Management of skin reactions during radiotherapy in Flanders (Belgium): a study of nursing practice before and after the introduction of a skin care protocol.

Purpose Of The Research: To evaluate nursing practice in Flanders (Belgium) regarding skin care during radiotherapy and the effect of the introduction of an evidence based protocol on daily nursing practice.

Methods And Sample: Nurses working at radiotherapy departments in Flanders were invited to complete a 58-item questionnaire. The survey was undertaken in 2001 (n=67) and end of 2006 (n=89).

An international field study of the EORTC QLQ-PR25: a questionnaire for assessing the health-related quality of life of patients with prostate cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the psychometrics of the EORTC QLQ-PR25, a questionnaire assessing the health-related quality of life of prostate cancer patients.

Methods: The QLQ-PR25 and the QLQ-C30 were administered to 642 prostate cancer patients from 13 countries treated with curative or palliative intent. The QLQ-PR25 assesses urinary, bowel and sexual symptoms and functioning, and the side-effects of hormonal treatment.

Short- and long-term HRQOL issues following brachytherapy for prostate cancer.

Given the lack of evidence from randomized controlled trials and large prospective studies, controversy exists regarding the optimal treatment strategy for early stage prostate cancer. The impact of various treatments on health-related quality of life has become an increasingly important but controversial issue. The literature on health-related quality of life following brachytherapy, an increasingly used treatment option that can have short- and long-term side effects influencing patient health-related quality of life is reviewed.

Beyond the development of health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) measures: a checklist for evaluating HRQOL outcomes in cancer clinical trials--does HRQOL evaluation in prostate cancer research inform clinical decision making?

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the inclusion of health-related quality of life (HRQOL), as a part of the trial design in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) setting, has supported clinical decision making for the planning of future medical treatments in prostate cancer.

Materials And Methods: A minimum standard checklist for evaluating HRQOL outcomes in cancer clinical trials was devised to assess the quality of the HRQOL reporting and to classify the studies on the grounds of their robustness. It comprises 11 key HRQOL issues grouped into four broader sections: conceptual, measurement, methodology, and interpretation.

External beam radiotherapy in prostate cancer patients: short- and long-term health-related quality of life issues.

Health-related quality of life is an increasingly important issue in the treatment of prostate cancer. External beam radiotherapy is a frequently-used treatment option which can have short- and long-term side effects influencing the patients' quality of life. In this review the urinary, intestinal and sexual health-related quality of life issues related to treatment with external beam radiotherapy are addressed.