Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
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Severe anemias requiring RBC transfusions is a frequent complication of chemotherapy. A model elaborated by Ray-Coquard et al in adults pointed to three independent risk factors for RBC transfusion: performance status (PS) more than 1, hemoglobin less than 12 g/dL, and prechemotherapy absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) < or = 700/microL. This model is tested on a pediatric population. ⋯ The risk model elaborated for adults may also segregate children at high risk of postchemotherapy RBC transfusion, thus facilitating assessment of risk of transfusion and/or prophylactic erythropoietin support.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Analgesic effect of auricular acupuncture for cancer pain: a randomized, blinded, controlled trial.
During the last 30 years, auricular acupuncture has been used as complementary treatment of cancer pain when analgesic drugs do not suffice. The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of auricular acupuncture in decreasing pain intensity in cancer patients. ⋯ The observed reduction in pain intensity measured on the VAS represents a clear benefit from auricular acupuncture for these cancer patients who are in pain, despite stable analgesic treatment.