Head and neck cancer patients treated with concomitant chemoradiotherapy involving the oral cavity and oropharynx: is another choice possible than prophylactic gastrostomy?

Purpose Of Review: Recent recommendations on cachexia highlight, in head and neck cancers, the heterogeneity of studies, focusing on weight loss and sequelae including swallowing disorders. The current national guidelines emphasize that, in cases of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) involving the oral cavity and oropharynx, prophylactic gastrostomy placement should be carried out systematically. We review why this technique is particularly relevant in this specific location for the feasibility of cCRT.

Efficacy of a physiotherapy, yoga and patient education programme for patients with breast cancer and hormone therapy-induced pain: a multicentre randomised study protocol (SKYPE 2).

Introduction: Osteoarticular pain is experienced by approximately 50% of patients with breast cancer under hormone therapy and can increase the risk of therapy discontinuation. Among complementary therapies, yoga has shown efficacy regarding reduction of fatigue, anxiety, pain due to hormone therapy and inflammation. Personalised patient education programmes increase engagement and motivation, and induce effective behavioural changes.

Trismus Occurrence and Link With Radiotherapy Doses in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Treated With Chemoradiotherapy.

Background: Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC) induces side-effects, including trismus, which impairs quality of life by causing difficulty to eat, speak, and maintain good oral hygiene, and by altering social life. Given the wide variation of reported trismus prevalence and as a first mandatory step for the preventive physiotherapy OPEN program (NCT03979924) this study evaluated trismus occurrence and its link with radiation doses.

Methods: Study population was non-larynx HNC patients with epidermoid carcinoma treated with CRT, with or without surgery.

Importance of Patient Education for At-home Yoga Practice in Women With Hormonal Therapy-induced Pain During Adjuvant Breast Cancer Treatment: A Feasibility Study.

Background: Osteo-articular pain (OAP) is experienced by approximately 50% of women under hormonal therapy (HT) for breast cancer (BC), which increases the risk for therapy discontinuation. This study was aimed to assess benefits of yoga practice combined with patient education (PE) for at-home practice by evaluating feasibility among BC patients under HT and measuring OAP, flexibility and satisfaction.

Methods: Feasibility was evaluated by patient adherence as accomplishment of at least 4 out of 6 supervised yoga-PE sessions along with 70% or more at-home yoga sessions.