Effectiveness of opioid switching for dyspnea and its predictors in cancer patients: a single-center retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Morphine is the most used opioid for dyspnea, but other opioids such as oxycodone and fentanyl are increasingly used, and opioid switching to these is sometimes undertaken. No studies have verified the effectiveness of opioid switching for relief of dyspnea. We retrospectively investigated the effectiveness of opioid switching for dyspnea and its predictors. METHODS: All patients with opioid switching for dyspnea during hospitalization at Komaki City Hospital from January 2019 to August 2022 were included. Opioid switching was defined as a change to another opioid, and the assessment period for evaluating the effectiveness and adverse events of opioid switching was set as 1 week. Patients with Numeric Rating Scale or Japanese version of the Support Team Assessment Schedule reduction for dyspnea of at least 1, or with clear improvement based on medical records, were considered valid. Mitigating factors for dyspnea were identified using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 976 patients with opioid switching, 57 patients had opioid switching for relief of dyspnea. Of these, opioid switching was effective in 21 patients (36.8%). In a multivariate analysis, older patients (odds ratio: 5.52, 95% CI: 1.50-20.20, P < 0.01), short prognosis for post-opioid switching (odds ratio: 0.20, 95% CI: 0.04-0.87, P = 0.03) and cachexia (odds ratio: 0.12, 95% CI: 0.02-0.64, P < 0.01) were significantly associated with opioid switching effects for dyspnea. There were no serious adverse events after opioid switching. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that opioid switching for dyspnea may have some effect. Furthermore, opioid switching for dyspnea may be more effective in older patients and less effective in terminally ill patients or in those with cachexia.

Association of a home-based nursing service during chemotherapy with the transfer to home care immediately after the last chemotherapy treatment in patients with advanced cancer.

BACKGROUND: The appropriate timing of introducing the home-based nursing service to patients with advanced cancer has not been clarified. This study conducted a retrospective cohort study to investigate the associations of the early utilization of the home-based nursing service during chemotherapy with the place of care immediately after the last chemotherapy treatment in patients with advanced cancer. METHODS: Among the patients referred to the palliative care team of the University of Tsukuba Hospital between January 2018 and December 2019, patients with advanced cancer undergoing chemotherapy or before the start of chemotherapy at referral were included. The study patients who utilized the home-based nursing service during chemotherapy were classified into the early utilization group. The primary endpoint was the place of care immediately after the last chemotherapy treatment. RESULTS: Of the 1154 patients referred to the palliative care team during the study period, 261 were eligible for this study. Of these patients, 15.3% of patients (n = 40) received the home-based nursing service during chemotherapy. The proportion of patients transferred to home care after the last chemotherapy treatment was 17.5% in the early utilization group and 7.2% in the control group. The multivariate analysis revealed that the early utilization of the home-based nursing service during chemotherapy was significantly associated with the transfer to home care (odds ratio = 3.077; 95% confidence interval, 1.113-8.502). CONCLUSION: The early utilization of the home-based nursing service during chemotherapy might be associated with the transfer to home care immediately after the last chemotherapy treatment.

[A Retrospective Cohort Study on the Effectiveness of Red Blood Cell Transfusions in Terminally Ill Cancer Patients at a Single Japanese Medical Facility].

To determine factors related to the effectiveness of red blood cell transfusions in terminally ill cancer patients, we conducted a retrospective cohort study. We studied 27 terminally ill cancer patients who were transfused with red blood cells at our hospitalbetween June 2015 and September 2017. Patients who responded to the treatment("responders"; 16 cases[59%]) were compared with those who did not("non-responders"; 11 cases[40%]). Comparative predictive factor analysis revealed statistically significant differences between responders and non-responders in Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status(PS)(p=0.004)and palliative prognostic index(PPI)scores(p=0.022). Furthermore, a statistically significant difference in median post-transfusion survivaltimes(MST)(p=0.047)was found between responders(69 days; quartile range: 20-141 days)and non-responders(22 days; quartile range: 11-47 days). These results suggested that PPI and PS were significant predictors of the effectiveness of red blood cell transfusions in palliative care, and transfusion effectiveness was related to post-transfusion survivaltime.

[Effectiveness of azacitidine in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia harboring del(20q) - a case report].

A 7 1-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with leukocytosis and anemia. Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML)harboring del(20q)was diagnosed by peripheral blood examination and bone marrow aspiration. The patient was subsequently treated with azacitidine, which resulted in rapid disappearance of monocytosis and resolved his dependency on red cell transfusion. With regard to the chromosomal abnormality, although del(20q)is estimated to be encountered in approximately 0.7-1.0% of all CMML cases, its significance in prognosis has not been fully analyzed. Hence, more such cases need to be evaluated to elucidate the therapeutic outcome of CMML involving del(20q). In addition, the Wilms tumor-1(WT 1)level in the patient gradually decreased after the initiation of azacitidine therapy. This phenomenon of WT1 decrease synchronizing with the patient's clinical improvement might reflect therapeutic efficacy with regard to the clinical course, as had been observed in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.

[Neutropenic enterocolitis after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - a case report].

Here we report a case of a 59-year-old man who developed neutropenic enterocolitis(NE)after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in his second complete remission.Four days after transplantation, the patient suffered from diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and paralytic ileus.Abdominal computerized tomography scan revealed bowel wall thickening consistent with NE.Owing to his poor performance status, only medical management, including antibiotics and bowel rest, was administered, and the patient died 18 days after transplantation.Although NE after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation is a relatively rare complication, it is important to be aware that this condition can occur as one of the early complications in stem cell transplantation.

der(5;17)(p10;q10) is a recurrent but rare whole-arm translocation in patients with hematological neoplasms: a report of three cases.

We report the cases of 3 patients with hematological malignancies and complex karyotypes involving der(5; 17) (p10;q10), which results in the loss of 5q and 17p. Although deletions of 5q and 17p are recurrent abnormalities in hematological disease, only about 20 cases harboring der(5; 17) (p10;q10) have been reported. We address the tumorigenesis and morphological characteristics of hematological malignancies involving der(5; 17)(p10;q10), along with a review of the literature.

A rare der(Y)t(Y;1)(q12;q12) in a patient with post-polycythemic myelofibrosis: a case report.

We describe a case of post-polycythemic myelofibrosis harboring der(Y)t(Y;1)(q12;q12). The patient was a 69-year-old man and was initially diagnosed with polycythemia vera. During the clinical course of his condition, the polycythemia developed into myelofibrosis. Chromosome analysis detected der(Y)t(Y;1)(q12;q12). We discuss the association between der(Y)t(Y;1)(q11~12;q12~21) and tumorigenesis along with a review of literature.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia after postoperative adjuvant S-1 therapy for rectal cancer: a case report.

We report a case in which chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) developed after postoperative adjuvant S-1 therapy for rectal cancer. A 56-year-old man was diagnosed with rectal adenocarcinoma, which was treated with abdominoperineal resection followed by a year of adjuvant S-1 therapy. At 39 postoperative months, he was diagnosed with CML. Although it remains unclear that CML that develops after treatment involving cytotoxic agents is treatment-related, clinicians should be aware of the possibility of CML developing after S-1 therapy.