A phase II single-arm trial of memantine for prevention of cognitive decline during chemotherapy in patients with early breast cancer: Feasibility, tolerability, acceptability, and preliminary effects.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive difficulties have been described after chemotherapy for breast cancer, but there is no standard of care to improve cognitive outcomes in these patients. This trial examined the feasibility, tolerability, acceptability, and preliminary effects of memantine to prevent cognitive decline during chemotherapy for breast cancer. METHODS: Patients with stage I-III breast cancer, scheduled for neo/adjuvant chemotherapy, completed a cognitive battery prior to and 4 weeks after completing chemotherapy. Memantine (10 mg BID) was administered concurrent with chemotherapy. Our primary cognitive outcome was visual working memory assessed by the Delayed Matching to Sample test. We used the Brief Medication Questionnaire to assess acceptability. RESULTS: Of 126 patients approached, 56 (44%) enrolled. Forty-five (80%) received ≥1 dose of memantine and completed pre-post assessments. Seventy-six percent reported taking ≥90% of scheduled doses. Participants were mean age of 56, 77% White, and 57% had stage I disease. Sixty-four percent had stable or improved Delayed Matching to Sample test scores. Stable or improved cognition was observed in 87%-91% across objective cognitive domain composite measures. Sixty-six percent self-reported stable or improved cognitive symptoms. There were seven greater than or equal to grade 3 adverse events; two were possibly related to memantine. Only 5% reported that taking memantine was a disruption to their lives. CONCLUSIONS: Memantine was well-tolerated and consistently taken by a large majority of patients receiving breast cancer chemotherapy. The majority demonstrated stable or improved cognition from pre- to post-assessment. Randomized trials are needed to determine memantine's efficacy to ameliorate cognitive loss. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04033419.

Patients With Advanced Cancer and Minor Children: An Exploratory Study of Health-Related Quality of Life and Satisfaction With Care.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with advanced cancer and minor children experience high rates of depression and anxiety. However, associations between parental status and other aspects of the patient experience are not well understood. This study compared patient-reported outcomes of patients with and without minor children. SAMPLE & SETTING: This was a retrospective analysis of 448 adults with stage III or IV solid tumors from a public research registry. METHODS & VARIABLES: Multiple linear regression models or modified Poisson regression models were fitted to evaluate differences in health-related quality of life, global health, and patient satisfaction scores between patients living with and without minors. RESULTS: One in five patients lived with minor children. They reported significantly worse health-related quality of life, global physical health, and global mental health. They also expressed lower satisfaction with time spent with their provider, communication, and financial aspects. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Patients with minor children may benefit from earlier identification and support for their psychosocial needs and concerns.

A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of intravenous thiamine for prevention of delirium following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if high dose intravenous (IV) thiamine can prevent delirium during hospitalization following allogeneic HSCT. Secondarily, we evaluated the effects of high dose IV thiamine on thiamine levels and explored risk factors for delirium. METHODS: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT at a U.S. academic medical center between October 2017 and March 2020. 64 participants were randomized 1:1 to thiamine 200 mg IV three times daily for 7 days or placebo. We used the Delirium Rating Scale to assess for delirium. Delirium incidence was compared between groups using the chi-square test. Group differences in time to onset and duration of delirium were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method. Fisher's Exact and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests were used to examine associations between pre-transplantation variables and delirium. RESULTS: 61 participants were analyzed. Delirium incidence (25% vs. 21%, Chi-square (df = 1) = 0.12, p = 0.73), time to onset, duration, and severity were not different between study arms. Immediately following the intervention, thiamine levels were higher in the thiamine arm (275 vs. 73 nmol/L, t-test (df = 57) = 13.63, p < 0.0001), but not predictive of delirium. Variables associated with delirium in our sample included disease severity, corticosteroid exposure, infection, and pre-transplantation markers of nutrition. CONCLUSION: High dose IV thiamine did not prevent delirium in patients receiving allogeneic HSCT. Given the multiple contributors to delirium in this population, further research regarding the efficacy of multicomponent interventions may be needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials NCT03263442. FUNDING: Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research.

Addressing the needs of parents with advanced cancer: Attitudes, practice behaviors, and training experiences of oncology social workers.

OBJECTIVE: Advanced cancer patients who are parents of minor children experience heightened psychosocial distress. Oncology social workers (OSWs) are essential providers of psychosocial support to parents with advanced cancer. Yet, little is known about the experiences and approaches of OSWs in addressing these patients' unique needs. The purpose of this study was to characterize the attitudes, practice behaviors, and training experiences of OSWs who provide psychosocial care for advanced cancer patients with minor children. METHOD: Forty-one OSWs participated in a cross-sectional survey addressing multiple facets of their psychosocial care for parents with advanced cancer. The five assessed domains of psychosocial support were communication support, emotional support, household support, illness and treatment decision-making support, and end-of-life planning. RESULTS: Participants reported greatest confidence in counseling patients on communication with children about illness and providing support to co-parents about parenting concerns. OSWs reported less confidence in counseling parents on end-of-life issues and assisting families with non-traditional household structures. The majority of participants reported needing more time in their clinical practice to sufficiently address parents' psychosocial needs. Nearly 90% of participants were interested in receiving further training on the care of parents with advanced cancer. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: To improve the care of parents with advanced cancer, it is critical to understand how the psychosocial oncology workforce perceives its clinical practice needs. Study findings suggest an opportunity for enhanced training, particularly with respect to end-of-life needs and in response to the changing household structure of American families.

Addressing Child Custody Concerns of Parents with Life-Limiting Illness.

Introduction: Custody concerns are a major source of psychosocial distress among single parents with life-limiting illness. Although children are increasingly living in diverse household structures, the current health care system is not designed to meet the unique needs of single parents or nontraditional families. Patients with unaddressed custody concerns can experience psychological suffering during treatment and at the end of life. Lack of clarity and resolution regarding guardianship may also result in additional hardship for their grieving children. Case Description: We present the case of a 36-year-old-female with metastatic breast cancer, who was the single mother of four children. Despite significant concerns about her children's well-being, the patient did not complete legal guardianship processes. She experienced immense distress at the end of her life due to an unresolved custody plan. Discussion: This case demonstrates the need for addressing custody and guardianship concerns with seriously ill patients early in the illness trajectory. While clinicians need not become experts on custody and guardianship themselves, understanding the impact of custody concerns-and the barriers to their resolution-can substantially improve end-of-life care for patients and better equip surviving family for the changes that lie ahead.