Quality of life cancer

INTRODUCTION: Abemaciclib is an oral inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6). Data from the clinical trial monarchE (2023) showed improved survival from invasive disease. The aim of the present article was to conduct an economic assessment of adjuvant treatment with abemaciclib in women with luminal, HER2- and node-positive breast cancer. METHODS: A Markov model was constructed with four mutually exclusive health states (disease-free, local recurrence, distal recurrence and death)...

PURPOSE: Many cancer patients have problems eating which are usually connected to taste and smell alterations due to side effects of cancer treatment. These problems have consequences both in terms of malnutrition and reduced quality of life. In order to explore social and psychological consequences of eating problems in cancer patients, qualitative interviews were conducted with cancer patients, their caregivers and healthcare professionals. METHODS: The study was conducted in three European countries (Poland, Spain and the UK) that differed in culture, oncology care approaches and availability of nutritional products targeted to cancer patients in the market...

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess anxiety, depression and quality of life (QoL) in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing laryngectomy using comprehensive self-reported questionnaires for a period of up to 5 years. METHODS: This prospective observational study enrolled 150 consecutive patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer who underwent laryngectomy at Nagoya University Hospital between 2007 and 2020. Anxiety, depression and QoL were assessed at baseline (preoperative) and at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months after surgery using two brief self-reported questionnaires, such as the eight-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-8) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)...

Post-mastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS) is a syndrome broadly applied to the development of chronic pain after surgical breast intervention (i.e., lumpectomy and mastectomy). The incidence of PMPS is likely underreported, and this has contributed to a paucity of high-level evidence related to the treatment of the aforementioned condition. A drive to reduce the burden of opioid use has led to pain management physicians trialing a variety of strategies to help patients manage PMPS. This review discusses the latest evidence behind treatment options for PMPS, exploring medications as well as interventional techniques (e...

The low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) diet, designed to alleviate symptoms in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), focuses on limiting the consumption of poorly absorbed fermentable carbohydrates known as FODMAP. These FODMAP are believed to be the primary triggers for food-related gastrointestinal symptoms in functional gastrointestinal disorders. However, there is currently insufficient direct evidence investigating the role of low FODMAP diets in cancer patients undergoing treatment...

BACKGROUND: The development of health concepts beyond traditional markers of illness and death has made the evaluation of quality of life (QoL) crucial to patient care. Yet, there is little research evaluating the pre- and post-treatment QoL of cervical cancer survivors in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the pre- and post-treatment QoL of women diagnosed with advanced-stage cervical cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A cohort design was conducted at the Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital Oncology Center...

BACKGROUND: High body mass index (BMI) is a major risk factor of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a prevalent morbidity of older adulthood linked to lower quality of life and an increased risk of esophageal cancers. Daily stepping behavior, the most common physical activity of older adulthood, is associated with an array of favorable health outcomes, sometimes independent of high BMI. Whether stepping behavior is associated with the incidence of GERD independently or in combination with BMI is currently unclear...

PURPOSE: To (1) investigate the changes in 5 domains (lack of family support, impact on finance, impact on daily schedule, impact on health, and self-esteem) of family caregiver (FC) burden and overall burden for first diagnosed colorectal cancer; (2) exploring changes in FC burden for colorectal cancer patients over time and analyze the trajectory and sub-trajectories of FC burden; and (3) identify the FC-related and patient-related factors most associated with the overall FC burden and each of its sub-trajectories...

BACKGROUND: Rectal cancer is a disease in which cancer cells form in the rectum, which has the primary function of temporarily storing feces, controlling defecation, and maintaining continence. Surgery is the most common treatment for rectal cancer; surgical approaches include open, laparoscopic, and robotic assisted. We conducted an expedited summary of the clinical evidence for robotic-assisted surgery for rectal cancer, which included an evaluation of effectiveness and safety. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search of the clinical evidence to retrieve systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials (RCTs)...

BACKGROUND: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) contribute significantly to global morbidity and mortality, with cancer being one of the leading causes. In this prospective observational study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and impact of endocrine disorders, specifically diabetes and thyroid dysfunction, in patients with advanced metastatic cancer undergoing cancer-directed therapy. METHODS: Over 15 months, we recruited 100 histologically proven advanced metastatic cancer patients from the Department of Medical Oncology Haematology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, and conducted institutional-based prospective observational study...

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the psychosocial impact of facial skin surgery on patients can help improve counselling strategies. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to measure the psychological impact of facial skin cancer surgery on patients over a 1-year period. Secondary objective was to measure the difference between Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) and conventional excision (CE) on these parameters. METHODS: This observational survey study was conducted between March 2019 and July 2020...

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the commonest inherited blood disorder leading to complications occurring due to vaso-occlusion including sight-threatening retinopathy. Retinopathy can be managed if diagnosed early and vision loss can be prevented. Since, very less data are available from India, hence, this study was conducted in children (7-18 years) with SCD to diagnose retinopathy by using ocular coherence tomography (OCT) in subclinical stages. METHODS: This cross sectional single-center study was performed in 7-18 years age group children with SCD without any visual symptoms...

BACKGROUND: The improved outcome of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) over the last decades has increased the importance of assessing late effects and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), particularly when evaluating and comparing outcomes in clinical trials. This study aimed to assess HRQoL in children treated for ALL according to the NOPHO ALL2008 protocol. PROCEDURE: Children, aged 1 to less than 18 years at diagnosis, alive in first remission, and their parents, were asked to complete PedsQL 4...

BACKGROUND: While most research has largely focused on medical risks associated with reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in survivors, sociodemographic and family factors may also play a role. Thus, we longitudinally examined sociodemographic factors and family factors associated with survivor HRQOL, including adolescent's cancer-specific stress, mother's general stress, and mother-adolescent communication. METHODS: Mothers (N = 80) and survivors (ages 10-23, N = 50) were assessed 5 years following initial diagnosis...

This paper seeks to determine the effect of combination anti-PD-1 and antiretroviral therapy (ART) on people living with HIV (PLWH) with advanced gastric cancer. In our case, a PLWH with recurrent locally advanced gastric cancer was treated with anti-PD-1 inhibitor and ART. A significant reduction in tumor lesions (as demonstrated by contrast-enhanced CT imaging) and a better quality of life were achieved following treatment. There have been limited studies on the treatment of PLWH with advanced gastric cancer...

PURPOSE: We evaluated the efficacy of megestrol in improving chemotherapy-related anorexia by analyzing the related scales of taste alteration. METHODS: We conducted the current study on a group of advanced patients with cancer with two or more chemotherapy cycles. The chemotherapy-induced taste alteration scale (CiTAs) scale helped assess the megestrol effects on basic taste perception, aversive taste changes, unpleasant symptoms, and associated concerns. Furthermore, the Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire scale (SNAQ) helped measure the impact of megestrol on malnutrition likelihood in patients experiencing chemotherapy-induced anorexia...

The Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events has been used to evaluate adverse events in oncology. However, it has been shown that medical practitioners who assess adverse events tend to underestimate symptoms more than the patients themselves who experience them, and monitoring of patient-reported outcomes(PROs)is considered essential to achieve patient-centered care. PRO is defined as"any report of a patient's health status obtained directly from the patient, without interpretation by a clinician or anyone else"...

Neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced colorectal cancer has made great progress in the past 20 years, but there are still limitations such as side effects, organ dysfunction and unsatisfactory control of metastasis. In recent years, with the improvement of surgical techniques and further development of molecular research, how to further improve local control, reduce distant metastasis, and even avoid surgery according to clinical remission to achieve organ preservation, is the current demand and research goal...

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy has emerged as the standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer, esophageal cancer and gastroesophageal junction cancer which can not only improve the rate of local control but also induce pathological complete response in some patients. For patients who have achieved clinical complete response after neoadjuvant therapy, the watch & wait strategy and organ preservation could reduce unnecessary surgery and minimize the risk of postoperative complications, meanwhile greatly improve patients' quality of life without affecting the oncologic outcome...

The traditional treatment modalities for esophageal cancer include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, each presenting its own limitations. With advancements in endoscopic techniques and the integration of immunotherapy, the feasibility and safety of organ preservation have significantly improved, offering patients improved survival and quality of life. The selection of patients suitable for organ preservation treatment demands ongoing exploration. Those selected for this approach require rigorous monitoring, with surgical intervention as a salvation for tumor progression or metastasis, though the timing of surgery remains a topic of debate...