Cancer not only impairs a patient’s physical and psychosocial functional behaviour, but also contributes to negative impact on family members’ health related quality of life. Currently, there is an absence of a relevant tool in Thai with which to measure such impact. The aim of this study was to translate and validate the Family Reported Outcome Measure (FROM-16) in Thai cancer patients’ family members. Thai version of FROM-16 was generated by interactive forward-backward translation process following standard guidelines. This was tested for psychometric properties including reliability and validity, namely content validity, concurrent validity, known group validity, internal consistency, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Construct validity was examined by comparing the Thai FROM-16 version with the WHOQOL-BREF-THAI. The internal consistency reliability was strong (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.86). A Negative moderate correlation between the Thai FROM-16 and WHOQOL-BREF-THAI was observed (r = − 0.4545, p < 0.00), and known group validity was proved by a statistically significant higher score in family members with high burden of care and insufficient income. The factor analysis supported both 3-factor and 2-factor loading model with slight difference when compared with the original version. The Thai FROM-16 showed good reliability and validity in Thai family members of patients with cancer. A slight difference in factor analysis results compared to the original version could be due to cross-culture application.

Anthracycline-based regimens with or without anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) 2 agents such as trastuzumab are effective in breast cancer treatment. Nevertheless, heart failure (HF) has become a significant side effect of these regimens. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and factors associated with HF in breast cancer patients treated with anthracyclines with or without trastuzumab. A retrospective cohort study was performed in patients with breast cancer who were treated with anthracyclines with or without trastuzumab between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2018. The primary outcome was the incidence of HF. The secondary outcome was the risk factors associated with HF by using the univariable and multivariable cox-proportional hazard model. A total of 475 breast cancer patients were enrolled with a median follow-up time of 2.88 years (interquartile range (IQR), 1.59–3.93). The incidence of HF was 3.2%, corresponding to an incidence rate of 11.1 per 1000 person-years. The increased risk of HF was seen in patients receiving a combination of anthracycline and trastuzumab therapy, patients treated with radiotherapy or palliative-intent chemotherapy, and baseline left ventricular ejection fraction <65%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in other risk factors for HF, such as age, cardiovascular comorbidities, and cumulative doxorubicin dose. In conclusion, the incidence of HF was consistently high in patients receiving combination anthracyclines trastuzumab regimens. A reduced baseline left ventricular ejection fraction, radiotherapy, and palliative-intent chemotherapy were associated with an increased risk of HF. Intensive cardiac monitoring in breast cancer patients with an increased risk of HF should be advised to prevent undesired cardiac outcomes.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major contributor to global cancer mortality. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota is a key modulator of liver disease progression and a promising source of non-invasive biomarkers. However, regional disparities in microbial profiles, influenced by ethnicity, diet, and environment, limit the generalizability of the existing data. This study aimed to characterize gut microbiota alterations in Thai patients with advanced untreated HCC compared to healthy individuals. Method: Fecal samples from 27 untreated Thai advanced HCC patients were collected, and data from 31 healthy individuals retrieved from a previous study were employed. Gut microbiota profiles were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results: Alpha diversity was significantly reduced in HCC patients (p < 0.001). At the phylum level, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were enriched in HCC, whereas Actinobacteria were more abundant in controls. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota levels were positively correlated with serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels, whereas Firmicutes were negatively correlated with ALBI scores. Conclusions: Thai patients with advanced HCC exhibited distinct gut microbial signatures, characterized by dysbiosis and expansion of Proteobacteria. These findings support the role of the gut microbiota as a potential non-invasive biomarker for disease severity and prognosis in HCC, underscoring the importance of population-specific microbial studies.