published_or_final_version / abstract / Medicine / Master / Doctor of Medicine

<p>Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to acquire knowledge about daily life with focus on eating problems during the trajectory of care for patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy. Method: The data in study I were gained from medical and nursing records of 50 patients. Documented parameters of eating problems, their causes and consequences, and undertaken interventions were collected before treatment, during radiotherapy, and one, six, and twelve months after completion of treatment, using a study-specific audit instrument. Data were analysed with descriptive and inferential non-parametric statistics. In study II eight patients were interviewed during the radiotherapy treatment period with focus on experiences of eating problems. In study III nine patients were interviewed six to twelve weeks after treatment with the focus on experiences of daily life during the trajectory of care having eating problems. In study IV twelve patients were interviewed about their conceptions of the significance of a supportive nursing care clinic during the whole trajectory of care. Data were analysed with interpretative phenomenology (II, III) and phenomenography (IV). Findings: The four studies showed that being a patient in the trajectory of care often meant that life was disturbed and threatened. This was partly due to the eating problems and their consequences, which could occur during the whole trajectory of care (I, III, IV) but was experienced as most intense and severe during radiotherapy (II) and the nearest weeks after completion of radiotherapy (III, IV). The disturbances and threats experienced due to eating problems could affect the whole person as they were physical (I-IV), psychological, social and existential (II, III). The experiences of eating problems due to the tumour and its treatment and the experience of having cancer per se were strongly connected as one phenomenon, which disturbed and threatened the informants’ daily life. The other part that disturbed the patients’ life was the waiting in suspense. A long and trying waiting in uncertainty was experienced due to lack of knowledge and support, practical as well as emotional. This was most pronounced during pauses in radiotherapy (III) and after completion of the treatment when the lack of support from the health care was obvious (I, II, III). The patients were then most often left to their own devices. In order to endure, they needed both inner strength, described as own coping strategies, and strength from outside, described as support from family, friends and health care professionals (II, III). The nurse clinic was found to give a hand to hold during the whole trajectory of care (IV). It could meet these patients’ needs of knowledge, care and support, both concerning practical measures related to the eating problems and other side-effects of the treatment, and concerning their emotional needs. In addition the nurse clinic could support the relatives in their worries and anxiety (IV). Conclusion: This thesis showed the necessity of continuous assessment, treatment and evaluation of patients’ problems, and the patients’ needs of information and support throughout the trajectory of care.</p>

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This thesis focuses on how physical and biological factors influence the outcome of exposures to γ/X-rays. That the dose rate changes during real life exposure scenarios is well-known, but radiobiological data from exposures performed at increasing or decreasing dose rates is lacking. In paper I, it was found that an exposure where the dose rate decreases exponentially induces significantly higher levels of micronuclei in TK6 cells than exposures at an increasing or constant dose rate. Paper II describes the construction and validation of novel exposure equipment used to further study this “decreasing dose rate effect”, which is described in paper III. In paper I we also observed a radioprotective effect when cells were exposed on ice. This “temperature effect” (TE) has been known for decades but it is still not fully understood how hypothermia acts in a radioprotective manner. This was investigated in paper IV, where a multiparametric approach was used to investigate the underlying mechanisms. In paper V the aim was to investigate the role of biomarkers and clinical parameters as possible risk factors for late adverse effects to radiotherapy (RT). This was studied in a rare cohort of head-and-neck cancer patients that developed mandibular osteoradionecrosis (ORN) as a severe late adverse effect of RT. Biomarker measurements and clinical factors were then subjected to multivariate analysis in order to identify ORN risk factors. The results suggest that the patient’s oxidative stress response is an important factor in ORN pathogenesis, and support the current view that patient-related factors constitute the largest source of variation seen in the frequency of late adverse effects to RT. In summary, this thesis provides new and important insights into the roles of biological and physical factors in determining the consequences of γ/X-ray exposures. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Submitted. Paper 5: Manuscript.</p>

Perspektyvinio atsitiktinių imčių tyrimo tikslas – palyginti II–III stadijos rezektabilaus tiesiosios žarnos vėžio chirurginio gydymo rezultatus po priešoperacinės smulkiafrakcijinės spindulinės terapijos ir chemoterapijos ar priešoperacinės stambiafrakcijinės spindulinės terapijos. Darbo uždaviniai: 1. Atlikti sisteminės literatūros apžvalgos metu gautų duomenų matematinę analizę, tikslu palyginti smulkiafrakcijinės spindulinės tarapijos su chemoterapija ir stambiafrakcijinės spindulinės terapijos poveikį ir galimus skirtumus. 2. Nustatyti ir palyginti radikalių operacijų dažnį chST ir tST grupėse. 3. Nustatyti ar chemospindulinis gydymas padidina sfinkterį išsaugančių operacijų dažnį lyginant su stambiafrakcijine spinduline terapija ir atidėtu chirurginiu gydymu. 4. Nustatyti kaip taikytas priešoperacinis gydymas įtakojo artimuosius pooperacinius rezultatus, palyginti komplikacijų dažnį tiriamosiose grupėse. 5. Nustatyti ir palyginti histologinio „pilno pasveikimo“ ir „stadijos sumažėjimo“ (downstaging) dažnį abejose grupėse. 6. Įvertinti priešoperacinio chemospindulinio gydymo ir stambiafrakcijinės spindulinės terapijos įtaką bendram limfmazgių skaičių preparate ir metastatinių limfmazgių skaičių randamų pašalintame tiesiosios žarnos preparate. Grupės: 1. smulkiafrakcijinės spindulinės terapijos (50Gy) ir chemoterapijos 5-Fu/Lv (po 6–7 sav. operacinis gydymas). 2. stambiafrakcijinės spindulinės terapijos (5x5Gy, per 5 dienas, po 6–7 sav. operacija). Įtraukimo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of the randomized controlled trial was to compare the results of two different treatment options for stage II and III resectable rectal cancer: preoperative chemoradiotherapy and short term radiotherapy with delayed surgery (6 weeks). The objectives of the study were as follows: 1. to perform systematic literature review and meta-analysis comparing preoperative chemoradiotherapy with short-term radiotherapy 2. to compare radical resection rates between the groups; 3. to compare sphincter saving procedure rates; 4. to compare morbidity and mortality rates; 5. to evaluate the rates of downstaging and the rates of complete response; 6. to assess the role of preoperative treatment on the number of lymph nodes and the number of metastatic lymph nodes detected in the tumor bearing specimen. Arms 1. chemoradiotherapy arm - radiotherapy 50Gy/25fr, 1.8-2Gy per fraction over 5 weeks with chemotherapy 5-Fu/Lv ( 400mg/m² 5-Fluouracil, 20mg/m² Leucovorine) during first and last week of radiotherapy ( surgery after 6-7 weeks). 2. short-term radiotherapy with delayed surgery arm – radiotherapy 25Gy/5fr, 5Gy per fraction over 5 days (surgery after 6-7 weeks). preoperative short term radiation group 5x5 Gy during 5 days and surgery after 6 weeks Inclusion Criteria: • histologically confirmed stage II and III rectal cancer less than 15 cm from anal verge • less than 80 years old • no other cancer during 5 years period • compensate cardiovascular, pulmonary, hepatic and renal... [to full text]

The use of quality of life instruments to evaluate the effect of cancer and its treatment on individuals has increased but the process by which the patient comes to make these quality of life evaluations has not been addressed. Earlier studies have shown the reporting of physical symptoms and the evaluation of one's health to be related to negative affect. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the relationship between negative affect and the evaluation of ones health would remain the same in a group of cancer patients, when a major disease and treatment symptom, fatigue was controlled for. The current study found no relationship between negative affect and the evaluation of health once fatigue was controlled for. Negative affect and fatigue were found to be moderately correlated and fatigue accounted for a large proportion of the variance in the quality of life domains of physical, functional and emotional well-being. Both empirical and theoretical issues are discussed. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Background Screening for prostate cancer is debated, there is conflicting data on the net benefit of screening. Men who consider screening need to be informed on the pros and cons. Rehospitalization after surgery can be used as an indicator of general quality of care. For radical prostatectomy, little is known on the readmission rate after surgery. Men diagnosed with low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer have low prostate-cancer specific mortality. However, adverse effects after curative treatment can be severe and decrease quality of life. Curative treatments for prostate cancer differ mainly in the pattern of adverse effects but detailed analysis of long-term adverse effects is lacking. The aim of this thesis was to assess the perioperative quality of radical prostatectomy and the risk of adverse effects after curative treatment for prostate cancer. Material and Methods In this thesis, data from the National Prostate Cancer Register (NPCR) and other nationwide Swedish registers were used. By use of the Swedish personal identity number, NPCR was cross-linked to other registers creating Prostate Cancer data Base Sweden (PCBaSe), a large dataset for research. Results The proportion of men who had received information on the pros and cons of screening for prostate cancer with PSA testing was low (14%) indicating that the majority of men who were screened did not make an informed decision. The risk of rehospitalization within 90 days after radical prostatectomy was approximately 10% and similar after retropubic and robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Compared to controls, there was an increased risk of adverse effects after both radiotherapy and radical prostatectomy up to twelve years after treatment and the overall risk was quite similar after retropubic and robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Conclusion Improved information to men on the pros and cons of PSA screening is warranted. The risk of adverse effects was elevated up to 12 years after curative treatment for prostate cancer. The pattern of adverse effects was different after radiotherapy and radical prostatectomy but quite similar after retropubic and robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.