Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
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To compare two quality-of-life (QOL) questionnaires for cancer patients, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (Fact-G), on the basis of empirical data. ⋯ For the sample investigated, the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the FACT-G were found to measure markedly different aspects of QOL, despite considerable overlap. Replicability provided, this implies that neither of the two QOL instruments can be replaced by the other and that a direct comparison of results obtained with the two instruments is not possible.
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The European Collaborative MMT4-91 trial was conducted as a prospective nonrandomized study to evaluate the potential benefit of high-dose melphalan as consolidation of first complete remission in children with stage IV rhabdomyosarcoma. ⋯ The addition of a high-dose alkylating agent to consolidation therapy may have prolonged progression-free survival in this poor-risk patient group, but it did not significantly improve the ultimate outcome.
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It has been suggested that patients with small (< 5 cm), high-grade extremity soft tissue sarcomas (STS) have an excellent overall prognosis and, consequently, may not require adjuvant therapies. ⋯ Event-free outcome for this subset of patients with high-grade STS does not seem as favorable as previously reported by other investigators. Patients who undergo maximal surgical resection with microscopically positive margins represent a subset of T1 STS patients who warrant consideration for adjuvant therapies.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Influence of the interval between preoperative radiation therapy and surgery on downstaging and on the rate of sphincter-sparing surgery for rectal cancer: the Lyon R90-01 randomized trial.
The optimal timing of surgery after preoperative radiotherapy in rectal cancer is unknown. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the role of the interval between preoperative radiotherapy and surgery. ⋯ A long interval between preoperative irradiation and surgery provides increased tumor downstaging with no detrimental effect on toxicity and early clinical results. When sphincter preservation is questionable, a long interval may increase the chance of a successful sphincter-saving surgery.