Economics in clinical cancer research: methodology and assessment

Methods used in the management of cancer disease need to be assessed in terms of their economic, social and ethical implications. Several methods for such assessments are discussed; screening for breast cancer is used as a case study.     

Thyroid cancer: The impact of emerging technologies on clinical practice guidelines

Clinical practice guidelines are available for the evaluation and management of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer. Nevertheless, there are uncertainties associated with these protocols due to genomic variations among patients and an incomplete evidence base. In addition, deviations from these protocols are due to physician bias and different levels of training. These shortcomings may eventually disappear as emerging technologies enter mainstream medicine. These interventions include (1) better risk stratification with the routine use of diagnostic molecular marker panels in the cytological analysis of thyroid fine-needle aspiration specimens as well as hybridized imaging modalities, (2) less aggressive therapies in low- and intermediate-risk thyroid cancer patients, and (3) molecular targeted therapy, pretargeted radioimmunotherapy, and novel minimally invasive surgical techniques in high-risk thyroid cancer patients.     

CT assessment of abdominal hemorrhage in coagulopathic patients: impact on clinical management

Background: To assess how computed tomography (CT) affected clinical management in coagulopathic patients with suspected spontaneous abdominal hemorrhage. Methods: Fifty-four patients with coagulopathy underwent CT for possible abdominal hemorrhage. Medical records were reviewed retrospectively for pre-CT management strategy, degree of clinical suspicion for abdominal hemorrhage, CT findings, and post-CT management strategy. Results: Abdominopelvic CT demonstrated hemorrhage in 31/54 (57%) of patients; 20/54 (37%) of patients had retroperitoneal hemorrhage, 2/54 (4%) had hemoperitoneum, and 9/54 (17%) had hemorrhage confined to the thigh, groin, and/or abdominal wall. CT directly affected clinical management in 28/54 (54%) cases; 17/31 (55%) CT scans that were positive for hemorrhage had a clinical impact versus 11/23 (48%) negative CT scans. This difference was not statistically significant (p= 0.61). CT scans with a higher pretest suspicion for abdominal hemorrhage were more likely to have hemorrhage detected (p= 0.0046) but not more likely to have a clinical impact (p= 0.73). Conclusions: CT to assess for abdominal hemorrhage had a direct impact on clinical management in about one-half of coagulopathic patients. Positive and negative CT studies were equally likely to affect management. Received: 24 February 1998/Accepted: 8 April 1998     

蒽环类药物对肿瘤患者心脏Tei指数影响的临床研究

目的探讨利用心肌做功指数(MPI,Tei指数)早期检测和评估蒽环类药物(ATC)对肿瘤患者心脏毒性的临床价值。方法用多普勒法测定46例恶性肿瘤患者ATC化疗前和化疗后3~6个月左心Tei指数,常规超声心动图EF、FS和E/A指标。结果与化疗前比较,Tei指数相关参数中ATC化疗后左心室等容舒张时间(IRT)延长,等容舒张指数(IRT/ET)增大,E/A指标降低(P<0.05)。左心室等容收缩时间(ICT),等容收缩指数(ICT/ET),EF和FS指标较化疗前无显著性差异。结论在早期评价ATC对肿瘤患者心脏功能损害方面,Tei指数、等容舒张指数是敏感的指标,E/A指标虽然在应用上有局限性,但也有一定参考意义。     

Sexual assessment: research and clinical

It has been well documented that most patients do not volunteer information about sexual problems, and that health care providers should incorporate at least a brief sexual assessment into routine health histories and medical evaluations. While not every nurse can be a sexual counselor, listening to concerns of patient and family, presenting factual information in a nonthreatening manner, managing noncomplex disease and treatment related symptoms, and providing appropriate referrals can be easily incorporated into routine care.     

Use of research in clinical practice: support program for cardiac patients

The research aims at the acquisition of knowledge and its application in the practice. The knowledge which most interests the nurses is the one pertaining to the improvement of nursing practice. Before initiating a change in the clinical practice on the basis of the research results, it is important to consider some rigorous criteria which will provide guidance to an enlightened decision as to whether such results should be adopted or not. With the help of an example of nursing care concerning a support programme for the benefit of heart patients, this article presents the application of a model of use of research results. The model consists of six phases in support of a critical judgement on the value of a scientific work: preparation, validation, comparative evaluation, decision making, adoption/application and evaluation. Each of these phases states the application of the model criteria, not only to the results, but to the whole research processes followed by the author. This model of research use can provide the nurse with means of proposing changes in the practice, based on the knowledge issuing from research.     

Career pathways in research: clinical practice

This article, the first in a five-part series on career pathways, discusses the facility for nurses to develop their clinical expertise to consultant level, which is an exciting development on the career pathway for nurses in clinical practice. The introduction of consultant nurses has re-emphasised the need for experienced leadership in research and practice development in clinical settings.     

Contrast dobutamine stress echocardiography: clinical practice assessment in 300 consecutive patients.

In this study we compared non-contrast imaging with contrast imaging of the left ventricle during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE). Wall segment visualization, image quality, and confidence of interpretation were determined with and without the use of intravenous Optison, a second-generation echocardiographic contrast agent, in 300 consecutive patients undergoing rest and peak DSE. At rest and at peak stress, the percentage of wall segments visualized, image quality, and confidence of interpretation were better with contrast compared with non-contrast imaging. No significant decrease was seen in wall segment visualization, image quality, or confidence of interpretation from rest to peak stress in images obtained with contrast, unlike the images obtained without contrast from rest to peak stress. The use of the intravenous echocardiographic contrast agent Optison during DSE significantly improved wall segment visualization and image quality at rest and at peak stress, resulting in improved confidence of interpretation.     

Historical milestones in measurement of HDL-cholesterol: impact on clinical and laboratory practice

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) comprises a family of particles with differing physicochemical characteristics. Continuing progress in improving HDL-C analysis has originated from two separate fields-one clinical, reflecting increased attention to HDL-C in estimating risk for coronary heart disease (CHD), and the other analytical, reflecting increased emphasis on finding more reliable and cost-effective HDL-C assays. Epidemiologic and prospective studies established the inverse association of HDL-C with CHD risk, a relationship that is consistent with protective mechanisms demonstrated in basic research and animal studies. Atheroprotective and less atheroprotective HDL subpopulations have been described. Guidelines on primary and secondary CHD prevention, which increased the workload in clinical laboratories, have led to a revolution in HDL-C assay technology. Many analytical techniques including ultracentrifugation, electrophoresis, chromatography, and polyanion precipitation methods have been developed to separate and quantify HDL-C and HDL subclasses. More recently developed homogeneous assays enable direct measurement of HDL-C on an automated analyzer, without the need for manual pretreatment to separate non-HDL. Although homogeneous assays show improved accuracy and precision in normal serum, discrepant results exist in samples with atypical lipoprotein characteristics. Hypertriglyceridemia and monoclonal paraproteins are important interfering factors. A novel approach is nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy that allows rapid and reliable analysis of lipoprotein subclasses, which may improve the identification of individuals at increased CHD risk. Apolipoprotein A-I, the major protein of HDL, has been proposed as an alternative cardioprotective marker avoiding the analytical limitations of HDL-C.     

Health technology assessment and implications for clinical practice: the case of prostate cancer screening

We describe an initiative to disseminate evidence from systematic reviews about the clinical effectiveness of prostate cancer screening to general practitioners and urologists in Norway. The Norwegian Centre for Health Technology Assessment invited The Norwegian Medical Association, The Norwegian Cancer Society, The Norwegian Board of Health, The Norwegian Urological Cancer Group and The Norwegian Patient Association to develop and disseminate clinical practice recommendations. The clinical effectiveness of prostate cancer screening has been assessed in nine independent systematic reviews, which are summarized in a joint INAHTA report. The conclusion was that there is no evidence from appropriately designed trials that early detection and treatment of prostate cancer can reduce mortality, morbidity or improve quality of life. The number of prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) tests analysed in Norway increased by 30% from 1996 to 1999; at the county level the increase ranged from 12 to 48%. On this background we disseminated leaflets with information about PSA and prostate cancer to 4100 general practitioners and specialists in urology. The main message was, i) PSA should not be taken in healthy men, ii) if the test is wanted, the physician is obliged to give information about the possible consequences. Despite efforts to anchor the information campaign within the mentioned organizations, this met with notable opposition from The Norwegian Urological Society. A survey among agencies within the INAHTA network showed that more than half of the countries within this collaboration have implemented guidelines or recommendations on prostate cancer screening. In conclusion, evidence obtained through an international collaboration such as the INAHTA collaboration may be used to develop and implement national guidelines or recommendations.     

Severe oral mucositis associated with cancer therapy: impact on oral functional status and quality of life

Goals of work  

This study determined the incidence of severe oral mucositis (OM), patients’ self-reported moderate and severe oral symptoms, and change of quality of life (QoL), as well as examined whether OM severity and pain scores predicted the impairment of oral function and QoL.