Quality of life, functional outcomes, and wound complications in patients with soft tissue sarcomas treated with preoperative chemoradiation: a prospective study.

Background: Preoperative irradiation reduces local recurrence of soft tissue sarcomas (STSs), but major wound complication rates approach 25-35 %. Using a novel neoadjuvant chemoradiation protocol, we prospectively documented functional outcomes and quality of life (QOL) and hypothesized a lower major wound complication rate.

Methods: Patients with STS deep to muscular fascia were treated with 3 days of doxorubicin (30 mg/day) and 10 days of irradiation (300 cGy/day) followed by limb-sparing surgery.

Long-term follow-up in the treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Background: The objective of this study was to report a long-term survival analysis of a phase II protocol of cytoreductive surgery (CS) and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in the treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis (PCs).

Methods: Between 2000 and 2008, 101 consecutive patients were treated with CS, HIPEC and early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy using a standardized protocol. Disease recurrence and mortality data were collected prospectively.

Phase II study of regional treatment for peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Background: Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy and early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy is becoming an accepted treatment of carcinomatosis.

Methods: Between February 2000 and January 2008, there were 101 consecutive patients with carcinomatosis who were treated with cytoreductive surgery + hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy and early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Patient and tumor characteristics, surgical details, complications, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were recorded prospectively.

A prospective evaluation of venous thromboembolism in patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Background: We sought to investigate the incidence of perioperative venous thromboembolism (VTE)--pulmonary embolism, superior mesenteris vein thrombosis and deep vein thrombosis--in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis after cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

Methods: We performed cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy on 60 consecutive patients with a mean age of 52 (range 24-76) years. We reviewed a prospective database recording complications and patient, tumour and surgical characteristics to determine the incidence of VTE.

Hydration management at the end of life.

The management of parenteral hydration at the end of life remains controversial. The debate centers on whether and/or how often patients should be hydrated, the volume of hydration received, and the benefit verses side effects of parenteral hydration. In order to clarify the routine practice of physicians involved in the end-of-life care in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, we investigated the routine management of hydration by attending physicians caring for patients dying in a palliative care unit (PCU) at Norwood Capital Care, and in acute care wards at the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) both while receiving and while not receiving consult advice from the Palliative Care Program.