The NOA (Oncological Nutrition in Andalusia) project analyses the degree of integration and areas of improvement in implementing nutritional support in the care plans of cancer patients in Andalusia. ...The aim was to analyse nutritional interventions for better care of cancer patients and for the improvement of the management of malnutrition in cancer. A prospective evaluation of the implementation of two areas of improvement in nutrition was conducted in three hospitals. Data were collected from each hospital over a six-month period using an online platform. A standardised care plan was designed for hospitals in Andalusia, in which proposed improvements were devised and prioritised, selecting nutritional screening in oncology services and the participation of the Nutrition Support Team (NST) on the tumour boards, as well as the assessment of the patients presented at these sessions. Our results indicated an increase in the number of medical records with nutritional evaluation results six months later, regardless of the type of tumour or hospitalisation; and there was greater participation of the NST on the tumour boards, mainly for head and neck and oesophagogastric cases. Solutions for improvement have been pinpointed and implemented that have positively impacted the nutritional care plan in the course of oncological disease.
Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognostic and predictive factors offer valuable guidance when selecting optimal first-line treatment in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). The ...association between baseline circulating tumor cell (bCTC) count, molecular tumor profile, and clinicopathologic features was analyzed in a chemo-naïve metastatic CRC population.
A total of 1202 patients from the Spanish VISNÚ-1 (FOLFIRINOX/bevacizumab vs. FOLFOX/bevacizumab) and VISNÚ-2 (FOLFIRI/bevacizumab vs. FOLFIRI/cetuximab; RAS-wildtype) studies were analyzed for mutational status and bCTC count. The association between clinicopathologic characteristics and bCTC count, mutational status, and microsatellite instability (MSI) was analyzed in 589 eligible patients.
Interestingly, 41% of the population studied presented ≥3 bCTC count. bCTC count ≥3 was associated with worse performance status (according Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scale), stage IV at diagnosis, at least 3 metastatic sites, and elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels; but not with RAS or BRAF mutations or high MSI. BRAFmut (BRAF mutated) tumors were associated with right-sided primary tumors, peritoneum, distant lymph node metastasis, and less frequent liver involvement. RASmut (RAS mutated) was associated with worse performance status; stage IV at diagnosis; right-sided primary tumors; liver, lung, and bone metastases; at least 3 metastatic sites; and elevated CEA, whereas PIK3CAmut (PIK3CA mutated) tumors were associated with right-sided primary tumors, high CEA serum levels, and older age. High MSI was associated with right-sided primary tumors, distant lymph nodes metastasis, and lower CEA levels.
In our study, elevated bCTCs and RASmut were associated with clinicopathologic features known to be associated with poor prognosis; whereas the poor prognosis of BRAFmut tumors in chemo-naïve metastatic CRC is not explained by associations with poor clinicopathologic prognostic factors, except right-sided primary tumors.
VISNU 1 ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01640405/ VISNU 2 ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01640444
This is a post hoc analysis of biomarkers from a large cohort of patients with chemo-naïve metastatic colorectal cancer. Both high baseline circulating tumor cell count and RAS mutated were associated with clinical or pathologic features classically associated with poor prognosis. Selection of high- and low-risk populations may help to individualize approaches in the future.
Our aim was to investigate if genetic variations in the visfatin gene (SNPs rs7789066/ rs11977021/rs4730153) could modify the cardiovascular-risk (CV-risk) despite the metabolic phenotype (obesity ...and glucose tolerance). In addition, we investigated the relationship between insulin sensitivity and variations in visfatin gene.
A population-based study in rural and urban areas of the Province of Segovia, Spain, was carried out in the period of 2001-2003 years. A total of 587 individuals were included, 25.4% subjects were defined as obese (BMI ≥30 Kg/m2).
Plasma visfatin levels were significantly higher in obese subjects with DM2 than in other categories of glucose tolerance. The genotype AA of the rs4730153 SNP was significantly associated with fasting glucose, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR (Homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance) after adjustment for gender, age, BMI and waist circumference. The obese individuals carrying the CC genotype of the rs11977021 SNP showed higher circulating levels of fasting proinsulin after adjustment for the same variables. The genotype AA of the rs4730153 SNP seems to be protective from CV-risk either estimated by Framingham or SCORE charts in general population; and in obese and non-obese individuals. No associations with CV-risk were observed for other studied SNPs (rs11977021/rs7789066).
In summary, this is the first study which concludes that the genotype AA of the rs4730153 SNP appear to protect against CV-risk in obese and non-obese individuals, estimated by Framingham and SCORE charts. Our results confirm that the different polymorphisms in the visfatin gene might be influencing the glucose homeostasis in obese individuals.
Introducción: La atención psicosocial de las personas con enfermedad oncológica y la familia debe formar parte de todo modelo integral de atención que pretenda reducir el impacto vital del cáncer. ...Las intervenciones psicosociales han probado su eficacia en la ayuda a pacientes y familiares para afrontar las situaciones de alta complejidad psicosocial emergentes a consecuencia de un diagnóstico de cáncer. Objetivo: Definir y explicar el modelo de Atención Psicosocial del Comité Psicosocial del Instituto Catalán de Oncología (ICO) utilizando criterios de vulnerabilidad, complejidad y derivación; enmarcado y basado en los valores del ICO (centrados en las necesidades de pacientes con cáncer y sus familias). Método: El modelo que se presenta en este documento consta de cinco pilares: 1) Principios de la Práctica Psicosocial en Oncología; 2) Áreas de actuación en la Atención Psicosocial del paciente con cáncer y la familia; 3) Cribado de malestar emocional y derivación del paciente con cáncer y la familia para una atención psicooncológica específica; 4) Comité Psicosocial: (objetivos; funciones; organización; composición; disciplinas participantes; criterios de derivación y niveles de complejidad; y procedimiento); y 5) Índice de productividad. Resultados: Pacientes y familiares atendidos por el CPS mostraron mejoría estadísticamente significativa en los niveles del malestar emocional, pasando de una media inicial de 8,12/10 (EVA/ ENV) a una media 6,27/10 (EVA/ENV). Asimismo, se constata que las intervenciones derivadas del comité psicosocial redujeron el porcentaje de casos iniciales de alta complejidad, pasando de un 69,3% a un 49,3%. Conclusiones: El abordaje de la complejidad psicosocial mediante un modelo basado en criterios multi e interdisciplinarios consensuados ayuda en la toma de decisiones sobre las acciones a seguir y en la mejora del malestar emocional y complejidad de los pacientes y la familia.