(c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“BackgroundDecisions about adjuvant chemotherapy in older women with early stage breast cancer (EBC) are often challenging. Uncertainty about benefits due to limited data about treatment efficacy and outcomes complicates decision making. This qualitative study explored older patients’ experiences and preferences towards information giving and ultimate decisions about adjuvant chemotherapy.

MethodsClinicians

from 24 UK breast cancer teams reported on adjuvant chemotherapy decisions for women aged 70years with EBC from April 2010 to December 2011. Women who were offered chemotherapy were invited to participate in structured interviews. Self-reported quality of life (QoL) and functional ability were assessed. Qualitative methods were used to identify themes associated with information giving and decision making.

ResultsA total of 58/95 eligible women (61%) participated. Median age GW4869 datasheet was 73years (range 70-83). Mean total scores for QoL and functional ability were average. The majority of women preferred to make their treatment decisions collaboratively with a clinician (59%) or on their own (19%). The main reasons influencing decisions to accept chemotherapy were categorised as prevention of recurrence and clinician recommendation. Side effects, length of treatment, impact on QoL, low survival Pitavastatin molecular weight benefits and clinician

recommendation influenced decisions to decline chemotherapy. The majority (80%) were satisfied with information provision,

the communication with their clinician and explanation of treatment.

ConclusionsOlder women with EBC preferred to be involved in clinical decision making. Clinician recommendation plays a significant selleck products role in either accepting or declining chemotherapy. Well-informed decision making and effective communication between clinicians, older women and their family members are therefore important. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.”
“Immobilizing thiourea onto chitosan allowed using the polymer for the recovery of platinum groups metals (PGMs) in acidic solutions (up to 1-2M HCl concentrations). At low HCl concentration protonated amine groups may sorb chloroanionic metal species (electrostatic attraction mechanism); however, most of sorption proceeds through chelation on sulfur containing groups (less sensitive to acidic conditions). The bi-site Langmuir equation was used for fitting sorption isotherms. The sorption of PGMs was weakly affected by the composition of the solution (presence of high concentration of anions and base metals). Maximum sorption capacities for Pd(II) and Pt(IV) ranged between 274 and 330 mg g(-1) in 0.25M HCl solutions and decreased to 150-198 mg g(-1) in 2M HCl solutions: Pd(II) sorption was systematically higher than Pt(IV) sorption. The pseudo-second rate equation was used for modeling the uptake kinetics. Agitation speed hardly affected uptake kinetics indicating that external diffusion resistance is not the rate controlling step.