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There was no strong evidence that indicates differences between topical pharmacological interventions or non-pharmacological topical controls in the prevention of acute radiation dermatitis among patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy.

Resumo A implementação da poliquimioterapia (PQT/OMS) -composta pelas drogas dapsona, clofazimina e rifampicina -possibilitou a cura da hanseníase, porém não foram priorizados o manejo dos efeitos adversos pelas equipes de saúde. Objetivando determinar a magnitude dos efeitos adversos da poliquimioterapia para hanseníase e relacioná-los como possível causa de não adesividade do paciente ao tratamento, revisou-se prontuários de 187 pacientes tratados com PQT, de 1995 a 2000, no Centro de Saúde Escola (CSE) -UFU, com registro de efeitos colaterais em 71 pacientes (37,9%). Dentre os 113 efeitos adversos, 80 (70,7%) relacionaramse à dapsona, 7 (6,2%) à rifampicina, 26 (20,5%) à clofazimina. Esses efeitos levaram à mudança de esquema terapêutico em 28 (14,9%) dos 187 pacientes ou 39,4% dos 71 com efeitos adversos. Discute-se a importância de considerar os efeitos adversos da PQT na capacitação das equipes de saúde para maior adesão do paciente ao tratamento, colaborando para eliminar a hanseníase como problema de saúde pública. Palavras-chaves: Hanseníase. Reações adversas. Poliquimioterapia. Adesividade ao tratamento.Abstract The introduction of multidrug therapy (WHO/MDT) -composed by the drugs dapsone, clofazimine and rifampicin has enabled the cure of Hansen's disease, however, the adverse effects of these drugs were not given priority by the health team. Aiming to determine MDT's adverse effects' magnitude and relate them to the nonadhesion of patients to the treatment, a study of 187 charts of patients treated with MDT from January of 1995 to May 2000, was carried out at a Health Center of the Federal University of Uberlândia. Side effects were recorded in 71 patients' charts. Among the 113 side effects found, 80 (70.7%) were related to dapsone, 7 (6.2%) were caused by rifampicin and 26 (20.5%) were attributed to clofazimine. These effects induced 28 (14.9%), patients to change the therapeutic scheme, representing 39.4% from the 71 patients with adverse effects. Throughout this study, the importance is discussed of considering MDT's adverse effects when training the health team to heighten the patient's adhesion to the treatment and thereby collaborating to eliminate Hansen's disease as a public health problem. Key-words: Hansen's disease. Adverse effects. Multidrug therapy. Adhesion to treatment. A hanseníase é uma doença infecciosa, de evolução crônica que acomete predominantemente os nervos periféricos e, secundariamente, pele e mucosas. Seu agente etiológico é o Mycobacterium leprae descoberto por G.A. Hansen, em 1873.A infecção ativa pelo M. leprae é caracterizada por uma grande variabilidade no curso clínico, variando de uma doença paucibacilar na qual poucos bacilos estão presentes, a uma doença multibacilar, na qual uma grande carga bacilar está presente nas lesões.A detecção e o tratamento dos casos são ainda, na atualidade, os principais métodos usados para combater a hanseníase visando a interrupção da cadeia de transmissão da doença 23 . A hanseníase já foi objeto dos mais diversos tipos de tratamen...

New cases of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 , also known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continue to rise worldwide following the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). The current pandemic has completely altered the workflow of health services worldwide. However, even during this critical period, patients with other diseases, like cancer, need to be properly treated.A few reports have shown that mortality due to SARS-CoV-2 is higher in elderly patients and those with other active comorbidities, including cancer. Patients with lung cancer are at risk of pulmonary complications from COVID-19, and as such, the risk/benefit ratio of local and systemic anticancer treatment has to be considered. For each patient, several factors, including age, comorbidities, and immunosuppression, as well as the number of hospital visits for treatment, can influence this risk. The number of cases is rising exponentially in Brazil, and it is important to consider the local characteristics when approaching the pandemic. In this regard, the Brazilian Thoracic Oncology Group has developed recommendations to guide decisions in lung cancer treatment during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Due to the scarcity of relevant data, discussions based on disease stage, evaluation of surgical treatment, radiotherapy techniques, systemic therapy, follow-up, and supportive care were carried out, and specific suggestions issued. All recommendations seek to reduce contagion risk by decreasing the number of medical visits and hospitalization, and in the case of immunosuppression, by adapting treatment schemes when possible. This statement should be adjusted according to the reality of each service, and can be revised as new data become available.

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