Effects of animal-assisted visits on quality of life during multi-modal radiation therapy: Chemotherapy regimens.

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e20607-e20607
Author(s):  
Stewart Barry Fleishman ◽  
Victoria Rosenwald ◽  
Peter Homel
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
External Beam Radiation ◽  
Beam Radiation ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Intent To Treat ◽  
High Level

e20607 Background: Animal-assisted visits (AAV) are known to affect blood pressure, mood and anxiety, yet their effects in cancer remained unexamined. Methods: 42 subjects signed IRB-approved informed consent to have AAVs daily during multi-modal chemotherapy and radiation therapy for head & neck cancer. 37 subjects completed at least baseline assessment visits for an intent to treat analysis. Assessments included FACT-Head and Neck scale; Satisfaction with AAV Intervention (SAAVI) assessing bi-weekly motivation to attend appointments, tolerance of waits, ability to withstand treatment, lingering effect of AAV after treatment and perception of social support. Subject characteristics: 25 (68%) male, mean age 57 years (57.22 ±8.44); (57%) white, 8 (22%) Hispanic, 6 (16%) black and 2 (5%) Asian. Cancer sites: oropharynx 23 (62%), hypopharynx 4 (11%), esophagus 3 (8%), laryngopharynx 2 (5%) and nasal cavity 2 (5%). Stage: stage II: 1 (3%), III: 6 (16%), IV: 30 (81%). All subjects received concomitant external beam radiation therapy with periodic cis-platin (23 pts, 57%), weekly carboplatin (7 pts; 16%) or cetuximab (5; 11%). Results: Comparing baseline, week 3 and week 7 assessments, FACT Physical Well-being (PWB; p<0.001) and Functional Well-Being (FWB; (p=0.003) showed significant declines; in contrast, Social Well-Being (SWB; p = 0.03) showed significant gains. Controlling for declines in PWB, increases in EWB were also significant (p = 0.004). Satisfaction was measured after the first and last AAV. Mean scores for satisfaction related to psychological symptoms, generally liking animals/pets, and positive attitudes towards pets at both times were significantly better than “Neutral” or “Unsure” (all p < 0.001), and did not change from first to last AAV. Mean scores for physical symptoms were not significantly different from “Neutral.” Conclusions: FACT analysis showed significant increase in EWB in the face of clinically evident and expected declines in PWB and FWB in spite of high symptom burden. The SAAVI assessment further supports the utility of the AAV intervention. Though self-selected for an affinity to pets and animals, subjects endorsed a high level of satisfaction with the intervention.

Symptom Burden: Experiences of Puerto Rican Men With Prostate Cancer Prior to External Beam Radiation Therapy

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Velda Gonzalez ◽  
Susan McMillan ◽  
Maureen Groer ◽  
Segundo Imbert ◽  
Jamie Tome ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Puerto Rican ◽  
Symptom Burden ◽  
External Beam Radiation Therapy ◽  
External Beam Radiation ◽  
External Beam ◽  
Beam Radiation

Comparing the Costs of Radiation Therapy and Radical Prostatectomy for the Initial Treatment of Early-Stage Prostate Cancer

2002 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 2869-2875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey H. Burkhardt ◽  
Mark S. Litwin ◽  
Christopher M. Rose ◽  
Roy J. Correa ◽  
Jonathan H. Sunshine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Radical Prostatectomy ◽  
Initial Treatment ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
External Beam Radiation ◽  
External Beam ◽  
Beam Radiation ◽  
Intent To Treat ◽  
Treat Analysis

PURPOSE: Radical prostatectomy and external-beam radiation are the most common treatments for localized prostate cancer. Given the absence of clinical consensus in favor of one treatment or the other, relative costs may be a significant factor. This study compares the direct medical costs during the month before and 9 months after diagnosis for patients treated primarily with external-beam radiation or radical prostatectomy for early-stage prostate cancer. METHODS: Patients age 65 or older and coded by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry as having been diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the prostate treated primarily with external-beam radiation or radical prostatectomy during 1992 and 1993 were identified. The initial treatment costs, as measured by Medicare-approved payment amounts, for each strategy were analyzed using linked SEER-Medicare claims data after adjusting for differences in comorbidity and age. An intent-to-treat analysis was also performed to adjust for differences in staging between the two groups. RESULTS: For patients in the treatment-received analysis, the average costs were significantly different; $14,048 (95% confidence interval [CI], $13,765 to $14,330) for radiation therapy and $17,226 (95% CI, $16,891 to $17,560) for radical prostatectomy (P < .001). The average costs for patients in the intent-to-treat analysis were also significantly less for radiation therapy patients ($14,048; 95% CI, $13,765 to $14,330) than for those who underwent radical prostatectomy ($17,516; 95% CI, $17,195 to $17,837; P < .001). CONCLUSION: For patients with early-stage prostate cancer, average costs during the initial treatment interval were at least 23% greater for radical prostatectomy than for external-beam radiation. Major limitations of the research include not studying costs after the initial treatment interval and questionable current applicability, given changes in management of early prostate cancer.

scholarly journals Intra-operative Radiation Therapy versus Whole Breast External Beam Radiotherapy: A Comparison of Patient-Reported Outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 170-175
Author(s):  
Jordan Leatherman ◽  
Christina Nicholas ◽  
Therese Cusick ◽  
Ellen Cooke ◽  
Elizabeth Ablah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Patient Reported Outcomes ◽  
External Beam Radiotherapy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
External Beam Radiation ◽  
External Beam ◽  
Beam Radiation ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Effects Of Radiation

Introduction. This project sought to compare patient-reported outcomes between patients who received intra-operative radiation therapy (IORT) and those who qualified for IORT but received whole-breast external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) following breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Methods. Three scales from the BREAST-Q Breast Cancer BCT Module Version 2.0 questionnaire were used to collect patient-reported outcomes regarding post-operative physical well-being of the chest, post-operative satisfaction with breast cosmesis and post-operative adverse effects of radiation. Results. Patients who received EBRT travelled farther on average than patients who received IORT to complete treatment. Respondents who received IORT reported better physical well-being of the chest than those who received EBRT. Regression reveals that the respondent’s age was the determining factor in the difference between IORT and EBRT post-operative physical well-being scores, where younger patients report poorer well-being. There was no difference in patient-reported outcomes regarding post-operative satisfaction with breast cosmesis or adverse effects of radiation. Conclusions. This study suggests that patients who received IORT report better physical well-being of the chest than patients who received EBRT. There appears to be a relationship between age and physical well-being of chest. This study suggests that there is no difference in patient-reported outcomes concerning post-operative satisfaction with breast cosmesis or post-operative adverse effects of radiation between patients who received IORT and those who received EBRT.

Combined stereotactic split-course fractionated gamma knife radiosurgery and conventional radiation therapy for unfavorable gliomas: a phase I study

2000 ◽  
Vol 93 (supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 37-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
William F. Regine ◽  
Roy A. Patchell ◽  
James M. Strottmann ◽  
Ali Meigooni ◽  
Michael Sanders ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Disease Progression ◽  
Gamma Knife ◽  
Gamma Knife Radiosurgery ◽  
External Beam Radiation ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Beam Radiation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group B ◽  
Fine Print

Object. This investigation was performed to determine the tolerance and toxicities of split-course fractionated gamma knife radiosurgery (FSRS) given in combination with conventional external-beam radiation therapy (CEBRT). Methods. Eighteen patients with previously unirradiated, gliomas treated between March 1995 and January 2000 form the substrate of this report. These included 11 patients with malignant gliomas, six with low-grade gliomas, and one with a recurrent glioma. They were stratified into three groups according to tumor volume (TV). Fifteen were treated using the initial FSRS dose schedule and form the subject of this report. Group A (four patients), had TV of 5 cm3 or less (7 Gy twice pre- and twice post-CEBRT); Group B (six patients), TV greater than 5 cm3 but less than or equal to 15 cm3 (7 Gy twice pre-CEBRT and once post-CEBRT); and Group C (five patients), TV greater than 15 cm3 but less than or equal to 30 cm3 (7 Gy once pre- and once post-CEBRT). All patients received CEBRT to 59.4 Gy in 1.8-Gy fractions. Dose escalation was planned, provided the level of toxicity was acceptable. All patients were able to complete CEBRT without interruption or experiencing disease progression. Unacceptable toxicity was observed in two Grade 4/Group B patients and two Grade 4/Group C patients. Eight patients required reoperation. In three (38%) there was necrosis without evidence of tumor. Neuroimaging studies were available for evaluation in 14 patients. Two had a partial (≥ 50%) reduction in volume and nine had a minor (> 20%) reduction in size. The median follow-up period was 15 months (range 9–60 months). Six patients remained alive for 3 to 60 months. Conclusions. The imaging responses and the ability of these patients with intracranial gliomas to complete therapy without interruption or experiencing disease progression is encouraging. Excessive toxicity derived from combined FSRS and CEBRT treatment, as evaluated thus far in this study, was seen in patients with Group B and C lesions at the 7-Gy dose level. Evaluation of this novel treatment strategy with dose modification is ongoing.

Diode in Vivo Dosimetry for Patients Receiving External Beam Radiation Therapy

10.37206/88 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Yorke ◽  
Rodica Alecu ◽  
Li Ding ◽  
Doracy Fontenla ◽  
Andre Kalend ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
External Beam Radiation Therapy ◽  
External Beam Radiation ◽  
In Vivo Dosimetry ◽  
External Beam ◽  
Beam Radiation
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