The current review provides an up-to-date and comprehensive summary of the evidence regarding the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in women with gynaecological cancers.
Methods: Relevant studies
were identified via Medline, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases (1980 to June 2008), reference lists of articles and reviews, grey literature databases, and consultations with physicians and other experts in the IPI-145 Angiogenesis inhibitor field. Only controlled trials comparing a psychosocial intervention with a control group in a gynaecological cancer population, with at least one quality of life variable as a main outcome, were included in the review. Two authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data.
Results: Twenty-two studies involving 1926 participants were included. There was substantial variability in study quality and results. Evidence was mixed regarding intervention effects on social and sexual functioning, distress, depression, anxiety, attitude to medical care, self-esteem and body image. Interventions generally
did not improve physical or vocational outcomes.
Conclusions: There was limited evidence in support of healing touch, whereas information-based interventions seemed largely unable to provide meaningful benefits. Cognitive-behavioural interventions had some positive effects. Counselling appeared to be the most promising intervention strategy for addressing quality of life concerns for women with gynaecological cancers. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.”
“This study investigated if metabolomic profiling of culture media using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was related to live-birth selleck kinase inhibitor rates after single-embryo transfer of frozen-thawed embryos. Analysis of culture PARP inhibitor media of frozen-thawed embryos was performed by NIR spectroscopy. A viability score was calculated using a predictive multivariate algorithm of fresh day-5 embryos with known pregnancy outcomes. This algorithm generated with fresh day-5 embryos could help to identify the live-birth group from the no live-birth group. Multivariable regression
models that tested the predictive ability of the viability score for live birth showed an odds ratio in the crude analysis of 1.50 (P = 0.008), after adjustment for embryo morphology, 1.44 (P = 0.022), and after adjustment for all variables, 1.71 (P = 0.005); based on a 0.1 step increase in viability scores. In conclusion, higher viability scores resulted in higher live-birth rates. An algorithm generated from fresh embryos might be used to predict viability of frozen-thawed embryos. Frozen-thawed embryos have different metabolic activity which is related to implantation potential. Therefore, this method might be useful to select the best embryo for transfer within a group of embryos with similar morphology. (C) 2011, Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.