BackgroundMany patients with cancer experience depression and anxiety, and an associated decrease in quality of life (QOL) during radiation therapy (RT). The main objective of the study was to determine the benefits of psychosocial interventions for cancer patients who received RT.MethodsPatients with cancer (n = 178) who agreed to participate in the study were randomized to the intervention arm (n = 89) or the control arm (n = 89). Patients in the intervention group received psychosocial care during RT, whereas the control group received RT only. The benefits of the intervention were evaluated using the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) to measure depression, the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) to assess anxiety, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) to survey health-related QOL. The association between intervention and survival was also assessed.ResultsPatients randomly assigned to the intervention arm showed significant improvements on symptoms of depression (p < 0.05) and anxiety (p < 0.05), health-related QOL (p < 0.05) (i.e. better global health status, and physical and emotional functioning, and less insomnia) when compared with controls. In the subset analysis, female patients, those that received high dose irradiation, and those that underwent adjuvant chemotherapy could benefit more from psychosocial intervention. There was no difference between the two groups in disease-free survival (DFS) (2-year DFS 79.8% in the intervention arm and 76.4% in the control arm; p = 0.527) and overall survival (OS) (2-year OS 83.1% in the intervention arm and 84.3% in the control arm; p = 0.925)ConclusionsPsychosocial intervention is a cost-effective approach that can improve a patient’s mood and QOL both during and after RT. However, the intervention was not found to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and death.Trial registrationChiCTR-TRC-12002438
A smart in situ-formed wound dressing with excellent
antibacterial ability against drug-resistance bacterial, antitumor,
and biofilm-eliminating activities to promote effective wound closure
is highly desirable in therapeutic and clinical applications. Herein,
we designed and developed a multifunctional; shape-adaptable; and
pH, temperature, and near-infrared radiation (NIR) multiple responsive
cellulose nanofibril (CNF)-based in situ liquid wound
dressing, using a pH-sensitive CNF grafted with terminated amino hyperbranched
polyamines (HBP-NH2) as a substrate, along with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and indocyanine green (ICG) loaded
as the temperature and NIR on/off switches, respectively. The 3D nanocage
network structure of CNF and the nanocavities in the hyperbranched
structure of HBP-NH2 endow the dressing with a high loading
capacity for active drugs (doxorubicin and ICG) simultaneously. Moreover,
the responsiveness of the dressing to multiple stimuli enables controllable
and efficient drug release to the wound area. The bioinspired dressing
demonstrates excellent antibacterial activity against common bacteria
and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, antitumor activity against A375 tumor cells, and biofilm-eliminating
capability. In addition, the developed dressing synergistically combines
multiple therapeutic strategies for effective wound healing, specifically
photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and chemotherapy. The
design provides an ideal clinical intervention strategy for irregular
tumor postoperative infected wounds.
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