Patient-reported benefit from proposed interventions to reduce financial toxicity during cancer treatment.

INTRODUCTION: Financial toxicity is common and pervasive among cancer patients. Research suggests that gynecologic cancer patients experiencing financial toxicity are at increased risk for engaging in harmful cost-coping strategies, including delaying/skipping treatment because of costs, or forsaking basic needs to pay medical bills. However, little is known about patients' preferences for interventions to address financial toxicity. METHODS: Cross-sectional surveys to assess financial toxicity [Comprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST)], cost-coping strategies, and preferences for intervention were conducted in a gynecologic cancer clinic waiting room. Associations with cost-coping were determined using multivariate modeling. Unadjusted odds ratios (ORs) explored associations between financial toxicity and intervention preferences. RESULTS: Among 89 respondents, median COST score was 31.9 (IQR: 21-38); 35% (N = 30) scored < 26, indicating they were experiencing financial toxicity. Financial toxicity was significantly associated with cost-coping (adjusted OR = 3.32 95% CI: 1.08, 14.34). Intervention preferences included access to transportation vouchers (38%), understanding treatment costs up-front (35%), minimizing wait times (33%), access to free food at appointments (25%), and assistance with minimizing/eliminating insurance deductibles (23%). In unadjusted analyses, respondents experiencing financial toxicity were more likely to select transportation assistance (OR = 2.67, 95% CI: 1.04, 6.90), assistance with co-pays (OR = 9.17, 95% CI: 2.60, 32.26), and assistance with deductibles (OR = 12.20, 95% CI: 3.47, 43.48), than respondents not experiencing financial toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm the presence of financial toxicity in gynecologic cancer patients, describe how patients attempt to cope with financial hardship, and provide insight into patients' needs for targeted interventions to mitigate the harm of financial toxicity.

Pelvic exenteration for recurrent or persistent gynecologic malignancies: Clinical and histopathologic factors predicting recurrence and survival in a modern cohort.

OBJECTIVES: To explore pre-operative factors and their impact on overall survival (OS) in a modern cohort of patients who underwent pelvic exenteration (PE) for gynecologic malignancies. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed for all patients who underwent a PE from 1/1/2010 through 12/31/2018 at our institution. Inclusion criteria were exenteration due to recurrent or progressive carcinoma of the uterus, cervix, vagina or vulva, with histologically confirmed complete surgical resection of the malignancy. Exclusion criteria included PE for palliation of symptoms without recurrence, and for ovarian or rare histologic malignancies. Univariable and multivariable analysis were performed to identify factors predicting prolonged survival. RESULTS: Overall, 71 patients met the inclusion criteria. Median age at time of exenteration was 62 years (range, 28-86 years). Vulvar cancer was the most common primary diagnosis (32%); 30% had cervical cancer; 23%, uterine cancer; 15%, vaginal cancer. Median OS was 55.1 months (95% confidence interval (CI): 36-not estimable) with a median follow-up time of 40.8 months (95% CI: 1-116.1). On univariable analysis, age > 62 years (hazard ratio (HR) 2.71, 95% CI 1.27-5.79), American Society of Anesthesia (ASA) 3-4 (HR: 3.41 (95% CI 1.03-11.29), and vulvar cancer (HR 4.19 (95% CI 1.17-14.96) predicted worse OS. Tumor size and prior progression-free interval (PFI) did not meet statistical significance in OS analyses. On multivariable analysis, there were no significant factors associated with worse OS. CONCLUSIONS: PE performed with curative intent may be considered a treatment option in well-counseled, carefully selected patients, irrespective of tumor size and PFI before exenteration.

Examining the correlation between Altmetric Attention Score and citation count in the gynecologic oncology literature: Does it have an impact?

We sought to determine the correlation between Altmetric Attention Score and traditional bibliometrics in the gynecologic oncology literature. We identified the 10 most-cited gynecologic oncology articles from 5 major gynecology journals and 10 major "oncology" journals that publish on gynecologic oncology during 2014, 2016, and 2018. Article citation count and Altmetric Attention Score (AAS), as well as journal impact factor (IF) and date of Twitter account development were recorded. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to describe the relationship between AAS, tweets, IF, and citation count. While the median citation counts significantly decreased for the top-cited gynecologic oncology articles from 2014 to 2018 (p < 0.001), the corresponding median AAS continuously increased during this period (p = 0.008). For articles published in 2014 and 2018, there was a strong positive relationship between the median citation count and the median AAS (2014: r = 0.92; 2018: r = 0.97), as well as between the IF (r = 0.78 and r = 0.89, respectively); these correlations were moderate to weak in 2016 (r = 0.5 and r = 0.41, respectively). There was a continuously increasing strong positive correlation from 2014 to 2018 between journal IF and median AAS (2014: r = 0.75; 2016: r = 0.82; 2018: r = 0.92). Gynecologic oncology articles published in higher impact journals are associated with increased social media visibility and attention. Our data support the idea that early online attention scores, like the AAS, might be useful for predicting future citation counts for oncology publications in general and gynecologic oncology specifically.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery in the primary management of advanced ovarian carcinoma with moderate to large pleural effusions: A Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Team Ovary Study.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the utility of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in defining extent of intrathoracic disease in advanced ovarian carcinoma with moderate-to-large pleural effusions. METHODS: Beginning in 2001, VATS was performed on all patients with suspected advanced ovarian carcinoma and moderate-to-large pleural effusions, evaluating for macroscopic intrathoracic disease. The algorithm recommended primary debulking surgery (PDS) for ≤1 cm, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT)/interval debulking surgery (IDS) for >1 cm intrathoracic disease. We reviewed records of patients undergoing VATS from 10/01-01/19. Differences between treatment groups were tested using standard statistical techniques. RESULTS: One-hundred patients met eligibility criteria (median age, 60; median CA-125 level, 1158 U/mL; medium serum albumin, 3.8 g/dL). Macroscopic pleural disease was found in 70 (70%). After VATS, 50 (50%) underwent attempted PDS (PDS group), 50 (50%) received NACT (NACT/IDS group). Forty-seven (94%) underwent IDS. Median overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort (n = 100) was 44.5 months (95% CI: 37.8-51.7). The PDS group had significantly longer survival than the NACT/IDS group [45.8 (95% CI: 40.5-87.8) vs. 37.4 months (95% CI: 33.3-45.2); p = .016]. On multivariable analysis, macroscopic intrathoracic disease (HR 2.18, 95% CI: 1.14-4.18; p = .019) and age ≥ 65 (HR 1.98, 95% CI: 1.16-3.40; p = .013) were independently associated with elevated death risk. Patients with the best outcome had no macroscopic disease at VATS and underwent PDS (median OS, 87.8 months). CONCLUSIONS: VATS is useful in therapeutic decision-making for PDS vs. NACT/IDS in advanced ovarian cancer with moderate-to-large pleural effusions.

Hematologic changes after splenectomy for ovarian cancer debulking surgery, and association with infection and venous thromboembolism.

INTRODUCTION: The spleen plays a role in the immune and coagulative responses, yet a splenectomy may be required during ovarian cancer surgery to achieve complete cytoreduction. The aim of the study was to correlate hematologic changes with the development of infection and venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing splenectomy. METHODS: This single-institution retrospective review includes all patients undergoing splenectomy during cytoreductive surgery for advanced ovarian cancer, March 2001 to December 2016. We compared postoperative hematologic changes (evaluated daily before discharge) in patients developing infection within 30 days' post-surgery (Infection group) with those who did not (No-Infection group). We also compared patients developing venous thromboembolism with those without. RESULTS: A total of 265 patients underwent splenectomy. Median age was 64 years (range 22-88): 146 (55%) patients had stage IIIC and 114 (43%) patients had stage IV. The majority, 201 (76%) patients underwent splenectomy during primary debulking. A total of 132 (50%) patients comprised the Infection group (most common: urinary tract infection, 54%). Median time from surgery to infection was 8 days (range, 0-29). After initial rise in white blood cell count in both groups, the Infection group had a second peak on postoperative day 10 (median 16.6K/mcL, IQR 12.5-21.2) not seen in the No-Infection group (median 12K/mcL, IQR 9.3-16.3). A total of 40 (15%) patients developed venous thromboembolism, median time of 6.5 days (range, 1-43). All patients demonstrated a continuous rise in platelets during postoperative days 0-15. Thrombocytosis was present in 38/40 (95%) patients with venous thromboembolism vs 183/225 (81%) patients without (P=0.036). Median days with thrombocytosis was higher in venous thromboembolism (8 days, range 1-15) vs non groups (6 days, range 1-16, P=0.049). CONCLUSION: We identified initial leukocytosis after splenectomy in all patients. The Infection group had a second peak in white blood cell count on postoperative day 10, not present in the No-Infection group. Among patients with venous thromboembolism, thrombocytosis was more frequent and of longer duration.