Search

Primarily to understand whether clinically relevant factors affect the International Outcome Inventory (IOI-HA) scores and to examine if IOI-HA scores improve when renewing the hearing aids (HA) for experienced users. Secondly, to estimate the overall HA effectiveness using the IOI-HA. A prospective observational study. In total, 1961 patients with hearing loss were included. All patients underwent a hearing examination, were fitted with HAs, and answered the IOI-HA. Factor analysis of IOI-HA separated the items into a Factor 1 (use of HA, perceived benefits, satisfaction, and quality of life) and Factor 2 (residual activity limitation, residual participation restriction and impact on others) score. Degree of hearing loss, word recognition score, motivation, HA usage time, tinnitus, asymmetry, and sex were significantly associated with total IOI-HA, Factor 1, or Factor 2 scores. The seven IOI-HA items increased on average by 0.4 (p < 0.001) when renewing HAs. The total median IOI-HA score at follow-up was 29 (7) for experienced (n = 460) and first-time users (n = 1189), respectively. Degree of hearing loss, word recognition score, motivation, tinnitus, asymmetry, and sex may be used to identify patients who require special attention to become successful HA users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify clinical and histologic prognostic factors and to investigate whether immunohistochemical detection of p53 expression might contain prognostic information, a retrospective study of patient and tumor characteristics was performed in 225 cases of papillary and follicular thyroid carcinomas. The analyses were based on cause-specific and crude survival. In univariate analysis, age at diagnosis, tumor size, presence of distant metastases, histology (papillary contra follicular type), extrathyroidal invasion, necrosis in primary tumor, and p53 expression were significant prognostic indicators. For 211 patients (96%) all information was available and Cox's proportional hazard model was applied. The authors found that age, distant metastases, necrosis in primary tumor, extrathyroidal invasion, and p53 expression were significant prognostic factors. Analyses of cause-specific and crude survival gave similar results. The authors conclude that age at diagnosis, presence of distant metastases, necrosis in primary tumor, and extrathyroidal invasion are important prognostic factors, and that immunohistochemical detection of p53 protein in the primary tumor is a significant and independent prognostic indicator, which might be of value in the treatment planning in patients with papillary or follicular thyroid carcinomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the treatment outcome for sino-nasal carcinomas in Denmark from 1995-2004 and compare the results to the previous Danish survey covering 1982-1991. Design. Retrospective follow-up. Materials and methods. In the five Danish head and neck oncology centres, charts of all consecutive patients with sino-nasal carcinomas were reviewed and data extracted to a common database. Altogether 242 patients from the period 1995-2004 were identified. Of these 162 (67%) were male and 80 (33%) female. Histologies included squamous cell carcinoma (55%), adenocarcinoma (28.5%), adenoid-cystic carcinoma (5.0%), undifferentiated carcinoma (4.5%), transitiocellular carcinoma (1.7%), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (0.8%), neuroendocrine carcinoma (2.5%), small cell carcinomas (1.2%) and carcinomas not otherwise specified (0.8%). Treatments included radiotherapy alone 79 (33%), surgery alone 29 (12%), combined surgery and radiotherapy 96 (40%), palliative/no treatment 38 (16%). A total of 204 (86%) patients were treated with curative intent. Results. Of the 204 patients treated with curative intent, 94 (46%) relapsed. Most failures were in T-site (63, 30%). N-site failures were 10 (5%) and M-site failures six (3%). Failure occurring in T+N-site, T+M-site, N+M-site and T+N+M-site were seven (3%), two (1%), one (0.5%) and five (3%) respectively. The 5-year actuarial local, nodal and loco-regional control rates were 55±4%, 86±3%, 49±4%, respectively. The overall 5-year actuarial survival rate for the entire cohort was 47±3%, and the corresponding cancer-specific 5-year actuarial survival rate was 57±3%. Female gender, nasal cavity tumour, adenocarcinoma and low clinical stage were significant positive prognostic factors in univariate analysis. A Cox multivariate analysis showed that only tumour site and clinical stage were independent significant prognostic factors. Conclusion. The current series has confirmed stage and tumour site as independent prognostic factors. Compared to the previous Danish survey covering the period 1982-1991, the overall survival and cancer-specific survival rates have improved significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]