Symptom response analysis of a randomized controlled trial of reflexology for symptom management among women with advanced breast cancer.

Purpose: To examine symptom responses resulting from a home-based reflexology intervention delivered by a friend/family caregivers to women with advanced breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy, targeted, and/or hormonal therapy.

Methods: Patient-caregiver dyads (N = 256) were randomized to 4 weekly reflexology sessions or attention control. Caregivers in the intervention group were trained by a reflexology practitioner in a 30-min protocol.

Using gene expression data to direct breast cancer therapy: evidence from a preclinical trial.

The heterogeneity both within and between breast cancers presents a significant clinical challenge for both diagnosis and therapy. This heterogeneity is present at all levels of analysis in breast cancer, ranging from genomic to metabolomic. A function of this heterogeneity is that numerous signaling networks are activated, and while treatment of one arm may be initially effective, this allows the tumor to be poised to evolve a resistance mechanism.

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Caregiver-Delivered Reflexology for Symptom Management During Breast Cancer Treatment.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a home-based reflexology intervention delivered by a friend/family caregiver compared with attention control on health-related quality of life of women with advanced breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy, targeted and/or hormonal therapy.

Methods: Patient-caregiver dyads (N = 256) were randomized to four weekly reflexology sessions or attention control. Caregivers in the intervention group were trained in a 30-minute protocol.

The Dilemma of Breast Cancer Treatment and Existing Collagen Vascular Disease: A Case of Scleroderma and Review of the Literature.

Collagen vascular diseases present a treatment dilemma for patients with breast cancer. Due to the potential for severe, acute, and late complications of radiation therapy, a history of collagen vascular disease (CVD) is a relative contraindication to breast-conserving treatment. We present a case of early stage breast cancer in a patient with severe scleroderma treated with breast-conserving surgery without radiation and a brief review of the published literature regarding the therapeutic approach to the patient with CVD and breast cancer.

Endothelin-1 enriched tumor phenotype predicts breast cancer recurrence.

Introduction. Breast cancer recurrence can develop years after primary treatment. Crosstalk between breast cancer cells and their stromal microenvironment may influence tumor progression.

Concordance between patient reports of cancer-related symptoms and medical records documentation.

Context: Two sources of symptom data, patient report and medical records documentation, have been used in studies focusing on chronic conditions. The concordance of patient-reported cancer-related symptoms and clinician reports as documented in the medical records needs to be evaluated.

Objectives: To compare patient reports with medical record documentation of 12 disease- and treatment-related symptoms for women with advanced breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy or hormonal therapy for cancer control.

Lymphomatoid granulomatosis masquerading as interstitial pneumonia in a 66-year-old man: a case report and review of literature.

Lymphomatoid granulomatosis (LG) is a rare, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated systemic angiodestructive lymphoproliferative disorder that may progress to a diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Pulmonary involvement may mimic other more common lung pathologies including pneumonias. Therapeutic standards have not been established for LG, but rituximab, interferon-alpha2b (INF-alpha2b), and chemotherapy have shown to improve symptoms and long term prognosis.

Recruitment and early retention of women with advanced breast cancer in a complementary and alternative medicine trial.

More than 80% of women with breast cancer are now reported to be using complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies during conventional treatment. A randomized clinical trial (RCT) of reflexology with late stage breast cancer patients serves as the data source for this article. The purposes were to investigate: (i) reasons for refusal to participate in a RCT of reflexology; (ii) the differences between those who completed the baseline interview and those who dropped out before baseline; and (iii) the utility of the Palliative Prognostic Score (PPS) as a prognostic screening tool in minimizing early attrition (before baseline) from the trial.

Managing symptoms among patients with breast cancer during chemotherapy: results of a two-arm behavioral trial.

Purpose: In this study, we compare symptom response and times to response among patients with breast cancer who were assigned to either a cognitive behavioral Nurse-Administered Symptom Management intervention or an Automated Telephone Symptom Management (ATSM) intervention.

Patients And Methods: Patients with breast cancer were identified from a larger trial. Baseline equivalence existed between arms, and there was no differential attrition by arm.

Preoperative chemotherapy: updates of National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Protocols B-18 and B-27.

Purpose: National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) Protocol B-18 was designed to determine whether four cycles of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC) administered preoperatively improved breast cancer disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with AC administered postoperatively. Protocol B-27 was designed to determine the effect of adding docetaxel (T) to preoperative AC on tumor response rates, DFS, and OS.

Patients And Methods: Analyses were limited to eligible patients.

Thrombotic microangiopathy syndrome as an AIDS-defining illness: the experience of J. Stroger Hospital of Cook County.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura and hemolytic uremic syndrome are severe life-threatening disseminated thrombotic microangiopathies (TMA). Although many cases are idiopathic, TMA can occur in association with pregnancy, malignancy, autoimmune diseases, and HIV infection. We retrospectively analyzed the cases of 17 patients with TMA coexistent with HIV infection admitted to our institution.