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INTRODUCTION: Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring is a very commonly performed neurosurgical procedure but there is a wide variation in how it is reported, hindering analysis of it. The current study sought to generate consensus on the reporting of ICP monitoring recording data. RESEARCH QUESTION: What should be included in an ICP monitoring report? MATERIAL AND METHODS: The exercise was completed via a modified eDelphi survey. An expert panel discussion was held from which themes were identified and used to produce a code to annotate the transcript of the discussion. Statements were generated for a further two rounds of electronic questionnaires distributed via the REDcap platform. A Likert scale was used to grade agreement with each statement in the survey. A statement was accepted if more than 70% agreement was achieved between respondents. Data was collated using Microsoft Excel and analysed using R. RESULTS: 149 relevant statements were identified from the transcript and categorised into recording parameters, waveform characteristics or reporting. A total of 22 statements were generated for the first round of the survey which was answered by 39 respondents. Following the electronic round of surveys consensus was achieved for all but one statement regarding the acceptability of automating ICP reporting. This was put forward to a second round after which 79% agreement was reached. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The themes and statements from this eDelphi can be used as a framework to allow the standardisation of the reporting of intracranial pressure monitoring data.

Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with thyroid cancer (TC) risk have been reported: rs2910164 (5q24); rs6983267 (8q24); rs965513 and rs1867277 (9q22); and rs944289 (14q13). Most of these associations have not been replicated in independent populations and the combined effects of the SNPs on risk have not been examined. This study genotyped the five TC SNPs in 781 patients recruited through the TCUKIN study. Genotype data from 6122 controls were obtained from the CORGI and Wellcome Trust Case-Control Consortium studies. Significant associations were detected between TC and rs965513A (p=6.35×10(-34)), rs1867277A (p=5.90×10(-24)), rs944289T (p=6.95×10(-7)), and rs6983267G (p=0.016). rs6983267 was most strongly associated under a recessive model (P(GG vs GT + TT)=0.004), in contrast to the association of this SNP with other cancer types. However, no evidence was found of an association between rs2910164 and disease under any risk model (p>0.7). The rs1867277 association remained significant (p=0.008) after accounting for genotypes at the nearby rs965513 (p=2.3×10(-13)) and these SNPs did not tag a single high risk haplotype. The four validated TC SNPs accounted for a relatively large proportion (∼11%) of the sibling relative risk of TC, principally owing to the large effect size of rs965513 (OR 1.74).

Purpose: The aim of this study was to validate the new European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Thyroid Cancer Module (EORTC QLQ-THY34). Methods: We enrolled 437 thyroid cancer patients from 17 countries. One group (n = 303), undergoing treatment or best supportive care, completed the questionnaires at three time points (before therapy [t1], 6 weeks later [t2], and 6 months after t2 [t3]). A second group (survivors ≥2 years after diagnosis, n = 134) completed it at a random baseline time point and a second time 1 week later. We determined internal consistency (using Cronbach's alpha), the scale structure (with confirmatory factor analysis), and discriminant validity (using known-group comparisons). Group 1 data were used to assess responsiveness and group 2 data to determine test-retest reliability using intra-class correlations (ICC). Results: All 34 items fulfilled the criteria to be kept in the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha was >0.70 in 8 of the 9 multi-item scales. All standardized factor loadings exceeded 0.40, confirming the proposed scale structure. The ICC was >0.70 in all scales expressing good test-retest reliability. Differences in scale scores between patients with different histology were >5 points in all scales. In all but one of the pre-specified scales (Dry Mouth), changes over time were ≥|4| points between at least two time points. Conclusion: The EORTC QLQ-THY34 with its 9 multi-item and 8 single-item scales is a reliable and valid tool to measure quality of life in thyroid cancer patients and can be used in future trials and studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Quality of life (QoL) assessment forms an integral part of modern cancer care and research. The aim of this study is to determine patients' preferences and willingness to complete commonly used head‐and‐neck cancer (HNC) QoL questionnaires (QLQs) in routine follow‐up clinics. Methods: This is a randomised control trial of 583 subjects from 17 centres during follow‐up after treatment for oral, oropharyngeal or laryngeal cancer. Subjects completed three structured validated questionnaires: EORTC QLQ‐HN35; FACT‐HN and UW‐QOL, and an unstructured patient‐generated list. The order of questionnaire presentation was randomised, and subjects were stratified by disease site and stage. Patients self‐rated the questionnaires they found most helpful to communicate their health concerns to their clinicians. Results: Of the 558 respondents, 82% (457) found QLQs useful to communicate their health concerns to their clinician (OR = 15.76; 95% CI 10.83–22.94). Patients preferred the structured disease‐specific instruments (OR 8.79; 95% CI 5.99–12.91), while the open list was the most disliked (OR = 4.25; 95% CI 3.04–5.94). There was no difference in preference by treatment modality. More women preferred the FACT‐HN (OR = 3.01, 95% CI 1.05–8.62), and patients under 70 preferred EORTC QLQ‐HN35 (OR = 3.14, 95% CI 1.3–7.59). However, only 55% of patients expressed preference to complete questionnaires routinely at the clinic. Conclusions: Most patients found QLQs helpful during their follow‐up and 55% supported routine questionnaires in follow‐up clinics. Males and people over 70 years old were the least willing to complete the routine questionnaires and preferred shorter questionnaires (e.g., UW‐QOL). Women preferred FACT‐HN, and younger patients preferred EORTC QLQ‐HN35. Reasons for the reluctance to complete questionnaires require elucidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Threshold of Manifest Destiny: Gender and National Expansion in Florida. By Laurel Clark Shire. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016. 273 pp. Appendix, notes, bibliography, and index. $49.95 (cloth). [...]