Assessing the Role of Reversible Contraceptives in the Health Care of Women as it Pertains to Cancer Prevention

The use of effective and reversible contraception is characterized by many non-contraceptive benefits distinct from its ability to prevent pregnancy. Notably, the use of hormonal and non-hormonal birth control methods is known to impact the risk for developing certain female genital cancers as well as breast and colon cancers. We present here the current understanding of the role of effective and reversible contraceptives in the prevention and development of female genital cancers along with breast and colon cancers. Despite ongoing but unsubstantiated concerns regarding the use of hormonal and intrauterine contraceptives for a variety of clinical outcomes including cancer, contraceptive use in high- and low-risk reproductive-aged women remains an important part of cancer risk reduction for many malignancies.     

A longitudinal view of factors that influence the emotional well-being of family caregivers to individuals with heart failure

Objectives: Caring for community-residing patients with heart failure can affect caregivers’ emotional wellbeing. However, few studies have examined caregivers’ well-being longitudinally, or identified factors associated with positive and negative outcomes. The objective of this longitudinal cohort study was to examine changes in caregivers’ well-being over time, and to identify patient and caregiver factors associated with positive and negative outcomes.

Method: Fifty caregiver/heart failure patient dyads were recruited from an acute care facility and followed in the community. All participants completed surveys at hospital admission and 3, 6 and 12 months later. Caregivers completed assessments of depression symptoms and positive affect and standardized measures to capture assistance provided, mastery, personal gain, social support, participation restriction, and patients’ behavioral and psychological symptoms. From patients, we collected demographic characteristics and health-related quality of life. Individual Growth Curve modelling was used to analyze the data.

Results: Caregivers’ negative and positive emotions remained stable over time. Depression symptoms were associated with higher participation restriction in caregivers. Positive affect was associated with more personal gain and more social support. Patients’ health-related quality of life and their behavioral and psychological symptoms were not significantly associated with caregivers’ emotional outcomes.

Conclusion: Interventions should be offered based on caregivers’ needs rather than patients’ health outcomes, and should focus on fostering caregivers’ feelings of personal gain, assisting them with securing social support, and engaging in valued activities.     

The endoscopist’s role in the diagnosis and management of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies with little improvement in survival over the past several decades in spite of advances in imaging, risk factor identification, surgical technique and chemotherapy. This disappointing outcome is mainly due to failures to make an early diagnosis. In fact, the majority of the patients present with inoperable advanced stages of the disease. Though some of the new tumor markers are promising, we are still in search of the one that has a high sensitivity and accuracy, yet is inexpensive and easy to obtain. The paradigm of management has shifted from up-front surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy to neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by surgery, especially for borderline resectable cancers and even for some resectable cancers. In this article, we will critically assess the limitations of tumor markers and review the advancements in endoscopic techniques in the management of pancreatic cancer.