Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · Mar 2014
Review Meta AnalysisA systematic review and meta-analysis on the use of traditional Chinese medicine compound kushen injection for bone cancer pain.
Bone cancer pain presents a clinical challenge with limitations of current treatments. Compound kushen injection (CKI) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation in treatment of patients with bone cancer pain. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of CKI for bone cancer pain. ⋯ This systematic review showed positive but weak evidence of CKI for bone cancer pain because of the poor methodological quality and the small quantity of the included trials. Future rigorously designed RCTs are required.
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Support Care Cancer · Mar 2014
The sexual health care needs after colorectal cancer: the view of patients, partners, and health care professionals.
Sexual dysfunction among patients with colorectal cancer is frequently reported. Studies examining patients' sexual health care needs are rare. We examined the sexual health care needs after colorectal cancer treatment according to patients, partners, and health care professionals (HCPs). Factors that impede or facilitate the quality of this care were identified. ⋯ Our findings illustrate the need for patient-tailored sexual health care and the complexity of providing/receiving this care. An adequate referral system and training are needed to help HCPs engage in providing satisfactory sexual health care.
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Support Care Cancer · Mar 2014
The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) as a screening tool for depression and anxiety in non-advanced patients with solid or haematological malignancies on cure or follow-up.
Symptoms' assessment should be considered a clinical practice routine in all cancer stages. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) is a ten-item patient-rated symptom assessment developed and validated for population affected by cancer in different languages and cultures. The main objective of this study was to assess the performance of ESAS items on anxiety and depression when detecting Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) 'cases'. ⋯ Anxiety or depression ESAS items score >3 can be applied as a useful, easy and not time consuming screening tool for assessing anxiety and depression in non-advanced patients with solid or haematological malignancies.
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Support Care Cancer · Mar 2014
Safety profile of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia for breakthrough pain in cancer patients: a case series study.
The WHO analgesic ladder supports medication choice according to pain intensity. The use of the analgesic ladder in an inverse way, has the advantage of using the same principles of the original ladder to treat crisis of pain in cancer patients. The purpose of this study is to describe the use of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) technique in patients admitted to an oncological Hospital. ⋯ IV-PCA provided timely, safe and useful analgesia for patients with severe breakthrough pain and may be useful to help titration of opioids, weaning to oral analgesia and to decide for interventional procedures.
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Support Care Cancer · Mar 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialDelaying skeletal-related events in a randomized phase 3 study of denosumab versus zoledronic acid in patients with advanced cancer: an analysis of data from patients with solid tumors.
Bone complications of metastatic disease, including skeletal-related events (SREs), impair patients' functioning and quality of life. In a randomized, phase 3 trial of 1,776 patients with metastases from solid tumors (except breast or prostate) or multiple myeloma, denosumab was non-inferior to zoledronic acid (ZA) in delaying or preventing SREs. This ad hoc analysis reports outcomes in the subgroup of 1,597 patients with solid tumors, excluding patients with multiple myeloma. ⋯ Denosumab was more effective in delaying or preventing SREs in patients with bone metastases from solid tumors and also prevented pain progression compared to ZA in this ad hoc analysis.