Publications by authors named "Elizabeth Heyer"
Purpose: The aim of this descriptive study was to assess the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients on active therapy for multiple myeloma in a tropical climate. We also tested for the association of vitamin D status on clinical outcomes.
Methods: This was a single centre, observational study performed in Townsville, Australia, which has a sunlight heavy, tropical climate.
Background: Nurses working in a northern Australia Radiation Therapy Unit advise all patients undergoing radiation therapy to use a readily available nonprescription moisturizing cream to minimize the severity of radiation skin reactions. However, patients report that the cream is thick and difficult to use in the humid tropical climate, and nurses anecdotally suspect an increase in severe skin reactions during the summer months.
Objective: This article presents the protocol for a randomized controlled trial that addressed a lack of evidence pertaining to the use of topical creams to prevent acute radiation skin reactions in a tropical climate.
Background: Inconsistent evidence about product effectiveness to prevent moist desquamation during radiation treatment and minimal research about the acceptability to patients of recommended products prompted this study.
Objective: This randomized controlled trial compared the effectiveness of 2 creams at minimizing the incidence of moist desquamation in a tropical setting and explored which product was most acceptable to patients receiving radiation treatment.
Methods: Participants (n = 255) were stratified according to breast or chest wall radiation treatment and randomly allocated to use a moisturizing or barrier cream.