American journal of clinical oncology
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The recently enacted Israeli Dying Patient Act was designed to strike balance between enhancing patient autonomy in end-of-life decision making and cultural/religious norms that are in opposition to active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS). The current study evaluated physician attitudes regarding active and passive euthanasia, and their knowledge of specific aspects of the law. ⋯ Compared with previous surveys, a larger number of physicians support passive euthanasia. A sizable percentage of physicians would be willing to participate in active euthanasia and even PAS. Attitudes toward euthanasia are influenced by religious factors.
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Am. J. Clin. Oncol. · Oct 2014
Treatment-related acute esophagitis for patients with locoregionally advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with involved-field radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy.
To explore the incidence and risk factors for treatment-related acute esophagitis associated with involved-field radiation therapy (RT) delivered concurrently with chemotherapy for patients with locoregionally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. ⋯ Higher risk of grade ≥ 2 treatment-related esophagitis was associated with lower total esophageal volume and higher radiotherapy dose per fraction and should be taken into consideration during patient treatment planning. Inclusion of total esophageal volume and dose per fraction into future clinical protocols may further help our understanding of treatment-related esophagitis and enable the development of novel preventative approaches.
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Am. J. Clin. Oncol. · Aug 2014
Impact of epidermal growth factor receptor and KRAS mutations on clinical outcome in resected non-small cell lung cancer patients.
Surgery yields best results for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its downstream factor Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) are variably mutated in NSCLC. Such mutations predict clinical response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. This study evaluated incidence and correlation of EGFR and KRAS mutations with clinicopathologic parameters and outcome in resected stage I to III NSCLC. ⋯ EGFR and KRAS mutations are frequent in ADCs and are not prognostic factors for survival. EGFR mutations could be used to identify patients suitable for adjuvant treatment with targeted therapy resulting in potentially improved outcomes.
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Am. J. Clin. Oncol. · Jul 2014
Does Race Influence Health-related Quality of Life and Toxicity Following Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer?
This matched-paired analysis explores disparities in health-related quality of life (QOL) and common toxicities between African American (AA) and white patients following proton therapy for prostate cancer at our institution. ⋯ After 2 years, there were no disparities in health-related QOL, physician-reported Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events GI toxicity, or biochemical relapse. Longer follow-up is needed to confirm these findings.This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License 4.0, where it is permissible to download, share and reproduce the work in any medium, provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0.
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Am. J. Clin. Oncol. · Jun 2014
Comparative StudyA comparative study of stereotactic radiosurgery, hypofractionated, and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy in the treatment of skull base meningioma.
To compare the outcomes of skull base meningiomas treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (hFSRT), and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT). ⋯ There is no significant difference in the radiographic and clinical response in patients with skull base meningioma treated with SRS, hFSRT, or FSRT and thus gives the clinician the impetus to tailor treatment techniques to the location and size of the tumor at presentation.