| 1. |
- Engström, Gunnar, et al.
(författare)
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The Swedish CArdioPulmonary BioImage Study : objectives and design
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0954-6820 .- 1365-2796. ; 278:6, s. 645-659
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cardiopulmonary diseases are major causes of death worldwide, but currently recommended strategies for diagnosis and prevention may be outdated because of recent changes in risk factor patterns. The Swedish CArdioPulmonarybioImage Study (SCAPIS) combines the use of new imaging technologies, advances in large-scale 'omics' and epidemiological analyses to extensively characterize a Swedish cohort of 30 000 men and women aged between 50 and 64 years. The information obtained will be used to improve risk prediction of cardiopulmonary diseases and optimize the ability to study disease mechanisms. A comprehensive pilot study in 1111 individuals, which was completed in 2012, demonstrated the feasibility and financial and ethical consequences of SCAPIS. Recruitment to the national, multicentre study has recently started.
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| 2. |
- Alevronta, Eleftheria, et al.
(författare)
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Dose-response relationships for an atomized symptom of fecal incontinence after gynecological radiotherapy.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden). - : Taylor & Francis. - 1651-226X .- 0284-186X. ; 52:4, s. 719-26
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate what bowel organ and delivered dose levels are most relevant for the development of 'emptying of all stools into clothing without forewarning' so that the related dose-responses could be derived as an aid in avoiding this distressing symptom in the future. Material and methods. Of the 77 gynecological cancer survivors treated with radiotherapy (RT) for gynecological cancer, 13 developed the symptom. The survivors were treated between 1991 and 2003. The anal-sphincter region, the rectum, the sigmoid and the small intestines were all delineated and the dose-volume histograms were exported for each patient. The dose-volume parameters were estimated fitting the data to the Relative Seriality (RS), the Lyman and the generalized Equivalent Uniform Dose (gEUD) model. Results. The dose-response parameters for all three models and four organs at risk (OARs) were estimated. The data from the sigmoid fits the studied models best: D50 was 58.8 and 59.5 Gy (RS, Lyman), γ50 was 1.60 and 1.57 (RS, Lyman), s was 0.32, n was 0.13 and a was 7.7 (RS, Lyman, gEUD). The estimated volume parameters indicate that the investigated OARs behave serially for this endpoint. Our results for the three models studied indicate that they have the same predictive power (similar LL values) for the symptom as a function of the dose for all investigated OARs. Conclusions. In our study, the anal-sphincter region and sigmoid fit our data best, but all OARs were found to have steep dose-responses for 'emptying of all stools into clothing without forewarning' and thus, the outcome can be predicted with an NTCP model. In addition, the dose to the four studied OARs may be considered when minimizing the risk of the symptom.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Cull, A, et al.
(författare)
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Development of a European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer questionnaire module to assess the quality of life of ovarian cancer patients in clinical trials: a progress report.
- 2001
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Ingår i: European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990). - 0959-8049. ; 37:1, s. 47-53
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A questionnaire was developed, according to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) published guidelines, to supplement the EORTC quality of life questionnaire-core 30 (QLQ-C30) to assess the quality of life (QL) of women with ovarian cancer treated in clinical trials. The provisional 28-item module, OV28, assesses abdominal symptoms; peripheral neuropathy; other chemotherapy side-effects; hormonal symptoms; body image; attitude to disease and treatment; and sexual functioning. The first 24 items of the module (excluding sexual functioning) were included in a UK multicentre trial (SCOTROC). The trial data were used for preliminary scaling analysis. Two problematic items were identified. When these were treated as single items along with the 'other chemotherapy side-effects' the instrument showed excellent scale properties. Mean scale scores discriminated between trial patients pre- and on chemotherapy. This is a promising tool for assessing the QL of women with ovarian cancer. The EORTC international field study (Protocol 15982) to assess more fully the psychometric properties of the OV28 is well underway.
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| 5. |
- Dunberger, Gail, et al.
(författare)
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Cancer survivors' perception of participation in a long-term follow-up study.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of medical ethics. - : BMJ. - 1473-4257 .- 0306-6800. ; 39:1, s. 41-5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Every year medical researchers make contact with a large number of cancer survivors with the aim of evaluating cancer treatment. For this reason we decided to investigate how Swedish cancer survivors perceived their participation in research studies focusing on the long-term consequences of being a survivor of gynaecological or urinary bladder cancer. Data were collected by means of two study-specific postal questionnaires, both consisting of questions covering physical symptoms, well-being and the experience of being a cancer survivor. Both questionnaires also included questions evaluating the participants' experience of being research subjects. The questionnaires were developed in close co-operation with cancer survivors. The study population consisted of 1068 cancer survivors. Of these, 95% (n=1003) reported that they thought the study was valuable and 54% (n=559) that they had been positively affected by participating. Four per cent (n=39) expressed that they had been negatively affected by their participation in the study. The vast majority of the cancer survivors thought that participating in their particular study was valuable.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Dunberger, Gail, et al.
(författare)
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Loose stools lead to fecal incontinence among gynecological cancer survivors.
- 2011
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Ingår i: Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden). - : Taylor & Francis. - 1651-226X .- 0284-186X. ; 50:2, s. 233-42
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Abstract Background. Many patients treated with radiotherapy to the pelvic region report a change in bowel habits. Loose stools, urgency and fecal incontinence may have a significant impact on daily life and social functioning. Material and methods. We attempted to follow up 789 women, treated with pelvic radiotherapy for a gynecological cancer during 1991 to 2003 at two departments of gynecological oncology in Sweden. A control group of 478 women from the Swedish Population Registry was also included. As a preparatory study, we made in-depth interviews with 26 women previously treated for gynecological cancer. Based on their narratives, we constructed a study-specific questionnaire including 351 questions and validated it face-to-face. The questionnaire covered questions of physical symptoms originating in the pelvis, demographics, psychological and quality of life factors. In relation to bowel symptoms, 60 questions were asked. Results. Six-hundred and sixteen (78%) gynecological cancer survivors and 344 (72%) control women participated. Two-hundred and twenty-six (37%) cancer survivors reported loose stools at least once a week. Eighty-three percent of the survivors with loose stools every day reported defecation urgency with fecal leakage, compared to 20% of cancer survivors without loose stools. Cancer survivors with loose stools at least once a week were 7.7 times more likely to suffer from defecation urgency with fecal leakage (95% CI 4.4-13.3) compared to those who had loose stools once a month or less. In order to avoid loose stools affected survivors with loose stools often skipped meals (13%), made an active choice of food (47%) and preferentially used prescribed medication (36%). Discussion. There is a relation between loose stools and defecation urgency with fecal leakage among long-term gynecological cancer survivors treated with pelvic radiotherapy. Targeting loose stools can possibly help survivors to decrease frequency of fecal leakage.
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| 8. |
- Dunberger, Gail, et al.
(författare)
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Lower limb lymphedema in gynecological cancer survivors-effect on daily life functioning.
- 2013
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Ingår i: Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1433-7339 .- 0941-4355. ; 21:11, s. 3063-70
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Lower limb lymphedema (LLL) is a common condition after pelvic cancer treatment but few studies have evaluated its effect on the quality of life and its consequences on daily life activities among gynecological cancer survivors.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Greimel, E, et al.
(författare)
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An international field study of the reliability and validity of a disease-specific questionnaire module (the QLQ-OV28) in assessing the quality of life of patients with ovarian cancer.
- 2003
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Ingår i: European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990). - 0959-8049. ; 39:10, s. 1402-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study defines the psychometric properties of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life (QOL) questionnaire designed to measure the QOL of patients with ovarian cancer. The ovarian cancer module (EORTC QLQ-OV28) was developed to supplement the EORTC QLQ-C30. The core questionnaire and the QLQ-OV28 were prospectively administered to 368 ovarian cancer patients after they had been treated with radical or debulking surgery followed by chemotherapy. The QLQ-OV28 module assesses abdominal/gastrointestinal symptoms, peripheral neuropathy, other chemotherapy side-effects, hormonal/menopausal symptoms, body image, attitude to disease/treatment and sexual functioning. Questionnaires were well accepted by patients, baseline compliance rates were 86%, 72% provided a second assessment, less than 3% of the items had missing data. Multi-trait scaling analyses confirmed the hypothesised scales. All hypothesised scales exhibited good psychometric properties. These results support the clinical and psychometric validity of the EORTC QLQ-OV28 module as a supplement to the EORTC QLQ-C30.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Greimel, Elfriede R, et al.
(författare)
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The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality-of-Life questionnaire cervical cancer module: EORTC QLQ-CX24.
- 2006
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Ingår i: Cancer. - : Wiley. - 0008-543X .- 1097-0142. ; 107:8, s. 1812-22
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: The authors report on the development and validation of a cervical cancer module for the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality-of-Life (QoL) questionnaire (QLQ), which was designed to assess disease-specific and treatment-specific aspects of QoL in patients with cervical cancer. METHODS: The cervical cancer module (EORTC QLQ-CX24) was developed in a multicultural, multidisciplinary setting to supplement the EORTC QLQ-C30 core questionnaire. The QLQ-C30 and the cervical cancer module were administered to 346 patients with cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy and received radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Psychometric analyses were performed by using data from 2 independent samples. RESULTS: The QLQ-CX24 consists of 3 multiitem scales and 5 single-item scales. Multitrait scaling analyses revealed high internal consistencies for the subscales with Cronbach alpha coefficients ranging from .72 to .87 (Symptom Experience, .72; Body Image, .86; Sexual/Vaginal Functioning, .87). Convergent and discriminant validity were fulfilled with scaling errors below 3%. The QLQ-CX24 was capable of discriminating between clinical subgroups. All items exhibited good compliance with <3% missing values. Most patients completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 and the QLQ-CX24 in <15 minutes (86%), and many did not require any assistance to complete the questionnaires (65%). CONCLUSIONS: The current psychometric analyses supported the content and construct validity and the reliability of the EORTC QLQ-CX24 module. This newly developed module is a useful instrument for assessing the QoL of patients who are treated for cervical cancer both in clinical trials and in clinical practice.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
- Malmgren, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term health-related quality of life and burden of disease after intensive care : development of a patient-reported outcome measure.
- 2021
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Ingår i: Critical Care. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1364-8535 .- 1466-609X. ; 25:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: ICU survivorship includes a diverse burden of disease. Current questionnaires used for collecting information about health-related problems and their relation to quality of life lack detailed questions in several areas relevant to ICU survivors. Our aim was to construct a provisional questionnaire on health-related issues based on interviews with ICU survivors and to test if this questionnaire was able to show differences between ICU survivors and a control group.METHODS: Thirty-two ICU survivors were identified at a post-ICU clinic and interviewed at least six months after ICU discharge. Using an established qualitative methodology from oncology, all dysfunctions and disabilities were extracted, rephrased as questions and compiled into a provisional questionnaire. In a second part, this questionnaire was tested on ICU survivors and controls. Inclusion criteria for the ICU survivors were ICU stay at least 72 h with ICU discharge six months to three years prior to the study. A non-ICU-treated control group was obtained from the Swedish Population Register, matched for age and sex. Eligible participants received an invitation letter and were contacted by phone. If willing to participate, they were sent the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were applied.RESULTS: Analysis of the interviews yielded 238 questions in 13 domains: cognition, fatigue, physical health, pain, psychological health, activities of daily living, sleep, appetite and alcohol, sexual health, sensory functions, gastrointestinal functions, urinary functions and work life. In the second part, 395 of 518 ICU survivors and 197 of 231 controls returned a completed questionnaire, the response rates being 76.2% and 85.3%, respectively. The two groups differed significantly in 13 of 22 comorbidities. ICU survivors differed in a majority of questions (p ≤ 0.05) distributed over all 13 domains compared with controls.CONCLUSIONS: This study describes the development of a provisional questionnaire to identify health-related quality of life issues and long-term burden of disease after intensive care. The questionnaire was answered by 395 ICU survivors. The questionnaire could identify that they experience severe difficulties in a wide range of domains compared with a control group.Trial registry ClinicalTrials.gov Ref# NCT02767180.
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| 16. |
- Malmgren, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Quality of life-related and non-quality of life-related issues in ICU survivors and non-ICU-treated controls : a multi-group exploratory factor analysis
- 2024
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Ingår i: Critical Care. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1364-8535 .- 1466-609X. ; 28:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundQuality of life (QoL) is a key outcome measure in healthcare. However, the heterogeneity in its definitions presents challenges in the objective evaluation of improvement. Universal questionnaires, tailored for a broad demographic group, inadequately represent the unique experiences of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, including a lack of ability to discriminate issues related to QoL from issues that do not.MethodsUsing a 218-item, 13-domain provisional questionnaire, we assessed 395 adult ICU survivors, with a minimum 72-h stay at one of three Swedish university hospital ICUs, at 6 months to three years post-discharge. Their responses were compared to those of 195 controls, matched for age and sex and randomly recruited from the Swedish Population Registry. By multi-group exploratory factor analysis, we compared dimensionality in QoL perceptions between the two groups, emphasising patterns of correlation to 13 domain-specific QoL questions. Model fit was assessed using information criteria. Internal consistency reliability for each scale was determined using McDonald’s omega or Cronbach’s alpha. All analyses were conducted using Mplus, applying full information maximum likelihood to handle missing data.ResultsAll domains except Cognition had a subset of questions correlating to the domain-specific QoL question in at least the ICU survivor group. The similarity between the two groups varied, with Physical health, Sexual health and Gastrointestinal (GI) functions mainly correlating the same issues to QoL in the two groups. In contrast, Fatigue, Pain, Mental health, activities of daily living, Sleep, Sensory functions and Work life showed considerable differences. In all, about one-fourth of the issues correlated to QoL in the ICU survivor group and about one-tenth of the issues in the control group.ConclusionsWe found most issues experienced by ICU survivors to be unrelated to quality of life. Our findings indicate that the consequences of post-ICU issues may play a more significant role in affecting QoL than the issues themselves; issues restricting and affecting social life and work life were more related to QoL in ICU survivors than in non-ICU-treated controls. Caution is advised before associating all post-ICU problems with an effect on quality of life.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Ref# NCT02767180; Registered 28 April 2016.
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| 17. |
- Malmgren, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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Quality of life-related and non-quality of life-related issues in ICU survivors and non-ICU-treated controls: a multi-group exploratory factor analysis
- 2024
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Ingår i: CRITICAL CARE. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1364-8535 .- 1466-609X. ; 28:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Quality of life (QoL) is a key outcome measure in healthcare. However, the heterogeneity in its definitions presents challenges in the objective evaluation of improvement. Universal questionnaires, tailored for a broad demographic group, inadequately represent the unique experiences of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, including a lack of ability to discriminate issues related to QoL from issues that do not.Methods Using a 218-item, 13-domain provisional questionnaire, we assessed 395 adult ICU survivors, with a minimum 72-h stay at one of three Swedish university hospital ICUs, at 6 months to three years post-discharge. Their responses were compared to those of 195 controls, matched for age and sex and randomly recruited from the Swedish Population Registry. By multi-group exploratory factor analysis, we compared dimensionality in QoL perceptions between the two groups, emphasising patterns of correlation to 13 domain-specific QoL questions. Model fit was assessed using information criteria. Internal consistency reliability for each scale was determined using McDonald's omega or Cronbach's alpha. All analyses were conducted using Mplus, applying full information maximum likelihood to handle missing data.Results All domains except Cognition had a subset of questions correlating to the domain-specific QoL question in at least the ICU survivor group. The similarity between the two groups varied, with Physical health, Sexual health and Gastrointestinal (GI) functions mainly correlating the same issues to QoL in the two groups. In contrast, Fatigue, Pain, Mental health, activities of daily living, Sleep, Sensory functions and Work life showed considerable differences. In all, about one-fourth of the issues correlated to QoL in the ICU survivor group and about one-tenth of the issues in the control group.Conclusions We found most issues experienced by ICU survivors to be unrelated to quality of life. Our findings indicate that the consequences of post-ICU issues may play a more significant role in affecting QoL than the issues themselves; issues restricting and affecting social life and work life were more related to QoL in ICU survivors than in non-ICU-treated controls. Caution is advised before associating all post-ICU problems with an effect on quality of life. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Ref# NCT02767180; Registered 28 April 2016.Conclusions We found most issues experienced by ICU survivors to be unrelated to quality of life. Our findings indicate that the consequences of post-ICU issues may play a more significant role in affecting QoL than the issues themselves; issues restricting and affecting social life and work life were more related to QoL in ICU survivors than in non-ICU-treated controls. Caution is advised before associating all post-ICU problems with an effect on quality of life.
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| 18. |
- Malmgren, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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The relationship between ICU survivorship, comorbidity and educational level in quality of life after intensive care
- 2023
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Ingår i: Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0001-5172 .- 1399-6576. ; 67:10, s. 1395-1402
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: ICU survivors have lower quality of life (QoL) compared to a non-ICU-treated population. The reason for this is not fully understood, but differences in baseline characteristics may be an important factor. This study evaluates the roles of comorbidity and educational level as possible explanatory factors for differences in QoL in ICU survivors compared to a non-ICU-treated population.METHODS: Using a provisional questionnaire with 218 questions in 13 domains on QoL after intensive care, we compared the responses from 395 adult ICU survivors and 195 non-ICU-treated controls. An initial bivariable linear correlation analysis compared the responses from the two groups. Two secondary multivariable regression analyses tested for effect modification by comorbidity and educational level, respectively, on the effect on QoL from belonging to the ICU survivor group compared to the control group.RESULTS: There was a significant difference in QoL between the two groups in 170 of 218 (78%) questions. In the multivariable analyses, associations between group belonging and QoL remained in 139 questions. In 59 of these, both belonging to the ICU survivor group and comorbidity was associated to QoL, in parallel to each other. Comorbidity moderated the association between group belonging and QoL in six questions, with the highest proportion of questions within the domains of cognition and urinary functions, and the lowest proportion within appetite and alcohol, physical health, and fatigue. In 26 questions, both belonging to the ICU survivor group and educational level were associated to QoL, in parallel to each other. Educational level moderated the association between group belonging and QoL in 34 questions, with the highest proportion of questions within the domains of urinary functions, ADL and physical health, and the lowest proportion within the domains of cognition, appetite and alcohol, pain, sensory functions, and fatigue.CONCLUSIONS: Lower QoL seen in ICU survivors compared to non-ICU-treated controls, as measured by our provisional questionnaire, cannot be explained only by a higher burden of comorbidity, and rarely by only educational level. In issues where comorbidity or educational level was associated to QoL, it often was so in parallel to an association from belonging to the ICU survivor group. Comparing QoL in ICU survivors to that of a non-ICU-treated population may be adequate despite differences in baseline characteristics.
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| 19. |
- Stinesen-Kollberg, Karin, et al.
(författare)
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Reduced vaginal elasticity, reduced lubrication, and deep and superficial dyspareunia in irradiated gynecological cancer survivors
- 2015
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Ingår i: Acta Oncologica. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0284-186X .- 1651-226X. ; 54:5, s. 772-779
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine whether or not vaginal elasticity or lack of lubrication is associated with deep or superficial dyspareunia. We investigated gynecological cancer survivors treated with radiation therapy. Methods. In a population-based study with 616 women answering a questionnaire (participation rate 78%) and who were treated with radiotherapy for gynecological cancer, we analyzed information from 243 women (39%) who reported that they had had intercourse during the previous six months. Analyses included log-binomial regression (relative risks) and multiple imputations by chained equations in combination with Bayesian Model Averaging, yielding a posterior probability value. Age range of this cancer recurrent-free group of women was 29-80. Results. Dyspareunia affected 164 of 243 of the women (67%). One hundred thirty-four women (55%) reported superficial pain, 97 women (40%) reported deep pain, and 87 women (36%) reported both types of dyspareunia. The relative risk (RR) of deep dyspareunia was 1.87 (CI 1.41-2.49) with impaired vaginal elasticity compared to normal vaginal elasticity. Age and lower abdominal swelling were separate risk factors for deep dyspareunia. However, effects remain after adjusting for these factors. Conclusion. The relative risk of deep dyspareunia was almost twice as high with impaired vaginal elasticity compared to normal vaginal elasticity. If we wish to treat or even prevent deep dyspareunia in women with gynecological cancer, we may use our knowledge of the pathophysiology of deep dyspareunia and increasingly provide dilators together with instructions on how to use them for stretching exercises in order to retain vaginal elasticity. Results highlight the need for studies with more precise questions distinguishing superficial from deep dyspareunia so that in the future we may be able to primarily try to avoid reduced vaginal elasticity and secondarily reduce the symptoms.
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| 20. |
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| 21. |
- Waldenström, Ann-Charlotte, 1950, et al.
(författare)
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A comparison of two imaging modalities for detecting lymphatic nodal spread in radiochemotherapy of locally advanced cervical cancer
- 2018
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Ingår i: Physics and Imaging in Radiation Oncology. - : Elsevier BV. - 2405-6316. ; 8, s. 33-37
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and purpose: In uterine cervical cancer tumour spread reaching the para-aortic lymph nodes is the most significant independent pre-treatment predictor of progression-free survival. When introducing [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/computed tomography (CT) in our clinic for patients with advanced cervical cancer planned for definitive radiochemotherapy, the purpose of this study was to quantify to what extent the added information lead to changes in radiotherapy planning. Material and methods: We included 25 consecutive patients with cervical cancer stages IB2 – IIIB planned for definitive radiochemotherapy between November 2010 and May 2012. The patients were examined both with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and FDG-PET/CT before treatment and after four weeks of treatment. Results: In 11/24 (46%) of the patients the FDG-PET/CT before treatment provided additional diagnostic information leading to changes in treatment planning compared to information from MRI. Seven of these eleven patients (64%) were alive and without evidence of disease at four-year follow-up. The MRI detected pelvic tumour spread not seen on the FDG-PET/CT in 2/24 patients. The disease-free four-year survival was 59%. Conclusions: Additional diagnostic information from FDG-PET/CT changed treatment strategy in almost half of the patients and may have increased chances of survival in this limited group of patients with locally advanced uterine cervical cancer. We recommend both modalities for nodal detection.
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| 22. |
- Waldenström, Ann-Charlotte, 1950, et al.
(författare)
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Pain and mean absorbed dose to the pubic bone after radiotherapy among gynecological cancer survivors.
- 2011
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Ingår i: International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics. - : Elsevier. - 1879-355X .- 0360-3016. ; 80:4, s. 1171-1180
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: To analyze the relationship between mean absorbed dose to the pubic bone after pelvic radiotherapy for gynecological cancer and occurrence of pubic bone pain among long-term survivors.METHODS AND MATERIALS: In an unselected, population-based study, we identified 823 long-term gynecological cancer survivors treated with pelvic radiotherapy during 1991-2003. For comparison, we used a non-radiation-treated control population of 478 matched women from the Swedish Population Register. Pain, intensity of pain, and functional impairment due to pain in the pubic bone were assessed with a study-specific postal questionnaire.RESULTS: We analyzed data from 650 survivors (participation rate 79%) with median follow-up of 6.3 years (range, 2.3-15.0 years) along with 344 control women (participation rate, 72 %). Ten percent of the survivors were treated with radiotherapy; ninety percent with surgery plus radiotherapy. Brachytherapy was added in 81%. Complete treatment records were recovered for 538/650 survivors, with dose distribution data including dose-volume histograms over the pubic bone. Pubic bone pain was reported by 73 survivors (11%); 59/517 (11%) had been exposed to mean absorbed external beam doses <52.5 Gy to the pubic bone and 5/12 (42%) to mean absorbed external beam doses ≥ 52.5 Gy. Thirty-three survivors reported pain affecting sleep, a 13-fold increased prevalence compared with control women. Forty-nine survivors reported functional impairment measured as pain walking indoors, a 10-fold increased prevalence.CONCLUSIONS: Mean absorbed external beam dose above 52.5 Gy to the pubic bone increases the occurrence of pain in the pubic bone and may affect daily life of long-term survivors treated with radiotherapy for gynecological cancer.
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| 23. |
- Waldenström, Ann-Charlotte, 1950, et al.
(författare)
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Relative importance of hip and sacral pain among long-term gynecological cancer survivors treated with pelvic radiotherapy and their relationships to mean absorbed doses.
- 2012
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Ingår i: International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. - : Elsevier. - 0360-3016 .- 1879-355X. ; 84:2, s. 428-436
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: To investigate the relative importance of patient-reported hip and sacral pain after pelvic radiotherapy (RT) for gynecological cancer and its relationship to the absorbed doses in these organs.METHODS AND MATERIALS: We used data from a population-based study that included 650 long-term gynecological cancer survivors treated with pelvic RT in the Gothenburg and Stockholm areas in Sweden with a median follow-up of 6 years (range, 2-15) and 344 population controls. Symptoms were assessed through a study-specific postal questionnaire. We also analyzed the hip and sacral dose-volume histogram data for 358 of the survivors.RESULTS: Of the survivors, one in three reported having or having had hip pain after completing RT. Daily pain when walking was four times as common among the survivors compared to controls. Symptoms increased in frequency with a mean absorbed dose >37.5 Gy. Also, two in five survivors reported pain in the sacrum. Sacral pain also affected their walking ability and tended to increase with a mean absorbed dose >42.5 Gy.CONCLUSIONS: Long-term survivors of gynecological cancer treated with pelvic RT experience hip and sacral pain when walking. The mean absorbed dose was significantly related to hip pain and was borderline significantly related to sacral pain. Keeping the total mean absorbed hip dose below 37.5 Gy during treatment might lower the occurrence of long-lasting pain. In relation to the controls, the survivors had a lower occurrence of pain and pain-related symptoms from the hips and sacrum compared with what has previously been reported for the pubic bone.
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| 24. |
- Waldenström, Ann-Charlotte, 1950, et al.
(författare)
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Survival of patients with adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix in western Sweden.
- 1999
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Ingår i: Int J Gynecol Cancer. - 1048-891X. ; 9:1, s. 18-23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Survival in adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix varies between different reports. In our study the patients have been treated in a similar way as those with squamous cell carcinoma. One hundred twenty-one adenocarcinomas were diagnosed between 1987 and 1994 in the West Sweden Health Care Region. One hundred of the patients with adenocarcinoma were treated at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and studied retrospectively. The median age was 54 years (range 27-91). Histopathologic differentiation was relatively evenly distributed between well (34%), intermediately (38%), and poorly differentiated (28%). All FIGO stages were represented, but stage I predominated (65%). Depending mainly on tumor stage and age, the patients had either surgery, surgery + radiotherapy, or radiotherapy only. In our study, the five-year survival for adenocarcinoma was 64% and for squamous/adenosquamous carcinoma was 66% (NS). The five-year survival for different stages of adenocarcinomas was for stage I 86%, stage II 38%, stage III 23%, and stage IV 0%, the difference between stage I and stage II being highly significant. Treated in a similar way, the five-year survival for adenocarcinoma is equal to that for squamous/adenosquamous carcinoma in our study.
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| 25. |
- Waldenström, Ann-Charlotte, 1950
(författare)
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Towards eliminating pelvic bone pain after radiation therapy among long-term gynecological cancer survivors
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Aim: To investigate the prevalence of self-reported symptoms after pelvic radiation therapy among long-term gynecological cancer survivors, with special focus on pelvic bone pain, how it affects the daily life of the women and the relationship to absorbed doses. Methods: In an unselected, population-based study, gynecological cancer survivors from the Gothenburg and Stockholm regions, treated with pelvic radiation therapy between 1991 and 2003, were compared with a non-radiation-treated control population. Data were collected by means of a study-specific, validated, postal questionnaire with 351 questions reflecting symptoms from the pelvic organs including demographics, co-morbidities, psychological and quality-of-life issues. Treatment details were retrieved from medical records, organs at risk delineated on pretreatment scans, and dose-volume histograms exported. We used epidemiological methods for study design and data interpretation. Results: Among cancer survivors 78 % (616/789) returned a completed questionnaire, among control women 72 % (344/478). Median follow-up was 74 months (26-179 months). Cancer survivors reported a higher occurrence of symptoms from all organ systems studied; the anal sphincter, the bowels, the urinary tract, the pelvic bones, symptoms related to sexuality, and symptoms from lower abdomen and legs. The highest age-adjusted relative risks among all survivors were found for emptying of all stools into clothing without forewarning, relative risk 12.7, and for defecation urgency with an immediate need for a toilet, relative risk 5.7, compared to controls. Pubic bone pain was reported by 11% (73/637) of all survivors and by 4% (12/339) of the controls. Hip pain was reported by 36% (225/632) of the survivors and sacral pain by 39% (249/633). Hip and sacral pain were common among controls, 33% (113/343) and 52% (179/344), respectively. Pubic bone pain showed a six-fold increase among survivors who had received radiotherapy as only treatment, a ten-fold increase for pubic bone pain walking indoors and a six-fold increase walking 500 m, compared with controls. Survivors treated with radiotherapy in combination with surgery showed a three-fold increase in pubic bone pain, and a four-fold increase both in pain walking indoors and in pain walking 500 m. Daily pain from the hips when walking 500 m showed a four-fold increase among survivors treated with radiotherapy as only treatment, and a three-fold increase for daily pain both in hips and sacrum when walking indoors, compared with controls. Mean absorbed dose to the pubic bone was a significant predictor of pain. The frequency of pubic bone pain among survivors exceeded that of controls for mean absorbed doses at 30 Gy and for hip pain at 37.5 Gy. Conclusions: Our data suggest that radiation-induced pubic bone pain dominates pelvic bone pain among gynecological cancer survivors treated with radiation therapy. Hip and sacral pain being common among controls illustrates the importance of specifically asking about walking difficulties to single out treatment-related symptoms. Keeping the mean absorbed pubic bone dose below 30 Gy and the hip dose below 37.5 Gy may keep the occurrence of long-lasting pelvic pain among survivors of gynecological cancer at the level of the occurrence reported by non-irradiated women.
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- Waldenström, Ann-Charlotte, 1950, et al.
(författare)
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Variation in position and volume of organs at risk in the small pelvis.
- 2010
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Ingår i: Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden). - : Informa UK Limited. - 1651-226X .- 0284-186X. ; 49:4, s. 491-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In preparation for studies of dose volume of ionizing radiation and long-term side effects, we assessed both variation in position and volume of organs at risk in the small pelvis.
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