International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Apr 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialFunctional interference clusters in cancer patients with bone metastases: a secondary analysis of RTOG 9714.
To explore the relationships (clusters) among the functional interference items in the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) in patients with bone metastases. ⋯ Palliative radiotherapy is effective in reducing bone pain. Functional interference component clusters exist in patients treated for bone metastases. These clusters changed over time in this study, possibly attributable to treatment. Further research is needed to examine these effects.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Apr 2010
Elderly patients with painful bone metastases should be offered palliative radiotherapy.
To investigate the efficacy of palliative radiotherapy (RT) in relieving metastatic bone pain in elderly patients. ⋯ Age alone did not affect the response to palliative RT for bone metastases. Elderly patients should be referred for palliative RT for their painful bone metastases, regardless of age, because they receive equal benefit from the treatment.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Apr 2010
ReviewThe negative impact of stark law exemptions on graduate medical education and health care costs: the example of radiation oncology.
To survey radiation oncology training programs to determine the impact of ownership of radiation oncology facilities by non-radiation oncologists on these training programs and to place these findings in a health policy context based on data from the literature. ⋯ Ownership of radiation oncology facilities by non-radiation oncologists appears to have a negative impact on residency training by shifting patients away from training programs and into community practices. In addition, the literature supports the conclusion that self-referral results in overutilization of expensive services without benefit to patients. As a result of these findings, recommendations are made to study further how physician ownership of radiation oncology facilities influence graduate medical education, treatment patterns and utilization, and health care costs. Patients also need to be aware of financial arrangements that may influence their physician's treatment recommendations.
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Int. J. Radiat. Oncol. Biol. Phys. · Apr 2010
Multicenter StudyTotal androgen blockade versus a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist alone in men with high-risk prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy.
To assess whether short-course total androgen blockade vs. a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist alone affects the risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) in men with localized but high-risk disease treated with radiotherapy. ⋯ In men with localized but high-risk prostate cancer treated with external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy, short-course AST with an LHRH agonist plus an antiandrogen is associated with a decreased risk of PCSM when compared with monotherapy with an LHRH agonist.