Quality of life in head and neck cancer: Patients' and family caregivers' perceptions

Abstract Introduction As the Quality of Life (QoL) in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) is a significant aspect, outcomes are increasingly important to understand. We report the social/emotional and physical function outcomes in a cohort of surviving patients with HNC treated with primary surgery and/or chemoradiotherapy. Patients and methods Fifty-six patients with HNC treated with primary surgery and/or chemoradiotherapy, and their caregivers were identified between November 2016 and June 2017. University of Washington Quality of life (UWQoL) and EuroQoL (EQ-5D-5L) health questionnaires were given to all patients and caregivers. A paired t test was performed to compare the difference in the results of questionnaires between patients and caregivers. Results The analysis showed no significant difference between the responses of patients and caregiver, except for the anxiety domain. In the UWQoL questionnaire, patients scored higher in anxiety than caregivers (p = .023). On the contrary, in the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire, the anxiety/depression score was higher in caregivers than patients (p = .019). Conclusions Both patients and caregivers agreed in the perception of patients' quality of life. This final outcome supports the use of the questionnaires. The only domain that differed was the anxiety domain. The concept of anxiety may be more difficult to define due to its heterogeneity. Moreover in the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire anxiety is put together with depression, which probably is a more complex concept to look at

Przewlekła niewydolność nerek u dzieci – ocena stanu zdrowia jamy ustnej

n/

Current challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in the elderly

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a respiratory sleep disorder characterized by repeated episodes of partial or complete obstruction of the upper airway that occur during the night. OSAS is a common disease in the elderly population with an estimated incidence of between 20% and 60% in people over the age of 65. Due to the high prevalence of OSAS in older people and considering the increase in the average age of the world population, it is essential to know how to diagnose and treat this disease in elderly patients

Broncalt®, class II medical device, in patients with chronic upper airways disease: a survey in clinical practice

Inflammation and infection are common pathogenic mechanisms involved in many otorhinolaryngological (ORL) chronic diseases. Broncalt® is a class II Medical Device containing: thermal water (Medesano, PR, Italy), hyaluronic acid, and grapefruit seed extract. It could exert a safe and effective anti-inflammatory, washing, and antimicrobial activity by virtue of these components. Therefore, the aim of the current survey, conducted in clinical practice of 84 Italian ORL centers, was to evaluate its safety and efficacy in the treatment of patients with chronic upper airways disease. The 1,817 (958 males, mean age 49 years) patients were evaluated at baseline (T0) and after one (T1) and two (T2) weeks of treatment, they were treated or not treated with Broncalt®. Signs and symptoms severity were measured by visual analogue scale. Broncalt® significantly, quickly, and safely diminished the clinical features in all sub-groups (p<0.001 for all). In conclusion, Broncalt® is a class II Medical Device able to exert a safe, quick, and effective activity in patients with chronic ORL disorders

Sense of smell in chronic rhinosinusitis: A multicentric study on 811 patients

Introduction: The impairment of the sense of smell is often related to chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with or without nasal polyps (CRSwNP, CRSsNP). CRSwNP is a frequent condition that drastically worsens the quality of life of those affected; it has a higher prevalence than CRSsNP. CRSwNP patients experience severe loss of smell with earlier presentation and are more likely to experience recurrence of their symptoms, often requiring revision surgery. Methods: The present study performed a multicentric data collection, enrolling 811 patients with CRS divided according to the inflammatory endotype (Type 2 and non-Type 2). All patients were referred for nasal endoscopy for the assessment of nasal polyposis using nasal polyp score (NPS); Sniffin' Sticks olfactory test were performed to measure olfactory function, and SNOT-22 (22-item sinonasal outcome test) questionnaire was used to assess patients' quality of life; allergic status was evaluated with skin prick test and nasal cytology completed the evaluation when available. Results: Data showed that Type 2 inflammation is more common than non-type 2 (656 patients versus 155) and patients suffer from worse quality of life and nasal polyp score. Moreover, 86.1% of patients with Type 2 CRSwNP were affected by a dysfunction of the sense of smell while it involved a lesser percentage of non-Type 2 patients. Indeed, these data give us new information about type-2 inflammation patients' characteristics. Discussion: The present study confirms that olfactory function weights on patients' QoL and it represents an important therapeutic goal that can also improve patients' compliance when achieved. In a future - and present - perspective of rhinological precision medicine, an impairment of the sense of smell could help the clinician to characterize patients better and to choose the best treatment available

Diagnostic therapeutic assistance pathway (PDTA) of type 2 chronic rhinosinusitis

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a complex and heterogeneous disorder whose etiopathogenetic picture is not yet completely known and is classically divided into CRS with (CRSwNP) and without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). But today the distinction is made with type 2 and nontype 2 variants. A rational and defined pathway for the diagnosis of chronic rhinosinusitis is an indispensable means to be able to arrive at a correct identification of the patient. This typing is essential to be able to arrive at the correct course of treatment, which turns out to be different for different types of patients. For this reason, the realization of a diagnostic therapeutic pathway represents a fundamental way for the otolaryngologist specialist but not only, since today diagnostics has a multidisciplinary framework. In the present work, precise indications have been developed to arrive at a correct diagnosis. The various diagnostic pathways and processes to arrive at a correct therapeutic framing have been highlighted. Therapy ranging from medical therapy to surgical therapy without neglecting the new biological therapies. It does not represent a guideline but a diagnostic method that can be adapted to all the various territorial realities

Dupilumab in the treatment of severe uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP): A multicentric observational Phase IV real-life study (DUPIREAL)

Background Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is associated with significant morbidity and reduced health-related quality of life. Findings from clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of dupilumab in CRSwNP, although real-world evidence is still limited. Methods This Phase IV real-life, observational, multicenter study assessed the effectiveness and safety of dupilumab in patients with severe uncontrolled CRSwNP (n = 648) over the first year of treatment. We collected data at baseline and after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of follow-up. We focused on nasal polyps score (NPS), symptoms, and olfactory function. We stratified outcomes by comorbidities, previous surgery, and adherence to intranasal corticosteroids, and examined the success rates based on current guidelines, as well as potential predictors of response at each timepoint. Results We observed a significant decrease in NPS from a median value of 6 (IQR 5–6) at baseline to 1.0 (IQR 0.0–2.0) at 12 months (p < .001), and a significant decrease in Sino-Nasal Outcomes Test-22 (SNOT-22) from a median score of 58 (IQR 49–70) at baseline to 11 (IQR 6–21; p < .001) at 12 months. Sniffin' Sticks scores showed a significant increase over 12 months (p < .001) compared to baseline. The results were unaffected by concomitant diseases, number of previous surgeries, and adherence to topical steroids, except for minor differences in rapidity of action. An excellent-moderate response was observed in 96.9% of patients at 12 months based on EPOS 2020 criteria. Conclusions Our findings from this large-scale real-life study support the effectiveness of dupilumab as an add-on therapy in patients with severe uncontrolled CRSwNP in reducing polyp size and improving the quality of life, severity of symptoms, nasal congestion, and smell

DENTAL AND PERIODONTAL INVOLVEMENT IN PATIENTS WITH LARYNGOPHARYNGEAL REFLUX.

Little is known about the relationship between laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and periodontal or dental lesions. This study investigates the association of dental and periodontal involvement in patients with LPR compared to a control group. A prospective study was carried out on 102 patients complaining of LPR symptoms. The authors used the Reflux Symptom Index (RFS), Reflux Findings Score (RSI) and 24-h ambulatory pH monitoring to diagnose LPR disease. Two study groups were established, the LPR group included patients with LPR diagnosis and a control group selected from excluded patients. All patients underwent an oral examination for the evaluation of dental and periodontal status. Plaque index, gingival index and hemorrhage index were collected too. LPR was revealed to be associated with both an increased incidence of chronic periodontitis with significantly higher values of plaque index (p=0.018), hemorrhage index (p=0.048) , gingival recession (p=0.039) and higher tooth wear scores when compared to those of the control group. We support the view that laryngopharyngeal reflux might play a considerable role in the manifestation of periodontal and dental lesions

BLOOD LIPID LEVELS RELATED TO ALLERGIC RHINITIS: A SIGNIFICANT ASSOCIATION?

Allergic rhinitis is a common problem increasing greatly over the past three decades. Several studies have found a possible link between dyslipidemia and allergic disease but the relating causal mechanisms remain elusive. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between blood lipid levels and the presence of allergic rhinitis. A multicentre prospective study was carried out on 160 allergic rhinitis patients and 160 volunteers as a control according to age, gender, body mass index (BMI) values and full blood lipid profile. A possible correlation between abnormal dyslipidemia parameters and the severity of allergic rhinitis was studied too. Demographic characteristics didn’t differ between groups. While levels of LDL-C, total cholesterol, as well as TC/HDL ratio and LDL/HDL ratio, were significantly higher (p<0.001) in patients with allergic rhinitis, there was a positive correlation between abnormal dyslipidemia parameters and moderate/severe allergic rhinitis symptomatology ( p<0.001). We support the hypothesis that dyslipidemia might play a role in in the manifestation of allergic rhinitis