Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · Aug 2016
ReviewComparison of the FACT-C, EORTC QLQ-CR38, and QLQ-CR29 quality of life questionnaires for patients with colorectal cancer: a literature review.
The purpose of this review was to compare the development, characteristics, validity, and reliability of three widely used quality of life (QOL) assessment tools used in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients: the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal (FACT-C), the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire Colorectal Cancer Module (QLQ-CR38) and its successor, the QLQ-CR29. ⋯ The FACT-C, QLQ-CR38, and QLQ-CR29 have been extensively validated. However, analysis of their characteristics, validity, and reliability suggest differing suitability in assessing QOL in specific clinical situations.
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Support Care Cancer · Aug 2016
Patients' understanding of treatment goals and disease course and their relationship with optimism, hope, and quality of life: a preliminary study among advanced breast cancer outpatients before receiving palliative treatment.
The aims of this study were to explore advanced breast cancer patients' knowledge of treatment intent and expectation of illness course and to evaluate their relationship with optimism, hope, and quality of life (QoL). ⋯ A large proportion of patients diagnosed with advanced breast cancer believed that their treatment was "curative", and they would improve within a year. Findings of our study suggest that patients with inaccurate perception of treatment intent and unrealistic expectation of prognosis have higher hope and optimism scores than those who do not, but there were no significant differences in terms of global health status.
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Support Care Cancer · Aug 2016
Methadone as first-line opioid treatment for cancer pain in a developing country palliative care unit.
The use of methadone for cancer pain is limited by the need of expertise and close titration due to variable half-life. Yet, it is a helpful palliative strategy in low-resources countries given its long-acting effect at low cost and worth additional study. Our aim was to describe the prescription and outcomes of methadone as a first-line treatment for cancer pain in a tertiary palliative care unit (PCU) in Argentina. ⋯ Results indicate the preference of methadone as first-line strong opioid treatment in a PCU, providing good pain relief at low doses with low need for rotation. Several considerations about the costs of strong opioids in the region are given.
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Support Care Cancer · Aug 2016
Functional vitamin B12 deficiency in advanced malignancy: implications for the management of neuropathy and neuropathic pain.
Treatment of neuropathic pain and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in patients with malignancy is often unsuccessful. Functional vitamin B12 deficiency, defined by elevated levels of the B12-dependent metabolites, methylmalonic acid (MMA), and/or homocysteine, despite normal B12 values, may cause neuropathy and is associated with disorders linked to increased oxidative stress. Since both cancer and neurotoxic antineoplastic agents increase oxidative stress, a role for functional B12 deficiency in CIPN was considered. ⋯ Functional vitamin B12 deficiency is common in subjects with advanced malignancy. Further studies are needed to determine if this disorder is a risk factor for CIPN and if B12 therapy has a role in the management and/or prevention of neuropathy and neuropathic pain in this population.