Health related Quality of Life over time in German sarcoma patients. An analysis of associated factors - results of the PROSa study.

Introduction: Sarcomas are rare cancers and very heterogeneous in their location, histological subtype, and treatment. Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) of sarcoma patients has rarely been investigated in longitudinal studies.

Methods: Here, we assessed adult sarcoma patients and survivors between September 2017 and February 2020, and followed-up for one year in 39 study centers in Germany.

A multicenter international prospective study of the validity and reliability of a COVID-19-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire.

Purpose: To develop and validate a health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire for patients with current or previous coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in an international setting.

Methods: This multicenter international methodology study followed standardized guidelines for a four-phase questionnaire development. Here, we report on the pretesting and validation of our international questionnaire.

Distress in soft-tissue sarcoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumours patients-Results of a German multicentre observational study (PROSa).

Objective: Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) and gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) are a group of rare malignant tumours with a high and heterogenous disease burden. As evidence is scarce, we analysed the prevalence of increased emotional distress and identified distress-associated factors in these patients.

Methods: The PROSa-study (Burden and medical care of sarcoma) was conducted between 2017 and 2020 in 39 study centres.

Course of social support and associations with distress after partial laryngectomy.

Purpose: Social support has been shown to be positively associated with quality of life and adjustment after a cancer diagnosis. The present study investigates the course of social support up to one year after partial laryngectomy and its association with distress.

Design: Longitudinal questionnaire study.

Predictors of psychiatric comorbidity in cancer patients at the time of their discharge from the hospital.

Purpose: A cancer diagnosis can have a substantial impact on one's mental health. The present study investigated the prevalence and predictors of psychiatric comorbidities in cancer patients at the time of their discharge from the hospital.

Methods: Psychiatric comorbidities were assessed shortly before hospital discharge and half a year after hospitalization using a structured clinical interview (SCID), based on the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV).

Health-related quality of life issues, including symptoms, in patients with active COVID-19 or post COVID-19; a systematic literature review.

Purpose: This systematic review was performed to identify all relevant health-related quality of life (HRQoL) issues associated with COVID-19.

Methods: A systematic literature search was undertaken in April 2020. In four teams of three reviewers each, all abstracts were independently reviewed for inclusion by two reviewers.

[Sex/gender differences in COVID-19 lethality: what the data say, and do not say].

Background: scientific literature indicates that there are sex, and gender differences in the development, symptomatology and evolution of different diseases, in the response to drugs and in the therapeutic pathways. Even in the COVID-19 epidemic some sex/gender differences emerged.

Objectives: to analyze COVID-19 epidemic data by gender and age in Italy, Germany, Spain, and Sweden, characterized by having implemented different pandemic containment policies, with the aim of observing any characteristics that can be interpreted with the lens of sex/gender differences.

Economic evaluation of prolonged and enhanced ECG Holter monitoring in acute ischemic stroke patients.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major cause for recurrent stroke, has severe impact on a patient's health and imposes a high economic burden for society. Current guidelines recommend 24 h ECG monitoring (standard-of-care, SoC) to detect AF after stroke to reduce the risk of future events. However, paroxysmal AF (PAF) is difficult to detect within this period as it occurs infrequently and unpredictably.

The association of socioeconomic status with quality of life in cancer patients over a 6-month period using individual growth models.

Purpose: Studies examining longitudinal associations between socioeconomic factors and quality of life (QoL) in cancer patients are rare. This study investigates changes in QoL over a 6-month period.

Methods: Four hundred forty-two cancer patients (mean age 64, SD = 11, 70% male) completed standardized questionnaires at the beginning (t1) and end (t2) of their hospital stay and 3 (t3) and 6 months (t4) thereafter.

Factors associated with non-participation and dropout among cancer patients in a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

We investigated the impact of demographic and disease related factors on non-participation and dropout in a cluster-randomised behavioural trial in cancer patients with measurements taken between hospitalisation and 6 months thereafter. The percentages of non-participation and dropout were documented at each time point. Factors considered to be potentially related with non-participation and dropout were as follows: age, sex, marital status, education, income, employment status, tumour site and stage of disease.

Interactions between endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) and titanium implant surfaces.

Objectives: Endothelial cells play an important role in peri-implant angiogenesis during early bone formation. Therefore, interactions between endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and titanium dental implant surfaces are of crucial interest. The aim of our in vitro study was to investigate the reactions of EPCs in contact with different commercially available implant surfaces.

The influence of bisphosphonates on human osteoblast migration and integrin aVb3/tenascin C gene expression in vitro.

Background: Bisphosphonates are therapeutics of bone diseases, such as Paget's disease, multiple myeloma or osteoclastic metastases. As a severe side effect the bisphosphonate induced osteonecrosis of the jaw (BONJ) often requires surgical treatment and is accompanied with a disturbed wound healing.Therefore, the influence on adhesion and migration of human osteoblasts (hOB) after bisphosphonate therapy has been investigated by morphologic as well as gene expression methods.

Influence of bisphosphonates on the osteoblast RANKL and OPG gene expression in vitro.

Bisphosphonates are widely used in the clinical treatment of bone diseases with increased bone resorption. In terms of side effects, they are widely known to be associated with osteonecrosis of the jaw (BONJ). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of bisphosphonates on the gene expression of receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) in vitro.