Screening of Psychological Distress 4.5 Years after Diagnosis in Breast Cancer Patients Compared to Healthy Population.

BACKGROUND: Survival rate of breast cancer patients has improved significantly in recent years. Cancer diagnosis represents a great psychological distress for patients which may not stem solely from the disease itself. Patients may experience higher distress even several years after treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was carried out at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Department of Internal Medicine, Haematology and Oncology, Faculty Hospital Brno. Results of 85 patients at 4.5 years after diagnosis of breast cancer compared to 72 healthy controls are presented in this paper. The data were collected in the form of semi-structured interviews, from the patients medical records and by Symp-tom Check List-90. RESULTS: The overall rate of psychological distress (GSI) 4.5 years after breast cancer dia-gnosis does not differ significantly (p = 0.703) from the healthy population. Also, we did not find any statistically significant relationship between the observed factors and the level of psychological distress in breast cancer patients. CONCLUSION: Screening investigation showed no difference in the psychological distress in breast cancer patients 4.5 years following diagnosis, compared with the healthy population.

Predicting Vitality Change in Older Breast Cancer Survivors after Primary Treatment--an Approach Based on Using Time-related Difference of Pro-inflammatory Marker C-reactive Protein.

BACKROUND: We aimed to determine prognosis of vitality change and functional status of breast cancer survivors after primary oncological treatment using time-related differences of elevated levels of highly sensitive proinflammatory C-reactive protein (CRP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The test group consisted of 46 elderly breast cancer survivors (median age was 65 years) who completed Vitality Scale of Short Form 36 (SF-36) after completing treatment and another retrospectively at diagnosis. Data on tumor-related factors, treatment, and outcomes were obtained retrospectively from medical records, and linear regression analysis was performed. CRP was followed at diagnosis and one year after primary treatment. Within the scope of this study, clinically important difference in the Vitality Scale was set at five points of change. RESULTS: Results showed a statistically significant relationship between CRP change and vitality component of SF-36 change (rs = - 0.350, p = 0.023) in which a decrease in CRP inversely correlated with the quality of life component. The overall change was 1.078 of the vitality scale score (approximately 1 point) for each 1 unit decrease of CRP (1 mg/ L). Association of CRP levels (before and after treatment, its difference between these time points) with age, number of comorbidities and stage of the disease was analyzed and no statistically significant relationship was found in our study. CONCLUSION: Preliminary results suggested time-related differences in elevated CRP levels as a potentially suitable predictor for change in vitality status for long term, chronic condition for older breast cancer survivors. We suggest the interpretation schema including an understanding that CRP change of 5 mg/ L and more should be considered a potential risk factor for subsequent negative clinical outcomes.

[Methods of Assesing Quality of Life in Women with Breast Cancer -  Overview and Basic Characteristics]. / Metody hodnocení kvality zivota u zen s karcinomem prsu -  prehled a základní charakteristika.

BACKGROUND: For the assessment of health -related quality of life (HRQOL) in women with diagnosis of breast carcinoma, patient-eported outcome measures are reported that allow subjective assessment of quality of life related to health status and satisfaction with treatment and medical care. However, their research use is still limited by the low availability of reliable and valid tools tested on samples of specific populations with malignant disease. AIM: The aim of the article is to provide review and short description of available instruments related to HRQOL of patients with a history of treatment for breast cancer with evidence of validation in the breast cancer population. RESULTS: In this review 15 validated patientreported outcome measures are presented specifically relating to HRQOL in women with breast carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Most of the presented measures are suitable in research and clinical trials but not for individual use in clinical practice. Most of the specific measures for assessing HRQOL in patients with breast cancer are not yet available in Czech language and Czech cultural environment adapted versions. Research versions of some of these measures are available in Czech, but these methods have not yet been validated in the Czech Republic. Lack of available tools for use in our conditions means significant limiting factor for research as well as for clinical practice in the Czech Republic. On the other hand, it also offers great scope for validation studies.

The inhibition of bovine carbonic anhydrase by saccharin and 2- and 4-carbobenzoxybenzene sulfonamide.

The present work demonstrates that the high-activity zinc metalloenzyme, carbonic anhydrase (CA II) from bovine erythrocytes is inhibited by the cyclic sulfimide, saccharin, and 2- and 4-carbobenzoxybenzene sulfonamide. A spectrophotometric method was employed to monitor the enzymatically catalyzed hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate by following the increase in absorbance at 410 nm which accompanies p-nitrophenoxide/p-nitrophenol formation. The more rapid enzymatic hydration of CO2 was monitored by using a stopped-flow spectrophotometer as well as by a modified colorimetric method of Wilbur and Anderson. The studies show that, at a given molar ratio of inhibitor to enzyme, the degree of inhibition of the enzymaic hydration of CO2 and hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate by the inhibitory compounds is essentially the same. Kinetic analyses were made at 25.0 degrees at pH 6.5 (MES buffers), pH 6.9 (HEPES buffers) and pH 7.9 (HEPES buffers) with ionic strength regulated by the addition of appropriate quantities of sodium sulfate. Lineweaver-Burk plots were used to evaluate apparent inhibition constants for each of the three inhibitors. For all the inhibitors studied, inhibition appears to be mixed (competitive/noncompetitive). For saccharin in the presence of sodium sulfate, the extent of inhibition is considerably decreased. It was found for the three inhibitors that the inhibitory potency decreases with increasing pH, and that the inhibitory potency is extremely sensitive to the shape of these rather closely related molecules. For example, apparent inhibition constants for the enzymatic hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate at pH 6.9 were Ki (saccharin) = 0.20 mM, Ki (2-carbobenzoxybenzene sulfonamide) = 0.54 mM and Ki (4-carbobenzoxybenzene sulfonamide) = 1.6 microM. For the enzymatic hydration of CO2 at pH 6.9, 0.10 mM saccharin caused 50% inhibition while 7.0 nM 4-carbobenzoxybenzene sulfonamide resulted in 50% inhibition. The results suggest that sulfonamide inhibition is caused by formation of a monodentate ligand at the zinc ion of the enzyme active site and that the more linear 4-carbobenzoxybenzene sulfonamide is better able to enter a conical enzyme active site than is 2-carbobenzoxybenzene sulfonamide or saccharin.