Use of audio computer-assisted self-interviews to assess tuberculosis-related risk behaviors.

UNLABELLED: The objective of this study was to compare self-reported tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk factors obtained from computer-assisted questionnaires and interviewer-assisted questionnaires among participants of a needle exchange program. Between June 1998 and May 1999, needle exchange program participants requesting tuberculosis screening underwent interviews regarding demographics and risk factors for tuberculosis and HIV infection. The first 190 participants underwent traditional interviewer-assisted questionnaires, whereas the remaining 92 underwent computer-assisted questionnaires. Data were analyzed by interview technique using odds ratios (OR) and multiple logistic regression. Among 282 participants, demographic characteristics, health status, HIV serostatus, visits to homeless shelters, alcohol intake, and cigarette smoking were all similar by interview technique. However, respondents receiving computer-assisted questionnaires were more likely than those receiving interviewer-assisted questionnaires to report smoking marijuana (OR = 5.56), crack (OR = 1.88), and heroin (OR = 2.60); as well as sharing cocaine smoking equipment (OR = 4.49), sharing heroin smoking equipment (OR = 2.85), "shotgunning" (OR = 4.48), and visiting crack houses (OR = 4.39). In the final multivariate model, respondents receiving computer-assisted questionnaires were more likely to report "shotgunning" and visiting a crack house relative to respondents receiving interviewer-assisted questionnaires. In conclusion, increased odds of high-risk behaviors for tuberculosis and HIV infection among computer-assisted questionnaire respondents support the use of computer-assisted questionnaires to ascertain risk behavior data for both tuberculosis and HIV. KEYWORDS: tuberculosis; HIV; self-report; drug use; computer-assisted

Factors affecting the risk of brain metastases after definitive chemoradiation for locally advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma.

PURPOSE: As therapy for locally advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) improves, brain metastases (BM) may become a greater problem. We analyzed our chemoradiation experience for patients at highest risk for the brain as the first failure site. METHODS: Records for 150 consecutive patients with stage II/III NSCLC treated definitively with chemoradiation from June 1992 to June 1998 at the University of Pennsylvania were reviewed. Most patients (89%) received cisplatin, paclitaxel, or both. All had negative brain imaging before treatment. Posttreatment brain imaging was performed for suspicious symptoms. Incidence of BM was examined as a function of age, sex, histology, stage, performance status, weight loss, tumor location, surgery, radiation dose, initial radiation field, chemotherapy regimen, and chemotherapy timing. RESULTS: Crude and 2-year actuarial rates of BM were 19% and 30%, respectively. Among pretreatment parameters, stage IIIB was associated with a higher risk of BM (P <.04) versus stage II/IIIA. Histology alone was not significant (P <.12), although patients with IIIB nonsquamous tumors had an exceptionally high 2-year BM rate of 42% (P <.01 v all others). Examining treatment-related parameters, crude and 2-year actuarial risk of BM were 27% and 39%, respectively, in patients receiving chemotherapy before radiotherapy and 15% and 20%, respectively, when radiotherapy was not delayed (P <.05). On multivariate analysis, timing of chemotherapy (P <.01) and stage IIIA versus IIIB (P <.01) remained significant. CONCLUSION: Patients with later stage, nonsquamous NSCLC, particularly those receiving induction chemotherapy, have sufficiently common BM rates to justify future trials including prophylactic cranial irradiation.

Factors predicting severe radiation pneumonitis in patients receiving definitive chemoradiation for lung cancer.

PURPOSE: To identify factors that may predict for severe radiation pneumonitis or pneumonopathy (RP), we reviewed a set of simple, commonly available characteristics. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Medical records of 148 lung cancer patients with good performance status (ECOG 0-1) treated definitively with chemoradiation from 6/92-6/98 at the University of Pennsylvania were reviewed. Actuarial survival and the crude rate of severe radiation pneumonitis were determined as a function of several variables. Potential predictive factors examined included age, gender, histology, stage, pulmonary function, performance status (0 vs. 1), weight loss, tumor location, radiation dose, initial radiation field size, chemotherapy regimen, and timing of chemotherapy. Univariate analysis (log-rank test) was performed for each variable. Multivariate analysis was performed using linear regression. RESULTS: Median survival for the entire cohort was 14.7 months. Four patients were inevaluable for pneumonitis due to early death from progressive disease. Of the remaining 144 evaluable patients, 12 (8.3%) experienced severe RP. The most significant factor predicting for severe RP was performance status (p < 0.003). The risk of severe RP was 16% for PS-1 patients vs. 2% for PS-0 patients. Women were significantly more likely to develop severe RP than men (p = 0.01). Among 67 patients for whom pre-radiation therapy pulmonary function data were available, forced expiratory volume of the lung in 1 second (FEV(1)) was also significant (p = 0. 03). No patient suffering severe RP had a pretreatment FEV(1) > 2.0 liters. The median radiation dose was 59.2 Gy and median initial radiation field size was 228 cm(2). Neither radiotherapy factor predicted for RP. Other factors studied, including chemotherapy drugs, and schedule, also were not significant predictors of severe RP. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment performance status, gender, and FEV(1) are significant predictors of severe radiation pneumonopathy, at least when using conventional radiation fields and doses. Complex radiation dose-volume algorithms that attempt to predict lung complication probabilities should probably incorporate these simply obtained clinical parameters.

PSA based review of adjuvant and salvage radiation therapy vs. observation in postoperative prostate cancer patients.

Because of the uncertainties regarding the efficacy of postoperative radiation therapy for early prostate cancer, treatment strategies following radical prostatectomy include: (1) observation alone in high-risk patients, (2) adjuvant radiation therapy (PSA undetectable) in high-risk patients, or (3) salvage radiation therapy for biochemical and clinical recurrence. Fifty-two patients treated with postoperative radiation therapy in either an adjuvant setting (13) or for salvage (39) were retrospectively reviewed. The actuarial biochemical disease-free survival (bNED) rates following radiation therapy were calculated using the life-table method. Univariate and multi variate analyses were used to define the clinical factors that predict biochemical failure following postoperative radiation therapy. In addition, the bNED survival rate for 36 high-risk surgery patients who were simply observed following prostatectomy was determined. The 3-year bNED survival rate for the adjuvant radiation group was 85% compared with 27% for salvage radiation and 43% for the observation group. These results are statistically significant. Factors that predict biochemical failure following postoperative radiation therapy include preoperative PSA level, pre-radiation therapy PSA level, and seminal vesicle involvement. At our institutions, adjuvant radiation therapy was a superior strategy compared with either observation alone or salvage radiation therapy for high-risk postoperative prostate cancer patients. Int. J. Cancer (Radiat. Oncol. Invest.) 90, 29-36 (2000).