Background: Among people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, generalized loss of muscle mass, termed secondary sarcopenia, is associated with treatment toxicities and physical disability. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide an overview of current interventions for sarcopenia in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and to assess potentially effective interventions. Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) Plus, and EMBASE for primary original research of exercise and nutrition interventions for sarcopenia published in English. The review used PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines. Standardized mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated as effect measures by applying the random-effects model. Results: The 6 included studies showed a trend toward significantly increasing skeletal muscle mass after intervention (mean difference, 0.168; 95% CI, −0.015 to 0.352; P = .072), with no significant changes in lean body mass loss after intervention (mean difference, −0.014; 95% CI, −1.291 to 1.264; P = .983). Resistance exercise and combined exercise and nutrition intervention were more effective at preserving or increasing muscle mass. Conclusions: Early implementation of a resistance exercise intervention or a combined exercise and nutrition intervention is a promising strategy for avoiding muscle mass loss during chemotherapy. Additional evidence-based assessments of interventions for secondary sarcopenia are needed to identify the most effective approach. Implications for Practice: In clinical practice, oncology nurses should frequently assess cancer patients’ muscle mass and when warranted should implement the most feasible early sarcopenia intervention to minimize the adverse outcomes of this condition.

Purpose: There is limited evidence on the effect of chemotherapy-associated taste alteration. This study aimed to evaluate taste alteration characteristics in patients receiving taxane-based chemotherapy and investigate the association of taste alterations with appetite, weight, quality of life (QOL), and adverse events. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated 100 patients receiving paclitaxel, docetaxel, or nab-paclitaxel as monotherapy or combination therapy. Taste alterations were evaluated using taste recognition thresholds and severity and symptom scales. Taste recognition thresholds, symptoms, appetite, weight, and adverse events were compared between patients with and without taste alterations, and logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors. Results: Of the 100 patients, 59% reported taste alterations. We found significantly elevated taste recognition thresholds (hypogeusia) for sweet, sour, and bitter tastes in the taste alteration group receiving nab-paclitaxel (p = 0.022, 0.020, and 0.039, respectively). The taste alteration group reported general taste alterations, decline in basic taste, and decreased appetite. Neither weight nor QOL was associated with taste alterations. Docetaxel therapy, previous chemotherapy, dry mouth, and peripheral neuropathy were significantly associated with taste alterations. Conclusions: Almost 60% of patients receiving taxane-based regimens, especially docetaxel, reported taste alterations. Taste alteration affected the patient’s appetite but did not affect the weight or QOL. Docetaxel therapy, previous chemotherapy, dry mouth, and peripheral neuropathy were independent risk factors for taste alterations.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the preoperative and postoperative experiences of spine surgery from the patient’s perspective to help inform behavioral health services provided before, during, and after hospitalization. Setting: Single urban academic tertiary care hospital. Methods: Semistructured interviews with 14 adults who underwent spine surgery. Interview transcriptions were analyzed using content analysis by three investigators to identify emergent themes. Results: Three broad domains with associated themes emerged from the analysis: 1) preoperative experience—preparation, worries, and expectations; 2) recovery process—activity and pain management strategies; and 3) postoperative support in recovery—family and social support. Conclusions: The results of this qualitative descriptive study can be used to guide future perioperative behavioral health services for patients undergoing spinal surgery. Establishing realistic expectations of spine surgery and a comprehensive pain management plan are essential for adequate preoperative preparation. Furthermore, family involvement in the preoperative preparation for surgery is important for support of the patient during the recovery process.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to apply network analysis methodology to better understand the relationships between pain-related measures among people with chronic pain. Methods: We analyzed data from a cross-sectional sample of 4614 active duty service members with chronic pain referred to 1 military interdisciplinary pain management center between 2014 and 2021. Using a combination of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System measures and other pain-related measures, we applied the “EBICglasso” algorithm to create regularized partial correlation networks that would identify the most influential measures. Results: Pain interference, depression, and anxiety had the highest strength in these networks. Pain catastrophizing played an important role in the association between pain and other pain-related health measures. Bootstrap analyses showed that the networks were very stable and the edge weights accurately estimated in 2 analyses (with and without pain catastrophizing). Conclusions: Our findings offer new insights into the relationships between symptoms using network analysis. Important findings highlight the strength of association between pain interference, depression and anxiety, which suggests that if pain is to be treated depression and anxiety must also be addressed. What was of specific importance was the role that pain catastrophizing had in the relationship between pain and other symptoms suggesting that pain catastrophizing is a key symptom on which to focus for treatment of chronic pain.

This study was designed to synthesize recent randomized controlled trials examining the associations between pain catastrophizing and four key pain-related outcomes (i.e., pain intensity, disability, pain interference, and physical function) among adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain. This review clarifies the role of pain catastrophizing in pain outcomes to inform targeted interventions. A systematic review was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched. The key search terms "pain catastrophizing," "chronic musculoskeletal pain," and "pain-related outcomes" were combined to find randomized controlled trials published in English from October 2018 to 2024 and study quality was assessed using the revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool for randomized trials. The data were descriptively synthesized. After screening, 20 studies were included in the review. The major pain type was chronic back pain. Among the studies, 13 reported a significant association between pain catastrophizing and pain-related outcomes, with some studies identifying multiple significant outcomes, including pain intensity (n = 8), disability (n = 7), and pain interference (n = 3). This review highlights the associations between pain catastrophizing and pain-related outcomes in adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain. The findings emphasize the importance of addressing pain catastrophizing in interventions to improve pain-related outcomes. This work was supported by Grant K24 AT011995 from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.