Impact of coronaphobia on treatment and follow-up compliance of cancer patients

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of coronaphobia on treatment and follow-up compliance in cancer patients. The records of 230 cancer patients were reviewed. Coronaphobia was assessed via the validated COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S). A total of 64% of the patients had a high coronaphobia score. Among them, 59% were noncompliant. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, low educational status, treatment type, following COVID-19 news, having knowledge about COVID-19 transmission and higher C19P-S score were associated with noncompliance (p = 0.006, p < 0.001, p = 0.002, p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that having knowledge about COVID-19 transmission was related to a higher C19P-S score (p = 0.001). The cancer patients studied had significant coronaphobia. Moreover, greater coronaphobia was significantly associated with noncompliance with follow-up and treatment

Assessment of prognostic factors and adjuvant treatment modalities in adult head and neck soft tissue sarcoma patients treated with upfront surgery

ObjectivesHead and neck soft tissue sarcomas (HNSTSs) are a heterogeneous group of rare tumors. Surgical resection with negative margins remains the standard primary treatment for patients with HNSTS. The role of chemotherapy (CT) and radiotherapy (RT) remains controversial. In this multicenter study, we aimed to demonstrate the real-world assessing prognostic factors and the effect of adjuvant treatment modalities in adult patients with HNSTS treated with upfront surgery.MethodsWe included a total of 47 patients who underwent curative-intent resection of a primary HNSTS between 2000 and 2019.ResultsThe median follow-up was 29 months. The median age of patients was 51 years, and 66% of patients were male. The median relapse-free survival (RFS) of the study population was 31 months (range: 1.0-61.1 months), and the median overall survival (OS) was 115 months (range: 60.8-169.2 months). The univariable analysis revealed that treatment modalities showed a significant impact on RFS (p = 0.021); however, no difference was found in its impact on OS (p = 0.137). R0 resection did not showed impact on RFS (p = 0.130), but a significant association was found with OS (p = 0.004). In multivariable analysis, T stage of the tumor (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.834; 95% CI: 1.631-9.008; p = 0.002) and treatment with surgery and sequential RT and CT (HR: 0.115; 95% CI: 0.035-0.371; p < 0.001) were independent factors associated with RFS. R0 resection was independently associated with OS (HR: 4.902; 95% CI: 1.301-18.465; p = 0.019).ConclusionOur study revealed that R0 resection improved OS, and T3-4 stage of tumor was a negative independent factor for RFS in surgically resected HNSTS patients. The use of sequential CT and RT after resection was associated with a better RFS, which emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary evaluation of the treatment of HNSTS. Randomized prospective studies are needed

Determining the current situation of geriatric oncology in Turkey: A survey of medical oncologists

Objective: We aimed to capture a snapshot of the current situation in Turkey regarding the management of elderly cancer patients through an online survey of medical oncologists in Turkey. Material and Methods: An anonymized cross-sectional nationwide de-scriptive online survey was sent to the Turkish Society of Medical Oncology members by email in November 2020. Before closing the survey in December 2020, one remainder was sent. Results: The survey was completed by 133 medical oncologists from 41 centers with a 29% response rate. Routine use of geriatric evaluation was practiced by 18.2% of the medical oncologists in their daily practice. A geriatrician was available in the centers of 36.8% of the participants. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status was the most commonly employed tool for investigating older cancer patients. Our survey determined that the presence of malnutrition, treatment adherence, comor-bidities, and social support were the most commonly identified challenges while caring for geriatric cancer patients. Hearing problem was the most common reason, followed by dementia, regarding the communication with the elderly cancer patients. Conclusion: Our survey results revealed a very low rate of geriatric evaluation for systemic treatment planning in elderly patients. Moreover, medical oncologists encoun-tered a high rate of communication problems and additional challenges in the care of geriatric cancer patients. These findings signify the need for geriatrics and oncology collaboration for the optimization of geriatric cancer care