Development of a Decision Aid for Patients With Low-Risk Thyroid Cancer: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Feedback From Both Patient and Clinicians.

Introduction: Guideline-driven de-escalation of the extent of surgery for low-risk thyroid cancer has made treatment decisions more complex. Shared decision-making (SDM) is more involved than informed consent, improves patient satisfaction, and is considered standard of care. Patient decision aids (DA) can facilitate SDM but appropriate resources are lacking.

Evaluation of a Novel Patient-Centered Methadone Restart Protocol.

Importance: In opioid treatment programs (OTPs), restarting methadone after missed doses is common. Current guidelines recommend significant dose decreases but do not account for maintained tolerance.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and treatment retention associated with a novel methadone restart protocol.

Implementation of a Statewide Fentanyl Possession Law and Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths.

Importance: In 2022, Colorado passed legislation making possession of small amounts of fentanyl, a high-potency synthetic opioid, a felony. Whether the Colorado law affected opioid overdose fatalities and whether those effects differed by racial and ethnic subgroups is unknown.

Objective: To estimate the association between the change in criminal penalties for fentanyl possession with opioid-related overdose deaths (OODs) in Colorado.

Thyroid Cancer Survivors Experience Persistent Symptoms and Health-Related Quality-of-Life Deficits 12 Months Following Surgery.

Thyroid cancer survivors may experience significant health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) detriments. Currently available HRQoL survey tools, used in isolation, can be insensitive to change over time and may incompletely assess thyroid cancer-specific symptoms and fear of cancer recurrence. This study aimed to measure the trajectory of HRQoL changes in thyroid cancer survivors using repeated measures, comparing commonly used surveys, over the first 12-18 months following diagnosis.

'Every Touch Point Is an Opportunity': Tobacco Control Experts' Views on How to Implement Smoking Cessation Interventions Within an Australian Lung Cancer Screening Program.

Background: Targeted lung cancer screening (LCS) presents unique opportunities for smoking cessation among high-risk individuals. Implementation requires consideration of context-specific determinants. We sought perspectives from tobacco control/smoking cessation experts on optimally implementing smoking cessation interventions in an Australian LCS program.

Manifestations of potential xylazine withdrawal: A retrospective cohort study with nested case series.

Purpose: The alpha-agonist xylazine is an increasingly common adulterant of illicitly manufactured fentanyl. A potential xylazine withdrawal syndrome (XWS) is poorly characterized. We assessed for XWS.

"You can't incarcerate yourself out of the drug problem in America:" A qualitative examination of Colorado's 2022 Fentanyl​ criminalization law.

Background: In response to the U.S. overdose crisis, many states have increased criminal penalties for drug possession, particularly fentanyl.

Implementing DPYD genotyping to predict chemotherapy toxicity in Australia: a feasibility study.

Background: Implementing pharmacogenomic-guided management in cancer patients equitably and effectively in a large population presents challenges. DPYD genotyping determines clinically significant variants of patients at increased risk of developing grade3-5 fluoropyrimidine (FP) toxicity. FP chemotherapies are prescribed for ~16,000 Australians with a 10%-40% grade3-4 toxicity incidence and 1% mortality.

Comparative effectiveness of extended-release naltrexone versus buprenorphine-naloxone on treatment interruption: Comparing findings from a reanalysis of the X:BOT RCT and harmonized target trial emulation using population-based observational data.

Background And Aims: It is unclear if findings from randomized controlled trials (RCT) of medications for opioid use disorder apply to real-world settings. We estimated the effectiveness of buprenorphine-naloxone (BUP-NX) versus extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) on treatment interruption in a RCT and an observational study based on real-world data.

Design: Target trial emulation to harmonize the protocol and statistical analyses of X:BOT (target trial) and the observational study (observational emulation).

Comparison of heroin and fentanyl use in US nationally representative surveys.

Background: Given the opioid overdose crisis, surveillance of evolving opioid use patterns is critical to the effective deployment of mitigation strategies. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provided the first annual US estimate of illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) use in 2022. However, as a household survey, NSDUH may not capture the full extent of population heroin and IMF use.

Australia's National Lung Cancer Screening Program-It's Time to Address the Stigma in the Room.

The National Lung Cancer Screening Program is commencing in Australia in July 2025. This significant public health initiative will maximise earlier detection of lung cancer and improve outcomes for many Australians. However, the adoption of a screening program for a disease that is stigmatised, given the known links between tobacco smoking and lung cancer, creates barriers for participation.

Smoking Cessation Practices in Australian Oncology Settings: A Cross-Sectional Study of Who, How, and When.

Purpose: Patients who smoke tobacco during and after a cancer diagnosis have poorer health outcomes. Oncology healthcare providers (HCPs) are crucial to providing smoking cessation support. The study examined the characteristics associated with differences in HCPs' smoking cessation practices.

A Comparison of Australian Oncology Clinicians' Smoking Cessation Care Practices for People Who Currently Smoke Versus Those Who Report Recently Stopping Smoking.

Aim: Smoking is a chronic relapsing condition that is under-reported in oncology settings. People who report current smoking (CS) and those who report recently quitting smoking (RQ) should receive cessation support when they are diagnosed with cancer. The study aimed to identify whether differences exist in the smoking cessation support given to CS and RQ in oncology and what advice is given regarding the benefits of cessation.

Criminal legal penalties, substance use, and overdose: a concept mapping study examining Colorado's criminal legal penalties.

Background: In the USA, many states, including Colorado, have increased criminal penalties for illicit opioid possession, which may alter overdose risk. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between Colorado's increased drug-related criminal legal penalties, risk of overdose, and substance use patterns.

Methods: We used concept mapping - a mixed-methods approach used to develop a conceptual understanding of an issue from a community lens - to engage with people with living and/or lived experience with the criminal legal system, substance use, and/or overdose, their loved ones, and service providers.

Implementation and sustainment of virtual reality stroke workflow training for physician trainees at comprehensive stroke centres: a quantitative and qualitative study.

Background: Variation in stroke treatment metrics highlight a need for approaches to improve clinical processes. Training interventions can improve outcomes, but Australian physician trainees do not currently receive formal process-directed stroke training. Virtual reality (VR) stroke workflow training has proven acceptable, usable, useful and feasible in trial contexts, but how to integrate VR training into physician training remains unclear.

Prevalence of adults with stimulant misuse and/or stimulant use disorder in Massachusetts, USA, 2014-2021.

Background And Aims: Stimulant-involved overdose deaths are increasing throughout the United States. Because stimulant misuse (i.e.

Quit attempts, use of smoking cessation treatments and quitting intention among treatment seekers in rural areas.

Introduction: Rural populations have higher rates of tobacco use but are less likely to use evidence-based smoking cessation treatments than urban residents. There is limited evidence on the use of smoking cessation treatments and the factors associated with their use in rural populations. This study explored quit attempts, use of smoking cessation treatments, quitting intention and associated factors among rural residents seeking smoking cessation treatment.

"I'm standing next to him, I'm supporting him"-Supporting a loved one with brain cancer to donate their brain: A qualitative study.

Background: Brain cancer is a devastating and incurable disease that places a high burden of care on next of kin (NOK). NOK can play a core role in supporting end-of-life planning, including the decision to donate one's brain after death. Postmortem brain donation is crucial to research.

A cross-sectional study of the experiences of distressed callers when accessing financial assistance from a telephone-based cancer information and support service.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of distressed people calling helplines regarding offer and uptake of financial services after cancer diagnosis.

Methods: Cancer patients and caregivers reported whether they had discussed then used financial services and perceptions surrounding service uptake. Associations between being offered services and demographic, clinical and financial characteristics were explored.

DPYD genotype-guided dose personalisation for fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy prescribing in solid organ cancer patients in Australia: GeneScreen 5-FU study protocol.

Background: Fluoropyrimidine (FP) chemotherapies are commonly prescribed for upper and lower gastrointestinal, breast and head and neck malignancies. Over 16,000 people with cancer require FP chemotherapies per annum in Australia. Between 10 and 40% patients experience grade 3-4 (≥ G3) toxicities that require hospital-based management ± intensive care admission.

Addiction consult service involvement in PrEP and PEP delivery for patients who inject drugs admitted to an urban essential hospital.

Background: Addiction medicine providers have a key role in HIV prevention amidst rising HIV incidence in persons who inject drugs (PWID). Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) are vastly underutilized in this population. Inpatient hospitalization represents a potential touchpoint for initiation of HIV prophylaxis, though little research explores the role of addiction providers.

"Because That is the Right Thing to do": A Focus Group Study of Australian Expert Perspectives on Offering Smoking Cessation Support in Lung Cancer Screening.

Introduction: Lung cancer screening (LCS) trials, targeting people with a smoking history, have demonstrated reduced mortality. How to optimally embed evidence-based smoking cessation support in LCS, including in Australia, needs to be better understood. We sought experts' perspectives to identify potential barriers and effective implementation strategies.

'I think both of us drew strength from it': qualitative reflections from next of kin following the death and post-mortem brain donation of a loved one with brain cancer.

Background: Glioblastoma, a high-grade primary brain cancer, has a median survival of approximately 14 months. Post-mortem brain donation provides insight to pathogenesis along with spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Post-mortem brain biobanking programs are increasing in number and the need to understand and improve the associated human experience is pressing.