentrations of methylone and MDC display nonlinear accumulation. Behavioral and neurochemical effects of systemically administered methylone are related to brain concentrations of methylone and MDC but not its hydroxylated metabolites, which do not effectively penetrate into the brain. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of methylone are related to brain concentrations of methylone and its metabolite MDC but not its hydroxylated metabolites, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-N-methylcathinone and 3,4-dihydroxy-N-methylcathinone, which do not effectively penetrate into the brain. Methylone and MDC display nonlinear accumulation in the brain, which could cause untoward effects on serotonin neurons in vulnerable brain regions, including the frontal cortex.

Author Correction: Caring for patients with cancer in the COVID-19 era.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Biomedical Research Goes Viral: Dangers and Opportunities.

Researchers around the globe have been mounting, accelerating, and redeploying efforts across disciplines and organizations to tackle the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. However, humankind continues to be afflicted by numerous other devastating diseases in increasing numbers. Here, we outline considerations and opportunities toward striking a good balance between maintaining and redefining research priorities.

Caring for patients with cancer in the COVID-19 era.

The current COVID-19 pandemic challenges oncologists to profoundly re-organize oncological care in order to dramatically reduce hospital visits and admissions and therapy-induced immune-related complications without compromising cancer outcomes. Since COVID-19 is a novel disease, guidance by scientific evidence is often unavailable, and impactful decisions are inevitably made on the basis of expert opinions. Here we report how the seven comprehensive cancer centers of Cancer Core Europe have organized their healthcare systems at an unprecedented scale and pace to make their operations 'pandemic proof'. We identify and discuss many commonalities, but also important local differences, and pinpoint critical research priorities to enable evidence-based remodeling of cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, we discuss how the current situation offers a unique window of opportunity for assessing the effects of de-escalating anticancer regimens, which may fast-forward the development of more-refined and less-toxic treatments. By sharing our joint experiences, we offer a roadmap for proceeding and aim to mobilize the global research community to generate the data that are critically needed to offer the best possible care to patients.