Background Osteoarthritis is the most common form of joint disease and the leading cause of pain and physical disability in the elderly. Opioids may be a viable treatment option if patients suffer from severe pain or if other analgesics are contraindicated. However, the evidence about their effectiveness and safety is contradictory. Objectives To determine the effects on pain and function and the safety of oral or transdermal opioids as compared with placebo or no intervention in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee.

Our data show that the burden of hearing loss has stabilized in recently treated survivors, suggesting that survivors have benefited from new treatment regimens that use less ototoxic radiation and more carefully dosed platinum compounds.

Background Pulmonary diseases are potentially severe late complications of childhood cancer treatment that increase mortality risk among survivors. This nationwide study assesses the prevalence and incidence of pulmonary diseases in long‐term childhood cancer survivors (CCS) and their siblings, and quantifies treatment‐related risks. Methods As part of the Swiss Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, we studied CCS who were diagnosed between 1976 and 2005 and alive at least 5 years after diagnosis. We compared prevalence of self‐reported pulmonary diseases (pneumonia, chest wall abnormalities, lung fibrosis, emphysema) between CCS and their siblings, calculated cumulative incidence of pulmonary diseases using the Kaplan–Meier method, and determined risk factors using multivariable logistic regression. Results CCS reported more pneumonias (10% vs. 7%, P = 0.020) and chest wall abnormalities (2% vs. 0.4%, P = 0.003) than siblings. Treatment with busulfan was associated with prevalence of pneumonia (odds ratio [OR] 4.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–14.9), and thoracic surgery was associated with chest wall abnormalities and lung fibrosis (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.6–10.7 and OR 6.3, 95% CI 1.7–26.6). Cumulative incidence of any pulmonary disease after 35 years of follow‐up was 21%. For pneumonia, the highest cumulative incidence was seen in CCS treated with both pulmotoxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy to the thorax (23%). Conclusion This nationwide study in CCS found an increased risk for pulmonary diseases, especially pneumonia, while still young, which indicates that CCS need long‐term pulmonary follow‐up.