Quality of life after successful treatment of early-stage Hodgkin's lymphoma: 10-year follow-up of the EORTC-GELA H8 randomised controlled trial.

Background: Little is known about the longitudinal course of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma during their post-treatment follow-up and re-adaptation to normal life. We report on the HRQoL of patients treated in the randomised H8 trial of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Lymphoma Group and the Groupe d'Etudes des Lymphomes de l'Adulte (GELA). We aimed to assess HRQoL and fatigue following treatment, to analyse relations with treatment, and to identify factors that predict persistent fatigue.

Discrepancy between second and first opinion in surgical oncological patients.

Purpose: To prospectively describe in a population of oncological second opinion patients: (1) the outcome of routine revisions of histopathological and radiological material, (2) the frequency and extent of discrepancy between the second and first opinion and (3) the location of further treatment or follow-up.

Patients And Methods: In a population of 466 consecutive patients seeking a second opinion at the Surgical Oncology Outpatient Clinic, demographic and clinical patient characteristics were registered prospectively, as were the results of routine revision of histopathological and radiological material and the location of further treatment or follow-up. A classification system was developed to categorize the differences between the second and first opinion.

Cancer patients seeking a second surgical opinion: results of a study on motives, needs, and expectations.

Purpose: To explore the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of cancer patients seeking a second-opinion consultation and to analyze their second opinion-related motives, needs, and expectations.

Patients And Methods: In 212 consecutive patients seeking a second opinion at the Surgical Oncology Outpatient Clinic, satisfaction with the first specialist, motivation for the second opinion, need for information, preference for decision participation, and hope for and expectation of a different second opinion were assessed with a questionnaire.

Results: The mean age was 53 years.

[Second Opinion Consult Clinic for Surgical Oncology in the Daniel den Hoed Clinic: analysis of the first 245 patients].

Objective: To determine the characteristics and outcome in patients visiting a surgical oncology outpatient clinic for a second opinion.

Design: Prospective and descriptive.

Method: From October 1996 till December 1998, 245 patients visited the Second Opinion Outpatient Clinic of the department of Surgical Oncology of the University Hospital Rotterdam/Daniel den Hoed Cancer Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.