Search

Background The family and friends (caregivers) of patients with advanced cancer often experience tremendous distress. Although early integrated palliative care (PC) has been shown to improve patient-reported quality of life (QOL) and mood, its effects on caregivers' outcomes is currently unknown. Materials and methods We conducted a randomized trial of early PC integrated with oncology care versus oncology care alone for patients who were newly diagnosed with incurable lung and noncolorectal gastrointestinal cancers and their caregivers. The early PC intervention focused on addressing the needs of both patients and their caregivers. Eligible caregivers were family or friends who would likely accompany patients to clinic visits. The intervention entailed at least monthly patient visits with PC from the time of diagnosis. Caregivers were encouraged, but not required, to attend the palliative care visits. We used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Medical Health Outcomes Survey Short-Form to assess caregiver mood and QOL. Results Two hundred seventy-five caregivers (intervention n = 137; control n = 138) of the 350 patients participated. The intervention led to improvement in caregivers' total distress (HADS-total adjusted mean difference = -1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] -2.76 to -0.15, p = .029), depression subscale (HADS-depression adjusted mean difference = -0.71, 95% CI -1.38 to -0.05, p = .036), but not anxiety subscale or QOL at week 12. There were no differences in caregivers' outcomes at week 24. A terminal decline analysis showed significant intervention effects on caregivers' total distress (HADS-total), with effects on both the anxiety and depression subscales at 3 and 6 months before patient death. Conclusion Early involvement of PC for patients with newly diagnosed lung and gastrointestinal cancers leads to improvement in caregivers' psychological symptoms. This work demonstrates that the benefits of early, integrated PC models in oncology care extend beyond patient outcomes and positively impact the experience of caregivers. Implications for practice Early involvement of palliative care for patients with newly diagnosed lung and gastrointestinal cancers leads to improvement in caregivers' psychological symptoms. The findings of this trial demonstrate that the benefits of the early, integrated palliative care model in oncology care extend beyond patient outcomes and positively impact the experience of caregivers. These findings contribute novel data to the growing evidence base supporting the benefits of integrating palliative care earlier in the course of disease for patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers.

While vast opportunities for using qualitative methods exist within palliative care research, few studies provide practical advice for researchers and clinicians as a roadmap to identify and utilize such opportunities.To provide palliative care clinicians and researchers descriptions of qualitative methodology applied to innovative research questions relative to palliative care research and define basic concepts in qualitative research. Body: We describe three qualitative projects as exemplars to describe major concepts in qualitative analysis of early palliative care: (1) a descriptive analysis of clinician documentation in the electronic health record, (2) a thematic content analysis of palliative care clinician focus groups, and (3) a framework analysis of audio-recorded encounters between patients and clinicians as part of a clinical trial.This study provides a foundation for undertaking qualitative research within palliative care and serves as a framework for use by other palliative care researchers interested in qualitative methodologies.

Background Despite the well-established risks of persistent smoking, 10–30% of cancer patients continue to smoke after diagnosis. Evidence-based tobacco treatment has yet to be integrated into routine oncology care. This paper describes the protocol, manualized treatment, evaluation plan, and overall study design of comparing the effectiveness and cost of two treatments across two major cancer centers. Methods/design A two-arm, two-site randomized controlled comparative effectiveness trial is testing the hypothesis that an Intensive Treatment (IT) intervention is more effective than a Standard Treatment (ST) intervention in helping recently diagnosed cancer patients quit smoking. Both interventions include 4 weekly counseling sessions and FDA-approved smoking cessation medication advice. The IT includes an additional 4 biweekly and 3 monthly booster sessions as well as dispensal of the recommended FDA-approved smoking cessation medication at no cost. The trial is enrolling patients with suspected or newly diagnosed cancer who have smoked a cigarette in the past 30 days. Participants are randomly assigned to receive the ST or IT condition. Tobacco cessation outcomes are assessed at 3 and 6 months. The primary study outcome is 7-day point prevalence biochemically-validated tobacco abstinence. Secondary study outcomes include the incremental cost-effectiveness of the IT vs. ST. Discussion This trial will answer key questions about delivering tobacco treatment interventions to newly diagnosed cancer patients. If found to be efficacious and cost-effective, this treatment will serve as a model to be integrated into oncology care settings nation-wide, as we strive to improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients.

BACKGROUND Patients with incurable cancer face many physical and emotional stressors, yet little is known about their coping strategies or the relationship between their coping strategies, quality of life (QOL), and mood. METHODS As part of a randomized trial of palliative care, this study assessed baseline QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General), mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and coping (Brief COPE) in patients within 8 weeks of a diagnosis of incurable lung or gastrointestinal cancer and before randomization. To examine associations between coping strategies, QOL, and mood, we used linear regression, adjusting for patients' age, sex, marital status, and cancer type. RESULTS There were 350 participants (mean age, 64.9 years), and the majority were male (54.0%), were married (70.0%), and had lung cancer (54.6%). Most reported high utilization of emotional support coping (77.0%), whereas fewer reported high utilization of acceptance (44.8%), self-blame (37.9%), and denial (28.2%). Emotional support (QOL: β = 2.65, P < .01; depression: β = –0.56, P = .02) and acceptance (QOL: β = 1.55, P < .01; depression: β = –0.37, P = .01; anxiety: β = –0.34, P = .02) correlated with better QOL and mood. Denial (QOL: β = –1.97, P < .01; depression: β = 0.36, P = .01; anxiety: β = 0.61, P < .01) and self-blame (QOL: β = –2.31, P < .01; depression: β = 0.58, P < .01; anxiety: β = 0.66, P < .01) correlated with worse QOL and mood. CONCLUSIONS Patients with newly diagnosed, incurable cancer use a variety of coping strategies. The use of emotional support and acceptance coping strategies correlated with better QOL and mood, whereas the use of denial and self-blame negatively correlated with these outcomes. Interventions to improve patients' QOL and mood should seek to cultivate the use of adaptive coping strategies. Cancer 2016;122:2110–6. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Objectives Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, yet lung screening remains underutilized. Lung cancer screening uncertainty (LCSU), including referral clarity and the perceived accuracy of screening, may hinder utilization and represent an unmet psychosocial need. This study sought to identify correlates of LCSU among lung screening patients. Methods Current and former smokers (N = 169) completed questionnaires assessing LCSU, sociodemographic variables, objective and subjective numeracy, stress, and anxiety, as part of a cross-sectional study of lung screening patients at an academic hospital. Results Patients (52% current smok- ers) reported high clarity about the reason for their lung screening referral. Less clarity was as- sociated with lower education, not receiving Medicare, and greater stress and anxiety. Patients perceived lung screening to be moderately accurate, and levels were inversely related to objective numeracy. Subjective numeracy was higher among former versus current smokers (OR = 2.5), yet was unrelated to LCSU variables. Conclusions Several sociodemographic, numeracy, and emotional factors were associated with greater LCSU. With multiple policy and clinical guidelines purporting the uptake of annual lung screening, it is important to identify patients with LCSU and tailor shared decision-making to clarify their uncertainties.

Objective Patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have high risk for depressive symptoms and major depressive disorder (MDD); however, those with epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) mutations may have decreased risk. The biological underpinning of this relationship is unknown. We examined differences in depression severity and MDD in patients with newly diagnosed stage IV NSCLC based on EGFR mutation status, and examined proinflammatory cytokines and growth factors known to play a role in cancer progression and depression. Methods Fifty-five patients with newly diagnosed stage IV NSCLC completed self-report and clinician-administered depression assessments prior to receiving results of tumor genotyping. We measured serum levels of circulating biological markers of inflammation: IL-1β, IL-6, TGF-α, and TNF-α. We examined differences in depression severity, MDD, and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with and without EGFR mutations. Results Patients with EGFR mutations (n = 10) had lower depression severity ( t [43] = 2.38, p = 0.03) than those without EGFR mutations (n = 38) and fewer patients with EGFR mutations had concurrent MDD (2.08%) relative to those without mutations (27.08%). Patients with MDD had higher levels of TNF-α than those without MDD ( t [40] = 2.95, p = 0.005). Those with EGFR mutations exhibited higher levels of TNF-α relative to those without EGFR mutations ( t [35] = 2.17, p = 0.04). Conclusions Patients with stage IV NSCLC harboring an EGFR mutation exhibited elevated proinflammatory marker TNF-α, yet had lower depression severity than patients without EGFR mutations. More work is warranted to examine the interaction between tumor genotyping and inflammatory cytokines in the context of depression.

Purpose We evaluated the impact of early integrated palliative care (PC) in patients with newly diagnosed lung and GI cancer. Patients and Methods We randomly assigned patients with newly diagnosed incurable lung or noncolorectal GI cancer to receive either early integrated PC and oncology care (n = 175) or usual care (n = 175) between May 2011 and July 2015. Patients who were assigned to the intervention met with a PC clinician at least once per month until death, whereas those who received usual care consulted a PC clinician upon request. The primary end point was change in quality of life (QOL) from baseline to week 12, per scoring by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General scale. Secondary end points included change in QOL from baseline to week 24, change in depression per the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and differences in end-of-life communication. Results Intervention patients ( v usual care) reported greater improvement in QOL from baseline to week 24 (1.59 v −3.40; P = .010) but not week 12 (0.39 v −1.13; P = .339). Intervention patients also reported lower depression at week 24, controlling for baseline scores (adjusted mean difference, −1.17; 95% CI, −2.33 to −0.01; P = .048). Intervention effects varied by cancer type, such that intervention patients with lung cancer reported improvements in QOL and depression at 12 and 24 weeks, whereas usual care patients with lung cancer reported deterioration. Patients with GI cancers in both study groups reported improvements in QOL and mood by week 12. Intervention patients versus usual care patients were more likely to discuss their wishes with their oncologist if they were dying (30.2% v 14.5%; P = .004). Conclusion For patients with newly diagnosed incurable cancers, early integrated PC improved QOL and other salient outcomes, with differential effects by cancer type. Early integrated PC may be most effective if targeted to the specific needs of each patient population.

Patients with incurable cancer face many physical and emotional stressors, yet little is known about their coping strategies or the relationship between their coping strategies, quality of life (QOL), and mood.As part of a randomized trial of palliative care, this study assessed baseline QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General), mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and coping (Brief COPE) in patients within 8 weeks of a diagnosis of incurable lung or gastrointestinal cancer and before randomization. To examine associations between coping strategies, QOL, and mood, we used linear regression, adjusting for patients' age, sex, marital status, and cancer type.There were 350 participants (mean age, 64.9 years), and the majority were male (54.0%), were married (70.0%), and had lung cancer (54.6%). Most reported high utilization of emotional support coping (77.0%), whereas fewer reported high utilization of acceptance (44.8%), self-blame (37.9%), and denial (28.2%). Emotional support (QOL: β = 2.65, P.01; depression: β = -0.56, P = .02) and acceptance (QOL: β = 1.55, P.01; depression: β = -0.37, P = .01; anxiety: β = -0.34, P = .02) correlated with better QOL and mood. Denial (QOL: β = -1.97, P.01; depression: β = 0.36, P = .01; anxiety: β = 0.61, P.01) and self-blame (QOL: β = -2.31, P.01; depression: β = 0.58, P.01; anxiety: β = 0.66, P.01) correlated with worse QOL and mood.Patients with newly diagnosed, incurable cancer use a variety of coping strategies. The use of emotional support and acceptance coping strategies correlated with better QOL and mood, whereas the use of denial and self-blame negatively correlated with these outcomes. Interventions to improve patients' QOL and mood should seek to cultivate the use of adaptive coping strategies. Cancer 2016;122:2110-6. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

Little is known about how patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) and their family caregivers (FC) perceive their prognosis. We examined prognostic understanding in patients undergoing HCT and their FC and its relationship with quality of life (QOL) and mood. We conducted a longitudinal study of patients (and FC) hospitalized for HCT. We used a questionnaire to measure participants' prognostic understanding and asked the oncologists to estimate patients' prognosis prior to HCT. We assessed QOL and mood weekly and evaluated the relationship between prognostic understanding, and QOL and mood using multivariable linear mixed models. We enrolled 90 patients undergoing (autologous (n=30), myeloablative (n=30) or reduced intensity allogeneic (n=30)) HCT. About 88.9% of patients and 87.1% of FC reported it is 'extremely' or 'very' important to know about prognosis. However, 77.6% of patients and 71.7% of FC reported a discordance and more optimistic prognostic perception compared to the oncologist (P

104 Background: Early palliative care (PC) improves outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and in patients identified by clinicians as having poor prognosis, advanced cancer. We evaluated the impact of early, integrated palliative and oncology care in patients with newly diagnosed lung and gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. Methods: Between 5/2/11 and 7/20/15, we randomly assigned patients with newly diagnosed incurable lung (NSCLC, small cell, mesothelioma) or GI (pancreas, hepatobiliary, gastric, esophageal) cancer to PC integrated with oncology care (monthly visits with PC) or usual oncology care. We used the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) to assess quality of life (QOL) and the Patient Health Questionniare-9 (PHQ-9) for mood at baseline, weeks 12 and 24. We also assessed patients’ coping styles (Brief COPE), perceptions of likelihood of cure and communication about end-of-life (EOL) preferences. To evaluate intervention effects on patient-reported outcomes, we performed chi square tests and linear regression, controlling for baseline values and clinical factors. Results: We randomized 350 patients (175 per group), including 191 lung and 159 GI cancer patients. Patients assigned to early PC had higher QOL (B = 5.36, 95% CI: 2.04 to 8.69, p = 0.002) and less depression on the PHQ-9 (B = -1.17, 95% CI: -2.33 to -0.01, p = 0.048) at 24 weeks, but not at 12 weeks. Also at 24 weeks, the intervention group was significantly more likely to report using active and engaged coping styles compared to the usual care group (B = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.23 to 1.96, p = 0.013). Similar proportions of patients at 24 weeks reported that their cancer was unlikely to be cured (36/105 [33.6%] in PC and 43/115 [37.4%] in usual care) but more patients assigned to early PC reported they discussed their EOL preferences (35/116 [30.2%] versus 17/117 [14.5%], p = 0.004). Change in QOL over time differed between the lung and GI cancer cohorts. Conclusions: Early PC improved QOL, mood, coping, and the frequency of EOL discussions in patients with newly diagnosed lung and GI cancer. The benefits of the integrated care model extend to other populations with advanced disease and include improved communication about EOL care. Clinical trial information: NCT01401907.

234 Background: Patients with newly diagnosed advanced cancers who receive early palliative care (PC) integrated with oncology care report improvement in their quality of life (QOL) and mood. While a telephone-based psycho-educational intervention for FC decrease depression, the impact of early, integrated outpatient PC models on FC outcomes remains unknown. Methods: We conducted a randomized trial of early PC integrated with oncology care versus oncology care alone for newly diagnosed patients with incurable lung and gastrointestinal cancers and their FC. Eligible FC were relatives or friends who would likely accompany the patient to clinic visits. FC were eligible to enroll up to 4 weeks after patient enrollment. The intervention entailed at least monthly patient visits with PC from the time of enrollment. FC were not required to attend these visits. We used the Medical Outcomes Study Health Survey Short Form-36 to examine QOL and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to examine mood at baseline, weeks 12 and 24. We used the two-sample t-test to examine changes in QOL and mood from baseline to week 12 and week 24. Results: We enrolled 350 patients and 275 (78.6%) of potentially eligible FC (control n = 138, intervention n = 137) between 5/2/2011 to 7/20/2015. FC outcomes missing data rate at 12 and 24 weeks were 16.8% and 33.8% respectively. At 12 weeks, FC of patients receiving early PC reported higher vitality (1.1 vs. -3.2, p = 0.05) and social functioning (-3.0 vs. -3.8, p = 0.02), and lower depression symptoms (-0.45 vs. 0.24, p = 0.03) compared to FC of patients assigned to usual care. At 24 weeks, FC of patients assigned to early PC had lower depression symptoms (-0.37 vs. 0.28, p = 0.05), but no differences in vitality or social functioning compared to those receiving usual care. No differences in other SF-36 subscales or anxiety were noted at 12 and 24 weeks. Conclusions: Early involvement of PC for patients with newly diagnosed lung and gastrointestinal cancers leads to improvements in FC depression and aspects of QOL. This work demonstrates that the benefits of early, integrated palliative care models in oncology care extend beyond patient outcomes and positively impact the experience of FC. Clinical trial information: NCT01401907.

10003Background: Early palliative care (PC) improves outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and in patients identified by clinicians as having poor prognosis, advanced cancer. We evaluated the impact of early, integrated palliative and oncology care in patients with newly diagnosed lung and gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. Methods: We randomly assigned patients with newly diagnosed incurable lung (NSCLC, small cell, mesothelioma) or GI (pancreas, hepatobiliary, gastric, esophageal) cancer to PC integrated with oncology care (at least monthly visits with PC) or usual oncology care. We used the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) to assess quality of life (QOL) and the Patient Health Questionniare-9 (PHQ-9) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) for mood at baseline, weeks 12 and 24. We assessed patients’ perception of their likelihood of cure and their communication about their end of life (EOL) preferences. WΒe used linear regres...

10131Background: Patients with newly diagnosed advanced cancers who receive early palliative care (PC) integrated with oncology care report improvement in their quality of life (QOL) and mood. Whil...

269 Background: Hospital readmission rate is increasingly suggested as a quality care metric. Currently there are no standard criteria for an avoidable readmission in oncology. Although patients with cancer have been identified as being at increased risk of readmission, there has been little to examine the reasons for the oncology patient readmission. The aim was to examine the profiles of patients with an unplanned readmission within 30 days after discharge by an oncology provider and to measure the unplanned 30-day readmission rate. Methods: A retrospective review of oncology provider discharge encounters resulting in a 30-day unplanned readmission during the 2012 calendar year at a tertiary hospital with a comprehensive cancer center was conducted. Planned readmissions for chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, dialysis, and surgical procedures, as well as readmissions for rehabilitation, hospice, and psychiatry were excluded. Medical oncologists analyzed medical records for the primary reason of readmission and if the readmission was possibly preventable. Results: Of the 2,944 admissions, a final cohort of 441 unplanned readmissions from 321 unique patients for an unplanned 30-day readmission rate of 14.9% was observed. The average age at admission was 59 (SD 15.9). The cohort was mostly male (56.9%) and White/Caucasian (84.4%). Gastrointestinal (24.0%), lymphoma (18.6%), and leukemia (17.5%) were the most common cancer types. Of those with solid tumors types (n = 225), approximately 70% had metastatic disease. The median time to readmission was 10 days and 10.7% died within 30 days of readmission. Oncology reviewers most commonly assessed that readmission was primarily due to treatment-related effects (46.7%) and the progression of disease (42.2%). Approximately 20% of 30-day readmissions were determined to be possibly preventable, representing 3% of all admissions for the year. Conclusions: Oncology patients readmitted within 30-days frequently present with complicated, advanced disease. A review by medical oncologists suggests there is margin for intervention to reduce 30-day unplanned admissions.

215 Background: Patients undergoinghematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) experience a steep deterioration in quality of life (QOL) and mood during hospitalization for HCT. The impact of this deterioration on patients’ long-term QOL and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms is unknown. Methods: We conducted a prospective longitudinal study of patients hospitalized for HCT. At baseline (day-6), day+1, day+8, and 6 months post-HCT, we assessed QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplantation [FACT-BMT]) and mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]). We used the PTSD Checklist to assess for PTSD symptoms at 6 months. We used multivariable linear regression models to identify predictors of QOL and PTSD symptoms at 6 months post-HCT. Results: We enrolled 97% (90/93) of consecutively eligible patients undergoing autologous (n = 30), myeloablative allogeneic (n = 30), or reduced intensity allogeneic (n = 30) HCT. Overall, patients’ QOL at 6 months (mean FACT-BMT: 110, 95%CI [104-116]) recovered to baseline pre-transplant values (mean FACT-BMT: 110, 95% CI [107-115]). At 6 months, 28.4% of participants met provisional diagnostic criteria for PTSD, and 43.3% had clinically significant depression. In multivariable regression analyses adjusting for baseline QOL, mood, other covariates, change in QOL and depression scores during hospitalization for HCT predicted impaired QOL (DQOL β = 1.13, P < 0.0001, D HADS-depression β = 2.51, P = 0.001) and PTSD symptoms (DQOL β = 0.50, P < 0.0001, DHADS-depression β = 1.22, P < 0.0001) at 6 months post-HCT. Conclusions: While patients’ overall QOL at 6 months post-HCT returned to baseline values, a significant proportion met provisional diagnostic criteria for PTSD and depression. The decline in QOL and increase in depressive symptoms during hospitalization for HCT were the most important predictors of long-term QOL impairment and PTSD symptoms. Future studies should evaluate whether interventions to improve QOL and reduce psychological distress during HCT may improve long-term QOL and reduce the risk of PTSD symptoms.

62 Background: Treatment decisions are often based on performance status (PS), a subjective rating of patient functioning derived from observation and patient-report. Devices that monitor physical activity, such as wrist actigraphs, can accurately measure the percent of time a person is immobile while awake (awake immobile). Thus, actigraphy may have potential to better estimate true PS. We compared actigraphy to both Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group PS (ECOG PS) and patient-reported physical activity as predictors of survival in patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Participants (n = 41) were ambulatory patients with stage IV NSCLC receiving care at MGH. Participants wore a watch-sized accelerometer device (ACTIWATCH 2) for three consecutive 24-hour periods (72 hours) and completed a self-report questionnaire about physical activity, scored as METS (metabolic equivalents) per week. Patients’ oncologists rated their ECOG PS (0-5) at the end of the 72-hour actigraphy period. Relationships among ECOG PS, awake immobile, and METs per week were tested with Pearson correlations. A ROC curve for 6-month survival was used to determine a meaningful cut-off for awake immobile. Unadjusted Cox regression models tested associations with survival from assessment times. Results: Participants’ ECOG PS ratings were: 0 (22%), 1 (63%), 2 (12%), and 3 (2%). ECOG PS and awake immobile were correlated (r = .42, p < .01). METS per week was correlated only with ECOG PS (r = -.35, p = .03). At time of analysis, 15 patients had died with a minimum follow up of 9 months. Among all patients, survival was predicted by ECOG PS, HR = 3.77 (95% CI 1.70-8.35), p < .01; awake immobile as both as a continuous (percentage points) and categorical ( > 23%) variable, HR = 1.04 (95% CI 1.00-1.09), p = .05 and HR = 4.12 (95% CI 1.37-12.39), p = .01, respectively; but not METS per week. Among patients with good EGOC PS (0-1), only awake immobile ( > 23%) predicted survival, HR = 5.80 (95% CI 1.39-24.12), p = .02. Moreover, within the largest ECOG group (PS1), awake immobile ( > 23%) still predicted survival, HR = 5.53 (95% CI 1.18-25.94), p = .03. Conclusions: Actigraphy, an objective measure of patient activity, may have utility in determining patient PS.

76 Background: Patients’ prognostic understanding and coping styles influence their treatment decisions, but how these factors relate to their quality of life (QOL) and mood has not been well described. We sought to examine the associations of patients’ prognostic understanding and coping style with their QOL and mood. Methods: As part of an ongoing trial of early palliative care, we are assessing baseline QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General), mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), coping (Brief Cope) and prognostic understanding in patients within 8 weeks of diagnosis of advanced lung or gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. To determine associations, we used linear and logistic regression, controlling for patients’ age, sex, cancer type and marital status. Results: Of 300 participants (mean age = 64.7 years; 138 (46%) female), 132 (44%) had GI cancer and 168 (56%) had lung cancer. Using cutoff score > 7 for the HADS, 61 (20%) and 85 (28%) reported depression and anxiety. 138 (49%) reported their prognosis as terminal. A terminal perception of prognosis was associated with lower QOL and higher rates of anxiety. Emotional support, acceptance, and active coping styles were associated with better QOL and mood. Denial and self blame were associated with worse QOL and mood. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that acknowledging a terminal prognosis may be associated with greater physical and psychological distress, or conversely, patients with worse QOL and mood may better appreciate the gravity of their illness. Certain coping styles (self blame and denial) are associated with lower QOL and higher distress. Understanding the relationships among patients’ prognostic awareness, coping styles, QOL and mood will allow us to develop more effective supportive care interventions. Clinical trial information: NCT01401907. [Table: see text]

9557 Background: Patients undergoinghematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) experience a steep deterioration in quality of life (QOL) and mood during hospitalization for HCT. The impact of this deterioration on patients’ long-term QOL and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms is unknown. Methods: We conducted a prospective longitudinal study of patients hospitalized for HCT. At baseline (day-6), day+1, day+8, and 6 months post-HCT, we assessed QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplantation [FACT-BMT]) and mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]). We used the PTSD Checklist to assess for PTSD symptoms at 6 months. We used multivariable linear regression models to identify predictors of QOL and PTSD symptoms at 6 months post-HCT. Results: We enrolled 97% (90/93) of consecutively eligible patients undergoing autologous (n = 30), myeloablative allogeneic (n = 30), or reduced intensity allogeneic (n = 30) HCT. Overall, patients’ QOL at 6 months (mean FACT-BMT...

224 Background: Despite the important role family caregivers (CGs) play in the care of patients with cancer, little is known about their psychological distress. We sought to describe rates and correlates of depression and anxiety in CGs of patients with advanced cancer to determine those at greatest risk for psychological distress. Methods: As part of an ongoing trial of early palliative care, we are assessing baseline depression and anxiety in patients within 8 weeks of advanced lung or gastrointestinal cancer diagnosis and their CGs. We are administering the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), with subscale scores >7 denoting clinically significant depression or anxiety. We are assessing patient coping styles with the Brief COPE. We used multiple logistic regression with purposeful selection of covariates to identify correlates of CG depression and anxiety. Results: Of 240 CGs (mean age=57 years), 156 (65%) were spouses/partners, 167 (70%) were female, and 131 (55%) were working. 37 (15%) and 102 (43%) CGs reported significant depression and anxiety, respectively. CG age, gender and employment status, as well as patients’ anxiety and lack of acceptance coping were associated with higher rates of CG depression. CG age, gender, marital status and education level, as well as patients’ anxiety and presence of brain metastases were associated with higher rates of CG anxiety. Conclusions: Younger, female CGs were at greatest risk of both depression and anxiety. Thus, this CG population should be monitored closely and referred for cancer center support services for distress management. We also found that patients’ anxiety was associated with higher rates of both CG depression and anxiety, underscoring the importance of interventions that address both patient and CG psychological distress. Clinical trial information: NCT01401907. [Table: see text]

Background: In advanced cancers, patients' prognostic perceptions influence their medical decisions. However, little is known about how patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) and their family caregivers (FC) understand their prognosis. We examined prognostic understanding in these patients and their FC during hospitalization for HCT and its relationship with quality of life (QOL) and mood. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study of patients hospitalized for HCT and their FC. At baseline (6 days pre-HCT), we used a 10-item questionnaire to measure patients' and FC information preferences and perception of prognosis. We also asked oncologists to estimate the patients' prognosis. At day-6, day+1, day+8 of HCT, we assessed QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplantation (FACT-BMT)), and mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). We evaluated the relationship between participants' prognostic understanding and their QOL and mood during hospitalization for HCT using multivariable linear mixed models. Results: We enrolled 97% of consecutively eligible patients undergoing autologous (n=30), myeloablative (n=30) or reduced intensity (n=30) allogeneic HCT. Most patients (80/90, 88.9%) and FC (41/47, 87.1%) believed that it is extremely or very important to know about prognosis. However, the majority of patients (66/85, 77.6%) and FC (33/46, 71.7%) reported an inaccurate and more optimistic perception of the patients' prognosis compared to the oncologist (P < 0.0001) [Figure 1]. Patients with an accurate understanding of their prognosis reported worse QOL (F = 4.3, P = 0.03) and a higher rate of depression (F = 4.4, P = 0.04) with worsening depressive symptoms over time (F = 4.13, P = 0.006) compared to patients with an inaccurate prognostic perception. Conclusions: The majority of patients and FC reported inaccurate and more optimistic perception of prognosis compared with the oncologist. Patients with an accurate perception of their prognosis had lower QOL, higher rates of depression, and worsening depression symptoms during hospitalization for HCT. Interventions are needed to improve prognostic understanding, while providing them with the psychosocial support they need to cope with this difficult information. Figure 1: Patients', Family Caregivers', and Oncologists' Prognostic Perception Figure 1:. Patients', Family Caregivers', and Oncologists' Prognostic Perception Disclosures Off Label Use: Sorafenib for FLT3-ITD AML.

160 Background: While the long-term outcomes of HCT survivors have been described, the acute impact of hospitalization for HCT on patients’ and FC QOL and mood has received little attention. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study of patients (and FC) hospitalized for HCT. At baseline (6 days pre-HCT), day+1, and day+8 of HCT, we assessed QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplantation FACT-BMT), fatigue (FACT-Fatigue), and mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale HADS). We used the SF-36 to examine FC QOL [physical component scale (PCS), and mental component scale (MCS)]. Using multivariable linear mixed models, we examined predictors of QOL changes during hospitalization. Results: We enrolled 97% of consecutively eligible patients undergoing autologous (n=30), myeloablative (n=30) or reduced intensity (n=30) allogeneic HCT. Patients’ QOL markedly declined and fatigue increased throughout hospitalization (Table). The proportion of patients meeting criteria for depression (HADS-D > 7) more than doubled from baseline to day+8 (15.6% to 37.8%, P < 0.0001) whereas the proportion of patients with anxiety remained stable (22.2%, P = 0.8). Depression (β= -2.24, F=42.2, p < 0.0001) and anxiety (β= -0.63, F=4.4, p = 0.03) at baseline independently predict worse QOL throughout hospitalization. The FC QOL declined during patient’s hospitalization (PCS: 83.1 to 79.6, P= 0.03, MCS: 71.6 to 67.4, P = 0.04). Conclusions: Patients undergoing HCT reported a rapid and steep deterioration in QOL along with substantially worse fatigue and depression during hospitalization. Greater decrements in QOL were predicted by depression and anxiety highlighting the importance of assessing pre-HCT psychiatric morbidity. [Table: see text]

219 Background: In advanced cancers, patients’ prognostic perceptions influence their medical decisions. However, little is known about how patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing HCT and their family caregivers (FC) understand their prognosis. We examined prognostic perception in these patients during hospitalization for HCT and its relationship with QOL and mood. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal study of patients (and FC) hospitalized for HCT. At baseline (6 days pre-HCT), we used a 10-item questionnaire to measure patients’ and FC information preferences, and perception of prognosis. Using 2-items, we also asked oncologists regarding the patients’ prognosis. At day-6, day+1, day+8 of HCT, we assessed QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplantation FACT-BMT), and mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). We examined the relationship between patients’ prognostic perception and their QOL and mood during hospitalization for HCT using multivariable linear mixed models. Results: We enrolled 97% of consecutively eligible patients undergoing autologous (n=30), myeloablative (n=30) or reduced intensity (n=30) allogeneic HCT. Most patients (80/90, 88.9%) and FC (41/47, 87.1%) believed that it is ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ important to know about prognosis. However, the majority of patients (66/85, 77.6%) and FC (33/46, 71.7%) reported an inaccurate and more optimistic perception of the patients’ prognosis compared to the oncologist (P < 0.0001). Patients with accurate prognostic understanding reported lower QOL (P = 0.03) and worse depressive symptoms (P = 0.04) with a steeper increase in depression (P = 0.006) over time compared to patients with an inaccurate optimistic prognostic perception. Conclusions: The majority of patients and FC reported inaccurate and more optimistic perception of prognosis compared with the oncologist. Patients with an accurate perception of their prognosis had lower QOL, higher depression, and a steeper increase in depression during hospitalization for HCT. Interventions are needed to improve prognostic understanding while providing adequate psychosocial support during HCT.

9642 Background: During HSCT, patients endure significant side effects in the hopes of curing their disease. While many studies have focused on the long-term outcomes of HSCT recipients, the acute ...

214 Background: While caring for patients with metastatic cancer can be emotional, relationships between the emotions of oncologists and their patients have not been examined. As patients and oncologists read emotional cues in encounters, emotions of one or both may impact the other. We explored associations between dispositional affect, tendencies to emotionally respond to situations in certain ways, in oncologists and depressive symptoms in their patients with newly diagnosed metastatic lung and gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Methods: As part of an ongoing trial of early palliative care, participants were assessed at baseline for depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9, PHQ9) within 8 weeks of diagnosis with metastatic lung and GI cancers. Oncologists providing care for these patients completed the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), a validated measure of dispositional affect with positive and negative dimensions. Associations between patient depressive symptoms and oncologists' positive and negative dispositional affect were tested with linear regression models. Results: Sixteen of the 18 oncologists with patients in the trial completed the PANAS. Among 323 participants with baseline assessments, 277 (86%) had oncologists who completed the PANAS. Mean age=64.6, 129 (46%) were female, 159 (57%) had GI and 118 (43%) lung cancer, and mean PHQ9 score=6.5. Positive and negative dispositional affect were not associated with oncologists’ sex, years from training, hours in clinic, and cancer specialization. Patient depressive symptoms were significantly higher if their oncologists reported greater negative dispositional affect (p=.04). The relationship remained significant adjusting for patient age, sex, cancer type, ECOG PS, smoking, and number of oncology visits (β=.13, t=2.1, p=.04). PHQ9 scores were not associated with oncologists’ positive dispositional affect. Conclusions: Depressive symptoms in patients with metastatic lung and GI cancers appear to be associated with their oncologists’ negative dispositional affect. Determining the direction of the association may lead to new ways of improving patients and/or oncologists moods.