Intercessory Prayer on Spiritual Distress, Spiritual Coping, Anxiety, Depression and Salivary Amylase in Breast Cancer Patients During Radiotherapy: Randomized Clinical Trial.

The goal of this study was to assess the effect of intercessory prayer in the psychological, spiritual and biological scores of breast cancer patients who are undergoing radiotherapy. Double-blind RCT comprising a sample of 31 participants (15 in the Control Group and 16 in the Intervention Group). Data collection was performed in three time points (T0, T1 and T2). Significant changes have been identified in the intra-group analysis, concerning the decrease in spiritual distress score; negative religious/spiritual coping prevailed, while the total religious/spiritual coping increased between the posttest T2 to T0. Intercessory prayer was effective in religious and spiritual scores.

How to improve root canal filling in teeth subjected to radiation therapy for cancer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of radiation therapy on root canal sealer push-out bond strength (BS) to dentin and the sealer/dentin interface after different final irrigation solutions (NaOCl, EDTA, and chitosan). Sixty-four maxillary canines were distributed into two groups (n=30): non-irradiated and irradiated with 60 Gy. Canals were prepared with Reciproc-R50 and subdivided (n=10) for final irrigation (NaOCl, EDTA, chitosan) and filled. Three dentin slices were obtained from each root third. The first slice of each third was selected for BS evaluation, and the failure mode was determined by stereomicroscopy. SEM analysis of the sealer-dentin interface was performed in the remaining slices. Two-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests (α=0.05) were used. Lower BS (P<0.0001) was obtained after irradiation (2.07±0.79 MPa), regardless of the final irrigation solution used. The NaOCl group (P<0.001) had the lowest BS in the irradiated (1.68±0.72) and non-irradiated (2.39±0.89) groups, whereas the EDTA (irradiated: 2.14±0.77 and non-irradiated: 3.92±1.54) and chitosan (irradiated: 2.37±0.73 and non-irradiated: 3.51±1.47) groups demonstrated a higher BS (P<0.05). The highest values were observed in the coronal third (3.17±1.38) when compared to the middle (2.74±1.36) and apical ones (2.09±0.97)(P<0.0001). There were more cohesive failures and more gaps in irradiated specimens, regardless of the final solution. The present study showed that radiation was associated with a decrease in BS, regardless of the final solution used, whereas chitosan increased BS in teeth subjected to radiation therapy.

The effect of hyperbaric oxygenation on the distal intestine of rats subjected to ionizing radiation.

The current study was to test an experimental model of actinic lesions in the distal intestine of rats and to determine the possible protective effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2) in radio-induced lesions when concomitantly applied with ionizing radiation. Twenty-four Wistar rats were divided into four groups: G1 (control group); G2 (animals irradiated); G3 (animals irradiated plus HBO2); G4 (only HBO2). The animals were evaluated for 28 days after the end of treatment and then euthanized. The distal intestine was resected for macroscopic and microscopic evaluation and immunohistochemistry. The animals in the G3 group lost weight during the treatment; all of the animals in the G2 group presented macroscopic mucosal lesions up until 28 days; the animals in the other three groups did not present macroscopic lesions. Microscopic mucosal lesions were observed in the specimens of the animals treated with ionizing radiation; in the animals from the G3 and G4 groups the lesions were less intense. For the immunohistochemical analysis, we observed the specimens taken from G3 group animals had more CD34+ cells. The experimental model proved to be useful in causing radio-induced lesions, and concomitantly applied HBO2 is capable of reducing late actinic lesions.