| 1. |
- Olofsson, Sven-Erik, et al.
(author)
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Population-Based Study of Treatment Guided by Tumor Marker Decline in Patients With Metastatic Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Tumor : A Report From the Swedish-Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group
- 2011
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In: Journal of Clinical Oncology. - 0732-183X .- 1527-7755. ; 29:15, s. 2032-2039
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose From 1995 to 2003, 603 adult patients from Sweden and Norway with metastatic testicular nonseminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT) were included prospectively in a population-based protocol with strict guidelines for staging, treatment, and follow-up. Patients with extragonadal primary tumor or previous treatment for contralateral testicular tumor were excluded. The basic strategy was to individualize treatment according to initial tumor marker response. Methods Initial treatment for all patients was two courses of standard bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP), with tumor markers analyzed weekly. Good response was defined as a half-life (t(1/2)) for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) of <= 7 days and/or for beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG) of <= 3 days. Patients with prolonged marker t(1/2) (ie, poor response) received intensification with addition of ifosfamide (BEP-if/PEI) in step 1. If poor response continued, the treatment was intensified with high-dose chemotherapy with stem-cell rescue as step 2. Results Overall, 99% of all patients with metastatic testicular NSGCT in the population were included in the protocol. Median follow-up was 8.2 years. Seventy-seven percent of the patients were treated with BEP alone; 18% received intensification step 1%, and 5% received intensification step 2. Grouped according to International Germ Cell Consensus Classification, 10-year overall survival was 94.7% in good-prognosis patients, 90.0% in intermediate-prognosis patients, and 67.4% in poor-prognosis patients. Conclusion With detailed treatment protocols and a dedicated collaborative group of specialists, treatment results comparable to those reported from large single institutions can be achieved at national level. With the treatment principles used in Swedish-Norwegian Testicular Cancer Group study SWENOTECA IV, the survival of intermediate-prognosis patients is remarkable and close to that of good-prognosis patients.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Tandstad, Torgrim, et al.
(author)
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Management of Seminomatous Testicular Cancer : A Binational Prospective Population-Based Study From the Swedish Norwegian Testicular Cancer Study Group
- 2011
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In: Journal of Clinical Oncology. - 0732-183X .- 1527-7755. ; 29:6, s. 719-725
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: A binational, population-based treatment protocol was established to prospectively treat and follow patients with seminomatous testicular cancer. The aim was to standardize care for all patients with seminoma to further improve the good results expected for this disease. Patients and Methods From 2000 to 2006, a total of 1,384 Norwegian and Swedish patients were included in the study. Treatment in clinical stage 1 (CS1) was surveillance, adjuvant radiotherapy, or adjuvant carboplatin. In metastatic disease, recommended treatment was radiotherapy in CS2A and cisplatin-based chemotherapy in CS2B or higher. Results At a median follow-up of 5.2 years, 5-year cause-specific survival was 99.6%. In CS1, 14.3% (65 of 512) of patients relapsed following surveillance, 3.9% (seven of 188) after carboplatin, and 0.8% (four of 481) after radiotherapy. We could not identify any factors predicting relapse in CS1 patients who were subjected to surveillance only. In CS2A, 10.9% (three of 29) patients relapsed after radiotherapy compared with no relapses in CS2A/B patients (zero of 73) treated with chemotherapy (P = .011). Conclusion An international, population-based treatment protocol for testicular seminoma is feasible with excellent results. Surveillance remains a good option for CS1 patients. No factors predicted relapse in CS1 patients on surveillance. Despite resulting in a lower rate of relapse than with adjuvant carboplatin, adjuvant radiotherapy has been abandoned in the Swedish and Norwegian Testicular Cancer Project (SWENOTECA) as a recommended treatment option because of concerns of induction of secondary cancers. The higher number of relapses in radiotherapy-treated CS2A patients when compared with chemotherapy-treated CS2A/B patients is of concern. Late toxicity of cisplatin-based chemotherapy versus radiotherapy must be considered in CS2A patients.
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| 4. |
- Andersson, John Åke, et al.
(author)
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Sweden's Economic Relationships with Uganda
- 2016
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Reports (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This explorative study aims to map commercial and other economic relations between Sweden and Uganda during the years 2000-2014. In addition, we will discuss whether and how these relations may be related to Swedish bilateral aid.
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| 6. |
- Carlstedt, Emma, et al.
(author)
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Stroke survivors’ preferences regarding study participation in rehabilitation research
- 2022
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In: BMC Medical Research Methodology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2288. ; 22:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: To pursue high quality research, successful participant recruitment is essential, but recruitment rates are often low. This is specifically true in target populations with impairments, for instance, among stroke survivors. Previous studies focusing on recruitment have mainly relied on information from professionals, and there is therefore a need to contribute with new methodological insights to how potential rehabilitation research participants describe their interest and preferences to participate in research. The purpose of this study was to generate knowledge about stroke survivors’ interest in participating in rehabilitation research, reasons for being interested or not, and preferred forms and foci of rehabilitation interventions. An additional aim was to describe preferences regarding survey administration modes and processes for recruitment to studies. Method: This cross-sectional study recruited Swedish residents who had sustained a stroke, initially by using advertisement on the National Stroke Association’s website, flyers posted at local occupational and physical therapy offices and at local stroke/senior organization meetings. Secondly, participants were recruited through a local stroke register. The survey, administered either in a paper form returned by postal mail; online or as a phone interview with 128 stroke survivors. Results: Most of the participants were interested in participating in rehabilitation research, particularly younger persons (p = 0.001) and those closer to stroke onset (p = 0.047). Contribution to research, possibility to try new rehabilitation interventions and meeting others in the same situation were reasons that attracted an interest to participate. Other important aspects were related to motivation, individual needs, as well as how skilled the people who provided the intervention were. Participants preferred group-based programs, and programs focusing on regaining lost functions were highly requested. A majority wanted to be contacted through postal mail (70%) and most of them (90%) used the paper form to respond to the survey. Conclusions: A range of personal and external aspects, including challenges related to digitized administration modes, should be considered to achieve high participation rates in rehabilitation research targeting stroke survivors. The importance of addressing individual needs and prerequisites in an individualized manner should not be underestimated and might be a useful strategy to recruitment success.
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| 7. |
- Glimelius, Bengt, et al.
(author)
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A systematic overview of radiation therapy effects in rectal cancer.
- 2003
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In: Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden). - : Informa UK Limited. - 0284-186X .- 1651-226X. ; 42, s. 476-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A systematic review of radiation therapy trials in several tumour types was performed by The Swedish Council of Technology Assessment in Health Care (SBU). The procedures for evaluation of the scientific literature are described separately (Acta Oncol 2003; 42: 357-365). This synthesis of the literature on radiation therapy for rectal cancer is based on data from 42 randomized trials and 3 meta-analyses. Moreover, data from 36 prospective studies, 7 retrospective studies and 17 other articles were used. A total of 131 scientific articles are included, involving 25 351 patients. The results were compared with those of a similar overview from 1996 including 15 042 patients. The conclusions reached can be summarized thus: The results after rectal cancer surgery have improved during the past decade. It is likely that local failure rates after 5 years of follow-up at hospitals adopting the TME-concept (TME = total mesorectal excision) have decreased from about 28% to 10-15%. Preoperative radiotherapy at biological effective doses above 30 Gy decreases the relative risk of a local failure by more than half (50-70%). Postoperative radiotherapy decreases the risk by 30-40% at doses that generally are higher than those used preoperatively. There is strong evidence that preoperative radiotherapy is more effective than postoperative. There is moderate evidence that preoperative radiotherapy significantly decreases the local failure rate (from 8% to 2% after 2 years) also with TME. There is strong evidence that preoperative radiotherapy improves survival (by about 10%). There is no evidence that postoperative radiotherapy improves survival. There is some indication that survival is prolonged when postoperative radiotherapy is combined with concomitant chemotherapy. Preoperative radiotherapy at adequate doses can be given with low acute toxicity. Higher, and unacceptable acute toxicity has been seen in some preoperative radiotherapy trials using suboptimal techniques. Postoperative radiotherapy can also be given with acceptable acute toxicity. The long-term consequences of radiotherapy appear to be limited with adequate radiation techniques, although they have been less extensively studied. Longer follow-up periods are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn. Peroperative radiotherapy, preferably preoperative since it is more effective, is routinely recommended for most patients with rectal cancer since it can substantially decrease the risk of a local failure and increases survival. In a primarily non-resectable tumour, preoperative radiotherapy can cause tumour regression allowing subsequent radical surgery. This therapy is routinely indicated. Whether radiochemotherapy is more efficient than radiotherapy alone is not clear, since the results of four small randomized trials are partly conflicting. Preoperative radiotherapy, frequently combined with chemotherapy, has been used to increase the chances of sphincter-preserving surgery in low-lying tumours. The literature is inconclusive with respect to how frequently this occurs. Radiotherapy frequently produces symptom relief in patients with rectal cancer not amendable to surgery.
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| 8. |
- Hansen, Staffan, et al.
(author)
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The Crystal Structure of Sb0.92V0.92O4, Determined by Neutron and Dual Wavelength X-ray Powder Diffraction
- 1993
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In: Journal of Solid State Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-4596. ; 102:2, s. 340-348
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A phase of approximate composition SbVO4 has been reported in the literature as a key component in new catalysts for the ammoxidation of propane to acrylonitrile. Sb0.92V0.92O4 was prepared by heating equimolar amounts of Sb2O3 and V2O5 in air at 1073 K for 2 hr. The chemical composition was determined by thermogravimetry and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis. The crystal structure at 293 K was determined, from three powder diffraction data sets recorded with CuKα1, MoKα, and 1.040(1)-Å neutron radiation, using the Rietveld method. Crystal data: Sb0.92V0.92O4, Z = 1, a = 4.625(4), c = 3.040(2) Å, tetragonal space group P 42/mnm, Mr = 222.87, Dcalc = 5.69 g/cm3. All three data sets yield a cation deficient rutile structure and final profile R-values of 3.5, 6.3, and 3.5%. Bond valence sums, calculated from the experimentally determined bond lengths, indicate the oxidation states to be Sb5+ and V3+/V4+, leading to the formula Sb5+0.92V3+0.28V4+0.64□0.16O4 (the square denotes metal ion vacancies). Bond valence calculations also suggest that OSb2□ is the most favorable configuration for an oxygen associated with a metal vacancy.
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| 9. |
- Johansson, S., et al.
(author)
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Low levels of CC16 in nasal fluid of children with birch pollen-induced rhinitis
- 2005
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In: Allergy. - : Wiley. - 0105-4538 .- 1398-9995. ; 60:5, s. 638-42
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Clara cell protein 16 (CC16; secretoglobin 1A1) is an anti-inflammatory protein mainly expressed in the epithelial cells in the airways. OBJECTIVE: To compare the levels of CC16 in nasal lavage (NAL) from children with intermittent allergic rhinitis and healthy controls and to study the effect of a local steroid. METHODS: Thirty schoolchildren with birch pollen allergy and 30 healthy controls from the same schools were included in the study. The NAL fluid was collected before the season, during the birch pollen season and, for the patients, after 1 week of treatment with a local steroid. Symptom scores were obtained on every occasion. CC16 and eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) were analyzed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The nasal fluid levels of CC16 were significantly lower in patients than in controls, before and during pollen season. Before the season, the median CC16 concentrations were 9.1 (range 1.1-117) microg/l in patients and 25.7 (6.1-110.2) microg/l in controls. During the season, the median CC16 concentrations in nasal fluid were 12.9 (2.3-89.7) microg/l in the allergic children and 22.0 (9.5-90.1) microg/l in the healthy controls (P = 0.0005). Symptom scores, nasal fluid eosinophils and ECP were higher in patients during the season. Treatment with a local steroid did not change the CC16 levels. CONCLUSIONS: Nasal fluid CC16 levels were lower in children with birch pollen-induced allergic rhinitis than in healthy controls both before and during the pollen season. We speculate that reduction in anti-inflammatory activity by CC16 may contribute to the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis.
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| 10. |
- Jönsson, Ann-Cathrin, et al.
(author)
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Functional Status and Patient-Reported Outcome 10 Years After Stroke: The Lund Stroke Register.
- 2014
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In: Stroke: a journal of cerebral circulation. - 1524-4628. ; 45:6, s. 1784-1790
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Long-term studies of outcome after stroke are scarce. Our aim was to study functional status and patient-reported outcome 10 years after a first-ever stroke.Ten-year follow-up was conducted among the survivors from a population-based group of 416 patients included in the Lund Stroke Register, Sweden, between March 1, 2001, and February 28, 2002. The Barthel index was used to assess the functional status and the modified Rankin Scale to assess the degree of disability. The EQ-5D scale was used for survivors’ self-reports about health outcome and the specific Short-Form 36 (SF-36) question for rating their overall health. The patients also reported their frequency of physical activity.Among 145 survivors 10 years after stroke (median age, 78 years), 59% were men, 90% lived in their ordinary housing, 73% were assessed as independent, and 71% had no or slight disability. The need of assistance with mobility and self-care was reported by 14% and with usual activities by 22%. Moderate pain was reported by 39%, and 4% had a high degree of pain. Moderate anxiety/depression was reported by 28% and high degree only by 1%. Overall health status was reported in positive terms by more than two thirds of the survivors. Almost half the cohort reported the same frequency of physical activity (≥4× weekly) as before stroke onset.This study indicates that 10-year stroke survivors in Sweden are mostly independent in daily activities and report good overall health and frequent physical activity, although half of them are ≥78 years.
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