Materials and methods: The medical selleck products records and imaging of patients with non-small cell lung cancer who received definitive radiotherapy were reviewed. Eligible patients had a minimum follow-up of 12 months with no clinical signs of local relapse. Radiation-induced lung toxicity was scored using the RTOG/EORTC and the NCI-CTC scales.

Results: In total, 50 patients were analysed. All patients developed radiographic abnormalities after curative radiotherapy. Grade 0, 1,

2 and 3 toxicity was 0, 28, 49 and 23%, respectively, according to the RTOG/EORTC scale and 86, 7, 7 and 0%, respectively, according to the NCI-CTC scale, showing that the inclusion of radiographic abnormalities changes and significantly upgrades the toxicity scores.

Conclusion: After curative radiotherapy, all patients presented some radiographic abnormality. There was no correlation with lung symptoms. The assessment of radiation-induced lung toxicity differs depending on the scoring system used. Comparison of reports that use different scoring scales should be made with caution. A scale based on symptoms only, such as the NCI-CTC scale, may be more appropriate to evaluate long-term toxicity after curative radiotherapy for lung cancer. Faria, S. L. et al. (2009). Clinical Oncology 21, 371-375 (C) 2009 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. ALL rights reserved.”
“ObjectiveHot flushes and night sweats are common

amongst menopausal women, and psychological interventions for managing these symptoms have recently see more been developed for women. However, flushes in men with prostate cancer, which commonly occur following androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), remain under-researched. This study is a qualitative exploration of flush-related cognitive appraisals and behavioural reactions reported by a sample of these men.

MethodsSemi-structured, in-depth interviews

were conducted with 19 men who were experiencing flushes after receiving ADT for prostate CYT387 nmr cancer. Framework analysis was used to generate and categorise emergent themes and explore associations between themes.

ResultsFive main cognitive appraisals included the following: changes in oneself, impact on masculinity, embarrassment/social-evaluative concerns, perceived control and acceptance/adjustment. There were men who held beliefs about the impact of flushes on their perceptions of traditional gender roles, who experienced shame and embarrassment due to concerns about the salience of flushes and perceptions by others and who experienced feelings of powerlessness over flushes. Powerlessness was associated with beliefs about the potentially fatal consequences of discontinuing treatment. Two other dominant themes included awareness/knowledge about flushes and management strategies. Experiences of flushes appeared to be influenced by upbringing and general experiences of prostate cancer and ADT.