Measuring the impact of COVID-19 on time to treatment for individuals diagnosed with cancer in Manitoba, Canada using an interrupted time series analysis.

Background: Delays in treatment can lead to increases in cancer morbidity and mortality. There were many concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic led to delays in cancer treatment. Several studies have examined this issue but with serious limitations.

Anaemia, blood transfusions and survival in high-grade endometrial cancer: retrospective study.

Objective: To determine if anaemia and blood transfusions in the perioperative, chemotherapy and radiation treatment periods are associated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in high-grade endometrial cancer.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study examined patients at a single centre treated for high-grade endometrial cancer (2010-2023). This included International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) grade 3 endometrioid, serous, carcinosarcoma, mixed, clear cell, mucinous, dedifferentiated and undifferentiated histology.

The Interactions of T Cells with Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Grafts.

The interaction of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) with T cells within G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) grafts in patients undergoing autologous or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains to be elucidated. Through studying allo- and auto-PBSC grafts, we observed grafts containing large numbers of T cells and MDSCs with intergraft variability in their percentage and number. T cells from autologous grafts compared to allografts expressed relative higher percentages of inhibitory receptors PD-1, CTLA-4, TIM-3, LAG-3, TIGIT and BTLA.

Ovarian Cancer in the Older Manitoban Population-Treatment Tolerance and Cancer-Related Outcomes: A Manitoba Ovarian Cancer Outcomes (MOCO) Group Study.

Background: In Canada, individuals with gynecologic reproductive organs (ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus) over the age of 70 comprise a large proportion of epithelial ovarian cancer patients. These patients often have co-morbidities, polypharmacy, or decreased functional status that may impact treatment initiation and tolerance. Despite this, there is limited evidence to guide treatment for older patients diagnosed with ovarian epithelial carcinoma.

Mental Disorders Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer: A Canadian Population-Based and Sibling Cohort Study.

Purpose: To compare the cumulative incidence of mental disorders among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) diagnosed with cancer with the general population and their unaffected siblings.

Methods: A retrospective, population-based, matched cohort design was used to investigate the impact of cancer diagnosis on mental disorders among individuals age 15-39 diagnosed between 1989 and 2019. Two cancer-free cohorts were identified: matched population-based and sibling cohorts.

Hypofractionated Radiotherapy for Hematologic Malignancies during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond.

Purpose: Radiotherapy is integral in the management of hematological malignancies (HM). Standard radiotherapy dose fractionation regimens range between 20 and 50 Gy in 10-25 fractions over 2-5 weeks. This study presents the outcomes of patients with HM treated with hypofractionation radiotherapy (HFRT) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impact of age, comorbidity, and polypharmacy on receipt of systemic therapy in advanced cancers: A retrospective population-based study.

Introduction: Cancer incidence, comorbidity, and polypharmacy increase with age, but the interplay between these factors on receipt of systemic therapy (ST) in advanced cancer has rarely been studied.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted including patients aged ≥18 years diagnosed from 2004 to 2015 with multiple myeloma (MM) (all stages), lung cancer (stage IV), and stage III-IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), breast, colorectal (CRC), prostate, or ovarian cancer in Manitoba, Canada. Clinical and administrative health data were used to determine demographic and cancer characteristics, treatment history, comorbidity (Charlson Comorbidity Index [CCI] and Resource Utilization Band [RUB]), and polypharmacy (≥6 medications).

Measuring the impact of COVID-19 on cancer survival using an interrupted time series analysis.

Background: Few studies have investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer survival. Those studies that have included pandemic vs prepandemic comparisons can mask differences during different periods of the pandemic such as COVID-19 waves. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer survival using an interrupted time series analysis and to identify time points during the pandemic when observed survival deviated from expected survival.

Steroid-Induced Hyperglycemia and Its Effect on Outcomes of R-CHOP Chemotherapy for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Unlabelled: Large doses of steroids are integral to R-CHOP, a first-line systemic therapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). Patients on R-CHOP often develop clinically significant hyperglycemia from steroids. There is evidence of harms from steroid-induced hyperglycemia in the context of chemotherapy which are associated with a reduction in overall survival.

Cancer incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic by region of residence in Manitoba, Canada: A cancer registry-based interrupted time series study.

Introduction: Health care in Manitoba, Canada is divided into five regions, each with unique geographies, demographics, health care access, and health status. COVID-19-related restrictions and subsequent responses also differed by region. To understand the impact of the pandemic on cancer incidence in the context of these differences, we examined age-standardized cancer incidence rates by region over time before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Province-Wide Ascertainment of Lynch Syndrome in Manitoba.

Background & Aims: We describe the experience of Lynch syndrome (LS) diagnosis in the province of Manitoba, Canada, over the past 20 years.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of charts from the provincial Genetics Clinic from January 1, 2000, to May 31, 2023. We extracted data on individuals identified to carry a germline pathogenic or likely pathogenic LS gene variant, the mode of ascertainment, family history, and cascade genetic testing (CGT).

Optimizing Timing of Follow-Up Colonoscopy: A Pilot Cluster Randomized Trial of a Knowledge Translation Tool.

Background: Endoscopists have low adherence to guideline-recommended colonoscopy surveillance intervals. We performed a cluster-randomized single-blind pilot trial in Winnipeg, Canada, to assess the effectiveness of a newly developed digital application tool that computes guideline-recommended follow-up intervals.

Methods: Participant endoscopists were randomized to either receive access to the digital application (intervention group) or not receive access (control group).

New Cancer Diagnoses Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Importance: Disruptions to health care during the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to missed cancer diagnoses. It is critical to evaluate the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and cancer incidence to address public and patient anxiety, inform recovery efforts, and identify strategies to reduce the system's vulnerability to future disruptions.

Objective: To examine the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and cancer incidence in Manitoba, Canada.

Evaluation of the Impact of the Urgent Cancer Care Clinic on Emergency Department Visits, Primary Care Clinician Visits, and Hospitalizations in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The urgent cancer care (UCC) clinic at CancerCare Manitoba (CCMB) opened in 2013 to provide care to individuals diagnosed with cancer and serious blood disorders experiencing complications from the underlying disorder or its treatment. This study examined the impact of the UCC clinic on other health care utilization in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. An interrupted time series study design was used to compare the rates of emergency department (ED) visits, primary care clinician (PCC) visits, and hospitalizations from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2015.

Impact of Cancer-Related Virtual Visits on Travel Distance, Travel Time, and Carbon Dioxide (CO) Emissions during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Manitoba, Canada.

CancerCare Manitoba (CCMB) introduced virtual visits at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to replace many in-person visits. This study examines the impact of virtual visits for cancer care on travel distance, travel time, and carbon dioxide (CO) emissions. We included all visits to CCMB for invasive and in situ cancers from 1 April 2020 to 31 December 2022.

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Virtual "Coping with Brain Fog" Intervention for Improving Cognitive Functioning in Young Adults with Cancer.

Cancer-related cognitive deficits (CRCDs) are common among young adults (YAs) (ages: 18-39) with cancer and can be debilitating. We aimed to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a virtual intervention among YAs with cancer. Our secondary aims were to explore the intervention's effect on cognitive functioning and psychological distress.

Exploring the role of a multidisciplinary hereditary gynecologic oncology clinic in epithelial ovarian cancer risk-reducing surgical decision-making practices: A mixed-methods study.

Individuals that have gynecologic reproductive organs with pathogenic variants in BRCA1 or BRCA2 ("BRCA-positive") have an increased risk of developing high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). The majority of HGSOC develops in the fallopian tubes and later spreads to the ovaries and peritoneal cavity. Therefore, risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (RRSO) is recommended for those who are BRCA-positive to preventatively remove their ovaries and fallopian tubes.

A comparison of synoptic reports and dictated reports to enhance and standardize surgical documentation and quality of care in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess the degree to which synoptic reports (SRs) and dictated reports (DRs) document elements of the Ovarian Cancer Pan-Canadian Standards Data Elements (OCPCDE) checklist, and to compare their completeness. Analysis of dictated versus synoptic reporting has never been performed for suspected epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) based on literature review at the time of data collection (1-12).

Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed including 254 charts of women 18 years or older, from 2012 to 2017, undergoing surgery for suspected EOC.

Referral, Genetic Counselling, and Testing in the Manitoba High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Population, 2004-2019.

(1) Background: The primary objective of this study was to examine the rate of genetic referral, BRCA testing, and BRCA positivity amongst all patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSOC) from 2004-2019. The secondary objective was to analyze secondary factors that may affect the rates of referral and testing. (2) Methods: This population-based cohort study included all women diagnosed with HGSOC using the Manitoba Cancer Registry, CervixCheck registry, database at Manitoba Health, the Hospital Discharge abstract, the Population Registry, and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority genetics data.

Time Trends in Colorectal Cancer Incidence From 1992 to 2016 and Colorectal Cancer Mortality From 1980 to 2018 by Age Group and Geography in Canada.

Introduction: Several reports have highlighted increasing colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence among younger individuals. However, little is known about variations in CRC incidence or mortality across age subgroups in different geographical locations. We aimed to examine time trends in CRC incidence and mortality in Canada by age group and geography in this population-based, retrospective cohort study.

A population-based study of outcomes in adjuvant radiotherapy for stage II endometrial carcinoma.

Objective: Our study aimed to analyze recurrence and survival outcomes in stage II endometrial cancer patients treated with adjuvant radiotherapy at CancerCare Manitoba, a Canadian provincial cancer program.

Methods: This retrospective population-based cohort study identified all International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 stage II endometrioid type endometrial carcinoma diagnosed between January 1995 and December 2019. All patients underwent surgery followed by vaginal vault brachytherapy alone or external beam pelvic radiotherapy plus vaginal vault brachytherapy.

Pretrained Neural Networks Accurately Identify Cancer Recurrence in Medical Record.

Cancer recurrence is the diagnosis of a second clinical episode of cancer after the first was considered cured. Identifying patients who had experienced cancer recurrence is an important task as it can be used to compare treatment effectiveness, measure recurrence-free survival, and plan and prioritize cancer control resources. We developed BERT-based natural language processing (NLP) contextual models for identifying cancer recurrence incidence and the recurrence time based on the records in progress notes.

Evaluation of the ITV-margin and variables affecting bladder and mesorectal deformation during long course neoadjuvant radiotherapy for rectal cancer.

Internal target volume (ITV) margins were estimated by evaluating the movement of mesorectum and bladder during neoadjuvant long-course radiation therapy (RT) for rectal cancer. In this prospective study, 23 patients with rectal cancer had planning CT (pCT) and weekly cone beam CT (CBCT) in supine position during preoperative long-course RT. Mesorectal wall motion was analyzed based on the coordinates of the most anterior, posterior, left and right points on the pCT and CBCT.