Infusion unit nurses' ratings of risk factors for difficult intravenous access (DIVA) differ based on patients' type of cancer.

The majority of patients receiving cancer chemotherapy are treated in the outpatient setting and require peripheral intravenous (IV) access. The purpose of this work was to evaluate for differences in infusion unit nurses' ratings of predictors of difficult intravenous access (DIVA) based on whether they cared for patients with solid tumours versus hematologic malignancies. Nurses (N=152) received an email with a link to a Qualtrics survey.

Number of Intravenous Insertions Per Week Does Not Influence Infusion Nurses' Ratings of Risk Factors for Difficult Intravenous Access (DIVA).

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in nurses' ratings of risk factors for difficult intravenous access (DIVA) between oncology infusion unit nurses who perform ≤ 10 insertions compared to > 10 insertions per week.

Methods: An email requesting that recipients complete a revised version of the "Survey on Nurses" perceived DIVA factors that contained a list of 53 risk factors was sent to 152 nurses, of whom 81 responded. Nurses rated each DIVA risk factor, using a 0 (not at all predictive) to 10 (extremely predictive) scale.

Rechallenges without desensitization following platinum-based chemotherapy reactions.

Background: There is increasing interest in non-desensitization protocols as a potential way to reintroduce chemotherapy following hypersensitivity reactions (HSR).

Objective: To provide insight into the potential utility of non-desensitization reintroduction, particularly at institutions where allergy consultation may not be available.

Methods: For 70 patients with platinum HSR who underwent rechallenge with standard (≤2 hours), extended (1-bag, 1-step, 4-6 hours), or titrated (4-to-5-bag and -step, 6-7.

Cancer survivors and neurotoxic chemotherapy: hearing loss and tinnitus.

Objectives: Little is known about hearing loss and tinnitus associated with neurotoxic chemotherapy. Study evaluated for differences in occurrence rates and effects of hearing loss and tinnitus in survivors who received a platinum alone, a taxane alone or a platinum and taxane containing regimen.

Methods: Total of 273 survivors with breast, gastrointestinal, gynaecological or lung cancer completed self-report measures of hearing loss and tinnitus and had an audiometric assessment that obtained pure tone air conduction thresholds bilaterally at frequencies of between 0.

Similarities in the Neuropathy Phenotype of Cancer Survivors Who Received Different Classes of Chemotherapy Drugs.

With the advent of platinum and taxane compounds used as single agents or in combination regimens, survival rates for some of the most common cancers have improved substantially. However, information on differences in the chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) phenotype among single and combination regimens is limited. Study's purposes were to evaluate for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics; subjective and objective measures of CIPN; as well as the severity of common symptoms and quality of life among survivors who received platinum- (n = 95), taxane- (n = 200), or platinum and taxane-containing (n = 131) regimens.

Associations between cytokine gene variations and self-reported sleep disturbance in women following breast cancer surgery.

Purpose Of The Research: To attempt to replicate the associations found in our previous study of patients and family caregivers between interleukin 6 (IL6) and nuclear factor kappa beta 2 (NFKB2) and sleep disturbance and to identify additional genetic associations in a larger sample of patients with breast cancer.

Methods And Sample: Patients with breast cancer (n = 398) were recruited prior to surgery and followed for six months. Patients completed a self-report measure of sleep disturbance and provided a blood sample for genomic analyses.