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Biomedical subjects

S G Priestman

Publications and source records attributed to S G Priestman.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1993

The quality of life of early breast cancer patients treated by two different radiotherapy regimens.

A cohort of 63 patients participating in a prospectively randomized trial evaluating two different radiotherapy regimens and adjuvant tamoxifen in the conservative management of early breast cancer were monitored by a series of psychological measures. The aim was to determine whether there was any difference between the radiotherapy schedules in terms of their impact on the patient's quality of life and whether measures of coping style and trait anxiety could be used to predict the subjective response to treatment. Overall, radiotherapy had little effect on quality of life and the differences between the two regimens were minor with significantly more of those women on the longer treatment schedule experiencing a transient weight change, disruption of private life and loss of positivity compared with those on the shorter schedule. In anticipating psychological adjustment to treatment, coping style proved unhelpful but trait anxiety was found to be a robust indicator of response, suggesting that it may be possible to determine in advance those patients who are likely to exhibit psychological distress during radiotherapy.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1987

A double-blind randomised cross-over comparison of nabilone and metoclopramide in the control of radiation-induced nausea.

Forty patients who were suffering from radiation induced emesis were entered into a prospectively randomised double-blind cross-over study comparing nabilone with metoclopramide. Only patients who had at least five treatments remaining of their planned course of irradiation were randomised, in order to allow an adequate time to monitor the degree of symptom control and any adverse effects of the two drugs. Patient characteristics and the incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting were similar for the two groups. There was no difference in the efficacy of the two drugs but the incidence and severity of adverse reactions was significantly greater in those patients who received nabilone.

Antiemetics↗
PubMed1985

Stress and breast cancer.

In order to assess whether exposure to stress was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, 100 women presenting with carcinoma of the breast completed a standard life events inventory documenting life stresses experienced during the previous three years. The same questionnaire was completed by 100 women presenting with benign breast lumps and 100 apparently healthy controls. Both groups of patients with breast disease also completed the Eysenck personality inventory. There was no difference in the number of stressful life events experienced by the patients with benign and malignant breast lesions and the nature and severity of those stresses encountered were similar for both groups. The personality indices were also the same for both groups. The controls, however, recorded significantly higher levels of stress exposure than the patients with breast disease. On the basis of this series, there is no evidence to support the hypothesis that stress predisposes to breast cancer development.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

An initial evaluation of Nabilone in the control of radiotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Nabilone is a cannabinoid anti-emetic which has been extensively evaluated in control of chemotherapy-induced vomiting. A pilot study was undertaken to assess the efficacy of Nabilone in controlling radiotherapy-induced vomiting resistant to a conventional anti-emetic (metoclopramide). Thirty patients receiving wide-field upper abdominal irradiation were prospectively monitored. Fourteen developed no significant nausea or vomiting and in 10 symptoms were controlled by metaclopramide. All six patients who failed to respond to this agent responded to Nabilone. Toxicity with both drugs was minimal. Although patient numbers were small, this initial assessment suggests that Nabilone may be a useful agent in the control of resistant radiation-induced sickness.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

An evaluation of high-dose medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) therapy in women with advanced breast cancer.

The efficacy of high-dose intramuscular MPA therapy in controlling progressive measurable metastatic breast carcinoma was assessed in 32 women. In addition serial measurements of MPA blood levels were carried out in 20 of the patients and subjective effects of treatment were monitored in detail in 18 of the women. Overall 6 patients (19%) gained an objective response and a further 7 (22%) experienced disease stasis from 4-17 months whilst on treatment. Significant differences in serum MPA levels were seen between responders and non-responders, objective tumour shrinkage only being seen in those patients who rapidly attained, and sustained, blood levels in excess of 100 ng ml-1. Subjective assessment showed no evidence of a euphoriant effect of MPA therapy in the non-responders group.

Adult↗