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Appetite Loss (appetite + loss)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Parsing the general and specific components of depression and anxiety with bifactor modeling,

DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 7 2008
Leonard J. Simms Ph.D.
Abstract Recent hierarchical models suggest that both general and specific components are needed to fully represent the variation observed among mood and anxiety disorders. However, little is known about the relative size, severity, and psychological meaning of these components. We studied these features through bifactor modeling of the symptoms from the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms [IDAS; Watson et al., 2007] in 362 community adults, 353 psychiatric patients, and 673 undergraduates. Results revealed that although all IDAS symptom types loaded prominently both on a general factor as well as specific factors, some symptom groups,such as dysphoria, generalized anxiety, and irritability,were influenced more strongly by the general factor, whereas others,e.g., appetite gain, appetite loss, and low well-being,contained a larger specific component. Second, certain symptom groups,e.g., Suicidality, Panic, Appetite Loss, and Ill Temper,reflected higher severity than other symptom groups. Finally, general factor scores correlated strongly with markers of general distress and negative emotionality. These findings support a hierarchical structure among mood and anxiety symptoms and have important implications for how such disorders are described, assessed, and studied. Depression and Anxiety 0:1,13, 2007. Published 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Malnutrition after oesophageal cancer surgery in Sweden

BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 12 2007
L. Martin
Background: Oesophageal cancer resection carries a risk of nutritional disorders. The aim of this study was to estimate weight change after surgery in a population-based setting and to identify nutritional problems that might correlate with weight loss. Methods: Data were collected through the Swedish Esophageal and Cardia Cancer Register, a nationwide registry of oesophageal cancer surgery. Patients who underwent oesophageal cancer surgery between 2001 and 2004 were followed up until April 2005, and data on patient and tumour characteristics and surgical treatment were collected. Six months after surgery the patients were asked to complete a questionnaire about weight and a health-related quality of life questionnaire (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC QLQ-C30) with an oesophageal-specific module (EORTC QLQ-OES18)). Results: The response rate to the questionnaire was 76·9 per cent and weight change in 226 patients was analysed. Six months after operation 63·7 per cent had lost more than 10 per cent of their preoperative BMI, and 20·4 per cent had lost more than 20 per cent. Appetite loss, eating difficulties and odynophagia were significantly linked to postoperative weight loss, whereas dysphagia or reflux did not correlate with malnutrition. Conclusion: Malnutrition is a considerable problem after oesophagectomy, and is linked to appetite loss, eating difficulties and odynophagia. Copyright © 2007 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Parsing the general and specific components of depression and anxiety with bifactor modeling,

Long-term health-related quality of life following surgery for oesophageal cancer

BRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 9 2008
T. Djärv
Background: The aim of the study was to assess health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with surgically cured oesophageal cancer. Methods: A Swedish nationwide cohort of patients undergoing oesophagectomy for cancer between April 2001 and January 2004 was studied prospectively, and compared with a Swedish age- and sex-adjusted reference population. Validated European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaires were used to assess HRQL at 6 months and 3 years after surgery. A mean score difference of 10 or more between groups was considered clinically relevant and tested further for statistical significance. Results: Of 358 patients, 117 (32·7 per cent) survived for at least 3 years. Of these, 87 patients (74·4 per cent) responded to the questionnaires. Six months after surgery, most aspects of HRQL were substantially worse than in the reference population with no improvement at 3 years. Patients alive at 3 years reported significantly poorer role and social function, and significantly more problems with fatigue, diarrhoea, appetite loss, nausea and vomiting, than in the reference population. Conclusion: HRQL in long-term survivors after oesophagectomy does not improve between 6 months and 3 years after surgery, and is worse than that in a comparable reference population. Copyright © 2008 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Malnutrition after oesophageal cancer surgery in Sweden

Intensity-modulated or conformal radiotherapy improves the quality of life of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

CANCER, Issue 2 2007
Comparisons of four radiotherapy techniques
Abstract BACKGROUND. It was reported previously that the dosimetric superiority of conformal radiotherapy (RT), either 3-dimensional conformal RT (3D-CRT) or intensity-modulated RT (IMRT), over conventional 2D-RT translated into clinical benefits for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, the authors compared quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes of NPC survivors who received treatment with 1 of 4 different RT techniques at a single institute during different periods. METHODS. The authors analyzed QOL data of from 237 patients with NPC who were cancer free for 2 or 3 years when their QOL was assessed. The study population included 152 patients who received conventional RT (2D-RT, 61 patients; 2D-RT plus 3D-CRT boost, 91 patients) and 85 patients who received conformal RT (3D-CRT, 33 patients; IMRT, 52 patients). The European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Core QOL questionnaire and the EORTC Head and Neck QOL questionnaire were completed. RESULTS. Compared with patients who received with conventional RT, patients who received conformal RT had both statistically (P < .05) and clinically (a difference in mean scores ,10 points) significant improvements in the scales of global QOL, pain, appetite loss, senses, speech, social eating, teeth, opening mouth, xerostomia, sticky saliva, and feeling ill. No significant difference was observed in any of the scales that compared 2D-RT with 2D-RT plus 3D-CRT boost or that compared 3D-CRT with IMRT. Survivors who received conformal RT had a 2.01-fold higher probability (odds ratio [OR], 2.01; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.19,3.68) of reporting good global QOL and a 2.70-fold lower probability (OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.20,0.66) of reporting a high level of xerostomia than survivors who received conventional RT. CONCLUSIONS. Conformal RT substantially improved head and neck-related symptoms and broad aspects of QOL for survivors of NPC. Cancer 2007. © 2006 American Cancer Society. [source]

Health-related quality of life during neoadjuvant treatment and surgery for localized esophageal carcinoma

CANCER, Issue 9 2005
Jane M. Blazeby B.Sc., M.D.
Abstract BACKGROUND Esophagectomy has a negative influence on health-related quality of life (HRQL) during the first postoperative year, but it is not known how chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy treatment before surgery affects HRQL. The current study examined HRQL during preoperative chemotherapy/chemoradiotherapy treatment and compared postoperative recovery of HRQL in patients undergoing combined treatment with patients undergoing surgery alone. METHODS One hundred three patients completed standardized HRQL measures before and during neoadjuvant treatment and before and after surgery. Mean HRQL scores were calculated and preoperative scores were used to model postoperative ratings using linear regression. RESULTS Deterioration in most aspects of HRQL occurred during preoperative chemotherapy. Patients proceeding to concomitant radiotherapy further deteriorated with specific problems with reflux symptoms and role function (difference between means >15, P < 0.01). After neoadjuvant treatment, but before surgery, HRQL returned to baseline levels. Six weeks after surgery, patients reported marked reductions in physical, role, and social function (difference between means > 30, P < 0.01) and increase in fatigue, nausea and emesis, pain, dyspnea, appetite loss, and coughing (difference between means > 15, P < 0.01). Recovery of HRQL was not hampered by preoperative treatment, and fewer problems with postoperative nausea, emesis, and dysphagia were reported by patients who had undergone neoadjuvant treatment compared with patients who had undergone surgery alone. CONCLUSIONS Preoperative chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy had a negative impact on HRQL that was restored in patients proceeding to surgery. Recovery of HRQL after esophagectomy was not impaired by neoadjuvant treatment. These results supported the use of neoadjuvant treatment before surgery. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society. [source]