Examining the relationship between symptoms watched in lung cancer patients and illness perception

Objective: To examine the relationship between the symptom experience of lung cancer patients and their illness perception of the disease. Methods: The descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted from April to September 2015 at the Chemotherapy Treatment Centre of the Medicine Chest Diseases Clinic at the Ege University, Izmir, Turkey, and comprised lung cancer patients of either gender aged >18 years. Data was collected using a predesigned Patient Questionnaire as well as the standard Lung Cancer Symptom Scale, Illness Perception Questionnaire and Karnofsky Performance Scale. The patients' sociodemographic characteristics and data on their illness, the symptoms they experienced and the numerical and percentage distribution of the items on the illness perception scale, mean and standard deviation values were examined. Pearson Correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between illness perception and Karnofsky Performance Scale scores and other variables. Results: Of the 105 patients, 86(81.9%) were males, 86(81.9%) were married, 49(46.7%) were elementary school graduates, 101(96.2%) were unemployed, and 95(90.5%) were receiving chemotherapy. The overall mean age of the sample was 61.43 +/- 8.24 years, the period since diagnosis was 11.38 +/- 17.84 months, and the duration of chemotherapy was 4.28 +/- 2.37 months. The mean symptom burden score was 22.75 +/- 10.85 and the Lung Cancer Symptom Scale score was 22.75 +/- 10.85. The mean score of the type of illness domain was 5.53 +/- 2.12. The overall mean global quality of life score was 64.30 +/- 12.60. Conclusions: As the symptom burden experienced by the lung cancer patients increased, their perception of the illness became more negative, and the longer the cyclical periods and the period of diagnosis, the patients' control over their illness decreased

Dual Energy CT Evaluation of the Severity of Pulmonary Thromboembolism: Correlation of Pulmonary Perfusion Score with CT

Bozdag, Mustafa/0000-0002-0741-587XWOS: 000567599300005Background: Pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients and computed tomographic angiography (CTA) has become the gold standard diagnostic examination for suspected PTE. Dual energy computed tomography (DECT) not only detects thromboembolic filling defects but also provides functional perfusion information by generating iodine distribution maps. Objectives: the objective of the study is to determine the value of perfusion defect score (P score) in detection of the severity of acute PTE and to correlate it with pulmonary obstruction score (Qanadli score), other CTA parameters and clinical findings. Patients and Methods: Fifty five patients, with acute PTE who underwent DECT were reviewed. We calculated P score, Qanadli score, ratio of the right ventricle diameter to the left ventricle (RV/LV ratio) and the main pulmonaryartery(PA) diameter by using the dual energy CTA images. the correlation between CTA parameters and clinical- echocardiographic data was investigated. Results: Correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between the P score and Qanadli score (r= 0.748, P < 0.001). There was also a significant positive correlation between P score and RV/LV ratio (r = 0.432, P = 0.001) and between Qanadli score and RV/LV ratio (r = 0.424 P = 0.001). Echocardiographic data was present in 39 patients (70.9 %). P score was significantly higher in patients with RV dilatation (P = 0.022) and RV dysfunction (P = 0.001) on echocardiography. Likewise, similar interaction was present between Qanadli score and RV dilatation (P = 0.023) and RV dysfunction (P = 0.003). No correlation was present between P score and blood gas analysis [partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood (PaO2), partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide (PaCO2),(PaO2)/fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO(2)), oxygen saturation] and hemodynamic data (blood pressure and pulse). Conclusion: P score is seen as a good adjunctive tool to other CTA parameters and echocardiography in detection of PTE severity. Addition of perfusion changes to clinical risk assessment will help in the management of patients

Salivary Lipids of Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Show Perturbation with Respect to Plasma

A comprehensive lipid profile was analyzed in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using nanoflow ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometry. This study investigated 297 and 202 lipids in saliva and plasma samples, respectively, comparing NSCLC patients to healthy controls. Lipids with significant changes (>2-fold, p 2–3-fold) in plasma and saliva samples. Three specific TGs (50:2, 52:5, and 54:6) were significantly increased in NSCLC for both sample types. A common ceramide species (d18:1/24:0) and phosphatidylinositol 38:4 decreased in both plasma and saliva by approximately two-fold. Phosphatidylserine 36:1 was selectively detected in saliva and showed a subsequent decrease, making it a potential biomarker for predicting lung cancer. We identified 27 salivary and 10 plasma lipids as candidate markers for NSCLC through statistical evaluations. Moreover, this study highlights the potential of saliva in understanding changes in lipid metabolism associated with NSCLC