Development of geriatric oncology in Latin America: A report from the Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group.

Population aging represents a critical issue for global cancer care, notably in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Latin America is a large region composed of 21 countries with notable diversity in both human development and access to quality healthcare. Thus, it is necessary to understand how care for older individuals is being delivered in such large and diverse regions of the world. This review describes the recent advances made in Mexico, Brazil, and Chile, focusing on the creation and implementation of educational, research, and clinical activities in geriatric oncology. These initiatives intend to change healthcare professionals' perceptions about the care for older adults and to improve the way older patients are being treated.

Anthracyclines in the treatment of early breast cancer friend or foe?

Standard chemotherapy for early breast cancer consists generally of an anthracycline - taxane - based regimen, preferably in sequence. Anthracyclines are among the most active cytotoxic drugs against breast cancer. Nevertheless, benefits attained by the use of the more potent anthracycline schedules must be balanced against increased short - and long - term toxicity, and treatment options must be individualized for each patient. Authors review available data regarding anthracycline efficacy and toxicity in the early breast cancer setting and the potential directions for future research.

Influence of physical activity on psychological states in adults during the covid-19 pandemic / Influência da atividade física nos estados psicológicos de adultos durante a pandemia de covid-19

Introduction: Long periods of home confinement may lead to fear, panic, anxiety, and depression states, which, in turn, could drive to a reduction of active lifestyles. Objetive: To determine the association between the char-acteristics of the physical activity performed and the risk of experiencing mental health issues among people during confinement. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional, and observational study design was conducted in Iberoamerican countries with a sample of 4,948 participants, selected through a snowball sampling technique. The study started on March 15th, 2020, and was completed in August 2020 through an online survey that includ-ed demographic and medical data, mental health status, and physical activity characteristics. Results: Brazilian women aged between 18 and 29 who stayed at home more than 19 hours per day presented a relevant higher risk for all the mental health problems analyzed in this study. A low level of physical activity during the isolation period presents the highest probability of depression compared to higher levels (OR = 1.317). In addition, using a no professional resource to do physical activity is a predictive factor of adverse mental health status (OR Anxie-ty = 1.396, OR Depression = 1.452, and OR Stress = 1.220). Conclusions: A low level of physical activity during a long isolation period is associated with a higher prevalence of depression, and the use of professional resources for physical activity may be a protective factor for mental health disorders (AU)

Introdução: Longos períodos de confinamento em casa podem levar ao medo, pânico, ansiedade e depressão, o que, por sua vez, pode estar relacionado à diminuição dos hábitos de atividade física. Objetivo: Determinar a as-sociação entre as características da atividade física praticada e o risco de apresentar problemas de saúde mental em pessoas durante o confinamento. Métodos: Foi realizado um estudo multicêntrico, transversal e observacional em países ibero-americanos com uma amostra de 4.948 participantes, selecionados por meio de uma técnica de amostragem em bola de neve. O estudo teve início em 15 de março de 2020 e foi concluído em Agosto de 2020 por meio de um formulário online que incluiu perguntas sobre dados sociodemográficos e de saúde, além da avaliação do estado de saúde mental e características de atividade física. Resultados: As mulheres brasileiras com idade compreendida entre 18 e 29 anos que ficaram em casa mais de 19 horas por dia apresentaram um risco mais ele-vado para todos os problemas de saúde mental analisados neste estudo. Um baixo nível de atividade física durante o período de isolamento apresentou a maior probabilidade de risco de depressão em comparação com níveis mais elevados (OR = 1,317). Além disso, a utilização de um recurso não profissional para fazer atividade física foi um fator preditivo de estado de saúde mental adverso (OR Ansiedade = 1,396, OR Depressão = 1,452, e OR Estresse = 1,220). Conclusões: Um baixo nível de atividade física durante o período de isolamento está associado a maior prevalência de depressão, e a utilização de recursos profissionais para a atividade física pode ser um fator de pro-teção para os distúrbios de saúde menta (AU)

Clinical validity and intrarater and test-retest reliability of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 - Clinician Version (SCID-5-CV).

AIM: The Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM is one of the most used diagnostic instruments in clinical research worldwide. The current Clinician Version of the instrument (SCID-5-CV) has not yet been assessed in respect to its psychometric qualities. We aimed to assess the clinical validity and different reliability indicators (interrater test-retest, joint interview, face-to-face vs telephone application) of the SCID-5-CV in a large sample of 180 non-prototypical and psychiatric patients based on interviews conducted by raters with different levels of clinical experience. METHODS: The SCID-5-CV was administered face-to-face and by telephone by 12 psychiatrists/psychologists who took turns as raters and observers. Clinical diagnoses were established according to DSM-5 criteria and the longitudinal, expert, all data (LEAD) procedure. We calculated the percentage of agreement, diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, and the level of agreement (kappa) for diagnostic categories and specific diagnoses. RESULTS: The percentage of positive agreement between the interview and clinical diagnoses ranged between 73% and 97% and the diagnostic sensitivity/specificity were >0.70. In the joint interview, the levels of positive agreement were high (>75%) and kappa levels were >0.70 for most diagnoses. The values were less expressive, but still adequate, for interrater test-retest interviews. CONCLUSION: The SCID-5-CV presented excellent reliability and high specificity as assessed with different methods. The clinical validity of the instrument was also confirmed, which supports its use in daily clinical practice. We highlight the adequacy of the instrument to be used via telephone and the need for careful use by professionals with little experience in psychiatric clinical practice.