Quality of life assessment in patients with nonmelanoma skin cancer - psychometric validation of the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire.

Background: Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is a chronic and sometimes difficult-to-treat condition affecting the quality of life (QL). The present study was conducted to investigate whether the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) core QL Questionnaire - Cancer (QLQ-C30) is a suitable tool for the assessment of QL in patients with NMSC.

Patients And Methods: In order to define the psychometric properties of the questionnaire, the QLQ-C30 and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) were handed out to 172 patients of the Department of Dermatology at the University Hospital Regensburg, Germany.

Randomized placebo-controlled human pilot study of cold atmospheric argon plasma on skin graft donor sites.

Cold atmospheric plasma has already been shown to decrease the bacterial load in chronic wounds. However, until now it is not yet known if plasma treatment can also improve wound healing. We aimed to assess the impact of cold atmospheric argon plasma on the process of donor site healing.

Quality of life in health care of non-melanoma skin cancer - results of a pilot study.

Background: Modern patient-oriented medicine increasingly involves psychosocial aspects of disease processes in therapy evaluations. We conducted a pilot study on the implementation of a suitable device assessing the quality of life of patients with non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in clinical routine.

Patients And Methods: 52 patients with NMSC were asked to fill out the German version of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) by A.

Photodynamic therapy in dermatology.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a modern therapy modality, based upon the application of a photosensitizing agent like aminolevulinic acid, a physiological precursor of porphyrins, onto the tissue followed by illumination with light of the visible wavelength spectrum. During this oxygen-dependent reaction, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated that have immunomodulatory or cytotoxic effects. PDT shows excellent cosmetic results especially for its key indication in dermatology - the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer.

Phototoxic reactions in healthy volunteers following photodynamic therapy with methylaminolevulinate cream or with cream containing 5-aminolevulinic acid: a phase II, randomized study.

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is the selective destruction of abnormal cells through activation of a photosensitizer in the presence of oxygen. Local phototoxic reactions and pain are the most common limiting side effects.

Purpose: The primary objective was to compare the local phototoxic response following PDT with methylaminolevulinate (MAL) and 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA).

Melanoma promotion after photodynamic therapy of a suspected Bowen's disease lesion.

We report on a 61-year-old male patient who developed a melanoma at the site of a suspected Bowen's lesion on the right cheek. This lesion had evolved for years and had been treated using photodynamic therapy (PDT) in an outpatient facility. Only a couple of months after a single PDT treatment, a melanoma was histologically diagnosed.

Topical photodynamic therapy with porphyrin precursors--assessment of treatment-associated pain in a retrospective study.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with aminolevulinic acid (ALA) or methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) is an approved modality for the non-invasive treatment of actinic keratoses (AK) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) offering excellent cosmetic outcome. However, pain during and after illumination is the most frequent and limiting side effect. The aim of this study was to precisely assess how reported pain during PDT is influenced by sex, age, treatment site, disease (AK/BCC) as well as the photosensitizer used.