A massagem na criança com câncer: eficácia de um protocolo / Massage in children with cancer: effectiveness of a protocol

OBJETIVOS: a massagem é uma intervenção que pode contribuir para o alívio da dor, embora as evidências empíricas sejam escassas e contraditórias. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficácia de um protocolo de massagem no alívio da dor na criança internada, com patologia oncológica. MÉTODOS: através de um estudo randomizado e controlado com cegamento simples, foram estudadas 52 crianças, com idades compreendidas entre os 10 e os 18 anos, internadas num serviço de oncologia pediátrica. A intervenção consistiu na aplicação de um protocolo de massagem de três sessões com duração entre 20 a 30 minutos em dias alternados durante uma semana. A eficácia do protocolo foi medida através da avaliação da dor com a aplicação do Inventário Resumido de Dor e a eficácia de cada sessão de massagem pela Escala Visual Analógica (EVA). RESULTADOS: o protocolo de massagem apenas se revelou eficaz na diminuição da interferência da dor no andar (p < 0,05), apesar de ter contribuído para o alívio da dor e sua interferência nas atividades da criança. Após cada sessão de massagem a intensidade da dor sentida pela criança diminuiu (p < 0,001). CONCLUSÕES: apesar da reduzida dimensão da amostra, a massagem parece ser uma intervenção útil no alívio da dor da criança que sofre de patologia oncológica, embora permaneçam dúvidas quanto à eficácia deste protocolo de massagem. Todavia, os autores recomendam a sua utilização pela sua contribuição na promoção do bem-estar e qualidade de vida da criança.

OBJECTIVES: massage can help relieve pain, although empirical evidence is scarce and contradictory. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a massage protocol in relieving pain in children hospitalized with cancer. METHODS: a randomized, controlled, and single-blind trial was performed in a sample of 52 children aged between 10 and 18 years who were hospitalized in a pediatric cancer ward. The intervention consisted of the implementation of a massage protocol with three sessions of 20 to 30 minutes on alternate days over a one-week period. The effectiveness of the protocol was evaluated by assessing pain using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), while the effectiveness of each massage session was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). RESULTS: the massage protocol was only effective in reducing the interference of pain in walking (p < 0.05), although it also contributed to relieve pain and its impact on the children's activities. After each massage session, the intensity of the pain experienced by the child decreased (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: despite the small sample size, massage therapy appears to be a useful intervention in reducing pain in children with cancer. However, there are still questions regarding the effectiveness of this massage protocol. The authors recommend its use due to its contribution to the promotion of the child's well-being and quality of life.

Massage in children with cancer: effectiveness of a protocol.

OBJECTIVES: massage can help relieve pain, although empirical evidence is scarce and contradictory. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a massage protocol in relieving pain in children hospitalized with cancer. METHODS: a randomized, controlled, and single-blind trial was performed in a sample of 52 children aged between 10 and 18 years who were hospitalized in a pediatric cancer ward. The intervention consisted of the implementation of a massage protocol with three sessions of 20 to 30minutes on alternate days over a one-week period. The effectiveness of the protocol was evaluated by assessing pain using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), while the effectiveness of each massage session was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). RESULTS: the massage protocol was only effective in reducing the interference of pain in walking (p<0.05), although it also contributed to relieve pain and its impact on the children's activities. After each massage session, the intensity of the pain experienced by the child decreased (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: despite the small sample size, massage therapy appears to be a useful intervention in reducing pain in children with cancer. However, there are still questions regarding the effectiveness of this massage protocol. The authors recommend its use due to its contribution to the promotion of the child's well-being and quality of life.

Treatment outcomes and prognostic factors in mexican patients with endometrial carcinoma with emphasis on patients receiving radiotherapy after surgery: an institutional perspective.

Aim. To analyze the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes in patients with endometrial carcinoma treated in a Latin American institute with emphasis in patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy. Methods. A total of 412 patients with endometrial carcinoma admitted to our hospital between 1998 and 2008 were evaluated, retrospectively. The mean age was 55 years (28-87). Two hundred seventy patients received RT following surgery. Stage distribution was as follows: 221 patients (54%) stage I, 86 patients (21%) stage II, and 103 patients (24.5%) stage III and 2 patients (0.5%) stage IVA. Results. Overall survival rate was 95% at 2 years, 84% at 5 years, and 79% at 10 years. By the end of followup, 338 patients (82%) were disease-free, and 13 (3%) were alive with disease. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified age, grade, serosal and adnexial involvement as significant predictors for overall survival. Conclusion. The results of our study suggests that early-stage, low-grade endometrial cancer with no risk factors should not receive external beam radiotherapy, intermediate risk patients should receive only vaginal vault brachytherapy, and the use of chemotherapy with radiotherapy for patients high-risk and advanced-stage carcinoma the addition of radiotherapy is associated with a better survival being an effective therapeutic option.

Oxaliplatin activity in head and neck cancer cell lines.

Oxaliplatin (cis-[(1R,2R)-1,2-cyclohexanediamine-N,N'] [oxalato(2-)-O,O'] platinum; Eloxatin) is a third-generation platinum compound with a 1,2-diaminocyclohexane (DACH) carrier ligand, which has a wide spectrum of anticancer activity in vitro systems and has displayed preclinical and clinical activity in a wide variety of tumors. To investigate its in vitro activity against head and neck cancer, we exposed two head and neck cancer cell lines to the compound, created a variant resistant to cisplatin to study cross-resistance to the compound and analyzed the potential radiosensitizing effect of the drug. We report here that oxaliplatin was cytotoxic at similar doses to cisplatin in these cells. There was no cross-resistance to cisplatin, as demonstrated by different IC50 values in these cell lines and the sensitivity to oxaliplatin of the cisplatin-resistant cell line. There was an effective radiosensitizer effect of the compound in either cell line. Additional in vitro and in vivo experimentation is warranted in order to support the use of oxaliplatin as a radiosensitizer in head and neck cancer patients.

Quimiterapia neoadyuvante en pacientes con carcinoma epidermoide de cérvix estadio IB2 y IIA: resultados preliminares de un estudio aleatorizado / Neoadyuvant chemotherapy in patients with cervical carcinoma stages IB2 and IIA: preliminary results in aletorized study

Antecedentes. El cáncer de cérvix es el tumor maligno más frecuente en México. Estudios fase II de quimioterapia neoadyuvante seguida de cirugía en pacientes con estadios clínicos IB2 y IIA sugieren un beneficio en cuanto a control local y supervivencia en comparación con radioterapia sola. Objetivo. Determinar si la quimioterapia neoadyuvante seguida de cirugía mejora la supervivencia en comparación a radioterapia en pacientes con cáncer epidermoide de cérvix estadios IB2 y IIA. Pacientes y métodos. Pacientes en estadios IB2 y IIA de acuerdo a la clasificación de la Federación Internacional de Ginecología y Obstetricia (FIGO) fueron asignadas de manera aleatoria para recibir quimioterapia neoadyuvante con el siguiente esquema: cisplatino 50 mg/m2 d1, vincristina 1.5 mg/m2 d1 y bleomicina 20 mg/m2 d1, d2 y d3 (PVB) en infusión intravenosa continua. Los ciclos se administraron cada 10 días por tres veces. Después de la quimioterapia, las pacientes fueron sometidas a histerectomía radical y linfadenectomía pélvica bilateral. Se administró radioterapia adyuvante en caso de ganglios pélvicos positivos; afección parametrial; margen quirúrgico positivo e invasión estromal mayor de dos tercios del espesor cervical. Las pacientes del brazo de radioterapia recibieron una combinación de teleterapia y braquiterapia a una dosis de 8,500 y 5,500 cGy a los puntos A y B, respectivamente. Resultados. El estudio fue planeado para incluir 80 pacientes por brazo, pero se terminó de manera prematura por lo que sólo se incluyeron 20 enfermas (10 por brazo). La respuesta global a la quimioterapia fue del 90 por ciento y nueve de ellas fueron sometidas a cirugía. Nueve de las diez pacientes asignadas a radiación que completaron el tratamiento obtuvieron respuesta completa. El tratamiento fue bien tolerado en ambos grupos de mujeres. A un seguimiento máximo de 14 meses, una paciente en cada brazo ha recaído. Conclusión. Los resultados preliminares de este estudio sugieren que la quimioterapia neoadyuvante con PVB es factible, produce alto índice de respuestas y parece disminuir la presencia de factores patológicos de alto riesgo para recurrencia.