The Clinical Relevance of Beta Blockers in Ovarian Carcinoma: A Systematic Review.

The last ten years have seen hardly any improvement in the prognosis of ovarian carcinoma. There is a great need for new treatment strategies, and a recent retrospective study showing a survival advantage with the use of beta blockers met with a very positive response. This systematic review summarizes the current state of knowledge and research on the topic: A database analysis identified six clinical studies showing inconsistent results with respect to the administration of beta blockers and disease course.

Recurrent Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) in a pre-menopausal woman: late sequelae of a traumatic event?

Background: "Tako-Tsubo cardiomyopathy" (TTC) is a syndrome characterized by left ventricular (LV) wall motion abnormalities, usually without coronary artery disease, mimicking the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. It most often affects post-menopausal women and TTC tends to run a benign course with very low rates of recurrence, complications or mortality. The condition is also called "stress-induced cardiomyopathy" because acute physical or emotional stress appears to be frequently related to its onset.

[Stress and pancreatic carcinoma--β-adrenergic signaling and tumor biology].

In several carcinomas, β-adrenergic signaling has been found to regulate relevant processes of cancer biology. Until recently, pancreatic cancer has not been in the focus of respective research. But in view of the incidence and poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer, new insights in biology and therapeutic strategies are of prime importance.

High prevalence of distress in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic SCT: fear of progression is associated with a younger age.

Little is known about the psychological burden patients are left with after successful allogeneic hematopoietic SCT (HSCT). With the main focus on physical condition and common transplant complications, psychological symptoms often remain neglected in daily practice. To assess the prevalence of distress in patients who have undergone allogeneic HSCT, we conducted a cross-sectional pilot study in 50 consecutive patients from our outpatient transplant clinic using standardized questionnaires.

Individual quality of life in patients with multiple myeloma.

Objective: The situation of patients with multiple myeloma, whose treatment often implies high-dose chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation that can be associated with severe symptoms and psychological distress, has gained attention in recent psychooncological research. This study followed an idiographic approach in order to identify the areas of life most relevant for the interviewed myeloma patients' quality of life (QoL) as well as their current satisfaction with these.

Methods: 64 patients took part in semi-structured interviews according to the SEIQoL-DW Manual (Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life - Direct Weighting).

[Stress and "anniversary reactions": rising mortality on birthdays and other anniversaries].

Certain fatal casualties or psychic decompensations occur significantly more frequently on birthdays and other biographically important anniversaries. Analyses of life tables have clearly confirmed this clinical evidence. The stress model and the concept of "anniversary reactions" are the two most convincing explanations for these associations.

[Kallmann syndrome--a form of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism].

History: Two men (aged 44 and 47 years) were admitted with the diagnosis of Kallmann's syndrome, but they had widely different symptoms. The first patient (A) suffered from significant secondary symptoms, i.e.

[Kallmann syndrome. Fundamentals and two medical histories].

Kallmann syndrome is defined as a combination of isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH), hyposmia or anosmia and several optional neurological or anatomical particularities. The genetically caused illness affects mechanisms of neuronal migration, first of all concerning GnRH-producing neurons and those of the olfactory bulb.The first, nowadays rather seldom case, serves as an example of a patient suffering from grave, especially somatic symptoms of the disease.

[Spirituality and cancer].

According to recent studies, the significance of spirituality in patients coping with cancer has been evidently underestimated. Fox example, an interrelationship between spirituality and quality of life and between spirituality and mental comorbidity was observed. It is at least assumed that there is a connection to the progression of a disease.

[Psychosocial stress as a risk- and prognostic factor in coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction].

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) challenge patients and social systems alike. Epidemiologic and economic data underscores demands for additional knowledge and therapeutic options. As recent data shows, psychosocial stress is underestimated as a risk- and prognostic factor in CVD.

[Stress and myocardial infarction].

Most people throughout the world die from the consequences of cardiovascular disease. Stress and psychosocial burdens have, in the past, been underestimated with regard to the importance of their impact on the development and course of such diseases. In the INTERHEART study, psychosocial burdens occupy third place among the risk factors for developing acute myocardial infarction.

Psychiatric side effects of pegylated interferon alfa-2b as compared to conventional interferon alfa-2b in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Aim: To assess systematically the spectrum and extent of depressive symptoms comparing patient groups receiving peginterferon or conventional interferon.

Methods: Ninety-eight patients with chronic hepatitis C and interferon-based therapy (+ribavirin) were consecutively enrolled in a longitudinal study. Patients were treated with conventional interferon alfa-2b (48/98 patients; 5 MIU interferon alfa-2b thrice weekly) or peginterferon alfa-2b (50/98 patients; 80-150 mug peginterferon alfa-2b) in combination with weight-adapted ribavirin (800-1 200 mg/d).

Psychiatric symptoms in patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving interferon alfa-2b therapy.

Background: Psychiatric side effects of interferon alfa are frequently observed in the therapy of patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. The goal of the present study was to assess prospectively the incidence, spectrum, and extent of psychiatric symptoms of patients receiving interferon alfa therapy as compared with an untreated reference group.

Method: 104 patients with chronic hepatitis C were consecutively enrolled in a prospective longitudinal study.

Paroxetine for the treatment of interferon-alpha-induced depression in chronic hepatitis C.

Background: Psychiatric side-effects may require dose reduction or premature discontinuation of interferon therapy in chronic hepatitis C. New strategies are needed in order to prevent the premature termination of interferon therapy.

Aim: To evaluate prospectively the efficacy and tolerability of antidepressant therapy (paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon-alpha who have developed interferon-induced major depression.

Compliance with therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C: associations with psychiatric symptoms, interpersonal problems, and mode of acquisition.

Tolerance of interferon-a therapy for hepatitis C is often poor and medication is expensive. Compliance with diagnostic procedures and, even more important, with medical treatment is obviously critical to minimize the rate of dropouts and to maximize cost efficiency. Moreover, a good concordance with scheduled follow-ups is important for early recognition and treatment of interferon-associated side effects.

[Depression in cancer patients. Early recognition--adequate treatment].

During or following chemotherapy, cancer patients frequently suffer from depression, asthenia and lassitude, which may have an unfavorable effect on the course of the disease. Psychotherapeutic interventions and psychopharmaceuticals can significantly ameliorate these symptoms and thus improve the patient's quality of life. Over the long term, the general practitioner has a key diagnostic and therapeutic function.

Emotional state, coping styles, and somatic variables in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

The authors in a cross-sectional study examined 113 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) without widely progressed or decompensated liver disease. The patients were investigated for emotional state (depression, anxiety, coping styles) and somatic/sociodemographic variables. A high percentage of patients had positive scores for depression (22.

[Psychotherapy: the earlier, the better. Postponing therapy harms the patient and health insurance].

Psychotherapeutic measures produce good results providing they are initiated in good time, and the treatment is appropriate to the problem and given by a competent therapist. There are, however, numerous difficulties that can result in the psychogenic disorders becoming chronic. The poor public acceptance of psychotherapy is based on fear and the negative perception of this form of treatment.