Simultaneous Integrated Boost for Dose Escalation in Node-Positive Cervical Cancer: 5-Year Experience in a Single Institution.

This study retrospectively evaluates clinical outcomes of dose escalation to involved nodes using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) for node-positive locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) at a single institution. Consecutive patients with node-positive LACC (FIGO IIIC1-IVA) who received definitive chemoradiotherapy by VMAT 45 Gy in 25 fractions with SIB to 55-57.5 Gy, followed by magnetic resonance image-guided adaptive brachytherapy (IGABT) between 2018 and 2022 were identified.

Trajectories of sleep disturbance in cancer survivors during the first 2 years post-treatment.

Study Objectives: To examine the trajectories of sleep disturbance in cancer survivors during the first 2 years post-treatment and to investigate whether psychological, cognitive, and physical factors differentiate trajectories.

Methods: A total of 623 Chinese cancer survivors of diverse cancer types participated in a 2-year-long prospective study after the completion of cancer treatment. Sleep disturbance was measured using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at 3 (T2), 6 (T3), 12 (T4), 18 (T5), and 24 (T6) months after baseline (within 6-months post-treatment; T1).

Disparities in Access to Systemic Treatment for Breast Cancer in Thailand and Major Asian Territories.

Purpose: Breast cancer (BC) treatment has shifted from chemotherapy to targeted therapy. Several targeted agents have demonstrated an improvement in survival. Given that national healthcare resources were correlated with the cancer mortality-to-incidence ratio, we compared access to BC drugs in Thailand with that in other Asian countries.

Return to Work and Work Productivity During the First Year After Cancer Treatment.

Objectives: Working-age cancer patients face barriers to resuming work after treatment completion. Those resuming work contend with reduced productivity arising from persisting residual symptoms. Existing studies of return to work (RTW) after cancer diagnosis were done predominantly in Western countries.

Integrated palliative medicine in public oncology: a 10-year review.

Objectives: The rapid ageing population of Hong Kong has a high demand on oncology and palliative care (PC) service. This study was the first territory-wide assessment in Hong Kong to assess the palliative service coverage in patients with advanced cancer in the past decade.

Methods: Cancer deaths of all 43 public hospitals of Hong Kong were screened.

Integrative Palliative Care Service Model Improved End-of-Life Care and Overall Survival of Advanced Cancer Patients in Hong Kong: A Review of Ten-Year Territory-Wide Cohort.

Integrated palliative care in oncology service has been widely implemented in Hong Kong since 2006. The study aimed to review its impact on end-of-life outcomes and overall survival (OS) of cancer patients, as well as its utilization of health care resources in the past 10 years. Cancer deaths of all 43 public hospitals of Hong Kong were screened.

Measurement invariance across gender and age groups, validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the short-form supportive care needs survey questionnaire (SCNS-SF34).

Background: Despite the wide use of the Short-Form Supportive Care Needs Survey Questionnaire (SCNS-SF34), the measurement invariance of the SCNS-SF34 across the main groups-gender and age-which might be of interest in the application of the instrument has never been confirmed. To provide an accurate assessment tool to evaluate the unmet needs of Chinese cancer patients, the present study aimed to assess the measurement invariance of the SCNS-SF34 across gender and age groups and to assess the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the SCNS-SF34.

Methods: The SCNS-SF34 was administrated to 1106 Chinese cancer patients.

Illness perceptions as predictors of psychological distress among head and neck cancer survivors: a longitudinal study.

Background: Leventhal's commonsense model implies illness perceptions influence illness outcomes. This study examined illness perceptions among head and neck cancer survivors, and whether these predicted subsequent psychological distress.

Methods: A total of 124 survivors of head and neck cancer (87% nasopharyngeal carcinoma; NPC) completed measures of psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; HADS), illness perceptions (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire; B-IPQ), dispositional optimism (revised Chinese version of the Life Orientation Test; C-LOT-R), and clinical and demographic data approximately12.

Factors predicting patient satisfaction in women with advanced breast cancer: a prospective study.

Background: The present study (1) examined patient satisfaction with care over the first year following the diagnosis of advanced breast cancer and (2) tested if unmet health system and information needs, physical symptom distress, and psychological distress predicted patient satisfaction.

Methods: Prospective study of 213 Chinese women with advanced breast cancer assessed while awaiting or receiving initial chemotherapy (baseline), then again at 1.5-, 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-baseline.

Psychometric assessment of the Chinese version of the brief illness perception questionnaire in breast cancer survivors.

Objective: The eight-item Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) supposedly evaluates cognitive and emotional representations of illness. This study examined the validity and reliability of a traditional Chinese version of the B-IPQ in Hong Kong Chinese breast cancer survivors.

Methods: 358 Chinese breast cancer survivors who had recently ended their primary treatment completed this B-IPQ Chinese version.

The Impact of the Oncotype DX Breast Cancer Assay on Treatment Decisions for Women With Estrogen Receptor-Positive, Node-Negative Breast Carcinoma in Hong Kong.

Background: The Oncotype DX Breast Cancer Assay is validated to assess risk of distant recurrence and likelihood of chemotherapy (CT) benefit in estrogen receptor-positive ESBC in various populations. In Hong Kong, > 80% of breast cancers are early stage breast cancer (ESBC) and > 60% of these women receive CT. This prospective study measured changes in CT type and recommendations, as well as physician impression of assay impact in a homogenous Chinese population.

Comparison of fluorescence in-situ hybridisation with dual-colour in-situ hybridisation for assessment of HER2 gene amplification of breast cancer in Hong Kong.

Objectives: To compare the PathVysion fluorescence in-situ hybridisation assay with the INFORM HER2 Dual in-situ hybridisation assay on 104 invasive breast cancers with a broad spectrum of immunohistochemistry scores.

Methods: This case series involved consecutive patients diagnosed with invasive breast carcinoma with equivocal immunohistochemistry score and referred for further HER2 assessment from the departments of Surgery and/or Clinical Oncology of the two hospitals between January 2013 and February 2014. An additional 10 cases with negative HER2 immunohistochemistry and 11 cases with positive HER2 immunohistochemistry were further included.

Illness perceptions among cancer survivors.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to document in Hong Kong Chinese cancer survivors cross-sectional associations between illness perceptions, physical symptom distress and dispositional optimism.

Methods: A consecutive sample of 1036 (response rate, 86.1%, mean age 55.

Goal adjustment influence on psychological well-being following advanced breast cancer diagnosis.

Objective: A diagnosis of advanced breast cancer (ABC) challenges a woman's ambitions. This longitudinal study explored (1) if goal adjustment disposition influenced psychological adjustment patterns among women with ABC and (2) if dispositional hope and optimism moderate effects of goal adjustment on psychological adjustment.

Methods: One hundred ninety three out of 225 women with ABC were assessed while they were awaiting/receiving initial chemotherapy, then again at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months post-baseline.

Perfusion and diffusion characteristics of cervical cancer based on intraxovel incoherent motion MR imaging-a pilot study.

Objectives: To investigate the tissue characteristics of cervical cancer based on the intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) model and to assess the IVIM parameters in tissue differentiation in the female pelvis.

Methods: Sixteen treatment-naïve cervical cancer and 17 age-matched healthy subjects were prospectively recruited for diffusion-weighted (b = 0-1,000 s/mm(2)) and standard pelvic MRI. Bi-exponential analysis was performed to derive the perfusion parameters f (perfusion fraction) and D* (pseudodiffusion coefficient) as well as the diffusion parameter D (true molecular diffusion coefficient) in cervical cancer (n = 16), normal cervix (n = 17), myometrium (n = 33) and leiomyoma (n = 14).

The evolution of supportive care needs trajectories in women with advanced breast cancer during the 12 months following diagnosis.

Purpose: This longitudinal study examined if the evolution of supportive care needs differed over the first year following the diagnosis of advanced breast cancer and examined factors differentiating these trajectories.

Methods: Two hundred twenty-eight of 276 Chinese women with advanced breast cancer were assessed while they were awaiting or receiving initial chemotherapy, then again at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months post-baseline. Supportive care needs (SCNS-34-Ch), psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale), symptom distress (MSAS-Ch), and patient satisfaction (PSEQ-9) were assessed at baseline; supportive care needs were reassessed at each follow-up assessment.

Use of methylphenidate for the management of fatigue in Chinese patients with cancer.

Unlabelled: REASON FOR THE STUDY: Studies on methylphenidate for cancer-related fatigue showed conflicting results. This prospective study aims to determine whether methylphenidate is useful for relieving fatigue in Chinese patients with cancer. Chinese Version of Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI-C) was administered on days 1, 8, and 29.

Supportive care needs in Hong Kong Chinese women confronting advanced breast cancer.

Background: Women with advanced breast cancer (ABC) are living longer, so understanding their needs becomes important. This cross-sectional study investigated the type and extent of unmet supportive care needs in Hong Kong Chinese women with advanced breast cancer.

Methods: Face-to-face interviews were conducted among women with stage III or stage IV disease mostly awaiting chemotherapy (76%) to identify unmet needs using the Supportive Care Needs Survey Short Form, psychological morbidity using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, symptom distress using the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, and satisfaction with care using the Patient satisfaction questionnaire (PSQ-9).

Delayed presentation of symptomatic breast cancers in Hong Kong: experience in a public cancer centre.

Objective: Delayed presentation is an important obstacle to improving cancer treatment outcomes. We aimed to study the magnitude of this problem in Hong Kong and the factors associated with delayed presentation of patients with symptomatic breast cancers.

Design: Retrospective study using self-administered questionnaires.

Should young age be a contra-indication to breast conservation treatment in Chinese women? Twelve-year experience from a public cancer centre in Hong Kong.

Objective: It has been proposed that young women should not be treated by breast conservation treatment because of a higher risk of local recurrences and worse survival. We therefore examined whether breast conservation treatment in young Chinese women yielded inferior clinical outcomes compared to modified radical mastectomy.

Design: Retrospective study.

Trends and patterns of breast conservation treatment in Hong Kong: 1994-2007.

Purpose: Breast conservation treatment (BCT) was quite unpopular in Hong Kong until the early 1990s, but the trends and patterns of BCT use in the past 14 years have not been studied since. The purpose of this study was to identify the latest trends and patterns.

Methods And Materials: All consecutive cases of female breast cancer referred to a community oncology center in Hong Kong between 1994 and 2007 were retrospectively reviewed.

HER2 overexpression of breast cancers in Hong Kong: prevalence and concordance between immunohistochemistry and in-situ hybridisation assays.

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) gene overexpression in breast cancer patients encountered in Hong Kong and the concordance of HER2 findings from primary immunohistochemistry assays and confirmatory in-situ hybridisation assays.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Department of Clinical Oncology in a public hospital in Hong Kong.

Clinical outcome of breast conservation therapy for breast cancer in Hong Kong: prognostic impact of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence and 2005 St. Gallen risk categories.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of breast conservation therapy (BCT) for invasive breast cancers in our predominantly Chinese population.

Methods And Materials: Clinical outcomes of 412 T1-2 invasive breast cancers treated by wide local excision and external radiotherapy from 1994 to 2003 were retrospectively analyzed. Only 7% lesions were first detected by mammograms.

Treatment of Stage IV(A-B) nasopharyngeal carcinoma by induction-concurrent chemoradiotherapy and accelerated fractionation: impact of chemotherapy schemes.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different chemotherapy regimens in patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated by induction-concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Methods And Materials: Between 1998 and 2003, 75 Stage IV(A-B) NPC patients were treated with 3 cycles of induction chemotherapy with cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil (PF) (n = 41) or cisplatin plus gemcitabine (PG) (n = 34), followed by accelerated radiotherapy in concurrence with 2 cycles of cisplatin. In 18 (24%) patients, cisplatin was completely replaced by carboplatin in both concurrent cycles, mainly because of borderline renal functions.

Induction chemotherapy with cisplatin and gemcitabine followed by accelerated radiotherapy and concurrent cisplatin in patients with stage IV(A-B) nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of cisplatin plus gemcitabine as induction chemotherapy in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: Thirty-seven patients with stage IV(A-B) NPC were treated with 3 cycles of cisplatin plus gemcitabine (cisplatin 80 mg/m(2) on day 1; gemcitabine 1250 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8) 3-weekly as induction chemotherapy, followed by another 3 cycles of concurrent cisplatin (100 mg/m(2) on day 1) 3-weekly with accelerated radiotherapy (RT) at 70 Gy in 2-Gy fractions, 6 daily fractions per week.

Results: The overall response rate to induction chemotherapy was > 90%, and side effects other than uncomplicated hematologic toxicities were uncommon.