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Introduction Radiation therapists implemented telephone follow‐up (TFU) in 2015 as an additional point of care post‐treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine whether TFU identified patients who required additional post‐treatment care before the next scheduled review. Methods Between January 2015 and July 2016, all patients who were prescribed curative intent treatment aged 18 years or over were called 10 days post‐radiation therapy (RT). Eight questions were developed and included asking patients how they were coping, if their side effects were improving, if they needed to contact the hospital and if more dressings were required. Patients who could not be contacted after two attempts were excluded from the study. Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) were used to analyse the responses. Results Data were collected from 850 patients. A total of 28/846 (3%) of patients reported they were not coping after RT, with 26/830 (3%) reporting their side effects were getting worse. A total of 97/826 (12%) of patients felt they needed to contact the hospital because they were unwell. This study identified 104/677 (15%) of patients who responded required more dressings, with 67/104 (65.7%) and 10/104 (9.8%) of this cohort identified in the breast, and head and neck groups, respectively. Conclusion Radiation therapist‐led TFU has shown to be beneficial in identifying a small cohort of breast and head and neck cancer patients who required additional care post‐radiation treatment. RT‐led TFU effectively identified patients who required additional post‐treatment care. The information gained identified patients in need of assistance prior to scheduled medical follow‐up and allowed for timely support and advice to be given. Additional research is needed to determine the level of psychosocial support required by these patients

Background Parents of babies admitted to neonatal units experience an arduous emotional journey. Feelings of helplessness, fear, sadness, guilt, grief and anger are common. These feelings can lead to anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress which may persist long after discharge from the unit. Support from a parent with first-hand experience able to empathise with problems and challenges may help. This systematic review will identify quantitative and qualitative evidence to address the role of parent-to-parent support interventions for families of babies cared for in neonatal units, and combine the findings in an integrated synthesis. Methods We are working in collaboration with a study-specific Parent Advisory Group (PAG) of parents who have relevant and varied lived experience of having a baby in neonatal care and those who have been involved in providing peer support. With the PAG, we will carry out a systematic review bringing together all existing research on parent-to-parent support for parents of babies cared for in neonatal units. This will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The protocol has been produced in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocol extension (PRISMA-P). We have co-produced a plain language protocol summary with the PAG which details the different stages of the project, and this is available via our website ( http://clahrc-peninsula.nihr.ac.uk/research/parent-to-parent-support ) for anyone interested in learning more about the detail of the project. Discussion All outputs will be available on the NIHR CLAHRC South West Peninsula (PenCLAHRC) website and promoted via PenCLAHRC networks as well as organisations that have been contacted throughout the project. PAG members will be involved in writing and reviewing the academic paper and final report and in co-producing dissemination products such as plain language summaries. The PAG will influence the main conclusions of the systematic review, aid interpretation and help to communicate results in the most appropriate ways. We will hold an impact conference with representatives from neonatal units, national neonatal networks, commissioners of services and parents to discuss what the findings mean for clinical practice and service provision. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42018090569

Introduction/BackgroundPIPAC is an emerging technique of administering intraperitoneal chemotherapy. The benefits of this method include improved drug distribution and tissue target thus becoming a potential new treatment available for patients with peritoneal metastases. To our knowledge, this is the most rigorous review of the current evidence on safety and efficacy of PIPAC specifically in patients with ovarian (OC), fallopian tube (FTC) and primary peritoneal (PPC) carcinomas with peritoneal metastases.MethodologyThe present review was registered with PROSPERO and conducted in accordance to the PRISMA checklist. Terms related to the use of PIPAC in management of all cancers were searched in MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid) electronic databases and Cochrane Library. Screening and study selection were performed by all authors.Results9 studies reporting outcomes specific for patients with OC, FTC and PPC were identified and included in the analysis, comprising of 158 patients and 257 PIPAC procedures. 159 Grade 1, 41 Grade 2, 13 Grade 3 and 2 Grade 4 toxicity events were recorded out of 209 procedures. Rate of histological regression ranges from 62% after 1 procedure to 76% following 3 procedures. Overall quality of life score based on responses to the EORTC QLQ-C30 v3.0 questionnaire improved following treatment. Median survival ranges from 6.8 months after 1 treatment up to 22 months after 3 procedures.ConclusionWith acceptable levels of low-risk complications and low rate of morbidity and serious complications, the results of this review suggest PIPAC offers an alternative treatment option for management of advanced OC, FTC and PPC with peritoneal metastases.

Photo: Bruno Schlumberger, The Ottawa Citizen / [Susan Prosser] says a warmer emotional environment in Ottawa would reduce the level of toxic feelings such as frustration and road rage. The chaos theory says that if a butterfly flaps its wings in the rainforest of South America, it can generate enough momentum to create a storm on another continent. Using this theory, I believe that if you and I make a concerted effort to be kind to all who cross our paths, we could create a storm of kindness that could continue to flourish in our wonderful city. We could experience making a real difference in the lives of many people, thereby making a meaningful contribution to our world.

The Quota Club of Orillia welcomed two new members, Peggy Halligan and Gwen Kavanagh at a recent meeting. The two were initiated by Governor Georgina Waind, bring the membership to 40. The 50-60's Quota Fundraising Dance held Sept. 25 was a huge success. The ever-popular Desoto's kept the packed house hoppin' and boppin' all night long. The silent auction fundraiser is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 12 at the Masonic Lodge on James Street. All proceeds will support local community projects. On Nov. 21 the Quota girls will bring home made Christmas goodies to the Whitehouse Craft Sale.

Imagine waking up tomorrow feeling exhausted and experiencing the aches and pains of the flu. Imagine that to be the first day of the rest of your life, a life filled with debilitating symptoms that won't go away. And to make matters worse, the doctors are not sure what is wrong with you and therefore do not know how to treat your symptoms. You now have an idea about what it might be like to have fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue syndrome. David Mann was an accomplished, middle-aged vice-president of technology at Nortel Networks when his body started to feel crippled with pain and complete exhaustion. Even with the credibility of his position and his access to the best doctors, no one could tell him why he was ill or what he could do about it. Once diagnosed, Mr. Mann was able to gather his internal and external resources to find ways to cope with and improve his condition. Shirley Westeinde, a successful businesswoman in Ottawa, was overwhelmed by the changes in her body and in her ability to meet the demands in her life. Once she was diagnosed, Ms. Westeinde was mobilized to research the condition and find ways to cope, including a serious regime of exercise, yoga, vitamin supplementation and ways to deal with pain management and sleep problems.

There is no comfort in the status quo when children are unloved or hungry, when it is unsafe for women to walk the streets, when men feel like the bad guys and when gays and lesbians are second-class citizens.

Using the hoary squash bee ( Peponapis pruinosa ) as a model, we provide the first probabilistic risk assessment of exposure to systemic insecticides in soil for ground-nesting bees. To assess risk in acute and chronic exposure scenarios in Cucurbita and field crops, concentrations of clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid (neonicotinoids) and chlorantraniliprole (anthranilic diamide) in cropped soil were plotted to produce an environmental exposure distribution for each insecticide. The probability of exceedance of several exposure endpoints (LC 50 s) was compared to an acceptable risk threshold (5%). In Cucurbita crops, under acute exposure, risk to hoary squash bees was below 5% for honey bee LC 50 s for all residues evaluated but exceeded 5% for clothianidin and imidacloprid using a solitary bee LC 50 . For Cucurbita crops in the chronic exposure scenario, exposure risks for clothianidin and imidacloprid exceeded 5% for all endpoints, and exposure risk for chlorantraniliprole was below 5% for all endpoints. In field crops, risk to ground-nesting bees was high from clothianidin in all exposure scenarios and high for thiamethoxam and imidacloprid under chronic exposure scenarios. Risk assessments for ground-nesting bees should include exposure impacts from pesticides in soil and could use the hoary squash bee as an ecotoxicology model.