Purpose: This study was to identify the impact of symptom clusters on the quality of life in lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: Data were collected from 154 lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at two tertiary hospitals located in Daegu and Seoul, Korea. The data were analyzed using factor analysis, multiple regression analysis. Results: The most frequently reported symptoms included ‘can’t enjoy life,’ ‘not satisfied with quality of life right now,’ ‘short of breath,’ and ‘fatigue.’ The symptoms that inconveniences patients the most are ‘can’t enjoy life,’ ‘difficulty breathing’, and ‘not satisfied with quality of life right now.’ The quality of life score was 82.58 (0~132). Factor analysis showed that four distinct symptom clusters were identified: fatigueconcern-dissatisfaction of life cluster, dyspnea-weight loss cluster, nausea-anorexia cluster, and treatment side effect cluster. The finding supported the existence of the symptom cluster and Karnofsky Performance Status affected the quality of life of lung cancer patients. The fatigue-concern-dissatisfaction of life cluster showed 56% of explanatory power. Conclusion Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to manage the characteristics of each lung cancer patient’s symptoms cluster and to develop a strategy that can improve the quality of life.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to test whether sleep disturbance mediates the effect of pain on fatigue, whether fatigue mediates the effect of pain on depression, and whether fatigue mediates the effect of sleep disturbance on depression. METHODS: This study was conducted from September 12th to December 20th, 2011. One hundred eighty-eight breast cancer patients were recruited from D city and S city in Korea. The instruments used in this study were the pain, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and depression scales. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and mediation pathway with the SPSS 12.0 and AMOS 20.0 programs. RESULTS: There was correlation among pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and depression. Mediation analyses indicated that pain influences fatigue. sleep disturbance, and depression directly as well as indirectly. Sleep disturbance influences fatigue and depression directly, also fatigue influences depression directly. But sleep disturbance had no direct effect on depression. CONCLUSION: Significant correlations among the four symptoms supported the existence of the symptom cluster. Effects of pain on fatigue was partially mediated by sleep disturbance, also effects of pain on depression was partially mediated by fatigue. However, the effects of sleep disturbance on depression was fully mediated by fatigue.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Cluster Analysis* ; Depression ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Korea ; Negotiating* ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of hospice unit practice education on spiritual well-being, attitude to death, and hospice awareness of nursing students. METHODS: This study used a one group pre-posttest research design. The participants were 29 nursing students attending D university located in Y City. All students participated in 2 weeks of hospice unit practice education. The hospice unit practice education program consisted of 90 hours. Data collection was performed from March 2 to April 30, 2015. 2 weeks. The data were analyzed using frequency, and paired t-tests, with the SPSS 21.0 program. RESULTS: The results of this study were as followings; the score of existential well-being, attitude to death, necessary of pain and symptom control were significantly increased after hospice unit practice education. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, hospice unit practice education is effective for improving spiritual well-being, attitude to death, and hospice awareness of nursing students. These results provide basic data to develop future nursing practice curriculum.
Attitude to Death* ; Curriculum ; Data Collection ; Education* ; Hospices* ; Humans ; Nursing* ; Research Design ; Students, Nursing*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test hypothetical model of quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer survivors and to test the mediating effects of cognitive dysfunction. METHODS: This study was conducted from December 1st, 2013 to February 28th, 2014. 164 breast cancer survivors were recruited from A, D, and Y city in Korea. The instruments used in this study were climacteric symptoms, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and the QOL scales. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and pathway. RESULTS: Cognitive dysfunction was directly affected by climacteric symptoms and fatigue. QOL was directly affected by fatigue, However climacteric symptoms and cognitive dysfunction did not effect on QOL directly. Impact of climacteric symptoms on QOL, mediating effect of cognitive dysfunction was not confirmed. In addition, effect of fatigue on the QOL, the mediating effect of cognitive dysfunction was not. CONCLUSIONS: Effects of climacteric symptoms on QOL was not mediated by cognitive dysfunction, Furthermore effects of fatigue on QOL was not mediated by cognitive dysfunction.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Climacteric* ; Fatigue* ; Humans ; Korea ; Negotiating* ; Quality of Life* ; Survivors* ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess pain, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and the quality of life and to identify the impact of pain, sleep disturbance and fatigue on the quality of life in patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing chemotherapy. METHODS: Data were collected from June to July, 2010. Participants were recruited from Y university hospital in Seoul. Research instruments included numeric rating scale for pain, Functional Assessment Chronic Illness Therapy-Functional Well-Being (FACIT-FWB): General Factor 5 (GF5) for sleep disturbance, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) for quality of life, and FACT-Fatigue for fatigue. RESULTS: The quality of life for cancer patients had a significant relationship with pain, sleep disturbance, and fatigue. The significant factors influencing quality of life were pain, sleep disturbance, and fatigue that explained 52.6% of the variance. CONCLUSION: Patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing chemotherapy experienced pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance which led to a negative effect on quality of life. The results suggest that intervention program to improve quality of life could reduce pain, fatigue, and sleep disturbance of pancreatic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
Chronic Disease ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Quality of Life ; Sleep Wake Disorders

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify the impact of fatigue, pain, anxiety and depression on the quality of life (QOL) among breast cancer patients. METHODS: This study was conducted from July 12th to July 20th, 2010. One hundred and fifty breast cancer patients were recruited from D city in Korea. The instruments used in this study were the fatigue, pain, anxiety, depression and the quality of life scales for patients with breast cancer. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression with the SPSS/WIN 12.0 program. RESULTS: The quality of life for cancer patients showed a significant relationship with fatigue, pain, anxiety and depression. The significant factors influencing quality of life were fatigue, pain, anxiety and depression that explained 65.6% of the variance. CONCLUSION: Patients with breast cancer experienced fatigue, pain, anxiety and depression which led to a negative effect on quality of life. The results suggest that intervention programs to reduce fatigue, pain, anxiety and depression could improve the quality of life for breast cancer patients.
Anxiety ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Depression ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Korea ; Quality of Life ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between fatigue and quality of life (QOL) of Korean cancer inpatients. METHODS: The data were collected from May to August 2007. Study subjects were recruited at D, Y and A university hospitals in Daegu and Kyungpook, Korea. The research instruments utilized in this study were fatigue (FACT-F) and quality of life (FACT-G) in Korean version 4. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation using SPSS Win 12.0 program. RESULTS: Fatigue of subjects showed a significant difference according to the type of treatment, change in weight, performance status, exercise, and sleep. The QOL of subjects showed a significant difference according to the purpose of treatment, change in weight, performance status, exercise, and sleep. The mean score of fatigue was 22.48 and the mean score of QOL was 55.52. The fatigue was negatively related to QOL, physical well-being, emotional well-being, and functional well-being. CONCLUSION: The results suggest the needs for intervention in order to reduce fatigue and to improve QOL of cancer inpatients.
Fatigue ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Korea ; Quality of Life

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of the process of the change in cognitive function for women treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer. METHODS: There were ten participants in total in this study. Data were gathered utilizing in-depth interviews over 3 times from September 2010 to January 2011. Data were analyzed by employing Strauss and Corbin's (1998) grounded theory methodology. RESULTS: Findings indicate that causal conditions of these results were 'side effects of chemotherapy' and 'menopausal state', including contextual conditions as, 'mental fatigue' and 'anxiety about recurrence'. The core category was identified as 'confronting with unexpected chaos'. Intervening conditions were 'support from other people', 'lack of information on cognitive impairment'. Interaction strategies were 'changing the habit of life', 'making efforts for living life' and 'seeking for medical information'. Consequences of the process were 'physical restriction', 'difficulty in social life', 'disturbed working ability' and 'psychological distress'. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that nurses should recognize there is a notable difference between individual patient's contextual conditions and interactive strategies. Furthermore educational information and individualized intervention should be provided to improve cognitive function for women with breast cancer.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cognition ; Female ; Humans

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the trend of cognitive developmental interventions on patients with breast cancer who underwent chemotherapy. METHODS: The researcher searched databases and selected 17 literatures using chemotherapy, breast cancer, cognitive function and intervention as searching key words. Searched databases included Ovid, Pubmed, Proquest and Medline and data collection period was from January 2000 to May 2010. RESULTS: Interventions for patients with breast cancer have been continuously developed and frequent research topics included breast cancer, chemotherapy, quality of life, and cognitive function. In terms of study design, four research articles were pre-experimental study designs, one was case study, and the rest of studies were nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design. Effects of intervention were examined in only 5 studies among 17. The interventions were not found to have direct effects in cognitive improvement. CONCLUSION: It is needed to figure out the mechanism of cognitive deterioration of the patients with breast cancer who underwent chemotherapy. And nursing interventions needs to be developed in order to hold up the cognitive downhill and help their cognitive rehabilitation.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cognition ; Data Collection ; Humans ; Clinical Trial ; Quality of Life

PURPOSE: This study analyzed recent trends of instrument usage assessing cognitive function of breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. METHODS: The researcher collected 64 studies outside the country that were published between January 1996 and August 2010. RESULTS: There was no study on the instrument assessing all domains of cognitive function in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Most instruments assessing cognitive function of breast cancer patients have been used for patients with dementia, depression, and/or organic brain damage. Also the objective neuropsychological tests such as the grooved pegboard for the psychomotor area, RCFT copy in visuospatial skill area and the WAIS-III block design have low sensitivity for measuring cognitive function in breast cancer patients, thus they are not good for applying to breast cancer patients. CONCLUSION: There is a need to develop an instrument which has good sensitivity and specificity for measuring the cognitive function of the breast cancer patients who experienced cognitive impairment after chemotherapy treatment. In addition, the developed instrument needs to be accessible and feasible in any nursing clinical setting for the purpose of accurate assessment and evaluation of the cognitive function among breast cancer patients.
Brain ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Coat Protein Complex I ; Cognition ; Dementia ; Depression ; Humans ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Sensitivity and Specificity