Communicating with Adolescents and Young Adults about Cancer-associated Weight Loss

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Over the past two decades, advances have been made in understanding the pathophysiology of cancer-associated weight loss, termed "cachexia." To date, there is no proven effective intervention to completely reverse cachexia and there are no approved drug therapies to treat it. This paper will review relevant literature in relation to communicating with adolescents and young adults about cancer-associated weight loss. RECENT FINDINGS: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) who have cancer are a unique group of patients due to their stage of development and maturity. This article outlines issues specific to this patient cohort that need to be considered to better understand the impact of cachexia and explore pertinent matters when communicating with AYAs in relation to cachexia

Understanding arithmetic concepts: the role of domain-specific and domain-general skills

A large body of research has identified cognitive skills associated with overall mathematics achievement, focusing primarily on identifying associates of procedural skills. Conceptual understanding, however, has received less attention, despite its importance for the development of mathematics proficiency. Consequently, we know little about the quantitative and domain-general skills associated with conceptual understanding. Here we investigated 8 – 10-year-old children’s conceptual understanding of arithmetic, as well as a wide range of basic quantitative skills, numerical representations and domain-general skills. We found that conceptual understanding was most strongly associated with performance on a number line task. This relationship was not explained by the use of particular strategies on the number line task, and may instead reflect children’s knowledge of the structure of the number system. Understanding the skills involved in conceptual learning is important to support efforts by educators to improve children’s conceptual understanding of mathematics

Utility of Phase Angle to Identify Cachexia and Assess Mortality in End-Stage Renal Disease

© 2020 American Society for Nutrition. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an Open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Objectives This cross-sectional analysis sought to identify cachexia and assess survival using phase angle (PA) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) receiving haemodialysis. Methods Patients receiving haemodialysis (n = 87, mean age 65.9 +/– 13.0) completed a Phase Angle (PA; 50 khz) measurement using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Cachexia variables were recorded according to Evans et al. definition (2008) including nutritional and functional measures (weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), Hand Grip Strength (HGS), Lean Tissue Mass (LTM), C-Reative Protein (CRP), serum albumin, haemoglobin, appetite (Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Treatment (FAACT)) and fatigue (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT)). Survival was assessed at 12 months. Mann Whitney-U and Spearman correlation coefficient were conducted. Results The majority of patients completed follow up (n = 76). Eleven patients had died. Mean PA was not statistically different between those identified as cachectic and non-cachectic according to Evans et al. (2008) definition or between those patients that survived and died. However, patients that survived had better mean scores of weight, BMI, HGS, CRP, serum albumin and fatigue (FACIT). In addition, LTM scores were significantly better in patients that survived (P < .01). Appetite scores were also significantly better in patients that survived (P < .01) and those without cachexia (P = .01). Conclusions This study was part of a larger effort to clarity a phenotype of cachexia in ESRD. Unlike previous research, this study did not find PA useful in identifying patients at a higher risk of cachexia or death. However overall these patients had a very low mean PA. FAACT did discriminate between groups indicating self-reporting measurement tools of nutritional status were useful in identifying patients at a higher risk of cachexia and death. A larger sample and longer follow up is required to balance the limitations of this small study. Timing the administration of PA also requires consideration in future studies. Funding Sources Public Health Agency; Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund.Peer reviewe

Using a generic definition of cachexia in patients with kidney disease receiving haemodialysis: a longitudinal (pilot) study

International audienceBACKGROUND: Research indicates that cachexia is common among persons with chronic illnesses and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. However, there continues to be an absence of a uniformed disease-specific definition for cachexia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patient populations. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to identify cachexia in patients receiving haemodialysis (HD) using a generic definition and then follow up on these patients for 12 months. METHOD: This was a longitudinal study of adult chronic HD patients attending two hospital HD units in the UK. Multiple measures relevant to cachexia, including body mass index (BMI), muscle mass [mid-upper arm muscle circumference (MUAMC)], handgrip strength (HGS), fatigue [Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT)], appetite [Functional Assessment of Anorexia/Cachexia Therapy (FAACT)] and biomarkers [C-reactive protein (CRP), serum albumin, haemoglobin and erythropoietin resistance index (ERI)] were recorded. Baseline analysis included group differences analysed using an independent t-test, dichotomized values using the χ2 test and prevalence were reported using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 24 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). Longitudinal analysis was conducted using repeated measures analysis. RESULTS: A total of 106 patients (30 females and 76 males) were recruited with a mean age of 67.2 years [standard deviation (SD) 13.18] and dialysis vintage of 4.92 years (SD 6.12). At baseline, 17 patients were identified as cachectic, having had reported weight loss (e.g. \textgreater5% for \textgreater6 months) or BMI \textless20 kg/m2 and three or more clinical characteristics of cachexia. Seventy patients were available for analysis at 12 months (11 cachectic versus 59 not cachectic). The FAACT and urea reduction ratio statistically distinguished cachectic patients (P = 0.001). However, measures of weight, BMI, MUAMC, HGS, CRP, ERI and FACIT tended to worsen in cachectic patients. CONCLUSION: Globally, cachexia is a severe but frequently underrecognized problem. This is the first study to apply the defined characteristics of cachexia to a representative sample of patients receiving HD. Further, more extensive studies are required to establish a phenotype of cachexia in advanced CKD

Developing an evidence and theory based multimodal integrative intervention for the management of renal cachexia: a theory of change

In this study, we aimed to develop a theoretical framework for a multimodal, integrative, exercise, anti-inflammatory and dietary counselling (MMIEAD) intervention for those with renal cachexia with reference to how it addresses the underlying causal pathways for renal cachexia, the outcomes anticipated, and how these will be evaluated. We used a Theory of Change (ToC) approach to guide six steps. Step 1 included inputs from a workshop to obtain key stakeholder views on the potential development of a multimodal intervention for renal cachexia. Step 2 included the findings of a mixed-methods study with Health Care Practitioners (HCPs) caring for individuals with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) and cachexia. Step 3 included the results from our systematic literature review on multimodal interventions for cachexia management. In step 4, we used the body of our research team’s cachexia research and wider relevant research to gather evidence on the specific components of the multimodal intervention and hypothesised causal pathways for renal cachexia. In steps 5 and 6 we developed and refined the ToC map in consultation with the core research team and key stakeholders which illustrates how the intervention components of MMIEAD interact to achieve the intended impact of improved functionality and quality of life and reduced premature mortality. The results of this study provide a theoretical framework for the forthcoming MMIEAD intervention for those with renal cachexia and in subsequent phases will be used to determine whether the intervention is effective. To the best of our knowledge no other multimodal intervention trials for cachexia management have reported a ToC for their intervention. Therefore, this research may provide a useful contribution to the ongoing development of interventions for cachexia management

Exploring the lived experience of renal cachexia for individuals with end-stage renal disease and the interrelated experience of their carers: Study protocol.

Renal cachexia is an important consideration in the person-centred care that is needed in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, given that clinical guidelines relating to renal cachexia are largely absent, this is an unmet care need. To inform guidelines and future renal service planning, there is an urgency to understand individuals' experiences of renal cachexia and the interrelated experiences of the carers in their lives. We report here the protocol for an interpretative phenomenological study which will explore this lived experience. A purposive sampling strategy will recruit individuals living with ESRD who have cachexia and their carers. A maximum of 30 participants (15 per group) dependent on saturation will be recruited across two nephrology directorates, within two healthcare trusts in the United Kingdom. Individuals with renal cachexia undergoing haemodialysis will be recruited via clinical gatekeepers and their carers will subsequently be invited to participate in the study. Participants will be offered the opportunity to have a face-to-face, virtual or telephone interview. Interviews will be audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. NVivo, will be used for data management. Ethical approval for this study was granted by the Office for Research Ethics Committees Northern Ireland (REC Reference: 22/NI/0107). Scientific evidence tends to focus on measurable psychological, social and quality of life outcomes but there is limited research providing in-depth meaning and understanding of the views of individuals with renal disease who are experiencing renal cachexia. This information is urgently needed to better prepare healthcare providers and in turn support individuals with ESRD and their carers. This study will help healthcare providers understand what challenges individuals with ESRD, and their carers face in relation to cachexia and aims to inform future clinical practice guidelines and develop supportive interventions which recognise and respond to the needs of this population