Use of complementary and alternative medicine among Polish cancer patients

Introduction. The aim of this prospective study was to estimate the perception and popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) subtypes and the reasons for usage among adult Polish cancer patients. Material and methods. The validated questionnaire was conducted among 310 patients. 24.1% of the patients used CAM during their oncological treatment. Risk factors for CAM usage were: female gender, university degree and radical treatment. The most common reasons for CAM usage were: boosting the immune system (46.1%), improving well-being/ counteracting the ill effects of cancer and its treatment (40.8%). The average level of satisfaction with CAM was high (≥3/5 on a Likert scale). Nearly half of the patients (46.6%) admitted not informing their doctors about their CAM usage. Conclusions. The growing popularity and heterogeneity of CAM methods make it an important issue for patient–doctor relations in Poland and other Central European countries. The results of this study indicate what topics should be covered while introducing patient education programs

Assessment of skin-related toxicity in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with cetuximab

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) blocking the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway, such as cetuximab, have been widely used in recent years for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the profile of the side effects of cetuximab affecting the skin and its appendages. We gathered the medical records on skin-related toxicity in 46 patients treated with cetuximab for mCRC in the Department of Clinical Oncology, University Hospital in Krakow in 2009-2013. Skin toxicity was classified according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0. The typical side effects of cetuximab were observed. The most common skin toxicity was an acne-like skin rash (80% of patients) and paronychia (20%). Other side effects were trichomegaly, hypertrichosis, and allergic reactions.In view of high incidence of skin lesions during treatment with cetuximab, it is essential to observe patients carefully and to control the side effects during therapy. Previous experience from clinical trials shows that in some cases proper care and prevention can improve the quality of the patients’ lives.</p

Thyroid function, autoimmunity and nodules in hematological malignancies

Objective Hematological malignancies encompass a large spectrum of disease entities whose treatment by chemo/radiotherapy could lead to thyroid complications. To the best of our knowledge, no study has simultaneously addressed thyroid function, autoimmunity and nodularity. Therefore, we decided to conduct one.Materials and methods We evaluated 82 Caucasian patients (36 women and 46 men), who were treated at our Oncology division for hematological malignancies (multiple myeloma, chronic myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphatic leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and polycythemia vera) and compared them with a control group of 104 patients. Patients who had received or were receiving external head/neck radiotherapy were excluded. All oncological patients and control individuals underwent thyroid ultrasonography and thyroid function and autoimmunity tests.Results A lower prevalence of enlarged thyroid and nodules were found in patients with respect to controls. The rate of thyroid nodules was the highest in multiple myeloma and polycythemia vera, and the lowest in chronic lymphatic leukemia. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients had the smallest thyroid nodules while men with multiple myeloma the biggest ones. No patient had hypothyroidism, while 5.6% of patients had subclinical hyperthyroidism. In contrast, within the control group the rates of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, overt and subclinical, were 3.8%, 20.2%, 0% and 0% respectively. Moreover, the overall rate of thyroid autoantibody positiveness in patients was significantly lower than controls.Conclusion In our experience, we found a significantly lower prevalence of thyroid abnormalities in hematologic patients who underwent chemotherapy, but not radiotherapy, with respect to controls. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2015;59(3):236-4

Radiotherapy in the treatment of Graves ophthalmopathy—to do it or not?

To the objective of this study is to evaluate the role and toxicity of radiotherapy in the treatment of Graves ophthalmopathy. In the years 2000–2003, 121 patients with malignant exophthalmos were treated with radiotherapy of the retrobulbar area to the total dose of 20 Gy in ten fractions with a 6 MeV photon beam. The treatment was performed by the team of the Clinic of Oncology of the Jagiellonian University Medical College in Cracow. The radiotherapy was preceded by intravenous steroid therapy: methylprednisolone acetate administered at the dose of 2 g/week for four consecutive weeks. The highest efficacy, expressed as improvement of all ocular symptoms, was observed for the combined treatment. Female and non-diabetic patients responded positively to the combined treatment. Radiotherapy combined with steroid therapy in the treatment of Graves ophthalmopathy seems to be an effective treatment for strictly defined indications. In the treatment of Graves–Basedow disease, radiotherapy is a well-tolerated treatment modality. Diabetes is a factor that worsens prognosis in Graves ophthalmopathy and female sex is a favourable factor for this condition

Use of complementary and alternative medicine among Polish cancer patients

Introduction. The aim of this prospective study was to estimate the perception and popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) subtypes and the reasons for usage among adult Polish cancer patients. Material and methods. The validated questionnaire was conducted among 310 patients. 24.1% of the patients used CAM during their oncological treatment. Risk factors for CAM usage were: female gender, university degree and radical treatment. The most common reasons for CAM usage were: boosting the immune system (46.1%), improving well-being/ counteracting the ill effects of cancer and its treatment (40.8%). The average level of satisfaction with CAM was high (≥3/5 on a Likert scale). Nearly half of the patients (46.6%) admitted not informing their doctors about their CAM usage. Conclusions. The growing popularity and heterogeneity of CAM methods make it an important issue for patient–doctor relations in Poland and other Central European countries. The results of this study indicate what topics should be covered while introducing patient education programs