QUARTZ: Quality Of Life After Radiotherapy And-or Steriods
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$63,000.00
Summary
Lung cancer is the commonest cause of cancer related death worldwide. In this group, one in four people will be diagnosed with brain metastases during their illness. This makes brain metastases a major health resource issue. For this group, the diagnosis of brain metastases is often associated with survival of less than 3 months. It is therefore important that this short survival period, which is often compromised by the effects of the disease, is not compromised further with the use of potentia ....Lung cancer is the commonest cause of cancer related death worldwide. In this group, one in four people will be diagnosed with brain metastases during their illness. This makes brain metastases a major health resource issue. For this group, the diagnosis of brain metastases is often associated with survival of less than 3 months. It is therefore important that this short survival period, which is often compromised by the effects of the disease, is not compromised further with the use of potentially toxic treatment. Whole Brain Radiotherapy (WBRT) is often used to treat these people. There is no current evidence to confirm that WBRT improves their quality of life. Most people with brain metastases routinely receive steroid medicine either as sole treatment or in addition to WBRT. Despite their potential side effects, steroids can control the symptoms of brain metastases and improve a person's quality of life. It is possible that the addition of WBRT adds nothing to steroids used alone or that only subgroups of these people benefit from WBRT. If these subgroups could be identified, treatment could be better tailored to the individual and minimise unnecessary hospital visits for these terminally ill patients. This could also potentially benefit the oncology community by translating into reduced radiotherapy waiting times. This is a unique, international collaborative study which aims to enroll 1000 people over a 3 year period from the UK, Australia and Canada .The main research question in this study is: Do the overall disadvantages of WBRT for lung cancer sufferers outweigh the advantages? It will be comparing the overall combination of quality and duration of survival in a) people receiving steroids and optimal palliative care alone to b) people receiving steroids, optimal palliative care and WBRT. The secondary research aims are to compare the two treatment groups in terms of symptoms experienced by the person and treatment side effects.Read moreRead less
Effect Of Liver Pathophysiology On Hepatic Pharmacokinetics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$457,500.00
Summary
The liver is the main organ in the body for the metabolism and biliary excretion of natural and foreign solutes. Various liver diseases such as cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease, diet and drug induced fatty livers can affect the uptake and metabolism of drugs and their suitability- dosing needs. Some liver diseases such as fatty livers are very common but how rapidly drugs are metabolised in these patients is not well described. The work is important as it may help us better design new drugs an ....The liver is the main organ in the body for the metabolism and biliary excretion of natural and foreign solutes. Various liver diseases such as cirrhosis, alcoholic liver disease, diet and drug induced fatty livers can affect the uptake and metabolism of drugs and their suitability- dosing needs. Some liver diseases such as fatty livers are very common but how rapidly drugs are metabolised in these patients is not well described. The work is important as it may help us better design new drugs and better choose which drugs to give and, if so, in what doses. In addition, many liver diseases require a biopsy for a definite diagnosis of the likely function of the liver. Estimation of liver function is particularly important in estimating whether there will be sufficient reserve on resection of a cancer or deciding if a liver transplant is needed. The liver is also a very complex organ which can trap or breakdown solutes by a range of different systems. Also of importance is how those diseases affect drug disposition in the liver given that an altered hepatic drug disposition may affect systemic response to the drugs and their metabolites. This work seeks to answer these questions.Read moreRead less