Memento of the post-mortem.

When the Department of Pathology of the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre in The Netherlands moved from its old to its new premises, the demolition of the marble post-mortem tables was impending, taking with it the Department's (physical) memory. To keep the importance of this memory and of the post-mortem itself on everyone's minds in the new building, the artist Piet Hein Eek was invited to incorporate these post-mortem tables into a work of art. This became a triptych: the three post-mortem tables were stood upright against the wall behind a mounted double sheet of glass, containing screen prints of enlarged microscopic images.

Offering a treatment choice in the irradiation of prostate cancer leads to better informed and more active patients, without harm to well-being.

Purpose: To examine, in prostate cancer patients, the effect of (1) being offered a choice between radiation doses in three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, and of (2) accepting or declining the possibility to choose.

Methods And Materials: A total of 150 patients with localized prostate cancer (T1-3N0M0) were offered a choice with a decision aid between two radiation doses (70 and 74 Gy). A control group of 144 patients received a fixed radiation dose without being offered a choice.

Doctors' and patients' preferences for participation and treatment in curative prostate cancer radiotherapy.

Purpose: Physicians hold opinions about unvoiced patient preferences, so-called substitute preferences. We studied whether doctors can predict preferences of patients supported with a decision aid.

Methods: A total of 150 patients with prostate cancer facing radiotherapy were included.

Do patients with localized prostate cancer treatment really want more aggressive treatment?

Purpose: Examine whether patients with prostate cancer choose the more aggressive of two radiotherapeutic options, whether this choice is reasoned, and what the determinants of the choice are.

Patients And Methods: One hundred fifty patients with primary prostate cancer (T(1-3)N(0)M(0)) were informed by means of a decision aid of two treatment options: radiotherapy with 70 Gy versus 74 Gy. The latter treatment is associated with more cure and more toxicity.