Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · Mar 2010
Determining the minimal clinically important difference criteria for the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory in a radiotherapy population.
The Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI) is a commonly used cancer-related fatigue assessment tool. Unlike other fatigue assessments, there are no published minimal clinically important difference (MCID) criteria for the MFI in cancer populations. MCID criteria determine the smallest change in scores that can be regarded as important, allowing clinicians and researchers to interpret the meaning of changes in patient's fatigue scores. This research aims to improve the clinical utility of the MFI by establishing MCID criteria for the MFI sub-scales in a radiotherapy population. ⋯ MCIDs validated in this study allow better interpretation of changes in MFI sub-scale scores and allow effect size calculations for determining sample size in future studies.
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Support Care Cancer · Mar 2010
Exploration of symptoms clusters within cancer patients with brain metastases using the Spitzer Quality of Life Index.
Advanced cancer patients can experience many concurrent symptoms. It has been suggested that certain symptoms can cluster together and have a synergistic effect on patient morbidity. The objective of this study was to explore the presence of symptom clusters in patients with brain metastases treated with whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT). ⋯ Symptom clusters exist in patients with brain metastases. Although the clusters varied over time, they did not weaken or disintegrate following WBRT, suggesting the latter one may not significantly improve the QOL and symptom distress in this group.
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Support Care Cancer · Mar 2010
Attitudes of patients with malignancies towards completion of advance directives.
The purpose of advance directives (AD) is to preserve the patient's autonomy at the end of his/her life. In a cohort study, we investigated attitudes towards AD in hospitalized patients with malignant disease. ⋯ Our data reveal a scarce demand for AD in our population of hospitalized cancer patients. Patients who wanted to issue an AD had a high HADS-D, which is associated with a low performance status.