The existence of cranial bone flap displacement during brain radiotherapy.

This retrospective study examined bone flap displacement during radiotherapy in 25 post-operative brain tumour patients. Though never exceeding 2.5 mm, the sheer frequency of displacement highlights the need for future research on larger populations to validate its presence and assess the potential clinical impact on planning tumour volume margins.

Performance and usability evaluation of a mobile health data capture application in clinical cancer trials follow-up.

Mobile health data capture applications (mHDA's) may improve communication between healthcare providers and patients. However, there is limited literature about the use of mHDA's facilitating clinical trials. In this study, the effectiveness of an application, supporting follow-up visits of cancer trial participants was investigated.

Factors predicting timely implementation of radiotherapy innovations: the first model.

Objective: The improvement of radiotherapy depends largely on the implementation of innovations, of which effectivity varies widely. The aim of this study is to develop a prediction model for successful innovation implementation in radiotherapy to improve effective management of innovation projects.

Methods: A literature review was performed to identify success factors for innovation implementation.

Early Weight Loss during Chemoradiotherapy Has a Detrimental Impact on Outcome in NSCLC.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of early weight loss before the onset of radiation esophagitis on overall survival (OS) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Methods: Characteristics (e.g.

Inter-reader reproducibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with bevacizumab and erlotinib.

Unlabelled: Objectives When evaluating anti-tumor treatment response by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) it is necessary to assure its validity and reproducibility. This has not been well addressed in lung tumors. Therefore we have evaluated the inter-reader reproducibility of response classification by DCE-MRI in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with bevacizumab and erlotinib enrolled in a multicenter trial.

Improved progression free survival for patients with diabetes and locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using metformin during concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Background And Purpose: The aim was to investigate whether the use of metformin during concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) improved treatment outcome.

Material And Methods: A total of 682 patients were included in this retrospective cohort study (59 metformin users, 623 control patients). All received cCRT in one of three participating radiation oncology departments in the Netherlands between January 2008 and January 2013.

In vivo quantification of hypoxic and metabolic status of NSCLC tumors using [18F]HX4 and [18F]FDG-PET/CT imaging.

Purpose: Increased tumor metabolism and hypoxia are related to poor prognosis in solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PET imaging is a noninvasive technique that is frequently used to visualize and quantify tumor metabolism and hypoxia. The aim of this study was to perform an extensive comparison of tumor metabolism using 2[(18)F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG)-PET and hypoxia using HX4-PET imaging.

Early body weight loss during concurrent chemo-radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer.

Background And Purpose: Radiation-esophagitis and weight loss are frequently observed toxicities in patients treated with concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CT-RT) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and might be related. The purpose was to investigate whether weight loss already starts early after initiation of CT-RT and precedes radiation-esophagitis.

Materials And Methods: In a retrospective cohort, weight and esophagitis grade ≥2 were assessed during the first weeks of (CT-)RT in patients treated with concurrent (n = 102) or sequential (n = 92) therapy.

Does routine psychosocial screening improve referral to psychosocial care providers and patient-radiotherapist communication? A cluster randomized controlled trial.

Objective: This study tests whether using a screening instrument improves referral to psychosocial care providers (e.g. psychologist) and facilitates patient-radiotherapist communication.

Psychosocial screening effects on health-related outcomes in patients receiving radiotherapy. A cluster randomised controlled trial.

Objective: This study examined the short-term and long-term effects of using a screening instrument on psychological distress and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. In addition, we investigated the effect of early psychosocial treatment on patients' overall health-related outcomes as previous research showed that patients in the screening condition were referred to a psychosocial caregiver at an earlier stage.

Methods: A cluster randomised controlled trial with a randomisation at the levels of 14 radiotherapists, 568 patients was conducted.

The usefulness and feasibility of a screening instrument to identify psychosocial problems in patients receiving curative radiotherapy: a process evaluation.

Background: Psychosocial problems in cancer patients are often unrecognized and untreated due to the low awareness of the existence of these problems or pressures of time. The awareness of the need to identify psychosocial problems in cancer patients is growing and has affected the development of screening instruments. This study explored the usefulness and feasibility of using a screening instrument (SIPP: Screening Inventory of Psychosocial Problems) to identify psychosocial problems in cancer patients receiving curative radiotherapy treatment (RT).

Patient satisfaction with nurse-led telephone follow-up after curative treatment for breast cancer.

Background: Current frequent follow-up after treatment for breast cancer does not meet its intended aims, but does depend on expensive and scarce specialized knowledge for routine history taking and physical examinations. The study described in this paper compared patient satisfaction with a reduced follow-up strategy, i.e.

Compliance to technical guidelines for radiotherapy treatment in relation to patient safety.

Objective: To determine the compliance of radiation technologists to technical guidelines in daily practice for radiotherapy treatment and whether there are differences in compliance across organizational units.

Design: On the basis of consensus, radiation technologists constructed a flowchart describing the work procedure of the irradiation of patients with breast cancer. Using video recordings, technologists in two units were observed to determine whether treatment was conducted in accordance with the flowchart.

Psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale in Dutch cancer patients.

Objectives: The measurement of adjustment to cancer is relevant for research purposes and daily practice. In this study, the psychometric properties of the original five subscales and the two recently proposed summary scales of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) scale were examined in Dutch cancer patients.

Methods: Data from 289 cancer patients were assessed with the Dutch version of the MAC scale and the Hospital and Anxiety Depression scale (HADS); 259 patients completed the MAC scale for a second time.

The effectiveness of the Screening Inventory of Psychosocial Problems (SIPP) in cancer patients treated with radiotherapy: design of a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Background: The Screening Inventory of Psychosocial Problems (SIPP) is a short, validated self-reported questionnaire to identify psychosocial problems in Dutch cancer patients. The one-page 24-item questionnaire assesses physical complaints, psychological complaints and social and sexual problems. Very little is known about the effects of using the SIPP in consultation settings.

Evaluation of three different CT simulation and planning procedures for the preoperative irradiation of operable rectal cancer.

Purpose: To find the best procedure regarding quality and work load for treatment planning in operable non-locally advanced rectal cancer using 3D CT-based information.

Methods: The study population consisted of 62 patients with non-locally advanced tumours, as defined by MRI in the lower (N=16), middle (N=25) and upper (N=21) rectum referred for preoperative short-course radiotherapy. In procedure 1 (Pr1), planning in one central plane was performed (field borders/shielding based on bony anatomy).

Pain-related fear in low back pain: a prospective study in the general population.

A cognitive behavioural account of chronic low back pain (CLBP) proposes that the relationship between pain catastrophizing and functional disability is mediated by fear of movement/(re)injury. Several clinical studies already demonstrated the contribution of pain catastrophizing and fear of movement/(re)injury in the development and maintenance of CLBP. This study included people with low back pain (LBP) in the general population, and aimed to investigate whether fear of movement/(re)injury mediated the relationship between pain catastrophizing and functional disability, by examining several prerequisites for mediation.

Health care providers' orientations towards common low back pain predict perceived harmfulness of physical activities and recommendations regarding return to normal activity.

The Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists (PABS-PT) differentiates between a biomedical versus a biopsychosocial treatment orientation with regard to common low back pain. This study re-examined the factor structure and psychometric properties of the PABS-PT, along with the relationship between PABS-PT scores and the perceived harmfulness of physical activities and treatment recommendations for common low back pain. Two hundred and ninety-seven paramedical therapists completed the PABS-PT and questionnaires measuring related concepts, rated the perceived harmfulness of 41 daily physical activities depicted in photographs and gave recommendations for return to normal activity for three patients with low back pain.

Health care providers' attitudes and beliefs towards common low back pain: factor structure and psychometric properties of the HC-PAIRS.

Objective: The factor structure, reliability and validity of the Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS) were determined in the current study. Furthermore, the ability of the HC-PAIRS to serve as a predictor for work and activity recommendations of paramedical health care providers was examined.

Design: For the current study, 156 therapists from several paramedical disciplines (mostly physiotherapy, manual therapy, chiropractic, and McKenzie) completed the HC-PAIRS and questionnaires measuring the perceived harmfulness of physical activities.