Cancer
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Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with hyperleukocytosis often is associated with early complications. To the authors' knowledge, no recently published study has evaluated the management and clinical course in this regard, especially in relation to pediatric patients. ⋯ With improved management, including supportive care, early mortality in patients with AML and hyperleukocytosis decreased remarkably in the more recent period. However, better postremission treatment is required to improve long-term survival.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Use of health-related quality-of-life assessments in daily clinical oncology nursing practice: a community hospital-based intervention study.
The current study evaluated the efficacy of incorporating standardized health-related quality of life (HRQL) assessments as a routine part of the outpatient chemotherapy treatment of cancer patients in a community hospital in terms of: 1) facilitating nurse-patient communication, 2) increasing nurses' awareness of patients' HRQL, 3) patient management, 4) patients' satisfaction, and 5) patients' HRQL. ⋯ Incorporating standardized HRQL assessments in daily clinical oncology nursing practice primarily facilitates the discussion of HRQL issues and increases nurses' awareness. Additional efforts are needed to enhance the effect of routine HRQL assessments on patient management and HRQL.
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Increasing evidence suggests a relation between patient expectancies and chemotherapy-induced nausea. However, this research has often failed to adequately control for other possible contributing factors. In the current study, the contribution of patient expectancies to the occurrence and severity of postchemotherapy nausea was examined using more stringent statistical techniques (namely hierarchical regression) than other similar studies that have relied on bivariate correlations, chi-square tests, and stepwise regression, and further extended upon previous research by including quality of life (QoL) in the analysis. ⋯ Patient expectancies appear to contribute to postchemotherapy nausea and patients that are highly expectant of experiencing nausea appear to be at particular risk. Interventions that target these patients should reduce the burden of nausea and may also improve QoL.
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Treatment outcomes for stage III and IV oropharyngeal carcinoma treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and concurrent chemotherapy without prior surgical resection were reviewed. ⋯ Excellent local and regional control was achieved with IMRT and concurrent chemotherapy without prior surgical resection in the treatment of stage III and IV oropharyngeal carcinoma. Significant sparing of the parotid glands and other critical normal tissues was possible using IMRT with moderate acute toxicities and minimal severe late effects.
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Meta Analysis
Taxanes as primary chemotherapy for early breast cancer: meta-analysis of randomized trials.
In patients with locally advanced and operable breast cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been demonstrated to increase the chance of breast-conserving surgery (BCS) when compared with adjuvant treatment; moreover, patients who achieve a pathologic complete response (pCR) have a better outcome. A literature-based meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) to 'weigh' how much taxanes add to anthracyclines as primary treatment over standard chemotherapy was conducted. ⋯ The combination of taxanes and anthracyclines as neoadjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer improves the chance of achieving both higher BCS and pCR rates.