Spirituality in Oncology: Relations between Spirituality, Its Facets, and Psychological and Demographic Factors in Cancer Patients in Germany.

Introduction: Cancer diagnoses are constantly increasing in clinical practice. Therefore, more and more patients are interested in how they can actively participate in the process of treatment. Spirituality represents a hidden issue of the population, which counts as a branch of complementary and alternative treatment.

Endometrial Cancer. Guideline of the DGGG, DKG and DKH (S3-Level, AWMF Registry Number 032/034-OL, September 2022). Part 1 with Recommendations on the Epidemiology, Screening, Diagnosis and Hereditary Factors of Endometrial Cancer, Geriatric Assessment and Supply Structures.

The S3-guideline on endometrial cancer, first published in April 2018, was reviewed in its entirety between April 2020 and January 2022 and updated. The review was carried out at the request of German Cancer Aid as part of the Oncology Guidelines Program and the lead coordinators were the German Society for Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG), the Gynecology Oncology Working Group (AGO) of the German Cancer Society (DKG) and the German Cancer Aid (DKH). The guideline update was based on a systematic search and assessment of the literature published between 2016 and 2020.

Complementary Medicine in the Treatment of Cancer Patients.

Background: Approximately half of all patients with cancer use at least one method of complementary medicine during or after tumor treatment. The substances most commonly taken are micronutrients, food supplements, and plant extracts.

Methods: This guideline is based on pertinent articles retrieved by a systematic search in the Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, PsycInfo, and Cinahl databases.

Major and minor salivary gland tumours.

Salivary glands carcinomas are very rare epithelial malignant tumors. In 2013 in Europe, 7800 new diagnoses were estimated, 8.5 % of all head and neck cancer.

Interdisciplinary Diagnosis, Therapy and Follow-up of Patients with Endometrial Cancer. Guideline (S3-Level, AWMF Registry Nummer 032/034-OL, April 2018) - Part 1 with Recommendations on the Epidemiology, Screening, Diagnosis and Hereditary Factors of Endometrial Cancer.

The first German interdisciplinary S3-guideline on the diagnosis, therapy and follow-up of patients with endometrial cancer was published in April 2018. Funded by German Cancer Aid as part of an Oncology Guidelines Program, the lead coordinators of the guideline were the German Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (DGGG) and the Gynecological Oncology Working Group (AGO) of the German Cancer Society (DKG). The use of evidence-based, risk-adapted therapy to treat low-risk women with endometrial cancer avoids unnecessarily radical surgery and non-useful adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.

Optimization by visualization of indices.

Background And Purpose: Physical 3D treatment planning provides a pool of parameters describing dose distributions. It is often useful to define conformal indices to enable quicker evaluation. However, the application of individual indices is controversial and not always effective.

Survey of German non-medical practitioners regarding complementary and alternative medicine in oncology.

Background: In total, 40-70% of cancer patients use complementary or alternative medicine (CAM). Many of them ask for advice from non-medical practitioners (NMPs). Our aim was to investigate the attitude of NMPs regarding their treatments for cancer patients.

User rate of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) of patients visiting a counseling facility for CAM of a German comprehensive cancer center.

Background: In Europe about 40% to 50% of patients with cancer use complementary or alternative medicine (CAM). Only scarce data regarding the use of CAM have been reported from comprehensive cancer Centers.

Patients And Methods: We carried out a survey on patients attending the counseling Unit for CAM of a German comprehensive cancer Center using a standardized questionnaire.

[Radiotherapy in painful gonarthrosis. Results of a national patterns-of-care study].

Background And Purpose: After a patterns-of-care study (PCS) in 2003/2004 addressing benign disorders in general, the German Cooperative Group on Radiotherapy for Benign Diseases (GCG-BD) conducted several multicenter cohort studies including the use of radiotherapy (RT) in painful gonarthrosis (GNA).

Material And Methods: From 2006 to 2008, a PCS for GNA was conducted in all German RT institutions using a standardized structured questionnaire. Patient accrual, patient number, pretreatment, pain record, treatment indications, RT technique, and target volume concepts for painful GNA were assessed.

A randomized trial comparing hypofractionated and conventionally fractionated three-dimensional external-beam radiotherapy for localized prostate adenocarcinoma : a report on acute toxicity.

Purpose: To compare acute gastrointestinal (GI) and genitourinary (GU) toxicity between patient groups with localized prostate adenocarcinoma, treated with conventionally fractionated (CFRT) and hypofractionated (HFRT) three-dimensional conformal external-beam radiotherapy (3D-CRT).

Patients And Methods: 91 patients were enrolled into a randomized study with a minimum follow-up of 3 months. 44 men in the CFRT arm were irradiated with 74 Gy in 37 fractions at 2 Gy per fraction for 7.

Whole blood selenium levels (WBSL) in patients with prostate cancer (PC), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and healthy male inhabitants (HMI) and prostatic tissue selenium levels (PTSL) in patients with PC and BPH.

Background: The aim of this exploratory study was to evaluate whether significant differences exist between whole blood selenium levels (WBSL) in patients with prostate cancer (PC), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), healthy male inhabitants (HMI) in northern Bavaria and the normal value. Furthermore, we investigated whether differences exist between prostatic tissue selenium levels (PTSL) in patients with PC, BPH and the benign tissue surrounding the PC.

Material And Methods: We prospectively evaluated WBSL in 24 patients with PC, 21 patients with BPH, and 21 HMI.

Demographic, clinical and treatment related predictors for event-free probability following low-dose radiotherapy for painful heel spurs - a retrospective multicenter study of 502 patients.

A total of 502 patients treated between 1990 and 2002 with low-dose radiotherapy (RT) for painful heel spurs were analysed for prognostic factors for long-term treatment success. The median follow-up was 26 months, ranging from 1 to 103 months. Events were defined as (1) slightly improved or unchanged pain after therapy, or (2) recurrent pain sensations during the follow-up period.

The impact of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen in patients with advanced cancer of uterine cervix treated with (chemo-)radiotherapy.

The impact of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) in the follow-up of patients with advanced cervical cancer treated with (chemo-) radiotherapy in primary and postoperative settings was evaluated. One hundred and forty-one patients with histologically proven squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix were treated at the department of radiotherapy and radiation oncology. The serum level of SCC before treatment was elevated in 72% of the patients (cut-off level: 2.

Long-term alterations of oral mucosa in radiotherapy patients.

Purpose: The aim of this investigation was to describe the alterations in oral mucosa after radiotherapy.

Methods And Materials: Biopsies were taken from patients before irradiation, at 60 Gy, and 6-12 months after radiotherapy. Histomorphological evaluation of the vessels was performed, and endothelial expression of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and E-selectin was also evaluated, as well as distribution of LFA-1-, Mac-1-, VLA-4-, RM3/1-, 27E10-, and 25F9-bearing cells in the subepithelial tissue.

Up-front centralized data review and individualized treatment proposals in a multicenter pediatric Hodgkin's disease trial with 71 participating hospitals: the experience of the German-Austrian pediatric multicenter trial DAL-HD-90.

Background And Purpose: A systematic procedure for up-front centralized data review and the set-up of individualized treatment proposals was integrated prospectively into the German-Austrian multicenter trial DAL-HD-90 for pediatric Hodgkin's disease (HD) in order to introduce local radiotherapy according to the individual patient's spread of disease within a combined-modality treatment. This paper investigates the feasibility of such a procedure and its impact on the final definition of the extent and stage of disease as well as on the choice of treatment.

Patients And Methods: Between October 1990 and July 1995, 578 children and adolescents <18 years (259 girls, 319 boys, median age 12.