Anaesthesia
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Radiotherapy is currently used in approximately one-third of children with cancer. Treatments are typically received as weekday outpatient appointments over 3-6 weeks. The treatment is painless but requires a still, co-operative patient who can lie alone in set positions, facilitated by the use of immobilisation devices, for up to 1 h. ⋯ The requirement for anaesthesia for paediatric radiotherapy is typically confined to younger children. Patients may be unwell, with several specific considerations related to their cancer diagnosis and the impact of various treatments including surgery and chemotherapy, in addition to the radiotherapy. A multidisciplinary team approach to all aspects of care is imperative in this group of high-risk patients.
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Patients with advanced ovarian cancer often require radical cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy, with or without targeted therapy. Return to intended oncological therapy after surgery is a crucial metric, as delay can worsen survival. The concept of return to intended oncological therapy is important because it highlights the need for not just successful surgical outcomes, but also the ability to continue with the comprehensive cancer treatment plan. ⋯ Awareness and management of factors affecting return to intended oncological therapy are essential for improving outcomes in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. We highlight the importance of multidisciplinary care (including enhanced recovery after surgery programmes) and the factors affecting these including age; nutrition; and occurrence of postoperative complications.
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Regional anaesthesia provides important clinical benefits to patients but is underutilised. A barrier to widespread adoption may be the focus of regional anaesthesia research on novel techniques rather than evaluating and optimising existing approaches. Research priorities in regional anaesthesia identified by anaesthetists have been published, but the views of patients, carers and other healthcare professionals have not been considered previously. Therefore, we launched a multidisciplinary research priority setting partnership that aimed to establish key regional anaesthesia research priorities for the UK. ⋯ This initiative has resulted in a list of research questions prioritised by patients, carers and a multidisciplinary group of healthcare professionals that should be used to inform and support future regional anaesthesia research in the UK.