End Of Cancer Treatment Research Articles

A psychoeducation group for patients at the end of primary treatment for cancer – preliminary results

A psychoeducation group for patients at the end of primary treatment for cancer – preliminary results

Efficacy of He-Ne Laser in the prevention and treatment of radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis in oral cancer patients

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of low-level lasers for the prevention and treatment of radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis in oral cancer patients. Twenty-four hospitalized patients with oral cancer, scheduled to undergo radiotherapy at KMC, Manipal, were enrolled in the present study and assigned to laser (Group I)/control group (Group II). They were treated using He-Ne laser (lambda = 632.8nm, output = 10 mW and energy density = 1.8 J/cm(2)). Patients were subjected to treatment using laser scanner for 8 days and subsequently were treated using laser probe at 6 anatomic sites in the oral cavity for 5 minutes each. The patients were evaluated on each day of treatment for pain severity (NRS), functional impairment (FIS), and oral mucositis (RTOG) and were followed until the end of cancer treatment. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 10. Laser therapy applied prophylactically during radiotherapy can reduce the severity of oral mucositis, severity of pain, and functional impairment.

Cognitive Damage May Appear After Cancer Treatment Ends

Cognitive Damage May Appear After Cancer Treatment Ends

Impairment of cognitive function in patients submitted to adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer: A follow up study

8027 Background: There is increasing evidence that the degree and duration of cancer treatment may contribute to cognitive impairment. However, the precise role of standard adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) in early breast cancer patients in the development of these impairments needs to be further investigated. Methods: The study design is longitudinal providing follow-up 12 months later. The treated group consisted of 53 breast cancer survivors (age, 60.3±4,3 yr) who were treated with ACT (5 yr since the end of cancer treatment). Patients (pts) were treated with CMF (n=24), ADM (n=4), CMF+ADM (n=25) plus (n=37) or minus (n=16) tamoxifene. The control group consisted of 71 breast cancer survivors (age, 63.4±4,1 yr) not treated with ACT (5 yr post-surgery). All pts were assessed using the following neuropsychological tests: two cognitive deterioration-screening tests (MODA and MMSE); 12 analytic tests (Prose memory test, Word list learning test, Digit cancellation test, Trail making test, Verbal span, Raven Coloured progressive matrices, Elithorn's perceptual maze test, Token test, Verbal phonemic fluency, Verbal semantic fluency, Street's completion test, Figure copying test). Results: Comparisons between the two groups did not reveal statistically significant differences on MMSE (treated group 29,6±0,9; control group 29.7±0.8) and MODA (treated group 94,4±3.3; control group 95.2±2.6) scores. Analysis of performance, in the 12 neuropsychological tests, showed statistically significant differences between the groups on Prose Memory Test (Wilcoxon Test, P=0,03) and Verbal Fluency Test (Wilcoxon Test, P=0,01).The treated group performances on the Prose Memory and on the Verbal Fluency scores were significantly worse than those of the control group. Conclusions: The preliminary results of this study show the presence of statistically significant difference on episodic memory and phonemic lexical access abilities between the groups. We propose that all pts over 55 yrs undergoing ACT should be submitted to a basal evaluation of cognitive function. This study was supported by grant from Healthy Ministry, PRF Conv. N.ICS 160/RA00.72 No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Impairment of cognitive function in patients submitted to adjuvant chemotherapy for early breast cancer: A follow up study

8027 Background: There is increasing evidence that the degree and duration of cancer treatment may contribute to cognitive impairment. However, the precise role of standard adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) in early breast cancer patients in the development of these impairments needs to be further investigated. Methods: The study design is longitudinal providing follow-up 12 months later. The treated group consisted of 53 breast cancer survivors (age, 60.3±4,3 yr) who were treated with ACT (5 yr since the end of cancer treatment). Patients (pts) were treated with CMF (n=24), ADM (n=4), CMF+ADM (n=25) plus (n=37) or minus (n=16) tamoxifene. The control group consisted of 71 breast cancer survivors (age, 63.4±4,1 yr) not treated with ACT (5 yr post-surgery). All pts were assessed using the following neuropsychological tests: two cognitive deterioration-screening tests (MODA and MMSE); 12 analytic tests (Prose memory test, Word list learning test, Digit cancellation test, Trail making test, Verbal span, Raven Coloured progressive matrices, Elithorn's perceptual maze test, Token test, Verbal phonemic fluency, Verbal semantic fluency, Street's completion test, Figure copying test). Results: Comparisons between the two groups did not reveal statistically significant differences on MMSE (treated group 29,6±0,9; control group 29.7±0.8) and MODA (treated group 94,4±3.3; control group 95.2±2.6) scores. Analysis of performance, in the 12 neuropsychological tests, showed statistically significant differences between the groups on Prose Memory Test (Wilcoxon Test, P=0,03) and Verbal Fluency Test (Wilcoxon Test, P=0,01).The treated group performances on the Prose Memory and on the Verbal Fluency scores were significantly worse than those of the control group. Conclusions: The preliminary results of this study show the presence of statistically significant difference on episodic memory and phonemic lexical access abilities between the groups. We propose that all pts over 55 yrs undergoing ACT should be submitted to a basal evaluation of cognitive function. This study was supported by grant from Healthy Ministry, PRF Conv. N.ICS 160/RA00.72 No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms after childhood cancer.

The posttraumatic stress model has recently been applied to understand the impact of life-threatening illness in adults and in children. From 1991 to 2001, 20 studies have reported posttraumatic stress symptoms and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in childhood cancer survivors and/or their parents. A review of these studies is proposed. Prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms and/or PTSD in children and in their parents has been estimated, across studies, between 2 and 20 % in survivors and between 10 and 30 % in their parents, even many years after the end of cancer treatment. Time elapsed since the diagnosis of cancer is usually not predictive of persistent symptoms. Subjective appraisal of life threat and illness beliefs are more important predictors than objective medical data. The presence of symptoms in survivors is not always related to that in their parents. The posttraumatic stress model renews the approach and understanding of psychopathological reactions of children with cancer, regarding trauma features and the role of parental responses. This model has important implications for individual and family clinical interventions. A reflection on the disruption of family functioning by childhood cancer (an example being bone marrow transplantation with a related donor) and on the recovery processes is needed.

Stress post-traumatique et cancer chez l’enfant

The post-traumatic stress model has been recently applied for understanding the impact of life-threatening illness in adults and in children. Since 1991, 17 studies have found post-traumatic stress symptoms in childhood cancer patients and/or their parents. Symptoms prevalence in children and in parents is various according to studies, but it is possible to identify it in a subset of children (from 5 to 20 % of them) many years after the end of cancer treatment. Time since the cancer diagnosis is not usually a predictor of persistent symptoms. Subjective appraisal of life threat and illness beliefs are more important as predictors than objective medical data. The presence of symptoms in children is not always correlated to their presence in parents. We will show how post-traumatic stress model renews the approach and the understanding of psychopathological reactions of children with cancer with the role of parental responses, trauma features and also indirect transgenerational traumatic effects. This model has important implications for individual and familial clinical interventions. A reflection on interactions between trauma and somatization processes, on disruption of family functioning by childhood cancer (with bone marrow transplantation with related donor as an example) and on recovery processes is needed.