Background Gastrointestinal leiomyosarcomas (LMSs) from intramural smooth muscle are extremely rare, with limited literature. This paper evaluates the epidemiology and survival and prognostic factors in LMSs of the gastrointestinal tract. Methods Clinical data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) 18 registry from 2001 to 2016 with additional treatment fields were compared between primary tumor sites using the chi-squared test for categorical variables and ANOVA for continuous variables. A five-year survival rate analysis was performed for overall and cancer-specific survival. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional models using the variables age group, tumor location, grade, stage, surgery, and chemotherapy. Results We identified a total of 523 patients diagnosed with LMSs of the gastrointestinal tract. The median age of diagnosis was 66 years, with no significant difference between tumor sites for age, sex, and race. The five-year overall survival was 77.3%, and the cancer-specific survival was 90.3%. In the multivariate analysis, grade and stage of tumor were the only factors significantly affecting survival in this cohort. Conclusion While surgical status significantly affected survival in the univariate analysis, when adjusted for other factors, the HR for death was not significantly different by surgical therapy. Grade 3 tumors and tumors with distant metastasis at diagnosis were associated with worse survival among these patients.
Background Assessment of pain has always been subjective and is commonly assessed using a numeric pain scale (NPS) or Wong-Baker faces scale. The pain intensity score is not standardized and relies on individuals’ past experiences. The disadvantage of using such pain assessment scales and treating the numbers can lead to overdosing on analgesics leading to unwanted side effects. The Robert Packer Hospital/Functional Pain Scale (RPH/FPS) was developed as a tool for the objective assessment of pain and its impact on a patient’s function. Aim The study aimed to validate the RPH/FPS scale against NPS and Wong-Baker faces scale in medical, surgical, and trauma patients. The patients’ were also asked to rank the scales as one (1) being the most preferred to three (3) being the least preferred. Design This prospective, observational cohort study compares the two most common pain scales, the NPS and the Wong-Baker Faces, to the RPH/FPS. Methods Spearman correlation was used to test for correlation between the three scales, and Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare means between the RPH/FPS and NPS. The study participants were also asked to rate their preferences for the scales by rating the most preferred of the three scales as one (1) and the least preferred number three (3). Results The RPH/FPS had a strong correlation with both the NPS and Wong-Baker Faces scales (RPH/FPS vs. NPS R=0.69, p<0.001: RPH-FPS vs. Wong-Baker Faces R=0.69, P<0.001). As for preferences, the RPH/FPS was ranked first on 36.9% of the surveys followed by NPS on 35.9%, and the Wong-Baker Faces on 22.3%. There were 4.9% of the surveys missing the preference rankings. Conclusion The results validate the RPH/FPS scale against the NPS and Wong-Baker Faces scales. This gives the clinicians a tool for objective assessment of pain and its effect on the recovery process, thereby minimizing the observed disconnect that sometimes happens between the reported pain intensity level and the providers' observation of the patient.
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