Patients' satisfaction ratings and their desire for care improvement across oncology settings from France, Italy, Poland and Sweden.

There has been an increasing interest in patient satisfaction assessment across nations recently. This paper reports on a cross-cultural comparison of the comprehensive assessment of satisfaction with care (CASC) response scales. We investigated what proportion of patients wanted care improvement for the same level of satisfaction across samples from oncology settings in France, Italy, Poland and Sweden, and whether age, gender, education level and type of items affected the relationships found.

A comprehensive assessment of satisfaction with care: preliminary psychometric analysis in French, Polish, Swedish and Italian oncology patients.

Satisfaction with care may be closely related to quality of life in cancer patients. This evaluation is especially relevant when quality of care is considered. The present study assessed whether equivalent scaling properties could be found in a comprehensive assessment of satisfaction with care (CASC) administered in cancer patients from French, Polish and Swedish oncology settings, in comparison to the scaling properties previously evidenced in the CASC with an Italian sample.

Rapid screening for psychologic distress in men with prostate carcinoma: a pilot study.

Background: As more oncology care is moved to the outpatient setting, the need for a rapid means for oncologists to identify patients with significant distress has increased. Concurrent with this move has been the pressure to reduce time spent with each patient, adding to the likelihood that a distressed patient will not be recognized and will remain untreated in the current health care environment.

Methods: A pilot program was conducted in a prostate carcinoma oncology clinic to test the feasibility of a two-stage approach that identifies patients in significant distress and refers them for treatment.

Do oncologists have an increasing interest in the quality of life of their patients? A literature review of the last 15 years.

The aim of this review is to evaluate the extent to which Quality of Life (QoL) assessment has been incorporated into clinical oncological trials in the last 15 years. All phase II and III trials published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Cancer, The British Journal of Cancer and the European Journal of Cancer during the years 1980, 1985, 1990 and 1995 were reviewed (n = 827). During this period, while the number of studies assessing performance status (PS) increased from 15% in 1980 to 56% in 1995, the number of trials noting a QoL assessment increased only slightly, from 0% in 1980 to 3% in 1995.

Mediastinal infusion of epirubicin and 5-fluorouracil. A complication of totally implantable central venous systems. Report of a case.

Perforation of the wall of the superior vena cava by a central venous catheter is reported. The resultant inadvertent infusion of 5-fluorouracil and epirubicin caused a severe acute inflammatory reaction in the right-lobe bronchus, mediastinal infiltration and pleural and pericardial effusions. The patient recovered but has residual mild oesophageal dysfunction.