| 1. |
- Bill-Axelson, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Long-term Distress After Radical Prostatectomy Versus Watchful Waiting in Prostate Cancer : A Longitudinal Study from the Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group-4 Randomized Clinical Trial
- 2013
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Ingår i: European Urology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0302-2838 .- 1873-7560. ; 64:6, s. 920-928
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND:Studies enumerating the dynamics of physical and emotional symptoms following prostate cancer (PCa) treatment are needed to guide therapeutic strategy. Yet, overcoming patient selection forces is a formidable challenge for observational studies comparing treatment groups.OBJECTIVE:To compare patterns of symptom burden and distress in men with localized PCa randomized to radical prostatectomy (RP) or watchful waiting (WW) and followed up longitudinally.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS:The three largest, Swedish, randomization centers for the Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group-4 trial conducted a longitudinal study to assess symptoms and distress from several psychological and physical domains by mailed questionnaire every 6 mo for 2 yr and then yearly through 8 yr of follow-up.INTERVENTION:RP compared with WW.OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS:A questionnaire was mailed at baseline and then repeatedly during follow-up with questions concerning physical and mental symptoms. Each analysis of quality of life was based on a dichotomization of the outcome (yes vs no) studied in a binomial response, generalized linear mixed model.RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS:Of 347 randomized men, 272 completed at least five questionnaires during an 8-yr follow-up period. Almost all men reported that PCa negatively influenced daily activities and relationships. Health-related distress, worry, feeling low, and insomnia were consistently reported by approximately 30-40% in both groups. Men in the RP group consistently reported more leakage, impaired erection and libido, and fewer obstructive voiding symptoms. For men in the WW group, distress related to erectile symptoms increased gradually over time. Symptom burden and distress at baseline was predictive of long-term outlook.CONCLUSIONS:Cancer negatively influenced daily activities among almost all men in both treatment groups; health-related distress was common. Trade-offs exist between physiologic symptoms, highlighting the importance of tailored treatment decision-making. Men who are likely to experience profound long-term distress can be identified early in disease management.
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| 2. |
- Björk, Anna-Bell, et al.
(författare)
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Women's Experiences of Internet-Based or Postal Treatment for Stress Urinary Incontinence
- 2014
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Ingår i: Qualitative Health Research. - : SAGE Publications. - 1049-7323 .- 1552-7557. ; 24:4, s. 484-493
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stress urinary incontinence is common and sometimes embarrassing. New, simple, and easily accessible treatments are needed. We telephone interviewed 21 women who participated in a randomized controlled study comparing two treatment programs based on instructions for pelvic floor muscle training. One program was Internet-based and included email support by a urotherapist; the other was sent by post. There was no face-to-face contact in either program. Our main aim was to explore the women's experiences of the Internet-based treatment. Grounded theory analysis revealed three categories: hidden but present, at a distance but close, and by myself but not alone. These were incorporated in a core category: acknowledged but not exposed. The leakage was often a well-hidden secret, but the study treatments lowered the barrier for seeking care. In the Internet group, a supportive patient-provider relationship developed despite the lack of face-to-face contact. Internet-based treatment programs can increase access to care and empower women.
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| 3. |
- Chuang, Shu-Chun, et al.
(författare)
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Circulating Biomarkers of Tryptophan and the Kynurenine Pathway and Lung Cancer Risk
- 2014
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Ingår i: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. - 1055-9965 .- 1538-7755. ; 23:3, s. 461-468
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Imbalances in tryptophan metabolism have been linked to cancer-related immune escape and implicated in several cancers, including lung cancer. Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer andNutrition (EPIC) that included 893 incident lung cancer cases and 1,748matched controls. Circulating levels of tryptophan and six of its metabolites were measured and evaluated in relation to lung cancer risk. Results: Tryptophan (P-trend = 2 Chi 10(-5)) and the kynurenine/ tryptophan ratio (KTR; P-trend 4 Chi 10(-5)) were associated with lung cancer risk overall after adjusting for established risk factors. The ORs comparing the fifth and first quintiles (OR5th (vs. 1st)) were 0.52 [ 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.37-0.74] for tryptophan and 1.74 (95% CI, 1.24-2.45) for KTR. After adjusting for plasma methionine (available fromprevious work, which was strongly correlated with tryptophan), the associations of tryptophan (adjusted P-trend 0.13) and KTR (P-trend = 0.009) were substantially attenuated. KTR was positively associated with squamous cell carcinoma, the OR5th vs. 1st being 2.83 (95% CI, 1.62-4.94, P-trend -3 Chi 10(-5)) that was only marginally affected by adjusting for methionine. Conclusions: This study indicates that biomarkers of tryptophan metabolism are associated with subsequent lung cancer risk. Although this result would seem consistent with the immune system having a role in lung cancer development, the overall associations were dependent on methionine, and further studies are warranted to further elucidate the importance of these metabolites in lung cancer etiology. Impact: This is the first prospective study investigating the tryptophan pathway in relation to lung cancer risk.
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| 4. |
- Danielsson, Ulla EB, 1947-, et al.
(författare)
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"My greatest dream is to be normal" : the impact of gender on depression narratives of young Swedish women and men
- 2011
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Ingår i: Qualitative Health Research. - : Sage Publications. - 1049-7323 .- 1552-7557. ; 21:5, s. 612-624
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Depression is common among young people. Gender differences in diagnosing depression appear during adolescence. The study aim was to explore the impact of gender on depression in young Swedish men and women. Grounded theory was used to analyze interviews with 23 young people aged 17 to 25 years who had been diagnosed with depression. Their narratives were marked by a striving to be normal and disclosed strong gender stereotypes, constructed in interaction with parents, friends, and the media. Gender norms were upheld by feelings of shame, and restricted the acting space of our informants. However, we also found transgressions of these gender norms. Primary health care workers could encourage young men to open up emotionally and communicate their personal distress, and young women to be daring and assertive of their own strengths, so that both genders might gain access to the positive coping strategies practiced respectively by each.
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| 5. |
- Danielsson, Ulla EB, 1947-
(författare)
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Träffad av blixten eller långsam kvävning : genuskodade uttryck för depression i en primärvårdskontext
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Depression is a common mental health problem in primary health care. One third of the Swedish population is expected to experience depression at some point in their lives. The understanding of depression has expanded, both from a lay and primary health care perspective. The number of persons considering themselves as depressed, receiving the diagnosis, and getting treatment for it has increased steadily over the last decades. Unchanged, however, is that depression is diagnosed twice as often in women as in men, while twice as many men as women commit suicide. These gender differences appear in adolescence. In earlier research biomedical, psychological, and social-cultural explanations of gender differences have been discussed. Patient’s own perspectives have more seldom stood in focus, and men’s narratives in particular are still scarce. In this thesis, gender, i.e. how to be a woman or a man, is considered as a construct, formed and negotiated in social interaction. The aim of the study is to explore the gendered face of depression from a patient perspective: How is depression expressed and explained by patients in primary health care, by women and men, adults and adolescents? How are depressed women and men portrayed in the media? How do patient and media accounts of depression compare with the perspective offered in medical research articles? Method and material The analyses are based on data from three different sources: patient narratives, newspaper portrayals and scientific medical articles. – 37 in-depth interviews were undertaken with primary health care patients diagnosed with depression. Informants were chosen to include both men and women, grown-ups (Studies I + II) and young adults (Study V) of varying occupational and social class backgrounds. Data were analyzed according to grounded theory. – 26 articles portraying lay informants with depression (Study III) were drawn from three major Swedish daily newspapers by a search of database Mediearkivet 2002. The articles were analyzed by qualitative content analysis. –82 scientific articles concerning depression in relation to gender were identified in a PubMed search 2002. The understanding of depression in these articles was explored and compared with findings in the grown-up patient narratives and in the media portrayals by means of discourse analysis (Study IV). Findings Study I captured women’s and men’s formulations of their experiences of depression. To be marked with demands constituted a central experience for both women and men, but the outward manifestations differed in relation to gender as well as to class. Home and work had different priority. Men talked more about physical distress (often chest pain) than about emotions. Women readily verbalized emotional distress – shame and guilt – while physical symptoms were vague and secondary (often about the stomach). Men dealt with insecurity by aggrandizing their previous competence, women by self-effacement. Study II disclosed gendered trajectories into depression. Four symbolic illness narratives were identified: struck by lightning, nagging darkness, blackout and slowly suffocating. Most of the men considered their bodies suddenly “struck” by external circumstances beyond their control. The stories of women in the study were more diverse, reflecting all four illness narratives. However, the women had a tendency to blame their own personality and to describe depression as insidious and originating from the inside. The women expressed feelings of guilt and shame but also conveyed a personal responsibility and concern with relationships. Study III identified four themes in media portrayals of depression: displaying a successful facade, experiencing a cracking facade, losing and regaining control and explaining the illness. The mediated image of depression both upheld and challenged traditional gender stereotypes. The women’s stories were more detailed, relational, emotionally oriented and embodied. The portrayal of men was less emotional and expressive, and described a more dramatic onset of depression. Study IV revealed gaps in how depression in relation to gender is understood by the patients, the media, and the medical research establishment. There were differences in recognition, in understanding of the reasons, and in contextualization of depression. Although women and men described different symptoms and reasons for falling ill, in scientific articles these gendered differences were conceptualized mainly in terms of hormones and other biological markers. Study V elucidated the impact of gender on adolescent depression. The young women and men were all striving to be normal, influenced by demanding media images, confronted by identity trouble, and overwhelmed by feelings. They had dreams of an ordinary family and described normative expectations. Getting a safety net of friends and other adults was a way out. Both the young women and men were eager to communicate their distress when given the opportunity. This seemed especially important to some of the young men, who in talking about their emotional problems transgressed gender norms. Conclusions Patient perspectives enrich the understanding of gendered expressions of depression by making visible transgressions of and breaks with stereotype gender norms. Gender awareness is an important key in clinical consultation. To recognize gendered narratives of illness might have a salutary potential, making depression more visible among men, and relieving self-blame among women. By re-evaluating restrictive gender patterns, the clinician might encourage development of healthier practices of how to be a man or a woman, a development especially important for adolescents. An integrated model for understanding biological, gender and cultural aspects of depression has yet to be developed. As general practitioners we have a unique possibility to see and to study the whole individual in her social and cultural context.
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| 6. |
- Duell, Eric J, et al.
(författare)
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Vitamin C transporter gene (SLC23A1 and SLC23A2) polymorphisms, plasma vitamin C levels, and gastric cancer risk in the EPIC cohort
- 2013
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Ingår i: Genes & Nutrition. - : Springer Berlin/Heidelberg. - 1555-8932 .- 1865-3499. ; 8:6, s. 549-560
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Vitamin C is known to protect mucosal tissues from oxidative stress and inhibit nitrosamine formation in the stomach. High consumption of fruits, particularly citrus, and higher circulating vitamin C concentrations may be inversely associated with gastric cancer (GC) risk. We investigated 20 polymorphisms in vitamin C transporter genes SCL23A1 and SCL23A2 and GC risk in 365 cases and 1,284 controls nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. We also evaluated the association between these polymorphisms and baseline plasma vitamin C levels in a subset of participants. Four SNPs were predictors of plasma vitamin C levels (SLC23A1 rs11950646 and rs33972313; SLC23A2 rs6053005 and rs6133175) in multivariable linear regression models. One SNP (SLC23A2 rs6116569) was associated with GC risk, in particular non-cardia GC (OR = 1.63, 95 % CI = 1.11-2.39, based on 178 non-cardia cases), but this association was attenuated when plasma vitamin C was included in the logistic regression model. Haplotype analysis of SLC23A1 yielded no associations with GC. In SLC23A2, one haplotype was associated with both overall and non-cardia GC, another haplotype was associated with GC overall, and a third was associated with intestinal-type GC. Common variants in SLC23A1 and SLC23A2 may influence plasma vitamin C concentration independent of dietary intake, and variation in SLC23A2 may influence GC risk. Additional prospective studies in large populations and consortia are recommended. Investigation of variation in vitamin C transporter genes may shed light on the preventative properties of vitamin C in gastric carcinogenesis.
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| 7. |
- Ekman, Inger, 1952, et al.
(författare)
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Person-centered care -ready for prime time.
- 2011
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Ingår i: European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. - : Sage Publications. - 1474-5151 .- 1873-1953. ; 10:4, s. 248-251
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Long-term diseases are today the leading cause of mortality worldwide and are estimated to be the leading cause of disability by 2020. Person-centered care (PCC) has been shown to advance concordance between care provider and patient on treatment plans, improve health outcomes and increase patient satisfaction. Yet, despite these and other documented benefits, there are a variety of significant challenges to putting PCC into clinical practice. Although care providers today broadly acknowledge PCC to be an important part of care, in our experience we must establish routines that initiate, integrate, and safeguard PCC in daily clinical practice to ensure that PCC is systematically and consistently practiced, i.e. not just when we feel we have time for it. In this paper, we propose a few simple routines to facilitate and safeguard the transition to PCC. We believe that if conscientiously and systematically applied, they will help to make PCC the focus and mainstay of care in long-term illness.
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| 8. |
- Emilsson, Maria, 1966-, et al.
(författare)
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The Influence of personality traits and beliefs about medicines on adherence to asthma treatment
- 2011
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Ingår i: Primary Care Respiratory Journal. - : Strategic Medical Pub. - 1471-4418 .- 1475-1534. ; 20:2, s. 141-147
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim:To explore the influence of personality traits and beliefs about medicines on adherence to treatment with asthma medication.Methods:Respondents were 35 asthmatic adults prescribed controller medication. They answered questionnaires about medication adherence, personality traits, and beliefs about medicines.Results:In gender comparisons, the personality traits “Neuroticism” in men and “adherence to medication” were associated with lower adherent behaviour. Associations between personality traits and beliefs in the necessity of medication for controlling the illness were identified. Beliefs about the necessity of medication were positively associated with adherent behaviour in women. In the total sample, a positive “necessity-concern” differential predicted adherent behaviour.Conclusion:The results imply that personality and beliefs about medicines may influence how well adults with asthma adhere to treatment with asthma medication.
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| 9. |
- Fhärm, Eva, 1955-
(författare)
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Treatment of cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes : time trends and clinical practice
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Objectives Patients with type 2 diabetes are at much greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including coronary heart disease (CHD), compared to non-diabetics. The lowering of glucose, blood pressure, and plasma lipid levels has been shown to reduce CHD risk, and treatment goals for these risk factors are now part of clinical practice guidelines. However, the incidence and outcome of CHD in diabetic patients does not show the same favourable trend as in the general population. Thus, the overall aim of the thesis was to investigate how the treatment goals for CVD risk factors contained in the national guidelines for diabetes care were reflected in clinical practice, and to explore factors that might influence the remaining high incidence of CHD in the type 2 diabetes population. Research designs and results I. The effectiveness of the introduction of treatment goals for dyslipidaemia was evaluated in a retrospective observational population-based cross-sectional study of 971 diabetic patients participating in the Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) 1995–2004. There was a stronger trend of decrease in cholesterol levels among patients with diabetes compared to the non-diabetic population in 2000–2004. Increased use of lipid-lowering agents influenced the trend in diabetic patients, even though only 25.3% received lipid-lowering treatment after the introduction of the new guidelines. II. The experiences of general practitioners relating to treatment practice for type 2 diabetes with specific focus on the prevention of cardiovascular disease were explored in a focus group study. The overall theme was ‘dilemmas’ in GPs’ treatment practice for patients with type 2 diabetes. Five main dilemma categories were identified. First, GPs were hesitant about labelling a person who feels healthy as ill. Second, as regards communicating a diabetes diagnosis and its consequences, GPs were unsure as to whether patients should be frightened or comforted. Third, GPs experienced uncertainty in their role: should they take responsibility for the care or not? Fourth, GPs expressed concern over a conflict between lifestyle changes and drug treatment. Fifth, the GPs described difficulties when attempting to translate science into reality. III. Screening for microvascular and coronary heart disease according to national guidelines was evaluated in a cross-sectional study of 201 screening-detected patients with type 2 diabetes 1.5±0.7 years after diagnosis. A larger proportion of diabetic patients was screened for nephropathy and retinopathy than for CHD. Twenty-three percent of the patients had minor or major ECG abnormalities, but ECG findings seemed to have little or no impact on CHD prevention using lipid-lowering medication and ASA. A clinical history of CHD correlated with a larger proportion of patients receiving secondary prevention. IV. Time trends relating to the achievement of treatment goals and 10-year CHD risk at three years of diabetes duration were studied in 19,382 patients with type 2 diabetes without CHD, who were reported by primary health care sources in the National Diabetes Register in 2003–2008. National treatment goals for glycaemia, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol were achieved in 78.4%, 65.5%, 55.6%, and 61.0%, respectively, of the diabetic patients in 2008 following a trend of improved results in 2003–2008. Absolute 10-year risk of CHD increased between year of diagnosis and follow up in a studied subgroup while modifiable risk decreased. Conclusions The introduction of treatment goals for dyslipidemia in Swedish national guidelines in 1999 were reflected in lowered cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Since the introduction of the guidelines, an increasing number of diabetic patients are treated in accordance with guidelines. A remaining microvascular focus on the patients together with the revealed dilemmas within the GP’s consultation with diabetic patients might negatively influence the remaining high incidence of CHD in the type 2 diabetes population. Lipid levels, blood pressure and smoking are targets for further improvements.
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| 10. |
- Holmberg, Lars, et al.
(författare)
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Results from the scandinavian prostate cancer group trial number 4 : a randomized controlled trial of radical prostatectomy versus watchful waiting
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. Monographs. - Cary, USA : Oxford University Press. - 1052-6773 .- 1745-6614. ; 2012:45, s. 230-233
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group Trial Number 4 (SPCG-4), 347 men were randomly assigned to radical prostatectomy and 348 to watchful waiting. In the most recent analysis (median follow-up time = 12.8 years), the cumulative mortality curves had been stable over the follow-up. At 15 years, the absolute risk reduction of dying from prostate cancer was 6.1% following randomization to radical prostatectomy, compared with watchful waiting. Hence, 17 need to be randomized to operation to avert one death. Data on self-reported symptoms, stress from symptoms, and quality of life were collected at 4 and 12.2 years of median follow-up. These questionnaire studies show an intricate pattern of symptoms evolving after surgery, hormonal treatments, signs of tumor progression, and also from natural aging. This article discusses some of the main findings of the SPCG-4 study. The Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group Trial Number 4 (SPCG-4) started in 1989 when radical prostatectomy was newly introduced in Scandinavia and when there was essentially no prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in asymptomatic men; such testing only became common at the end of the inclusion of the trial a decade later. However, the trial data continue to be important for several reasons. In many parts of the world, the clinical panorama of prostate cancer still resembles that in Sweden in the early 1990s. The trial results point to many of the issues that modern diagnosis and treatment have to solve. SPCG-4 is to date the only trial to inform about both forces of mortality and self-reported symptoms and quality of life in men after radical prostatectomy or watchful waiting two decades and more out after a primary diagnosis of prostate cancer. According to the protocol (http://www.roc.se/prostata/SPCG-4.pdf), the main trial data have been updated every 3 years since 2002 (1–6). In this presentation, we highlight some of the main findings with bearing on the topic of this conference and discuss some issues that have been raised when the trial results have been presented.
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