Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · Apr 2010
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyAprepitant for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting associated with a broad range of moderately emetogenic chemotherapies and tumor types: a randomized, double-blind study.
Aprepitant was shown previously to be effective for prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) with moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) in breast cancer patients receiving an anthracycline and cyclophosphamide (AC)-based regimen. This study assessed aprepitant in patients receiving a broad range of MEC regimens with a variety of tumor types. ⋯ The aprepitant regimen provided superior efficacy in the treatment of CINV in a broad range of patients receiving MEC (non-AC or AC) in both no vomiting and complete response endpoints. Aprepitant was generally well tolerated. These results show the benefit of including aprepitant as part of the standard antiemetic regimen for cancer patients receiving MEC.
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Support Care Cancer · Apr 2010
Validation of the Portuguese version of functional assessment of cancer therapy-fatigue (FACT-F) in Brazilian cancer patients.
The purpose of this study was to validate the Portuguese version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue (FACT-F) in order to establish its assessment properties, including validity and reliability in a sample of Brazilian cancer patients. ⋯ The Portuguese version of FACT-F is a reliable and valid instrument to assess quality of life and fatigue, representing a valid tool to screen cancer-related fatigue in Brazilian cancer patients.
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Support Care Cancer · Apr 2010
Quality of life, anxiety, and depression in Turkish colorectal cancer patients.
The aim of the present study is to investigate variations in quality of life as a function of depression and anxiety scores of colorectal cancer patients with Beck depression and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scoring system. ⋯ One hundred ten patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy who presented to Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Oncology between January 2004 and April 2007 were included in this study. The series of forms including the questions regarding the demographic characteristics of the patient, Turkish version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Turkish version of the STAI, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (EORTC-QLQ-C30; version 3) were completed during face-to-face interviews by trained interviewers to determine the psychological status and quality of life of the patients. The mean Beck depression scores were 11.2 +/- 9.0 (range 0-44) and the mean STAI scores were 41.9 +/- 8.8 (range 22-71). Of the patients (Beck depression scores >or=17 points), 23.6% were determined as depressive. The EORTC-QLQ-C30 function scales and global quality of life scores of the depressive patients (BDI >or= 17) were significantly lower than that of the nondepressive patients (BDI < 17). EORTC-QLQ-C30 symptom scale scores (excluding of the diarrhea) of the depressive patients were significantly higher than that of the nondepressive patients. The patients with low STAI scores (STAI < 45) had significantly higher EORTC-QLQ-C30 function scales and global quality of life scores than the patients with high STAI scores (STAI >or= 45). EORTC-QLQ-C30 symptom scale scores of the patients with high STAI scores were significantly higher than that of the patients with low STAI scores. In the present study, we detected that anxiety and depression were strongly associated with poor quality of life in Turkish colorectal cancer patients.
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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.