[Feasibility and acceptance of computer-based assessment for the identification of psychosocially distressed patients in routine clinical care]. / Machbarkeit und Akzeptanz Computer-gestützter Indikationsdiagnostik (CgID) zur Identifizierung psychosozial belasteter Patienten im klinischen Alltag.

This study investigated feasibility and acceptance of computer-based assessment for the identification of psychosocial distress in routine radiotherapy care. 155 cancer patients were assessed using QSC-R10, PO-Bado-SF and Mach-9. The congruence between computerized tablet PC and conventional paper assessment was analysed in 50 patients. The agreement between the 2 modes was high (ICC 0.869-0.980). Acceptance of computer-based assessment was very high (>95%). Sex, age, education, distress and Karnofsky performance status (KPS) did not influence acceptance. Computerized assessment was rated more difficult by older patients (p = 0.039) and patients with low KPS (p = 0.020). 75.5% of the respondents supported referral for psycho-social intervention for distressed patients. The prevalence of distress was 27.1% (QSC-R10). Computer-based assessment allows easy identification of distressed patients. Level of staff involvement is low, and the results are quickly available for care providers.

Distress screening in oncology-evaluation of the Questionnaire on Distress in Cancer Patients-short form (QSC-R10) in a German sample.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to examine the psychometric properties of the Questionnaire on Stress in Cancer Patients (QSC-R10), a 10-item screening instrument for self-assessment of psychosocial distress in cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 1850 cancer patients were assessed with the QSC-R10. Patients were recruited from different inpatient and outpatient settings in Germany between 2007 and 2009. RESULTS: Mean age of the sample was 62.9 (SD=12.4) with breast cancer as the most frequent diagnosis (35.2%). The analysis indicated high reliability (Cronbach's α=0.85) and test-retest reliability (ICC=0.89). Validation scales included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Distress-Thermometer (DT), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS). Convergent validity was highest for the HADS total score (r=0.74) and the lowest correlation for KPS (r=-0.36). The QSC-R10 significantly distinguished subgroups by their clinical characteristics (metastases, illness duration, previous psychiatric treatment and psycho-oncological support; p<0.001). A cutoff score of >14 demonstrated good sensitivity (81.0%) and specificity (73.2%) and is suitable to determine the need for psychosocial support. CONCLUSION: The QSC-R10 is a valid and reliable questionnaire to detect distress in cancer patients with high acceptance among professionals and patients.

Long-term outcome of mitomycin C- and 5-FU-based primary radiochemotherapy for esophageal cancer.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: For definitive radiochemotherapy, 5-fluorouracil/cisplatin protocols have been considered the standard of care for esophageal carcinoma over the last 2 decades. By contrast, most patients treated at the University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany, received 5-fluorouracil/mitomycin C. The objective of this retrospective analysis was to determine the value of 5-fluorouracil/mitomycin-C-based therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tumor stage, treatment received, and outcome data of patients treated for esophageal cancer between 1982 and 2007 were collected; endpoint of the analysis was overall survival. RESULTS: 298 patients with inoperable cancer of the esophagus were identified (16.8% adenocarcinoma, 77.5% squamous cell carcinoma). At diagnosis, 61.7% (184/298) had UICC stage III-IV, 54.4% (162/298) positive lymph nodes, and 26.5% (79/298) metastatic disease. 74.5% of all patients (222/298) received radiation doses between 55 and 65 Gy, 65.8% (196/298) were subjected to concomitant chemotherapy. The median follow-up period (patients alive) was 4.1 years. A significant increase of overall survival (p < 0.0001) in the radiochemotherapy versus the radiotherapy-alone group was observed. 52% (102/196) in the 5-fluorouracil/ mitomycin C group had tumor stages comparable to the RTOG 85-01 study cohort (T1-3 N0-1 M0). The median survival in this subgroup was 18.2 months, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 22.7% (21/102) and 15.0% (13/102), respectively. CONCLUSION: Despite being nominally inferior to platinum-based radiochemotherapy, the overall survival rates are in a similar range. Thus, the mitomycin-C-based radiochemotherapy approach may considered to be as effective as the standard therapy. However, there is no randomized trial available in order to prove the equality.

Three-year clinical follow-up after strontium-90/yttrium-90 beta-irradiation for the treatment of in-stent coronary restenosis.

Because late vessel failure has been speculated as a possible limitation of vascular brachytherapy, we conducted a prospective clinical evaluation at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months of follow-up after irradiation with strontium-90/yttrium-90 for in-stent restenosis, regardless of the patient's symptomatic status. We report complete 3-year follow-up data for 106 consecutive patients. The cumulative rate of death at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months was 0.9%, 0.9%, 0.9%, and 1.9% respectively. The corresponding rates for acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction were 2.8%, 4.7%, 4.7%, and 4.7%, respectively. The cumulative rate of late thrombotic occlusion at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months was 3.8%, 4.7%, 4.7%, and 4.7%, respectively. The corresponding rates of target lesion revascularization and target vessel revascularization were 8.5% and 12.3% (p = 0.046), 14.2% (p = 0.157) and 18.0% (p = 0.046), 12.3% and 18.9% (p = 0.008), and 21.7% (p = 0.083) and 29.2% (p = 0.005), respectively. The cumulative rate of all major adverse cardiovascular events at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months was 16.1%, 24.5% (p = 0.003), 27.4% (p = 0.083), and 35.8% (p = 0.003), respectively. In conclusion, these results indicate a delayed and, even in the third year after the index procedure, continued restenotic process after beta irradiation of in-stent restenotic lesions.