The purpose of this randomized controlled study was to assess the effects of a structured pain education program on the pain experience of hospitalized cancer patients. Eligible cancer pain patients were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (receiving pain education 10-15 min per day for 5 days, n = 15) or a standard care control group (n = 15). The effects of the intervention on six pain-related variables were evaluated using three instruments. Pain intensity, pain interference with daily life, negative beliefs about opioids, beliefs about endurance of pain, pain catastrophizing (an individual's tendency to focus on and exaggerate the threat value of painful stimuli and negatively evaluate his or her own ability to deal with pain), and sense of control over pain were evaluated by the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form Taiwanese version (BPI-T), Pain and Opioid Analgesic Beliefs Scale-Cancer (POABS-CA), and the Catastrophizing subscale and the sense of control over pain measure from the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ). The results indicated that, after completing treatment, patients who had received structured pain education had significantly less pain intensity on average, negative pain beliefs regarding opioids, pain endurance beliefs, and pain catastrophizing than patients in the control group. In addition, patients in the pain education group showed a significant increase in their sense of control over pain. These preliminary results strongly suggest that structured pain education can effectively improve the pain experience of hospitalized cancer patients and should be further implemented clinically.

AIM: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) is associated with poor prognosis. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the efficacy of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) for patients with this disease. METHODS:Eighteen HCC patients with PVTT were treated with HAIC via a subcutaneously implanted injection port. A course of chemotherapy consisted of daily cisplatin (10 mg for one hour) followed by 5-fluorouracil (250 mg for five hours) for five continuous days within a given week. The patients were scheduled to receive four consecutive courses of HAIC. Responders were defined in whom either a complete or partial response was achieved, while non-responders were defined based on stable or progressive disease status. The prognostic factors associated with survival after treatment were analyzed. RESULTS:Six patients exhibited partial response to this form of HAIC (response rate = 33 %). The 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18-month cumulative survival rates for the 18 patients were 83 %, 72 %, 50 %, 28 %, and 7 %, respectively. Median survival times for the six responders and 12 non-responders were 15.0 (range, 11-18) and 7.5 (range, 1-13) months, respectively. It was demonstrated by both univariate and multivariate analyses that the therapeutic response and hepatic reserve function were significant prognostic factors.

The relatively high incidence of gastric cancer in Taiwan warranted the need of a disease-specific quality of life (QOL) instrument. We translated the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-STO22 according to the guidelines from the EORTC. A total of 100 patients were interviewed. Convergent and discriminant validity, Cronbach's alpha coefficient and known-groups comparisons were used to examine the reliability and validity. We found good reliability for multi-item subscales of the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-STO22 (Cronbach's alpha coefficient: 0.70-0.94) except cognitive functioning of the QLQ-C30 and eating restriction of the QLQ-STO22. Patients in the active treatment group experienced compromised functional status and worse treatment-associated symptoms than those in the follow-up group. Similar results were found in comparisons based on Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status and dysphagia grades. The study has ascertained the cross-cultural validity, reliability and clinical applicability of the Taiwan Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-STO22.

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