| 1. |
- Brenne, Elisabeth, et al.
(författare)
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Depressed patients with incurable cancer : which depressive symptoms do they experience?
- 2013
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Ingår i: Palliative & Supportive Care. - 1478-9515 .- 1478-9523. ; 11:6, s. 491-501
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Diagnosing depressive disorders in palliative care is challenging because of the overlap between some depressive symptoms and cancer-related symptoms, such as loss of appetite and fatigue. In order to improve future assessment of depression in palliative care, depressive symptoms experienced by patients receiving pharmacological treatment for depression were assessed and compared to the American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV) criteria for major depressive disorder.METHOD: Thirty Norwegian (n = 20) and Austrian (n = 10) patients with advanced cancer were included. Semistructured interviews on symptom experiences were conducted and transcribed verbatim. By the phenomenographic method, patients' symptom experiences were extracted and sorted by headings, first individually and then across patients. The patients subsequently rated 24 symptoms numerically including the DSM-IV depression criteria.RESULTS: Lowered mood and a diminished motivational drive were prominent and reflected the two main DSM-IV symptom criteria. A relentless focus on their actual situation, restlessness, disrupted sleep, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of guilt, and thoughts of death as a solution were variably experienced. Appetite and weight changes, fatigue and psychomotor retardation were indistinguishable from cancer symptoms. All these symptoms reflected DSM-IV symptom criteria. Some major symptoms occurred that are not present in the DSM-IV symptom criteria: despair, anxiety, and social withdrawal. The numerical ratings of symptoms were mainly in accordance with the findings from the qualitative analysis.SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: Despair, anxiety, and social withdrawal are common symptoms in depressed patients with incurable cancer, and, therefore, hypothesized as candidate symptom criteria. Other symptom criteria might need adjustment for improvement of relevance in this group of patients.
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| 2. |
- Fearon, Kenneth, et al.
(författare)
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Definition and classification of cancer cachexia: an international consensus.
- 2011
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Ingår i: The lancet oncology. - 1474-5488. ; 12:5, s. 489-95
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To develop a framework for the definition and classification of cancer cachexia a panel of experts participated in a formal consensus process, including focus groups and two Delphi rounds. Cancer cachexia was defined as a multifactorial syndrome defined by an ongoing loss of skeletal muscle mass (with or without loss of fat mass) that cannot be fully reversed by conventional nutritional support and leads to progressive functional impairment. Its pathophysiology is characterised by a negative protein and energy balance driven by a variable combination of reduced food intake and abnormal metabolism. The agreed diagnostic criterion for cachexia was weight loss greater than 5%, or weight loss greater than 2% in individuals already showing depletion according to current bodyweight and height (body-mass index [BMI] <20 kg/m(2)) or skeletal muscle mass (sarcopenia). An agreement was made that the cachexia syndrome can develop progressively through various stages--precachexia to cachexia to refractory cachexia. Severity can be classified according to degree of depletion of energy stores and body protein (BMI) in combination with degree of ongoing weight loss. Assessment for classification and clinical management should include the following domains: anorexia or reduced food intake, catabolic drive, muscle mass and strength, functional and psychosocial impairment. Consensus exists on a framework for the definition and classification of cancer cachexia. After validation, this should aid clinical trial design, development of practice guidelines, and, eventually, routine clinical management.
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| 3. |
- Knudsen, Anne Kari, et al.
(författare)
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Interviews with patients with advanced cancer-another step towards an international cancer pain classification system
- 2012
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Ingår i: Supportive Care in Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0941-4355 .- 1433-7339. ; 20:10, s. 2491-2500
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Patients' involvement in the development of assessment tools is recommended, and the European Palliative Care Research Collaborative has adhered to this when developing a shared language for cancer pain, an international assessment and classification system. Study objectives were to investigate how patients ranked the relevance of several previously identified pain domains, to investigate patients' perception of the pain experience and to disclose additional, relevant pain domains for cancer pain classification to those identified in the literature. Semistructured interviews with advanced cancer patients treated with opioids were performed and analysed verbatim. Patients scored the relevance of predefined pain domains on an 11-point Numerical Rating Scale. Thirty-three Norwegian and Austrian patients were included (16 females and 17 males); the mean age was 63 years, and the mean Karnofsky performance score was 65. The ranking of domains was as follows etiology (mean Numerical Rating Scale score, 8.5), duration (8.0), intensity (7.4), coping (7.1), physical (5.9) and psychological functioning (5.8). Sleep was identified as a new candidate domain to include in the system. The patients emphasised consequences of having pain, for example, poor physical functioning and psychological distress. Previously identified pain domains were confirmed to be relevant to the patients; however, the ranking differed from the experts' ranking. Sleep disturbances may be added as a domain in a future classification system.
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| 4. |
- Lund, Jo-Å, et al.
(författare)
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Late radiation effects to the rectum and anus after treatment for prostate cancer; validity of the LENT/SOMA score
- 2013
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Ingår i: Acta Oncologica. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0284-186X .- 1651-226X. ; 52:4, s. 727-735
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background. The Late Effects Normal Tissue/Subjective Objective Management Analytic (LENT/SOMA) system for grading of side effects after radiotherapy was proposed several years ago. Only a few studies have previously been performed on the validity of the LENT/SOMA. The aim of the present study was to validate the LENT/SOMA scoring system for recto-anal side effects after treatment for prostate cancer in a randomized trial.Material and methods. A total of 875 patients with locally advanced prostate cancer were randomized to either hormonal treatment alone or hormonal treatment plus radiotherapy in the Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group 7 (SPCG-7) study. At least three years after treatment was started, the 178 patients that were randomized at St. Olavs Hospital were approached. One hundred and three patients of these accepted inclusion. The side effects according to LENT/SOMA were graded by oncologist and nurse. In addition, side effects were graded according to the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer and the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (EORTC/RTOG) toxicity scale and patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaires. Content/face validity, sensitivity and inter-rater reliability of the LENT/SOMA tables for rectum were analyzed.Results. Content/face analysis of LENT/SOMA revealed serious problems. Significant correlations (Spearman's rho > 0.4) were found between three of 15 LENT/SOMA items and similar HRQOL items. LENT/SOMA score made it possible to detect significant differences between the two groups of patients (p < 0.001), EORTC/RTOG toxicity score did not (p = 0.138). Inter-rater reliability was acceptable.Conclusions. LENT/SOMA scoring system for recto-anal side effects after radiotherapy for prostate cancer displays serious difficulties in the present study. Replacement of LENT/SOMA tables for rectum by a combination of patient-reported HRQOL questionnaires, clinical examination and objective physiological measurements might be called for.
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| 5. |
- Reidunsdatter, Randi J., et al.
(författare)
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Validation of the intestinal part of the prostate cancer questionnaire "QUFW94": psychometric properties, responsiveness, and content validity
- 2010
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Ingår i: International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. - : Elsevier. - 0360-3016 .- 1879-355X. ; 77:3, s. 793-804
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PURPOSE: Several treatment options are available for patients with prostate cancer. Applicable and valid self-assessment instruments for assessing health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are of paramount importance. The aim of this study was to explore the validity and responsiveness of the intestinal part of the prostate cancer-specific questionnaire QUFW94. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The content of the intestinal part of QUFW94 was examined by evaluation of experienced clinicians and reviewing the literature. The psychometric properties and responsiveness were assessed by analyzing HRQOL data from the randomized study Scandinavian Prostate Cancer Group 7 (SPCG)/Swedish Association for Urological Oncology 3 (SFUO). Subscales were constructed by means of exploratory factor analyses. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha. Responsiveness was investigated by comparing baseline scores with the 4-year posttreatment follow-up. RESULTS: The content validity was found acceptable, but some amendments were proposed. The factor analyses revealed two symptom scales. The first scale comprised five items regarding general stool problems, frequency, incontinence, need to plan toilet visits, and daily activity. Cronbach's alpha at 0.83 indicated acceptable homogeneity. The second scale was less consistent with a Cronbach's alpha at 0.55. The overall responsiveness was found to be very satisfactory. CONCLUSION: Two scales were identified in the bowel dimension of the QUFW94; the first one had good internal consistency. The responsiveness was excellent, and some modifications are suggested to strengthen the content validity.
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