abstract: Reframing eating during chemotherapy in cancer patients with chemosensory alterations

Purpose

Our purpose was to describe how eating is reframed among cancer patients experiencing chemosensory alterations.

Conclusion

To date, interventions to promote eating among cancer patients have focused extensively on symptom management and on recommendations for macro/micronutrient intake. This study underscores the importance of understanding beliefs about eating. These beliefs may help clinicians develop patient-centered nutritional interventions.

abstract: Ranked importance of outcomes of first-line versus repeated chemotherapy among ovarian cancer patients

Purpose  

To examine the importance of possible outcomes of first-line versus repeated chemotherapy to ovarian cancer patients and to compare doctors' treatment intentions with patients' beliefs about cure.

Methods  

Women with newly diagnosed (74) or relapsed (48) ovarian cancer were prospectively followed over 2 years. The level of importance they ascribed to four chemotherapy outcomes and their beliefs about cure were assessed. Their doctors independently specified intent of successive treatments.

Results  

Approximately half (54%) of newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients (65% with residual disease >2 cm and 49% with no or ≤2 cm residual disease) ranked ‘tumour shrinkage (or decrease in blood levels of CA125)’ as ‘most important’ during first-line chemotherapy. Approximately two thirds (65–70%) of all women whose disease had relapsed also ranked ‘tumour shrinkage’ as ‘most important’ during repeated chemotherapy. Few women (<8%) rated symptom relief or absence of side-effects as most important. While both patients' and doctors' belief about cure decreased over successive treatments, patients grew more optimistic relative to doctors over time. Women's reports of advice by doctors about cure were consistent with doctors' stated intents for repeat chemotherapy. However, discordance between doctors' actual treatment intent and patients' beliefs about cure increased from 24% at first-line to 83% by fourth-line chemotherapy.

Conclusions  

Women prioritise tumour response as the most important outcome of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. This priority predominates in women with residual and relapsed disease despite declining likelihood of cure. Women may still hope for a cure while acknowledging their doctor's advice that their disease is incurable.

Access : Awareness of ovarian cancer risk factors, beliefs and attitudes towards screening -baseline survey of 21,715 women participating in the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening : British Journal of Cancer

Note: this study shows awareness levels in women who were wishing to enroll in a clinical trial program as opposed to the numerous surveys which have been done in the general population eg. the results would differ

Background:
Women's awareness of ovarian cancer (OC) risks, their attitudes towards and beliefs about screening, together with misunderstandings or gaps in knowledge, may influence screening uptake.

Methods:
In total, 21 715 post-menopausal women completed questionnaires before randomisation into the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening.