KCNQ1 and lymphovascular invasion are key features in a prognostic classifier for stage II and III colon cancer.

Background: The risk of recurrence after resection of a stage II or III colon cancer, and therefore qualification for adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT), is traditionally based on clinicopathological parameters. However, the parameters used in clinical practice are not able to accurately identify all patients with or without minimal residual disease. Some patients considered 'low-risk' do develop recurrence (undertreatment), whilst other patients receiving ACT might not have developed recurrence at all (overtreatment).

Diagnostic delay of pulmonary embolism in primary and secondary care: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Delayed diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) is common because symptoms can be non-specific. The few studies that have investigated diagnostic delay have not taken into account the role of primary care physicians in the diagnostic process.

Aim: To document and quantify the stages of diagnostic delay of PE and to identify clinical factors associated with this delay.

Telemedicine, the effect of nurse-initiated telephone follow up, on health status and health-care utilization in COPD patients: a randomized trial.

Background And Objective: Telemedicine, care provided by electronic communication, may serve as an alternative or extension to traditional outpatient visits. This pilot study determined the effects of telemedicine on health-care utilization and health status of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients.

Methods: One hundred and one patients were randomized, 52 patients received telemedicine care and 49 had traditional outpatient visits.

Health status in patients with coexistent COPD and heart failure: a validation and comparison between the Clinical COPD Questionnaire and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) are both common diseases that coexist frequently. Patients with both diseases have worse stable state health status when compared with patients with one of these diseases. In many outpatient clinics, health status is monitored routinely in COPD patients using the Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) and in HF patients with the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHF-Q).

Depression and heart failure associated with clinical COPD questionnaire outcome in primary care COPD patients: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is one of the main goals in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Impaired HRQoL in COPD is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, hospitalisations and burden on our health-care system. The Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) is a validated, reliable, short questionnaire for the evaluation of disease-specific HRQoL in patients with COPD in primary care.