Cancer
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This study continued the development and psychometric testing of the Lung Cancer Symptom Scale (LCSS), a disease- and site-specific instrument primarily measuring the physical and functional dimensions of quality of life for individuals with lung cancer. The instrument contains two scales, one for patients and a counterpart for health professionals as observers. ⋯ These psychometric properties demonstrate that the LCSS patient and observer scales are feasible, reliable, and valid quality of life measures that are ready for research and clinical use with lung cancer populations.
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Clinical Trial
Significance of plasma PTH-rp in patients with hypercalcemia of malignancy treated with bisphosphonate.
Hypercalcemia of malignancy (HM) is one of the commonest metabolic complications associated with cancer. Plasma parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTH-rp) is known to cause hypercalcemia in the vast majority of patients with HM. ⋯ The plasma PTH-rp levels may help to predict the calcium-lowering effect of bisphosphonate and give an indication of the prognosis in patients with HM. They may allow identification of patients who need higher doses and increased frequency of administration of bisphosphonate, thereby expediting the normocalcemic response.