Quality of life and related factors in a cohort of plaque-type psoriasis patients in La Coruña, Spain.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis can significantly affect the physical, psychological, and social aspects of a patient's life. Many studies have evaluated the effects of psoriasis on quality of life (QoL), but results in many cases are contradictory. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to assess the relationships between the characteristics of psoriasis (cutaneous severity, arthropathy, treatment) and comorbidities with QoL and to determine which factors have a major influence. METHODS: We assessed demographic data, the severity of cutaneous involvement, psoriasis treatment, presence of arthropathy, psoriasis duration, smoking status, alcohol intake, and the presence of comorbidities. Concomitant diseases were evaluated using the Charlson Comorbidity Index and the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP-III) criteria for metabolic syndrome. Quality of life was assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed that factors associated with QoL impairment included gender (women experienced greater impact: odds ratio [OR] 2.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48-5.49; P = 0.002); psoriasis duration (patients with longer durations of psoriasis and psoriasis treatment experienced less impairment: OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.99; P = 0.004); and treatment type (impact was lower in patients receiving biologic drugs than in those using topical treatment [OR 3.15, 95% CI 1.50-6.62; P = 0.002] and in those using biologics compared with those using conventional systemic treatment [OR 2.23, 95% CI 0.98-5.05; P = 0.053]). Psoriasis severity measured according to scores on the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and body surface area affected was not related to QoL impairment. Comorbidities were associated with impaired QoL in the univariate analysis but not after adjusting for other covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Factors associated with greater impairment of QoL were gender, psoriasis duration, and type of treatment. Patients receiving systemic and biologic therapies reported better QoL.

Age differences in presentation, diagnosis pathway and management of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: The gap in survival between older and younger European cancer patients is getting wider. It is possible that cancer in the elderly is being managed or treated differently than in their younger counterparts. This study aims to explore age disparities with respect to the clinical characteristics of the tumour, diagnostic pathway and treatment of colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter cross sectional study in 5 Spanish regions. Consecutive incident cases of CRC were identified from pathology services. MEASUREMENTS: From patient interviews, hospital and primary care clinical records, we collected data on symptoms, stage, doctors investigations, time duration to diagnosis/treatment, quality of care and treatment. RESULTS: 777 symptomatic cases, 154 were older than 80 years. Stage was similar by age group. General symptoms were more frequent in the eldest and abdominal symptoms in the youngest. No differences were found regarding perception of symptom seriousness and symptom disclosure between age groups as no longer duration to diagnosis or treatment was observed in the oldest groups. In primary care, only ultrasound is more frequently ordered in those <65 years. Those >80 years had a significantly higher proportion of iron testing and abdominal XR requested in hospital. We observed a high resection rate independently of age but less adjuvant chemotherapy in Stage III colon cancer, and of radiotherapy in stage II and III rectal cancer as age increases. CONCLUSION: There are no relevant age disparities in the CRC diagnosis process with similar stage, duration to diagnosis, investigations and surgery. However, further improvements have to be made with respect to adjuvant therapy.