Health-related quality of life among teenagers during cancer treatment in a developing country: patients' and proxies' reports.

Few studies have been performed during adolescents' cancer treatment to evaluate its interference on health-related quality of life (HRQL). The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to evaluate adolescents' HRQL during cancer treatment. The Health Utilities Index (HUI) was used for scoring. Forty-five individuals were questioned 1 month after the onset of treatment (T1) and at 4 or 6 months depending on disease type (T2). Median age was 14 years. Pain was the most frequent troublesome attribute referred to, but scores were significantly better from T1 to T2 for patients and proxies. A high correlation between patients' and family' HRQL scores was observed both at T1 and T2. Correlation of the general health scores between patients and their families was high at T1, but not so high at T2. Physicians' evaluation tended to underestimate HRQL of their patients. In conclusion, most patients and proxies reported a HRQL reduction during the initial phase of treatment, but HRQL was better later on. Generally, patient and proxy scores correlated well. Pain was the most frequently reported troublesome attribute. The patients' opinion concerning their own health and well-being should be of primary importance to assess QoL and determine therapeutic regimens.

Tratamento conservador do trauma esplênico contuso: relato de caso e revisão da literatura / Nonoperative management of blunt spleen injuries: case report and review of the literature

Relata-se o trauma contuso de baço em jovem atendida no Hospital UniversitárioRisoleta Tolentino Neves, em Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Essa lesão é encontrada,frequentemente, em traumas contusos do abdômen. O intuito é discutir a terapêuticadessa lesão, sua abordagem não cirúrgica como primeira escolha na maioria dos casos.Justifica-se a escolha do manejo não operatório, em paciente com lesão esplênicagrau IV, segundo critérios da American Association for the Surgery of Trauma.

We report a case of blunt splenic trauma in a young patient served by the urgency of the University Hospital Risoleta Tolentino Neves Belo Horizonte-MG. This kind of injury is often found in blunt abdominal trauma. The aim is to discuss the approach of the blunt splenic injuries and address the non-surgical treatment as first choice in most cases. Justi-fied this approach by reporting non-surgical therapy, even in a patient with splenic injury grade IV, according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma.