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Biomedical subjects

S Hetrick

Publications and source records attributed to S Hetrick.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

High dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow or stem cell transplantation versus conventional chemotherapy for women with metastatic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: There is a hypothesis that high dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow or peripheral stem cell transplantation (autograft) may improve survival for women with metastatic breast cancer. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness of high dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow or stem cell transplantation with conventional chemotherapy for women with metastatic breast cancer. SEARCH STRATEGY: We used the Cochrane Breast Cancer Group search strategy, adding these terms: bone marrow transplantation, stem cell transplantation, autologous stem cell support. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE (until November 2004), EMBASE (until November 2004), ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) (1995-2004) and the COCHRANE LIBRARY (Issue 4 2004). We searched the Cochrane Breast Cancer Group database and cooperative research groups' websites for unpublished trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials comparing the effectiveness of high dose chemotherapy and autograft with conventional chemotherapy for women with metastatic breast cancer. Studies included one or more of the following outcomes: treatment related mortality, overall or progression-free survival at 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 years, morbidity, quality of life measures, time to tumour progression, overall survival time. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Six randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Two independent reviewers extracted data. MAIN RESULTS: In total 438 eligible women were randomised to receive high dose chemotherapy with autograft and 412 were randomised to receive conventional treatment. There were fifteen treatment-related deaths among the high dose group and two in the control (conventional dose) group (RR 4.07 (95% CI 1.39, 11.88)). There was no statistically significant difference in overall survival between the high dose and control groups at one year, three years or five years. At one and five years of follow up, there was a statistically significant difference in event-free survival, favouring the high dose group (one year: RR 1.76 (95% CI 1.40, 2.21); five years: RR 2.84 (95% CI 1.07, 7.50). Toxicity was more severe in the high dose group. Only one of the trials has followed up all women for five years and further data are awaited. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Although there is statistically significant evidence that high dose chemotherapy and autograft improves event free survival compared to conventional chemotherapy, there is no statistically significant evidence of benefit in overall survival for women with metastatic breast cancer. High dose chemotherapy with bone marrow or stem cell transplantation should not be given to women with metastatic breast cancer outside of clinical trials.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Acupuncture for shoulder pain.

BACKGROUND: There are many commonly employed forms of treatment for shoulder disorders. This review of acupuncture is one in a series of reviews of varying interventions for shoulder disorders including adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), rotator cuff disease and osteoarthritis. Acupuncture to treat musculoskeletal pain is being used increasingly to confer an analgesic effect and to date its use in shoulder disorder has not been evaluated in a systematic review. OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the treatment of adults with shoulder pain. SEARCH STRATEGY: The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL were searched from inception to December 2003, and reference lists from relevant trials were reviewed. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised and quasi-randomised trials, in all languages, of acupuncture compared to placebo or another intervention in adults with shoulder pain. Specific exclusions were duration of shoulder pain less than three weeks, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, cervically referred pain and fracture. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently extracted trial and outcome data. For continuous outcome measures where the standard deviations were not reported it was either calculated from the raw data or converted from the standard error of the mean. If neither of these was reported, authors were contacted. Where results were reported as median and range, the trial was not included in the meta-analysis, but presented in Additional Tables. Effect sizes were calculated and combined in a pooled analysis if the study end-points population and intervention were homogenous. Results are presented separately for rotator cuff disease, adhesive capsulitis, full thickness rotator cuff tear and mixed diagnoses, and, where possible, combined in meta-analysis to indicate effect of acupuncture across all shoulder disorders. MAIN RESULTS: Nine trials of varying methodological quality met the inclusion criteria. For all trials there was poor description of interventions. Varying placebos were used in the different trials. Two trials assessed short-term success (post intervention) of acupuncture for rotator cuff disease and could be combined in meta analysis. There was no significant difference in short-term improvement associated with acupuncture when compared to placebo, but due to small sample sizes this may be explained by Type II error. Acupuncture was of benefit over placebo in improving the Constant Murley Score (a measure of shoulder function) at four weeks (WMD 17.3 (7.79, 26.81)). However, by four months, the difference between the acupuncture and placebo groups, whilst still statistically significant, was no longer likely to be clinically significant (WMD 3.53 (0.74, 6.32)). The Constant Murley Score is graded out of 100, hence a change of 3.53 is unlikely to be of substantial benefit. The results of a small pilot study demonstrated some benefit of both traditional and ear acupuncture plus mobilization over mobilization alone. There was no difference in adverse events related to acupuncture when compared to placebo, however this was assessed by only one trial AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Due to a small number of clinical and methodologically diverse trials, little can be concluded from this review. There is little evidence to support or refute the use of acupuncture for shoulder pain although there may be short-term benefit with respect to pain and function. There is a need for further well designed clinical trials.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

Psychological and/or educational interventions for the prevention of depression in children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Depression is the fourth most important disease in the estimation of the burden of disease Murray 1996 and is a common problem with prevalence rates estimated to be as high as 8% in young people. Depression in young people is associated with poor academic performance, social dysfunction, substance abuse, suicide attempts, and completed suicide (NHMRC 1997). This has precipitated the development of programmes aimed at preventing the onset of depression. This review evaluates evidence for the effectiveness of these prevention programmes. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether psychological and/or educational interventions (both universal and targeted) are effective in reducing risk of depressive disorder by reducing depressive symptoms immediately after intervention or by preventing the onset of depressive disorder in children and adolescents over the next one to three years. SEARCH STRATEGY: The Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group trials register (August 2002), MEDLINE (1966 to December Week 3 2002), EMBASE (1980 to January Week 2 2003), PsychInfo (1886 to January Week 2 2003) and ERIC (1985 to December 2002) were searched. In addition, conference abstracts, the reference lists of included studies, and other reviews were searched and experts in the field were contacted. SELECTION CRITERIA: Each identified study was assessed for possible inclusion by two independent reviewers based on the methods sections. The determinants for inclusion were that the trial include a psychological and/or educational prevention programme for young people aged 5 to 19 years-old, who did not meet DSM or ICD criteria for depression and/or did not fall into the clinical range on standardised, validated, and reliable rating scales of depression. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The methodological quality of the included trials was assessed by two independent reviewers according to a list of pre-determined criteria, which were based on quality ratings devised by Moncrieff and colleagues (Moncrieff 2001). Outcome data was extracted and entered into Revman 4.2. Means and standard deviations for continuous outcomes and number of events for dichotomous outcomes were extracted where available. For trials where the required data were not reported or could not be calculated, further details were requested from first authors. If no further details were provided, the trial was included in the review and described, but not included in the meta-analysis. Results were presented for each type of intervention: targeted or universal interventions; and educational or psychological interventions and if data were provided, by gender. Where possible data were combined in meta-analyses to give a treatment effect across all trials. Sensitivity analysis were conducted on studies rated as "adequate" or "high" quality, that is with a score over 22, based on the scale by Moncrieff et al (Moncrieff 2001). The presence of publication bias was assessed using funnel plots. MAIN RESULTS: Studies were divided into those that compared intervention with an active comparison or placebo (i.e. a control condition that resembles the intervention being investigated but which lacks the elements thought to be active in preventing depression) and those that used a "wait-list" or no intervention comparison group. Only two studies fell into the former category and neither showed effectiveness although one study was inadequately powered to show a difference and in the other the "placebo" contained active therapeutic elements, reducing the ability to demonstrate a difference from intervention. Psychological interventions were effective compared with non-intervention immediately after the programmes were delivered with a significant reduction in scores on depression rating scales for targeted (standardised mean difference (SMD) of -0.26 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of -0.40 to -0.13 ) but not universal interventions (SMD -0.21, 95% CI -0.48, 0.06), with a significant effect maintained on pooling data (SMD -0.26, 95% CI -0.36, -0.15). While small effect sizes were reported, these were associated with a significant reduction in depressive episodes. The overall risk difference after intervention translates to "numbers needed to treat" (NNT) of 10. The most effective study is the targeted programme by Clarke (Clarke 2001) where the initial effect size of -0.46 is associated with an initial risk difference of -0.22 and NNT 5. There was no evidence of effectiveness for educational interventions. Reports of effectiveness for boys and girls were contradictory. The quality of many studies was poor, and only two studies made allocation concealment explicit. Sensitivity analysis of only high quality studies did not alter the results significantly. The only analysis in which there was significant statistical heterogeneity was the sub-group analysis by gender where there was variability in the response to different programmes for both girls and boys. For the most part funnel plots indicate findings are robust for short term effects with no publication bias evident. There are too few studies to comment on whether there is publication bias for studies reporting long-term (12-36 month) follow-up. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: Although there is insufficient evidence to warrant the introduction of depression prevention programmes currently, results to date indicate that further study would be worthwhile. There is a need to compare interventions with a placebo or some sort of active comparison so that study participants do not know whether they are in the intervention group or not, to investigate the impact of booster sessions to see if effectiveness immediately after intervention can be prolonged, ideally for a year or longer, and to consider practical implementation of prevention programmes when choosing target populations. Until now most studies have focussed on psychological interventions. The potential effectiveness of educational interventions has not been fully investigated. Given the gender differences in prevalence, and the change in these that occurs in adolescence with a disproportionate increase in prevalence rates for girls, it is likely that girls and boys will respond differently to interventions. Although differences have been reported in studies in this review the findings are contradictory and a more definitive delineation of gender specific responses to interventions would be helpful.

Adolescent↗

Pre-operative education for hip or knee replacement.

BACKGROUND: Hip or knee replacement is a major surgical procedure which can be physically and psychologically stressful for patients. It is hypothesised that education before surgery reduces anxiety and enhances postoperative outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether preoperative education improves postoperative outcomes (anxiety, pain, mobility, length of stay and the incidence of deep vein thrombosis) in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library issue 2, 2003), MEDLINE (1966 to April 2003), EMBASE (1980 to June 2002), CINAHL, PsycINFO and PEDro until May 2003. We handsearched the Australian Journal of Physiotherapy (1954 to 2001) and reviewed the reference lists. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised trials of preoperative education (verbal, written or audiovisual) delivered by a health professional within six weeks of surgery to patients undergoing hip or knee replacement. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently assessed study quality and extracted data. Continuous outcomes were combined using weighted mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). MAIN RESULTS: Nine studies involving 782 participants met the inclusion criteria. Four studies involving 365 participants assessed length of hospital stay (days) but detected no significant difference between preoperative education and usual care (WMD -0.97; 95% CI -2.67 to 0.73). However, one study of 133 participants with more complex needs, indicated that individually tailored programmes of education and support were beneficial in reducing length of stay. The four studies reporting length of stay did not find any significant effect of preoperative education on days to standing and days to climb stairs. Three trials found preoperative education was beneficial in reducing preoperative anxiety (WMD -5.64; -7.45 to -3.82) on a scale of 0 to 100. No significant effect on postoperative anxiety was detected either on the day following surgery, or at discharge. None of the five studies reporting postoperative pain detected any difference between the groups. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: There is little evidence to support the use of pre-operative education over and above standard care to improve postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing hip or knee replacement surgery, especially with respect to pain, functioning and length of hospital stay. There is evidence that preoperative education has a modest beneficial effect on preoperative anxiety. There may also be beneficial effects when preoperative education is tailored according to anxiety, or targeted at those most in need of support (e.g. those who are particularly disabled, or have limited social support structures).

Anxiety↗

High dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow or stem cell transplantation versus conventional chemotherapy for women with metastatic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: There is a hypothesis that high dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow or stem cell transplantation (autograft) may improve survival for women with metastatic breast cancer. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness of high dose chemotherapy and autologous bone marrow or stem cell transplantation with conventional chemotherapy for women with metastatic breast cancer. SEARCH STRATEGY: We used the Cochrane Breast Cancer Group search strategy, adding these terms: bone marrow transplantation, stem cell transplantation, autologous stem cell support. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE (until August 2002), EMBASE (until July 2002), ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) (1995-2002) and the COCHRANE LIBRARY (Issue 3 2002). We searched the Cochrane Breast Cancer Group database and cooperative research groups' websites for unpublished trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials comparing the effectiveness of high dose chemotherapy and autograft with conventional chemotherapy for women with metastatic breast cancer. Studies included one or more of the following outcomes: treatment related mortality, overall or progression-free survival at 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 years, morbidity, quality of life measures, time to tumour progression, overall survival time. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Five randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Two independent reviewers extracted data. MAIN RESULTS: In total 382 women were randomised to receive high dose chemotherapy with autograft and 358 were randomised to receive conventional treatment. There were ten treatment related deaths among the high dose group and none reported in the control (conventional dose) group (RR 5.70, 95%CI (1.30, 25)). There was no statistically significant difference in overall survival between the high dose and control groups (at one year: RR 0.99, 95% CI (0.91, 1.08); three years: RR 1.16 95% CI (0.90, 1.51); five years: RR 1.28, 95% CI (0.72, 2.27)). At one and two years of follow up, a statistically significant difference in progression free survival was reported, favouring the high dose group (one year: RR 1.81, 95% CI (1.39,2.34); two years: RR 1.96, 95% CI (1.32, 2.90 ). However this difference was not evident at three or five years (three years: RR 1.44, 95% CI (0.85, 2.44); five years: RR 1.21, 95% CI (0.40, 3.69). Toxicity was more severe in the high dose group. None of the trials has completed follow up and further data are awaited. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: Although there is evidence that high dose chemotherapy and autograft improves progression free survival at one and two years' follow up compared to conventional chemotherapy, there is no evidence of benefit in overall survival.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

Physiotherapy interventions for shoulder pain.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of shoulder disorders has been reported to range from seven to 36% of the population (Lundberg 1969) accounting for 1.2% of all General Practitioner encounters in Australia (Bridges Webb 1992). Substantial disability and significant morbidity can result from shoulder disorders. While many treatments have been employed in the treatment of shoulder disorders, few have been proven in randomised controlled trials. Physiotherapy is often the first line of management for shoulder pain and to date its efficacy has not been established. This review is one in a series of reviews of varying interventions for shoulder disorders, updated from an earlier Cochrane review of all interventions for shoulder disorder. OBJECTIVES: To determine the efficacy of physiotherapy interventions for disorders resulting in pain, stiffness and/or disability of the shoulder. SEARCH STRATEGY: MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Clinical Trials Regiter and CINAHL were searched 1966 to June 2002. The Cochrane Musculoskeletal Review Group's search strategy was used and key words gained from previous reviews and all relevant articles were used as text terms in the search. SELECTION CRITERIA: Each identified study was assessed for possible inclusion by two independent reviewers. The determinants for inclusion were that the trial be of an intervention generally delivered by a physiotherapist, that treatment allocation was randomised; and that the study population be suffering from a shoulder disorder, excluding trauma and systemic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The methodological quality of the included trials was assessed by two independent reviewers according to a list of predetermined criteria, which were based on the PEDro scale specifically designed for the assessment of validity of trials of physiotherapy interventions. Outcome data was extracted and entered into Revman 4.1. Means and standard deviations for continuous outcomes and number of events for binary outcomes were extracted where available from the published reports. All standard errors of the mean were converted to standard deviation. For trials where the required data was not reported or not able to be calculated, further details were requested from first authors. If no further details were provided, the trial was included in the review and fully described, but not included in the meta-analysis. Results were presented for each diagnostic sub group (rotator cuff disease, adhesive capsulitis, anterior instability etc) and, where possible, combined in meta-analysis to give a treatment effect across all trials. MAIN RESULTS: Twenty six trials met inclusion criteria. Methodological quality was variable and trial populations were generally small (median sample size = 48, range 14 to 180). Exercise was demonstrated to be effective in terms of short term recovery in rotator cuff disease (RR 7.74 (1.97, 30.32), and longer term benefit with respect to function (RR 2.45 (1.24, 4.86). Combining mobilisation with exercise resulted in additional benefit when compared to exercise alone for rotator cuff disease. Laser therapy was demonstrated to be more effective than placebo (RR 3.71 (1.89, 7.28) for adhesive capsulitis but not for rotator cuff tendinitis. Both ultrasound and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy resulted in improvement compared to placebo in pain in calcific tendinitis (RR 1.81 (1.26, 2.60) and RR 19 (1.16, 12.43) respectively). There is no evidence of the effect of ultrasound in shoulder pain (mixed diagnosis), adhesive capsulitis or rotator cuff tendinitis. When compared to exercises, ultrasound is of no additional benefit over and above exercise alone. There is some evidence that for rotator cuff disease, corticosteroid injections are superior to physiotherapy and no evidence that physiotherapy alone is of benefit for Adhesive Capsulitis REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: The small sample sizes, variable methodological quality and heterogeneity in terms of population studied, physiotherapy intervention employed and length of follow up of randomised controlled trials of physiotherapy interventions results in little overall evidence to guide treatment. There is evidence to support the use of some interventions in specific and circumscribed cases. There is a need for trials of physiotherapy interventions for specific clinical conditions associated with shoulder pain, for shoulder pain where combinations of physiotherapy interventions, as well as, physiotherapy interventions as an adjunct to other, non physiotherapy interventions are compared. This is more reflective of current clinical practice. Trials should be adequately powered and address key methodological criteria such as allocation concealment and blinding of outcome assessor.

Humans↗