Surgical palliation for malignant disease requiring locoregional control.

Background: Surgical palliation of cancer is best defined as procedures performed with non-curative intent to improve quality of life or control symptoms of advanced malignancy. Soft tissue involvement of advanced malignancies may produce symptoms such as pain, bleeding, or odor that significantly reduce quality of life. Literature on outcomes of palliative resection of soft tissue malignancy for local or regional control is lacking.

Survey field methods for expanded biospecimen and biomeasure collection in NSHAP Wave 2.

Objectives: The National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project is a nationally representative, longitudinal survey of older adults. A main component is the collection of biomeasures to objectively assess physiological status relevant to psychosocial variables, aging conditions, and disease. Wave 2 added novel biomeasures, refined those collected in Wave 1, and provides a reference for the collection protocols and strategy common to the biomeasures.

Elevated C-reactive protein as a predictor of patient outcomes following palliative surgery.

Background And Objectives: Optimal surgical decision-making and informed consent for palliative procedures is limited by a lack of appropriate outcomes data. Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) may help guide patient selection for palliative surgery.

Methods: Procedures to palliate symptoms of advanced cancer were identified from a prospective palliative surgery database.

Continuity and innovation in the data collection protocols of the second Wave of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project.

Background: The second Wave (W2) of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a nationally representative, longitudinal survey of older adults now between the ages of 62 and 90, conducted approximately 3,400 interviews. Selected coresidential romantic partners as well as W1 panel nonrespondents were selected for W2. Data collection included in-person questionnaires, up to 15 biomeasures, and a post-interview questionnaire.