PURPOSE: Posttraumatic growth (PTG) is defined as 'positive psychological change experienced as a result of a struggle with highly challenging life circumstances'. The purpose of this study was to identify the level of PTG and its correlates in Korean patients with breast cancer. METHODS: A sample of 120 participants was recruited from outpatients, who had successfully completed primary treatment of breast cancer at a university hospital., Data were collected from June to December, 2014 using Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, lllness Intrusiveness Rating Scale, Cancer Coping Questionnaire, Revised Life Orientation Test and The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. RESULTS: Total score for the PTG was 79.18±17.54 in patients surviving breast cancer. Bivariate analyses indicated that PTG was positively associated with having a religion, perceived social support, greater optimism, cancer coping, and illness intrusiveness. Results of the regression analysis showed that cancer coping (β=.29, p=.001), optimism (β=0.28, p=.001) and illness intrusiveness (β=0.17, p=.037) were statistically significant in patients' PTG. CONCLUSION: The research findings show that the variables of cancer coping, optimism and illness intrusiveness significantly explain PTG and these psychological variables can be used to provide improvement in PTG for patients with breast cancer
Adaptation, Psychological ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Humans ; Optimism ; Outpatients ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Survivors*

PURPOSE: This study was to describe the relationship between optimism and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in breast cancer patients. METHODS: The data were collected by self-administered questionnaires from March 5 to April 24, 2012. The participants included 204 breast cancer patients at K university hospital in D city. The utilized measurements were Life Orientation Test-revised (LOT-R) and Impact of Event Scale (IES). RESULTS: The mean scores of optimism and PTSD were 21.61+/-3.54 and 30.18+/-10.43, respectively. There were significant differences in the score of optimism by monthly income, engaging in a hobby, perceived level of stress management, need to manage stress, and people thought to be helpful in stress management. There were significant differences in the score of PTSD by engaging in a hobby, recurrence of cancer, the number of hospitalization, perceived level of stress management, need to manage stress, and people thought to be helpful in stress management. There was a negative correlation between optimism and PTSD. CONCLUSION: To relieve post-traumatic stress in breast cancer patients, nurses should provide ongoing psychological stress assessment from the beginning of the diagnostic stage and offer proper nursing intervention to improve optimism in dealing with their stress.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Hobbies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Nursing ; Recurrence ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* ; Stress, Psychological ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify relationships of resilience, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD), and quality of life of breast cancer patients. The findings from this study would provide baseline data needed for nursing intervention. METHODS: A sample of 129 breast cancer patients was recruited from three hospitals in J and C cities in Korea. The survey was conducted with participants by utilizing self-reported questionnaires. RESULTS: Quality of life showed statistically significant differences on religion (t=2.11, p=.033) and hobby (t=2.79, p=.006). Resilience and PTSD had a negative correlation (r=-.22, p=.010). Resilience and quality of life of the participants had a positive correlation (r=.58, p<.001), whereas PTSD and quality of life had a negative correlation (r=-.45, p<.001). Significant predictors of quality of life were resilience and PTSD. These variables explained 44.9% of the variance in quality of life. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that as resilience of breast cancer patients rose higher and PTSD got lower, their quality of life increased. Based on these results, nursing interventions directed towards improving resilience and relieving PTSD is proposed.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Hobbies ; Humans ; Korea ; Nursing ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic*

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine how patients' coping style and social support affect post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in breast cancer patients who are treated with chemotherapy. METHODS: The sample consisted of 134 outpatients who received breast cancer treatments at the cancer clinic of a university hospital. The collected data were analyzed by frequency, percentage, t-test, ANOVA, chi2-test, Pearson correlation coefficients using SPSS for Windows, version 18.0. RESULTS: Among total, 26.9% of patients were classified into a high-risk PTSD group. In the high-risk group, a positive correlation was found between active and passive coping styles and between social support and active coping styles. CONCLUSION: In this study, the stronger the social support was, the more active the coping style was for high-risk PTSD patients with breast cancer. Considering the fact that cancer requires life-long self-management, strong social support could improve patients' healthcare capability. Furthermore, solid social support could effectively reduce the stress level and improve the quality of life for breast cancer patients in the high-risk PTSD group.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Breast Neoplasms* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Drug Therapy* ; Humans ; Outpatients ; Quality of Life ; Self Care ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic*

We describe here a case of traumatic neuroma that developed in the pancreas head as a rare complication of pancreatic surgery for pseudocyst. A 50-year-old man presented with septic shock. The patient was a heavy drinker with history of operation for pancreatic pseudocyst 28 years ago. On the radiologic examinations, a poorly defined mass-like lesion was found in the uncinate process of pancreas, and it had features of chronic pancreatitis and a stricture of the distal common bile duct. Whipple's operation was performed due to the diagnosis of suspected pancreas head cancer. The pancreas revealed an ill-demarcated 4 cm sized firm mass with grayish white fibrotic cut surface in the head portion. On the microscopic examination, the mass was composed of haphazard proliferations of nerve fascicles in a fibrocollagenous matrix and this case was diagnosed as traumatic neuroma. Although traumatic neruoma is a rare cause of a pancreatic mass, it should be included as a differential diagnosis of pancreatic mass in patients with a history of pancreatic surgery.
Common Bile Duct ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Head* ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Post-Traumatic ; Neuroma* ; Pancreas* ; Pancreatic Pseudocyst ; Pancreatitis, Chronic ; Shock, Septic

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of spiritual well-being, self-esteem, and perceived social support on post-traumatic growth in breast cancer survivors in Korea. METHODS: Data were collected from March 2 to October 31, 2016 using self-reporting questionnaires from 126 breast cancer survivors who had visited out-patient clinics for follow-up in B city. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression. RESULTS: Post-traumatic growth was significantly correlated with spiritual well-being (r=.52, p < .001), self-esteem (r=.54, p < .001), and perceived social support (r=.47, p < .001). In a stepwise multiple regression, spiritual well-being (β=.26, p < .001), self-esteem (β=.23, p < .001), perceived social support (β=.21, p < .001), and presence of spouse (β=.20, p < .001) were associated with posttraumatic growth. These factors attributed to 37.0% of the total variance in post-traumatic growth in breast cancer survivors. CONCLUSION: Considering the results of this study, it is necessary to develop and implement effective nursing strategies that can improve spiritual well-being, and to develop a holistic nursing intervention that takes into account self-esteem, perceived social support, and spousal help, when applicable, in order to promote post-traumatic growth in breast cancer survivors in Korea.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Holistic Nursing ; Humans ; Korea ; Nursing ; Outpatients ; Self Concept ; Spirituality ; Spouses ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; Survivors*

Traumatic neuroma is a well-known disorder that occurs after trauma or surgery involving the peripheral nerve and develops from a nonneoplastic proliferation of the proximal end of a severed, partially transected, or injured nerve. We present a case of traumatic neuroma around the celiac trunk after gastrectomy in a 56-year-old man, which was confirmed by pathology. CT demonstrated the presence of a lobulated, homogeneous, hypoattenuating mass around the celiac trunk, mimicking a nodal metastasis.
Celiac Plexus/*pathology/surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Gastrectomy ; Gastric Bypass ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Post-Traumatic/*diagnosis/surgery ; Neuroma/*diagnosis/surgery ; Peripheral Nervous System Neoplasms/*diagnosis/surgery ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

No abstract available.
Humans ; Liver Diseases/epidemiology ; Mental Disorders/epidemiology ; Neoplasms/epidemiology ; Occupational Diseases/*epidemiology ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/epidemiology ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Respiratory Tract Diseases/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology ; *Workers' Compensation