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Breast cancer; Evidence-generating care; Risk-adjusted prevention Cáncer de mama; Atención generadora de evidencia; Prevención ajustada al riesgo Càncer de mama; Atenció generadora d'evidències; Prevenció ajustada al risc Background: Risk-adjusted cancer screening and prevention is a promising and continuously emerging option for improving cancer prevention. It is driven by increasing knowledge of risk factors and the ability to determine them for individual risk prediction. However, there is a knowledge gap between evidence of increased risk and evidence of the effectiveness and efficiency of clinical preventive interventions based on increased risk. This gap is, in particular, aggravated by the extensive availability of genetic risk factor diagnostics, since the question of appropriate preventive measures immediately arises when an increased risk is identified. However, collecting proof of effective preventive measures, ideally by prospective randomized preventive studies, typically requires very long periods of time, while the knowledge about an increased risk immediately creates a high demand for action. Summary: Therefore, we propose a risk-adjusted prevention concept that is based on the best current evidence making needed and appropriate preventive measures available, and which is constantly evaluated through outcome evaluation, and continuously improved based on these results. We further discuss the structural and procedural requirements as well as legal and socioeconomical aspects relevant for the implementation of this concept. The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health (grant No. 2515FSB401 to Rita Schmutzler and Christiane Woopen) for supporting the international expert meetings, and a grant of the EU Horizon 2020 program, BRIDGES (grant No. 634935, PI Peter Devilee, WP5-PI Rita Schmutzler), for the compilation of the most recent findings of genetic risk prediction.

The aims of this study were (1) to design a user-friendly instrument to assess and optimize patient information material (PIM), (2) to develop an English version, and (3) to test its psychometric properties. The instrument was needed to optimize the top-down developed PIM of the psycho-oncological care programme isPO. First, a literature-based PIM checklist was developed by a team of patient representatives, cancer care experts and professional researchers. Next, the checklist’s reliability and validity were analysed by having cancer survivors assess the initial and optimized version of the isPO-leaflet. The User-friendly Patient Information Material Checklist (UPIM-Check), developed participatorily, was found to be effective for evaluating PIM. It uses a traffic light scale, and suggestions for improvement can be given for each criterion. Its reliability appeared to be excellent (α = 0.927). The optimized leaflet was rated significantly better than the initial one. The UPIM-Check is a reliable and valid instrument, which enables end-users (e.g., patients) to assess and optimize the quality of PIM according to scientific criteria and the needs of end-users. A bottom-up approach was essential for developing and validating the UPIM-Check. End-users constantly contributed with their specific knowledge. Thus, their position as co-researchers was significantly strengthened.

Background The annual incidence of new cancer cases has been increasing worldwide for many years, and is likely to continue to rise. In Germany, the number of new cancer cases is expected to increase by 20% until 2030. Half of all cancer patients experience significant emotional and psychosocial distress along the continuum of their disease, treatment, and aftercare, and also as long-term survivors. Consequently, in many countries, psycho-oncological programs have been developed to address this added burden at both the individual and population level. These programs promote the active engagement of patients in their cancer therapy, aftercare and survivorship planning and aim to improve the patients' quality of life. In Germany, the “new form of care isPO” (“nFC-isPO”; integrated, cross-sectoral psycho-oncology/integrierte, sektorenübergreifende Psycho-Onkologie) is currently being developed, implemented and evaluated. This approach strives to accomplish the goals devised in the National Cancer Plan by providing psycho-oncological care to all cancer patients according to their individual healthcare needs. The term “new form of care" is defined by the Innovation Fund (IF) of Germany's Federal Joint Committee as “a structured and legally binding cooperation between different professional groups and/or institutions in medical and non-medical care”. The nFC-isPO is part of the isPO project funded by the IF. It is implemented in four local cancer centres and is currently undergoing a continuous quality improvement process. As part of the isPO project the nFC-isPO is being evaluated by an independent institution: the Institute for Medical Sociology, Health Services Research, and Rehabilitation Science (IMVR), University of Cologne, Germany. The four-year isPO project was selected by the IF to be eligible for funding because it meets the requirements of the federal government's National Cancer Plan (NCP), in particular, the “further development of the oncological care structures and quality assurance" in the psycho-oncological domain. An independent evaluation is required by the IF to verify if the new form of care leads to an improvement in cross-sectoral care and to explore its potential for permanent integration into the German health care system. Methods The nFC-isPO consists of six components: a concept of care (C1), care pathways (C2), a psycho-oncological care network (C3), a care process organization plan (C4), an IT-supported documentation and assistance system (C5) and a quality management system (C6). The two components concept of care (C1) and care pathways (C2) represent the isPO clinical care program, according to which the individual cancer patients are offered psycho-oncological services within a period of 12 months after program enrolment following the diagnosis of cancer. The remaining components (C3-C6) represent the formal-administrative aspects of the nFC-isPO that are intended to meet the legally binding requirements of patient care in the German health care system. With the aim of systematic development of the nFC-isPO while at the same time enabling the external evaluators to examine its quality, effectiveness and efficiency under conditions of routine care, the project partners took into consideration approaches from translational psycho-oncology, practice-based health care research and program theory. In order to develop a structured, population-based isPO care program, reference was made to a specific program theory, to the stepped-care approach, and also to evidence-based guideline recommendations. Results The basic version, nFC-isPO, was created over the first year after the start of the isPO project in October 2017, and has since been subject to a continuous quality improvement process. In 2019, the nFC-isPO was implemented at four local psycho-oncological care networks in the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia, in Germany. The legal basis of the implementation is a contract for "special care" with the German statutory health insurance funds according to state law (§ 140a SCB V; Social Code Book V for the statutory health insurance funds). Besides the accompanying external evaluation by the IMVR, the nFC-isPO is subjected to quarterly internal and cross-network quality assurance and improvement measures (internal evaluation) in order to ensure continuous quality improvement process. These quality management measures are developed and tested in the isPO project and are to be retained in order to ensure the sustainability of the quality of nFC-isPO for later dissemination into the German health care system. Discussion Demands on quality, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of in the German health care system are increasing, whereas financial resources are declining, especially for psychosocial services. At the same time, knowledge about evidence-based screening, assessment and intervention in cancer patients and about the provision of psychosocial oncological services is growing continuously. Due to the legal framework of the statutory health insurance in Germany, it has taken years to put sound psycho-oncological findings from research into practice. Ensuring the adequate and sustainable financing of a needs-oriented, psycho-oncological care approach for all newly diagnosed cancer patients, as required by the NCP, may still require many additional years. The aim of the isPO project is to develop a new form of psycho-oncological care for the individual and the population suffering from cancer, and to provide those responsible for German health policy with a sound basis for decision-making on the timely dissemination of psycho-oncological services in the German health care system. Trial registration The study was pre-registered at the German Clinical Trials Register (https://www.drks.de/DRKS00015326) under the following trial registration number: DRKS00015326; Date of registration: October 30, 2018.

High-quality patient information material (PIM) is essential for patients´ informed decision-making, and its quality may influence a care program’s acceptance. In the new psycho-oncological care program, isPO, the initial PIM was developed top-down and required optimization. In this paper, we report on the process and experiences of optimizing PIM’s quality bottom-up by applying a Participatory Health Research (PHR) approach. Cancer-patient representatives of the national peer-support group contributed as co-researchers as part of the optimization team. A mixed-methods design was chosen. First, the quality of the initially utilized PIM was assessed with the newly designed user-friendly instrument UPIM-Check. Next, three Participatory Action Research loops were conducted, including cancers survivors and isPO service providers. The initial isPO PIM’s were assed to be of low quality, limited usability and incomplete. Bottom-up generated optimization suggestions led to the improvement of two initially used PIMs (leaflet, patient information folder) and the design of two new PIMs (poster, study information overview). The optimized PIM facilitates isPO service providers’ care provision and helps newly diagnosed cancer patients in understanding and accepting the new program. PIM optimization benefited from applying PHR. The patient representatives’ contribution and active patient engagement were central for quality assessment and designing needs-driven, mature and complete PIM.

Echinocandins are antifungal nonribosomal hexapeptides produced by fungi. Two of the amino acids are hydroxy- l -prolines: trans -4-hydroxy- l -proline and, in most echinocandin structures, ( trans -2,3)-3-hydroxy-( trans -2,4)-4-methyl- l -proline. In the case of echinocandin biosynthesis by Glarea lozoyensis , both amino acids are found in pneumocandin A 0 , while in pneumocandin B 0 the latter residue is replaced by trans -3-hydroxy- l -proline (3-Hyp). We have recently reported that all three amino acids are generated by the 2-oxoglutarate-dependent proline hydroxylase GloF. In echinocandin B biosynthesis by Aspergillus species, 3-Hyp derivatives have not been reported. Here we describe the heterologous production and kinetic characterization of HtyE, the 2-oxoglutarate-dependent proline hydroxylase from the echinocandin B biosynthetic cluster in Aspergillus pachycristatus . Surprisingly, l -proline hydroxylation with HtyE resulted in an even higher proportion (∼30%) of 3-Hyp than that with GloF. This suggests that the selectivity for methylated 3-Hyp in echinocandin B biosynthesis is due solely to a substrate-specific adenylation domain of the nonribosomal peptide synthetase. Moreover, we observed that one product of HtyE catalysis, 3-hydroxy-4-methyl- l -proline, is slowly further oxidized at the methyl group, giving 3-hydroxy-4-hydroxymethyl- l -proline, upon prolonged incubation with HtyE. This dihydroxylated amino acid has been reported as a building block of cryptocandin, an echinocandin produced by Cryptosporiopsis . IMPORTANCE Secondary metabolites from bacteria and fungi are often produced by sets of biosynthetic enzymes encoded in distinct gene clusters. Usually, each enzyme catalyzes one biosynthetic step, but multiple reactions are also possible. Pneumocandins A 0 and B 0 are produced by the fungus Glarea lozoyensis . They belong to the echinocandin family, a group of nonribosomal cyclic lipopeptides that exhibit a strong antifungal activity. Chemical derivatives are important drugs for the treatment of systemic fungal infections. We have recently shown that in the biosynthesis of pneumocandins A 0 and B 0 , three hydroxyproline building blocks are provided by one proline hydroxylase. Here we demonstrate that the proline hydroxylase from echinocandin B biosynthesis in Aspergillus pachycristatus produces the same hydroxyprolines, with an increased proportion of trans -3-hydroxyproline. However, echinocandin B biosynthesis does not require trans -3-hydroxyproline; its formation remains cryptic. While one can only speculate on the evolutionary background of this unexpected finding, proline hydroxylation in G. lozoyensis and A. pachycristatus provides an unusual insight into peptide antibiotic biosynthesis—namely, the complex interplay between the selectivity of a hydroxylase and the substrate specificity of a nonribosomal peptide synthetase.

Echinocandins are antifungal nonribosomal hexapeptides produced by fungi. Two of the amino acids are hydroxy-l-prolines: trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline and, in most echinocandin structures, (trans-2,3)-3-hydroxy-(trans-2,4)-4-methyl-l-proline. In the case of echinocandin biosynthesis by Glarea lozoyensis, both amino acids are found in pneumocandin A0, while in pneumocandin B0 the latter residue is replaced by trans-3-hydroxy-l-proline (3-Hyp). We have recently reported that all three amino acids are generated by the 2-oxoglutarate-dependent proline hydroxylase GloF. In echinocandin B biosynthesis by Aspergillus species, 3-Hyp derivatives have not been reported. Here we describe the heterologous production and kinetic characterization of HtyE, the 2-oxoglutarate-dependent proline hydroxylase from the echinocandin B biosynthetic cluster in Aspergillus pachycristatus. Surprisingly, l-proline hydroxylation with HtyE resulted in an even higher proportion (∼30%) of 3-Hyp than that with GloF. This suggests that the selectivity for methylated 3-Hyp in echinocandin B biosynthesis is due solely to a substrate-specific adenylation domain of the nonribosomal peptide synthetase. Moreover, we observed that one product of HtyE catalysis, 3-hydroxy-4-methyl-l-proline, is slowly further oxidized at the methyl group, giving 3-hydroxy-4-hydroxymethyl-l-proline, upon prolonged incubation with HtyE. This dihydroxylated amino acid has been reported as a building block of cryptocandin, an echinocandin produced by Cryptosporiopsis.

Spatestens seit der Industrialisierung stellt sich die Frage nach der Verantwortung des Naturwissenschaftlers fur die Folgen seiner Forschung. Forschungsergebnisse werden unter anderem pharmazeutisch und insbesondere seit Ermoglichung der Ganzgenomsequenzierung auch diagnostisch in der Klinik und in Studien genutzt. An der Auswertung der DNA-Sequenzen von Patienten und Probanden sind aufgrund der Komplexitat Mediziner und Naturwissenschaftler beteiligt. Der Umgang mit Patienten- bzw. Probandendaten setzt eine Auseinandersetzung mit ethischen Fragestellungen voraus. Im Umgang mit personenbezogenen Daten sind die Nichtidentifizierbarkeit der Person sowie die grostmogliche Berucksichtigung der Wunsche der Datenspender zu garantieren. Die Wunsche des Patienten bzw. Probanden bei der Durchfuhrung der Ganzgenomsequenzierung beziehen sich dabei vor allem auf die Ruckmeldungen von Zusatzfunden und ergeben sich aus der informierten Einwilligung. Damit sind gleich zwei Herausforderungen zu erfullen: der ethisch vertretbare Umgang mit solchen Zusatzfunden aus der genetischen Diagnostik sowie die Sicherstellung eines tatsachlich informierten Einverstandnisses. Durch eine intensive, vielseitige und an den Patienten bzw. Probanden angepasste Aufklarung kann gewahrleistet werden, dass dieser ein fur ihn tragfahiges und selbstbestimmtes bzw. autonomes Einverstandnis geben kann. Hier kann und sollte auch der Naturwissenschaftler eine tragende Rolle spielen.