RESULTS ( 1 ) EQ-5D was valid and responsive for skin conditions and most cancers ; in vision , its performance varied according to aetiology ; and performance was poor for hearing impairments .
The HUI3 performed well for hearing and vision disorders .
It also performed well in cancers although evidence was limited and there was no evidence in skin conditions .
Response mapping using all the domain scores was the best performing model for the EORTC QLQ-C30 .
In an exploratory analysis , a limited dependent variable mixture model performed better than an equivalent linear model .
3 ) The exploratory valuation study found that bolt-on items for vision , hearing and tiredness had a significant impact on values of the health states , but the direction and magnitude of differences depended on the severity of the health state .
The vision bolt-on item had a statistically significant impact on EQ-5D health state values and a full valuation model was estimated .
EQ-5D performs well in studies of cancer and skin conditions .
Mapping techniques provide a solution to predict EQ-5D values where EQ-5D has not been administered .
For conditions where EQ-5D was found to be inappropriate , including some vision disorders and for hearing , bolt-ons provide a promising solution .
BACKGROUND The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends the use of generic preference-based measures ( GPBMs ) of health for its Health Technology Assessment s ( HTAs ) .
However , these data may not be available or appropriate for all health conditions .
OBJECTIVES To determine whether GPBMs are appropriate for some key conditions and to explore alternative methods of utility estimation when data from GPBMs are unavailable or inappropriate .
( 2 ) Potential modelling approaches to ' map ' EQ-5D values from condition-specific and clinical measures of health [ European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality -of-life Question naire Core 30 ( EORTC QLQ-C30 ) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General Scale ( FACT-G ) ] are compared for predictive ability and goodness of fit using two separate data sets . (
Cancer-related anorexia/cachexia syndrome and oxidative stress: an innovative approach beyond current treatment.
OBJECTIVE Cancer-related anorexia/cachexia syndrome and oxidative stress play a key role in the progression and outcome of neoplastic disease . PATIENTS AND METHODS On the basis of our previously published studies and clinical experience , we have developed an innovative approach consisting of diet with high polyphenol content ( 400 mg ) , p.o . pharmaconutritional support enriched with n - 3 fatty acids ( eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid ) 2 cans ( 237 mL each ) per day , medroxiprogesterone acetate 500 mg/d , antioxidant treatment with alpha-lipoic acid 300 mg/d plus carbocysteine lysine salt 2.7 g/d plus vitamin E 400 mg/d plus vitamin A 30,000 IU/d plus vitamin C 500 mg/d , and selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor Celecoxib 200 mg/d . The treatment is administered for 16 weeks . The following variables are evaluated : ( a ) clinical variables ( stage and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ) ; ( b ) nutritional variables ( lean body mass , appetite , and resting energy expenditure ) ; ( c ) laboratory variables ( serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines , C-reactive protein , and leptin and blood levels of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant enzymes ) ; and ( d ) quality of life variables ( European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 , EQ-5Dindex , and EQ-5DVAS ) . A phase II nonr and omized study has been design ed to enroll 40 patients with advanced cancer at different sites with symptoms of cancer-related anorexia/cachexia syndrome and oxidative stress . RESULTS As of January 2004 , 28 patients have been enrolled : 25 patients were evaluable and 14 of them have completed the treatment ( 20 patients have completed 2 months of treatment ) . As for clinical response , five patients improved , three patients remained unchanged , and six patients worsened . The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ( grade ) 1 remained unchanged . As for nutritional/functional variables , the lean body mass increased significantly at 2 and 4 months . As for laboratory variables , reactive oxygen species decreased significantly and proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha decreased significantly . As for quality of life , it comprehensively improved after treatment . CONCLUSIONS The treatment has been shown to be effective for clinical response , increase of lean body mass , decrease of reactive oxygen species and proinflammatory cytokines , and improvement of quality of life . The treatment has been shown to be safe with good compliance of patients . The study is in progress ( 14 further patients will be included )
RESULTS ( 1 ) EQ-5D was valid and responsive for skin conditions and most cancers ; in vision , its performance varied according to aetiology ; and performance was poor for hearing impairments .
The HUI3 performed well for hearing and vision disorders .
It also performed well in cancers although evidence was limited and there was no evidence in skin conditions .
Response mapping using all the domain scores was the best performing model for the EORTC QLQ-C30 .
In an exploratory analysis , a limited dependent variable mixture model performed better than an equivalent linear model .
3 ) The exploratory valuation study found that bolt-on items for vision , hearing and tiredness had a significant impact on values of the health states , but the direction and magnitude of differences depended on the severity of the health state .
The vision bolt-on item had a statistically significant impact on EQ-5D health state values and a full valuation model was estimated .
EQ-5D performs well in studies of cancer and skin conditions .
Mapping techniques provide a solution to predict EQ-5D values where EQ-5D has not been administered .
For conditions where EQ-5D was found to be inappropriate , including some vision disorders and for hearing , bolt-ons provide a promising solution .
BACKGROUND The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends the use of generic preference-based measures ( GPBMs ) of health for its Health Technology Assessment s ( HTAs ) .
However , these data may not be available or appropriate for all health conditions .
OBJECTIVES To determine whether GPBMs are appropriate for some key conditions and to explore alternative methods of utility estimation when data from GPBMs are unavailable or inappropriate .
( 2 ) Potential modelling approaches to ' map ' EQ-5D values from condition-specific and clinical measures of health [ European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality -of-life Question naire Core 30 ( EORTC QLQ-C30 ) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General Scale ( FACT-G ) ] are compared for predictive ability and goodness of fit using two separate data sets . (