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Background. Cross-cultural studies of comparable patients can identify differences of health care services and point to issues of possible improvement. In this cross-sectional study we compared self-reported received and needed social support at the workplace of disease-free breast cancer survivors (BCSs) stage I from Norway and Finland. Methods. Age-matched samples of 135 BCSs from Norway and 148 from Finland were examined using a questionnaire including socio-demographic factors, employment data, measurements of social support at work from supervisors, colleagues and the occupational health service (OHS), and several other measurements. Results. Finnish BCSs had significantly higher education and a higher rate of full-time employment than Norwegian ones. With adjustment for education and work time, Finnish compared to Norwegian BCSs reported significantly less received social support from supervisors, while they received significantly more social support from OHS. No differences were observed in received support from colleagues between Finnish and Norwegian BCSs. Somatic health was most strongly associated with received and needed support from supervisors, colleagues and OHS. Conclusions. The differences in received and needed social support at work observed between Norwegian and Finnish BCSs treated for stage I disease challenge strengthening of OHS for Norwegian BCSs and increased attention by supervisors in Finnish BCSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To determine the survival and investigate the prognostic significance of immunohistochemical variables and clinical factors in patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer (HRPC) and symptomatic pelvic tumours, in whom preliminary observations indicated that survival exceeded the median 8–10 months of patients with HRPC and painful bone metastases. Patients and methods Seventy-five patients with HRPC referred for palliative pelvic radiotherapy between 1980 and 1996 were identified. For all patients at least two prostate biopsies had been obtained, one before primary hormone treatment and at least one after clinical progression despite androgen deprivation (HRPC biopsy). Bone scans at the time of referral were assessed. The medical records were reviewed for clinical variables of possible prognostic significance. Histological grade was recorded, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA), androgen receptors (ARs), Ki-67 and p53 determined immunohistochemically. In 18 HRPC specimens the degree of AR amplification was analysed. Results Positive staining for ARs was high in the HRPC biopsies, although there was no association with AR amplification. Ki-67 positivity increased after the development of HRPC. The median (range) survival was 14 (1–141) months; age < 65 years was associated with increased survival. In a multivariate analysis the following variables remained independent prognostic factors for survival from the time of the HRPC biopsy: bone metastases (0–10 vs > 10 lesions, P < 0.001), low Ki-67 score (0 vs 1–3, P = 0.006) and low p53 positivity score (0 vs 1–3, P = 0.014) in the HRPC biopsy. Conclusions The median survival of patients with HRPC and pelvic tumours requiring palliation seems to exceed that of patients with HRPC and dominating painful bone metastases by at least 4–6 months. Simple clinical (bone metastases) and immunohistochemical variables (Ki-67, p53) enable patients with particularly long survival times to be identified, and in whom palliative treatment needs to be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]