Comparison of various continence definitions in a large group of patients undergoing radical prostatectomy: a multicentre, prospective study.

Background: Due to the usage of various measurement methods and definitions, comparing continence rates after radical prostatectomy is a challenging task. This study compares continence rates based on different methods and aims to identify the definition for continence which agrees best with the patients' subjective assessment of continence. Additionally, continence was controlled for multiple influencing factors.

[Exhaustion and overload of family caregivers of palliative cancer patients].

Family caregivers of terminal ill cancer patients receiving home based palliative care were interviewed at 2 measurement points. Symptoms of exhaustion and overload (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, CBI) and caregiver burden (German version of the "Burden Scale for Family Caregivers", BSFC-10) were assessed. The physical and emotional exhaustion of the family caregivers increased over the time of care, regardless of age, gender, education and religion.

Cancer-related fatigue in patients before and after radical prostatectomy. Results of a prospective multi-centre study.

Purpose: A multi-centre, longitudinal study was conducted to assess the prevalence of fatigue amongst men with localized prostate cancer, to describe several dimensions of fatigue and to explore the predictability of fatigue by psychological distress and physical function.

Methods: The prevalence of fatigue was evaluated using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory in 329 prostate cancer patients before, 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. Psychological distress was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Psychological distress and quality of life of palliative cancer patients and their caring relatives during home care.

Purpose: Palliative patients and their family caregivers were interviewed at the beginning of home care in personal interviews at home in regard to their psychological distress as well as their quality of life.

Methods: Quality of life was collected with the palliative module EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL (patients) and the Short Form-8 Health Survey (caregivers). The psychological distress was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the extent of social support with the Oslo 3-items social support scale.

[The assessment of therapy success after radical prostatectomy].

Objectives: Patient satisfaction plays an important role in the outcome quality of treatment for localized prostate carcinoma. This paper identifies factors that impact patients' assessment of therapy success one year after surgery.

Methods: Patient assessment of therapy success was measured with the Hamburger Fragebogen zum Krankenhausaufenthalt (Lecher et al.

Early continence in patients with localized prostate cancer. A comparison between open retropubic (RRPE) and endoscopic extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy (EERPE).

Objective: The study examined and compared continence rates in prostate cancer patients who had undergone either open retropubic prostatectomy (RRPE) or endoscopic extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy (EERPE). The core question was whether the surgical approach had an effect on the patients' continence status 3 months after surgery.

Methods: We conducted a multicentric, longitudinal study in 7 German hospitals.