Self-perceived cognitive functioning and quality of life among cancer survivors: results from the PROFILES registry.

Purpose: The aim was to investigate the level of self-perceived cognitive functioning and its associated factors among a large population-based cohort of cancer survivors and their matched controls.

Methods: Data were obtained from population-based PROFILES registry cohorts, including colon, rectum, prostate or thyroid cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma (MM), melanoma, or basal cell carcinoma (BCC)/squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). All patients completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 from which self-perceived cognitive functioning, fatigue, functioning, and global health status/quality of life (GHS/QoL) were used.

Results of 20- versus 45-min post-infusion scalp cooling time in the prevention of docetaxel-induced alopecia.

Purpose: For patients, chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is one of the most distressing side effects of treatment. Scalp cooling can prevent or minimise CIA; the results may depend on the duration of cooling. Since a previous study on post-infusion cooling time in patients treated with docetaxel chemotherapy found no difference between 90 and 45 min, we investigated whether hair-preserving results could be maintained with a shorter post-infusion cooling time.

Core temperature affects scalp skin temperature during scalp cooling.

Background: The efficacy of hair loss prevention by scalp cooling to prevent chemotherapy induced hair loss has been shown to be related to scalp skin temperature. Scalp skin temperature, however, is dependent not only on local cooling but also on the thermal status of the body.

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of body temperature on scalp skin temperature.

Familiarity, opinions, experiences and knowledge about scalp cooling: a Dutch survey among breast cancer patients and oncological professionals.

Objective: Scalp cooling (SC) is applied to reduce chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA). The aim of this study was to investigate patients' familiarity and opinions and oncological professionals' attitude and knowledge about SC in the Netherlands.

Methods: Ex breast cancer patients, nurses and medical oncologists (MDs) from SC and non-SC hospitals filled out questionnaires.

Use of in vitro human keratinocyte models to study the effect of cooling on chemotherapy drug-induced cytotoxicity.

A highly distressing side-effect of cancer chemotherapy is chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA). Scalp cooling remains the only treatment for CIA, yet there is no experimental evidence to support the cytoprotective capacity of cooling. We have established a series of in vitro models for the culture of human keratinocytes under conditions where they adopt a basal, highly-proliferative phenotype thus resembling the rapidly-dividing sub-population of native hair-matrix keratinocytes.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of scalp cooling to reduce chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

Background: Alopecia is a frequently occurring side effect of chemotherapy that often can be prevented by cooling the scalp during the infusion. This study compared effects and costs of scalp cooling with usual general oncological care, i.e.

Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and its association with quality of life among 2- to 11-year colorectal cancer survivors: results from the population-based PROFILES registry.

Purpose: To gain insight into the prevalence and severity of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and its influence on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a population-based sample of colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors 2 to 11 years after diagnosis.

Methods: All alive individuals diagnosed with CRC between 2000 and 2009 as registered by the Dutch population-based Eindhoven Cancer Registry were eligible for participation. Eighty-three percent (n = 1,643) of patients filled out the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ) C30 and the EORTC QLQ Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy 20.

Factors influencing the effectiveness of scalp cooling in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

The success of scalp cooling in preventing or reducing chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is highly variable between patients and chemotherapy regimens. The outcome of hair preservation is often unpredictable and depends on various factors. Methods.

Scalp cooling for hair preservation and associated characteristics in 1411 chemotherapy patients - results of the Dutch Scalp Cooling Registry.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced alopecia is a frequently occurring side effect of cancer treatment with a high psychological impact which can be prevented by scalp cooling. With this multi-centre patient series we estimated the results of scalp cooling for currently used chemotherapies to provide patient information and we identified characteristics associated with the results.

Material And Methods: The Dutch Scalp Cooling Registry collected data on scalp-cooled patients in 28 Dutch hospitals.

Evaluation of Cohen's cross-section trichometer for measuring hair quantity.

Background: Until now, there has been no reliable, simple method available for measuring hair quantity that is suitable in clinical practice. Recently, the cross-section trichometer by Cohen has been introduced. This study was designed to test its clinical utility.

[Scalp cooling for chemotherapy-induced alopecia].

Alopecia is a very common side effect of cytostatic therapy and is considered one of the most emotionally distressing effects. To prevent alopecia scalp cooling is currently used in some indications in medical oncology in 59 hospitals in the Netherlands. The success of scalp cooling depends on various factors such as type of chemotherapy, dose, infusion time, number of treatment cycles and combinations of drugs.

Unfavourable pattern of metastases in M0 breast cancer patients during 1978-2008: a population-based analysis of the Munich Cancer Registry.

Little is known about time trends in metastases in the patients treated in routine health care facilities without metastases at diagnosis (M0) and about survival after these metastases. Data on 33,771 M0 patients with primary breast cancer diagnosed between 1978 and 2003 were obtained from the Munich Cancer Registry. Survival analyses were restricted to the patients with metastases within 5 years of the initial diagnosis.

[Allow scalp cooling during adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer; scalp metastases rarely occur].

Objective: To investigate the incidence of scalp metastases in high-risk breast cancer patients in order to assess whether caution is warranted with scalp cooling during adjuvant therapy.

Design: Observational study.

Methods: The incidence of scalp metastases and the disease course were studied in 885 very well evaluated high-risk breast cancer patients.

Impact of alopecia and scalp cooling on the well-being of breast cancer patients.

Objective: Chemotherapy-induced alopecia, a common and distressing side effect of chemotherapy, may be prevented by scalp cooling, which reduces toxicity of cytostatics in hair root cells. This is the first study designed to assess the effect of scalp cooling on well-being.

Methods: A prospective multi-centre study was performed in 13 hospitals.

Scalp cooling to prevent chemotherapy-induced hair loss: practical and clinical considerations.

Objective: The objective of this prospective multicenter study was to obtain insight into the severity and burden of hair loss among cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. In addition, we described the effectiveness and burden of scalp cooling and the satisfaction with wigs, with hair regrowth, and with body image.

Materials And Methods: Breast cancer patients treated with (n = 98) and without (n = 168) scalp cooling completed questionnaires before chemotherapy and 3 weeks and 6 months after completion of chemotherapy.