Is whole‐body magnetic resonance imaging a source of anxiety in oncological patients?

Abstract Objective Magnetic resonance often produces feelings of anxiety before, or during, the examination. The aim of this study was to assess anxiety and potential causes of anxiety in cancer patients undergoing whole‐body magnetic resonance imaging (WB‐MRI). Methods This monocentric study recruited 70 cancer patients who were scheduled to undergo WB‐MRI for detection, staging or therapy monitoring. At baseline (prior to the WB‐MRI), assessments were performed using the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI‐Y 1), Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ‐R), Big Five Inventory (BIF‐10) and Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT‐R), while at the end of the WB‐MRI examination the patients repeated the STAI‐Y 1 questionnaire and were asked to indicate their preference between WB‐MRI and computed tomography. Results We found a positive correlation between pre‐ and post‐examination STAI‐Y 1 scores (r = 0.536, p < .0001), with no significant difference between them. Pre‐examination STAI‐Y 1 scores had a negative correlation with the emotional stability in the BIF‐10 questionnaire (r = −0.47, p = .001) and a positive correlation with emotional representation (r = 0.57, p = .001) in IPQ‐R. The post‐examination STAI‐Y 1 had a negative correlation with optimistic orientation (r = −0.59, p = .001). Conclusions The anxiety associated with a WB‐MRI examination was only in small part associated with the examination itself, and in fact, most patients preferred WB‐MRI to computed tomography. Concern with the outcome of the examination was likely a greater source of anxiety

Nicotine-Free E-Cigarettes Might Promote Tobacco Smoking Reduction Better Than Nicotine Delivery Devices: Results of a Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial at 1 Year

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the use of e-cigarettes to aid in quitting contributed to the increase in the pulmonary health of chronic smokers. The efficacy of e-cigarettes to support a successful smoking cessation attempt was also investigated. A total of 210 smokers (78 women) were enrolled in a screening program for the early detection of lung cancer and distributed in three arms: nicotine e-cigarette plus support, nicotine-free e-cigarette plus support, and support. Results showed that participants in the nicotine e-cigarette arm had a significant and fast decrease in daily cigarettes, but that later they resume smoking more than the other two groups. Conversely, participants in the other two arms showed similar daily consumption at the two evaluation points. Among abstinent participants, only 12.5% reported cough, while 48% of current smokers had pulmonary symptoms. Our study suggests that, in the long run, the use of a nicotine-free liquid may favor reducing smoking and could be considered a good option in a clinical setting