title: [The concept of chronic disease in the palliative treatment of oncologic patients: current Swiss data and insights in the context of breast and ovarian cancer].
abstract: In the last years, incurable oncologic diseases have become increasingly viewed as chronic disease processes. In order to evaluate the treatment course of a chronic disease and to demonstrate whether the concept of a palliative oncologic situation as a chronic disease can be translated into practice, it is essential to give an overview of the entire course of the disease (i.e. from the first diagnosis of recurrence/metastases to death). There are only few reports regarding this approach in the international literature. We present Swiss long-term data (1990-2007) for breast and ovarian cancer and demonstrate drawbacks and opportunities of an exact retrospective data collection and analysis. When an incurable disease which requires periodic therapy cycles to control progressive course and symptoms is increasingly treated with a strategy that permits stabilization and uses regimens that have limited cumulative toxicity with particular consideration of quality of life, then the requirements of a chronic disease management have been fulfilled.
authors.affiliation: Frauenklinik, Universitätsspital Basel. ugueth@uhbs.ch
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Güth
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmid
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013557:Switzerland
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents