Hae
Aineistot 11-17 / 17
Frailty, walking ability and self-rated health in predicting institutionalization: an 18-year follow-up study among Finnish community-dwelling older people
<p>Background <br></p><p>In clinical practice, there is a need for an instrument to screen older people at risk of institutionalization. Aims To analyze the association of frailty, walking-ability and self-rated health (SRH) with institutionalization in Finnish community-dwelling older people. <br></p><p>Methods <br></p><p>In this prospective study with 10- and 18-year follow-ups, frailty was assessed using FRAIL Scale (FS) (n = 1087), Frailty Index (FI) (n = 1061) and PRISMA-7 (n = 1055). Walking ability was assessed as self-reported ability to walk 400 m (n = 1101). SRH was assessed by a question of general SRH (n = 1105). Cox regression model was used to analyze the association of the explanatory variables with institutionalization. <br></p><p>Results <br></p><p>The mean age of the participants was 73.0 (range 64.0-97.0) years. Prevalence of institutionalization was 40.8%. In unadjusted models, frailty was associated with a higher risk of institutionalization by FS in 10-year follow-up, and FI in both follow-ups. Associations by FI persisted after age- and gender-adjustments in both follow-ups. By PRISMA-7, frailty predicted a higher risk of institutionalization in both follow-ups. In unadjusted models, inability to walk 400 m predicted a higher risk of institutionalization in both follow-ups and after adjustments in 10-year follow-up. Poor SRH predicted a higher risk of institutionalization in unadjusted models in both follow-ups and after adjustments in 10-year follow-up. <br></p><p>Discussion <br></p><p>Simple self-reported items of walking ability and SRH seemed to be comparable with frailty indexes in predicting institutionalization among community-dwelling older people in 10-year follow-up. Conclusions In clinical practice, self-reported walking ability and SRH could be used to screen those at risk.</p>...
Dysphagia, hypothyroidism, and osteoradionecrosis after radiation therapy for head and neck cancer
<h3>Objectives</h3><p>To analyze the long-term side effects of radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC).</p><h3>Methods</h3><p>Retrospective chart analysis of all 688 HNC patients treated during 2010–2015 at Turku University Hospital, Finland. All patients who survived for more than a year after RT/chemoRT were included (n = 233). Intensity modulated RT (IMRT) with standard fractionation was applied in each case.</p><h3>Results</h3><p>One hundred and six patients (45%) reported persisting dysphagia, for which neck RT increased risk. Definitive neck RT to high-risk volume did not increase late toxicity risks compared to elective neck RT. Radiation-induced hypothyroidism (29%, n = 67) was more common among younger patients and females. Osteoradionecrosis (12%, n = 29) was more common in the oral cavity cancer group (20.7%, n = 92) compared to all other subsites.</p><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Late toxicities of RT for HNC are common. Age, gender, tumor subsite, and neck RT affect susceptibility to long-term side effects.</p><h3>Level of evidence</h3><p>4.</p>...
Long-term outcome of biologically guided dose-escalated radiotherapy of localized prostate cancer
<p><strong>Background: </strong>Biologically created subvolumes enable non-uniform dose distributions in prostate cancer radiotherapy (RT) thus potentially improving therapeutic ratio and reducing toxicity. We present the long-term outcome of men receiving focal boosting of carbon-11 acetate (ACE) PET-CT metabolically active areas in prostate carcinoma.</p><p><strong>Material and methods: </strong>Thirty men with hormone naïve localized prostate carcinoma underwent ACE PET/CT for RT planning. There were five low-, 17 intermediate-, and eight high-risk patients. Based on thresholding of the standardized uptake values (SUVs) metabolic target volumes (MTVs) corresponding to intraprostatic lesions (IPLs) were contoured. Two planning target volumes (PTVs) were applied i.e., PTV<sub>low-risk</sub> for the whole prostate with 8-10 mm margin and PTV<sub>high-risk</sub> for the MTV. Pelvic nodes were not irradiated. Late toxicity of biologically guided RT was reviewed after a median of 63 months and outcome after a median follow-up of 124 months.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Median doses to PTV<sub>low-risk</sub>, PTV<sub>high-risk,</sub> prostate, and MTV were 72.9 Gy, 79.4 Gy, 76.6 Gy, and 80.4 Gy, respectively, in 38 fractions. The 10-year cancer-specific survival was 86% and the biochemical failure-free ratio 68%, respectively. The median biochemical progression-free survival (PFS) was 37, 108, and 119 months in the high, intermediate, and low-risk groups, respectively, the difference being significant between high and intermediate-risk groups (p = 0.02). One patient (3%) presented with locoregional and 5 (17%) with distant nodal metastases. Five patients (17%) had a biochemical relapse. A larger MTV was associated with shorter PFS (r = -0.41, p = 0.02), but had no influence on OS. No other statistically significant differences in the dose painting parameters were observed between recurrence-free and recurring patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Biological guidance for dose-escalated prostate RT is feasible with ACE PET/CT. Since a larger MTV may be associated with a higher risk for progression, we encourage further study of dose-escalation to ACE-positive lesions considering the low toxicity of our protocol.</p>...
Neuronavigated Versus Non-navigated Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Chronic Tinnitus: A Randomized Study
<p>Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has shown variable effect on tinnitus. A prospective, randomized 6-month follow-up study on parallel groups was conducted to compare the effects of neuronavigated rTMS ...
Cross cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Finnish version of Western Ontario shoulder instability index (WOSI)
<p><strong>Background: </strong>Western Ontario shoulder instability index (WOSI) is a widely used disease-specific self-assessment measurement tool for patients with shoulder instability. The main aim of this study was ...
Long-term persistence of withdrawal of temazepam, zopiclone, and zolpidem in older adults: a 3-year follow-up study
Background: Studies on persistence of benzodiazepine agonist (BZDA) withdrawal in older outpatients are few, and few studies on long-term persistence over years have yet been published. To describe the persistence of ...
Electric field-navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation for chronic tinnitus: a randomized, placebo-controlled study
Objective: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may alleviate tinnitus. We evaluated effects of electric field (E-field) navigated rTMS targeted according to tinnitus pitch. No controlled studies have ...