Psychosocial morbidity in TP53 mutation carriers: is whole-body cancer screening beneficial?

Germline TP53 mutation carriers are at high risk of developing a range of cancers. Effective cancer risk management is an important issue for these individuals. We assessed the psychosocial impact in TP53 mutation carriers of WB-MRI screening as part of the Surveillance in Multi-Organ Cancer (SMOC+) protocol, measuring their unmet needs, anxiety and depression levels as well as cancer worry using psychological questionnaires and in-depth interviews about their experiences of screening.

Long-Term Worries after Colposcopy: Which Women Are at Increased Risk?

Background: A colposcopy examination is the main management option for women with an abnormal cervical screening test result. Although some women experience adverse psychological effects after colposcopy, those at greatest risk are unknown. We investigated predictors of worries about cervical cancer, sex, future fertility and general health during 12 to 30 months after colposcopy.

Women with large (≥3 cm) and locally advanced breast cancers (T3, 4, N1, 2, M0) receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC: cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, docetaxel): addition of capecitabine improves 4-year disease-free survival.

Purpose: To determine whether capecitabine (X), combined with docetaxel (T) following doxorubicin (A) and cyclophosphamide (C), enhanced the pathological complete response (pCR) in the breast and axillary lymph nodes (ALNs) of women with large or locally advanced breast cancers (LLABCs) improving outcome, and the effect on quality of life (QoL).

Patients And Methods: 117 women were enrolled, 112 randomised to 2 cycles of AC (60 mg/m(2), 600 mg/m(2)) given 3 weekly. Tumour responses were assessed by magnetic resonance mammography.

Measuring the psychosocial burden in women with low-grade abnormal cervical cytology in the TOMBOLA trial: psychometric properties of the Process and Outcome Specific Measure (POSM).

Background: There is a need for an instrument to measure the psychosocial burden of receiving an abnormal cervical cytology result which can be used regardless of the clinical management women receive.Methods: 3331 women completed the POSM as part of baseline psychosocial assessment in a trial of management of low grade cervical cytological abnormalities. Factor analysis and reliability assessment of the POSM were conducted.

Baseline quality of life factors predict long term survival after elective resection for colorectal cancer.

Background: Studies have shown an association between baseline quality of life (Qol) and survival in advanced cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate their predictive value in long term survival after elective colorectal cancer resection.

Methods: A consecutive series of patients undergoing elective colorectal cancer surgery for nonmetastatic disease were recruited in 2003/04.

The unintended consequences of cervical screening: distress in women undergoing cytologic surveillance.

Objective: It is well known that receipt of an initial abnormal cervical cytology test can trigger considerable anxiety among women. Less is known about the impact of follow-up by repeat cytology tests. We quantified prevalence, and identified predictors, of distress after repeat cytologic testing in women with a single low-grade test.

Effects on quality of life, anti-cancer responses, breast conserving surgery and survival with neoadjuvant docetaxel: a randomised study of sequential weekly versus three-weekly docetaxel following neoadjuvant doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in women with primary breast cancer.

Background: Weekly docetaxel has occasionally been used in the neoadjuvant to downstage breast cancer to reduce toxicity and possibly enhance quality of life. However, no studies have compared the standard three weekly regimen to the weekly regimen in terms of quality of life. The primary aim of our study was to compare the effects on QoL of weekly versus 3-weekly sequential neoadjuvant docetaxel.

Alterations in the Th1/Th2 balance in breast cancer patients using reflexology and scalp massage.

The diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer can adversely affect quality of life. Here the aim was to determine the effects of reflexology on host defences and endocrine function in women with early breast cancer. Six weeks after surgery for early breast cancer, 183 women were randomly assigned to self-initiated support (SIS), SIS plus foot reflexology, or SIS plus scalp massage.

Demographic characteristics of patients using a fully integrated psychosocial support service for cancer patients.

Background: Psychosocial support services are an important component of modern cancer treatment. A major challenge for all psychosocial services is the achievement of equity of use. Previous studies in the UK have found that women of higher socio-economic status with breast cancer were over-represented amongst those accessing support services.

A randomised, controlled trial of the psychological effects of reflexology in early breast cancer.

Purpose: To conduct a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effects of reflexology on quality of life (QofL) in women with early breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: One hundred and eighty-three women were randomised 6 weeks post-breast surgery to self-initiated support (SIS) (comparator intervention), SIS plus reflexology, or SIS plus scalp massage (control for physical and social contact). Reflexology and massage comprised eight sessions at weekly intervals.

Immuno-modulatory effects of relaxation training and guided imagery in women with locally advanced breast cancer undergoing multimodality therapy: a randomised controlled trial.

Eighty women undergoing multimodality treatment for large (>4cm) or locally advanced (T3, T4, Tx, N2), breast cancers participated in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the immuno-modulatory effects of relaxation training and guided imagery. Patients underwent chemotherapy followed by surgery, radiotherapy, and hormone therapy. Those in the intervention group were taught relaxation and guided imagery.

Women who wish breast reconstruction: characteristics, fears, and hopes.

The aims of the present study were to identify the characteristics of a consecutive series of women with newly diagnosed breast cancer and to evaluate the perceived benefits and disadvantages of breast reconstruction. A consecutive series of 125 women completed the Breast Reconstruction Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The median age was 48 years (range, 28 to 75 years).

Neoadjuvant docetaxel in breast cancer: 3-year survival results from the Aberdeen trial.

Over the past 30 years there has been an increased use of neoadjuvant (or primary) chemotherapy for treating patients with breast cancer. However, while it is clear that chemotherapy given in the adjuvant setting after surgery does prolong patients' overall and disease-free survival, the evidence that chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting also increases survival remains unproven. In the Aberdeen study, 162 patients with large and locally advanced breast cancer underwent 4 cycles of CVAP (cyclophosphamide/vincristine/doxorubicin/prednisone) primary chemotherapy.

A comparison of real patients, simulated patients and videotaped interview in teaching medical students about alcohol misuse.

Doctors perform poorly in identifying and in treating patients with alcohol misuse problems and this has been linked to inadequate undergraduate education. We compared three methods of teaching among Aberdeen medical students. In groups of eight or nine students, teaching was conducted with a simulated patient, with real patients or with a videotaped interview.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer: significantly enhanced response with docetaxel.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of neoadjuvant (NA) docetaxel (DOC) with anthracycline-based therapy and determine the efficacy of NA DOC in patients with breast cancer initially failing to respond to anthracycline-based NA chemotherapy (CT).

Patients And Methods: Patients with large or locally advanced breast cancer received four pulses of cyclophosphamide 1,000 mg/m(2), doxorubicin 50 mg/m(2), vincristine 1.5 mg/m(2), and prednisolone 40 mg (4 x CVAP) for 5 days.