Objective: Breast cancer and breast cancer-directed radiation therapy (RT) may increase the risk of late effects, such as hypothyroidism. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to... Show moreObjective: Breast cancer and breast cancer-directed radiation therapy (RT) may increase the risk of late effects, such as hypothyroidism. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the association between breast cancer, RT, and risk of hypothyroidism in breast cancer survivors.Methods: Through February 2022, we searched PubMed, EMBASE, and references of relevant articles, to identify papers on breast cancer and breast cancer-directed RT and subsequent risk of hypothyroidism. Articles were screened by title and abstract and reviewed for eligibility. We used a pre-formed data extraction sheet and identified key design elements that could potentially introduce bias. The main outcome was the confounderadjusted relative risk (RR) of hypothyroidism in breast cancer survivors versus women without breast cancer, and in breast cancer survivors according to the receipt of RT to the supraclavicular lymph nodes. We used a random-effects model to calculate pooled RRs and associated 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).Results: From 951 papers screened by title and abstract, 34 full-text papers were reviewed for eligibility. We included 20 studies published between 1985 and 2021-19 were cohort studies. Compared with women without breast cancer, the pooled RR of hypothyroidism in breast cancer survivors was 1.48 (95% CI: 1.17, 1.87), with highest risk associated with RT to the supraclavicular region (RR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.16, 2.46). The most important limitations of the studies were small sample size yielding estimates with low precision, and lack of data on potential confounders. Conclusion: Breast cancer and radiation therapy to the supraclavicular lymph nodes is associated with an increased risk of hypothyroidism. Show less
Terpstra, J.A.; Vaart, R. van der; Beugen, S. van; Eersel, R.A. van; Gkika, I.; Erdos, D.; ... ; Evers, A.W.M. 2022
Background: Chronic pain has a large individual and societal burden. Previous reviews have shown that internetbased cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) can support patients' pain coping. However,... Show moreBackground: Chronic pain has a large individual and societal burden. Previous reviews have shown that internetbased cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) can support patients' pain coping. However, factors related to participant experience of iCBT and effective and safe iCBT delivery for chronic pain have not recently been summarized. Objective: The aim of this review was to give an overview of the efficacy of guided iCBT for chronic pain on psychological, physical, and impact on daily life outcomes, including factors that inform optimal delivery. Methods: Cochrane, Emcare, Web of Science, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase were systematically searched from inception to 11 February 2022. Randomized controlled trials on guided iCBTs for adults with chronic pain were included with a broad range of outcomes. Results: The search yielded 7406 studies of which 33 studies were included totaling 5133 participants. ICBT was more effective than passive control conditions for psychological (ES = 0.34-0.47), physical (ES = 0.26-0.29), and impact outcomes (ES = 0.38-0.41). ICBT was more effective than active control conditions for distress (ES = 0.40), pain acceptance (ES = 0.15), and pain interference after outlier removal (ES = 0.30). Longer treatments were associated with larger effects for anxiety and quality of life than shorter treatments. Mode of therapist contact (synchronous, asynchronous or a mix of both) was not related to differences in effect sizes in most outcomes. However, studies with mixed and synchronous contact modes had higher effects on pain self-efficacy than studies with asynchronous contact modes. Treatment satisfaction was high and adverse events were minor. Dropout was related to time, health, technical issues, and lack of computer skills. Conclusions: Guided iCBT is an effective and potentially safe treatment for chronic pain. Future research should more consistently report on iCBT safety and detail the effectiveness of individual treatment components to optimize iCBT in clinical practice. Show less
