PURPOSE: This study was to determine the effects of abdominal breathing training using biofeedback on stress, immune response, and quality of life. METHOD: The study design was a nonequivalent control group pretest- posttest, quasi-experimental design. Twenty-five breast cancer patients who had completed adjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled. The experimental group(n=12) was provided with abdominal breathing training using biofeedback once a week for 4 weeks. State anxiety, cancer physical symptoms, serum cortisol, T cell subsets(T3, T4, T8), NK cell and quality of life were measured both before and after the intervention. RESULT: Though state anxiety, cancer physical symptoms, and serum cortisol were reduced after 4 weeks of abdominal breathing training using biofeedback, there was no statistical significance. It showed, however, improvement in quality of life (p=.02), and T3(p=.04). CONCLUSION: Abdominal breathing training using biofeedback improves quality of life in breast cancer patients after a mastectomy. However, the mechanism of this beneficial effect and stress response requires further investigation with special consideration in subject selection and frequency of measurement. Nurses should consider this strategy as a standard nursing intervention for people living with cancer.
*T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; Stress, Psychological/psychology/therapy ; *Quality of Life ; Middle Aged ; Mastectomy/*psychology/rehabilitation ; Hydrocortisone/blood ; Humans ; Female ; *Breathing Exercises ; Breast Neoplasms/immunology/*psychology/surgery ; *Biofeedback (Psychology) ; Adult

Psychiatric management of patients with breast cancer, as well as women's emotional reactions to all phases of breast cancer, were reviewed. These patients face two major losses; one is the physical loss of part of the body and a threat to life, and the other is the loss of femininity. The patients are also likely to suffer from various psychiatric problems including anxiety and depression. Oncologists should be alert to each patient's emotional reactions and potential psychiatric problems, and if necessary, should refer them to a psychiatrist. A combination of psychotherapeutic, behavioural, and pharmacologic techniques is available for the care of patients with breast cancer. Psychotherapeutic modalities include individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and self-help treatment. The author divided individual therapy into general and specific treatment. General treatment deals with a crisis-intervention and cognitive-behavioral approach, whereas specific treatment deals with issues relevant to patients with breast cancer. Some of the therapeutic processes were illustrated in a case report. These guidelines will contribute to the relief and prevention of emotional suffering stemming from an encounter with the most common form of cancer in women. Also, proper and effective care for patients with breast cancer requires combined use of a variety of therapeutic modalities as well as a multi-disciplinary approach including psychiatric care.
Breast Neoplasms/therapy ; Breast Neoplasms/psychology* ; Family ; Female ; Human ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/psychology ; Patient Education ; Psychotherapy, Group ; Self-Help Groups

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine effects of the Permission, Limited Information, Specific Suggestions, Intensive Therapy (PLISSIT) model sexual health enhancement program on, and development in, sexual function, sexual distress, marital intimacy, and subjective happiness of women with gynecologic cancer and their husbands. METHODS: The comprehensive program (4 session, 90 minutes per session) was developed based on the PLISSIT model. Participants were 43 couples, 21 assigned to the experimental group who attended the 4-week program, and 22 to the control group. Sexual function, sexual distress, marital intimacy, subjective happiness of the women, marital intimacy, subjective happiness of husbands were determined by a questionnaire that was completed by the participants before and after the program. The control group received the intervention post experiment. Chi-square test, t-test, Fisher's exact test were used to test the effectiveness of the program. RESULTS: Post intervention results showed significant differences between the groups for sexual function, sexual distress, and marital intimacy in the women and for subjective happiness in the husbands. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that the sexual health enhancement program is effective in improving sexual function, lowering sexual distress, increasing marital intimacy, and subjective happiness in women with gynecologic cancer and their husbands.
Adult ; Cognition ; Couples Therapy ; Emotions ; Female ; Genital Neoplasms, Female/*psychology ; Happiness ; Humans ; Marital Therapy ; Middle Aged ; *Program Evaluation ; Sexual Behavior ; Spouses/*psychology ; Women/*psychology

Combined Modality Therapy ; Disease Progression ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Physicians ; psychology

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVESkeletal metastase is one of the most common complications related to advanced cancer. The aim of this study is to analyze the effectiveness and safety of radiotherapy plus intravenous bisphosphonates versus radiotherapy alone for treating bone metastasis.

METHODSWe searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, CBM, CNKI and VIP, as well as the reference lists of reports and reviews. The quality of included trials was evaluated by the Cochrane Handbook. Data were extracted and evaluated by two reviewers independently. The Cochrane Collaboration's Rev-Man 5.0 was used for data analysis.

RESULTSTwenty-two trials involving 1 585 patients were included. Compared with radiotherapy alone, radiotherapy plus intravenous bisphosphonates was more effective in total effective rate of pain relive (RR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.13-1.30, P < 0.001), average abated time (WMD = 16.00, 95% CI: 10.12-21.88, P < 0.001), and quality of life (RR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.08-1.45, P = 0.003, with significant differences. Side effects have no significant differences between the two groups except fever (RR = 5.61, 95% CI: 3.11-10.13, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONCurrent evidence supports more effective of radiotherapy plus intravenous bisphosphonates for bone metastases. The combine treatment is safe and effective.

Bone Neoplasms ; psychology ; secondary ; therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Diphosphonates ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Quality of Life

Music therapy is an integrative oncology practice that has been rapidly emerging, over the past two decades, as a field of its own, clinically and academically. The randomized controlled trials that evaluate the clinical impact of music therapy are growing in number, and at the same time, there has been progress in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms that underly the beneficial effects of music therapy. Cultural background and autobiographical memories may uniquely influence music perception and cognition. It is vital to personalize music therapy because music preferences are unique; one size does not fit all. Cognitive music science studies and clinical music therapy trials that study individualized music choices will serve as a vital step forward in providing patient-directed personalized integrative cancer care. The field of music therapy is advancing, and its ability to improve a patient's quality of life can be understood only through robust, personalized, evidence-based initiatives that focus on research, advocacy, education, and delivery of care.
Humans ; Integrative Oncology ; Music/psychology* ; Music Therapy ; Neoplasms/therapy* ; Quality of Life

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and preliminarily evaluate the reliability and validity of the Symptom-Management Self-Efficacy ScaleeBreast Cancer (SMSES-BC) related to chemotherapy. METHODS: The study included three stages. This paper presents the results of stage 2 and stage 3. In total, 34 items in the SMSES-BC were found during stage 1 from qualitative findings, a literature review, and expert suggestions; the 34 items were used for the psychometric properties test. Test-retest reliability and Cronbach alpha were assessed in the first sample, which included 45 participants for the pilot test (stage 2). The second sample, which included 152 patients, was used to assess the construct validity and concurrent validity (stage 3). RESULTS: The pilot test results revealed a test-retest reliability of .73 (p < .001) and Cronbach alpha coefficient of .96 for the total scale. Three factors (managing chemotherapy-related symptoms, acquiring problem solving, and managing emotional and interpersonal disturbances) were identified from exploratory factor analysis. Correlation coefficient r was .40 (p < .001), which supported the association between SMSES-BC and the General Self-Efficacy Scale for concurrent validity. CONCLUSIONS: The study results demonstrate acceptable reliability and validity for the SMSES-BC that was developed for measuring symptom-management self-efficacy related to chemotherapy for patients with breast cancer. This study suggests further research to validate the construct of the SMSES-BC.
Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents/*therapeutic use ; Breast Neoplasms/*drug therapy/*psychology ; Drug Therapy/*psychology ; Factor Analysis, Statistical ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Patients/*psychology ; Pilot Projects ; Psychometrics ; Reproducibility of Results ; Self Care/*psychology ; Self Efficacy ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Taiwan

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of psychosocial interventions on pain in cancer patients. METHODS: Eight studies published between 1980 and 2012 in Korean and ten studies published between 2002 and 2012 in English met the inclusion criteria with a total of 1539 participants. Methodological quality assessed by Cochrane's Risk of Bias for randomized studies and Risk of Bias Assessment tool for non randomized studies. The data were analyzed by the RevMan 5.2 program of Cochrane library. RESULTS: Overall, study quality was moderate to high. Effect sizes were heterogeneous and subgroup analysis was done. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) were effective for pain (ES= -0.35; 95% CI= -0.56, -0.13). Pain education studies measured with NRS and VAS were effective for pain (ES= -0.77; 95% CI= -1.01, -0.52). Publication bias was not detected. CONCLUSION: This study support the use of psychosocial interventions administered to cancer patients for their pain management. However, more well-designed studies are needed.
Clinical Trials as Topic ; Cognitive Therapy ; Databases, Factual ; Humans ; Neoplasms/*complications/*psychology ; Pain/*etiology ; *Pain Management ; Questionnaires

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine stress, coping, and immune response effects of a psychosocial intervention program based on the PNI model and Stress-Appraisal-Coping for Korean patients with breast cancer. METHODS: A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. The participants who had survived breast cancer and lived in Wonju city and the surrounding area were assigned to an intervention group (N=21) or a control group(N=18).We conducted a 12-week intervention, 2 hours a day weekly, and measured the variables at baseline, six and twelve weeks later. Dependent variables are: stress, anxiety-depression and anger, and immune response. RESULTS: Patients in the psychosocial intervention program reported significantly less stress perception (U=31.500, p=.023), more problem solving ability and less problem avoidance in coping (U=20.500, p= .013; U=29.500, p=.040), and less anxiety-depression (U=22.000, p=.023). No difference, however, was found in anger and immune responses between the two groups. Intervention effects were evident at week 6 and 12 for anxiety-depression, and at week 6 for problem avoidance in coping, the same time that NK cell counts and the T8 decreased. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested positive effects of a psychosocial intervention program. However, the results are inconclusive due to the small sample.
Stress, Psychological/etiology/*therapy ; *Social Support ; Middle Aged ; Humans ; Female ; Breast Neoplasms/*psychology ; Adult ; *Adaptation, Psychological

INTRODUCTIONWith intensive chemotherapy and increased survival, quality of life in our paediatric population is of increasing concern. The aim of this study was to assess the children's quality of life during the treatment process.

MATERIALS AND METHODSPatients between the ages of 7 and 18 years old who are undergoing cancer treatment in the Division of Paediatric Haematology-Oncology, Department of Paediatrics, National University Health System, were identified. The child self-reported his/her health-related quality of life (HRQOL) using the PedsQL Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory and Cancer module as a validated assessment tool.

RESULTSThirty-two patients were enrolled over a 3-week period in November 2007. The median age was 11 years (range, 7 to 17). There was 1 non-responder (3%). Fourteen (45%) boys and 17 (55%) girls were interviewed. There were 8 (26%) and 23 (74%) patients with solid and haematologic malignancies, respectively. For the Cognitive Problem Dimension score, 86% of patients with haematologic malignancy and 50% of those with solid malignancy scored below the 75th percentile (82), [OR 0.72 (0.01-0.8), P = 0.03]. For the Physical Health Summary score, patients with solid malignancy scored worse, 25% below the 10th percentile, as compared to 4.3% of patients with haematologic malignancy. This is reflected by a worse Pain and Hurt Dimension score for patients with solid malignancy. For the Perceived Appearance Dimension score, patients with solid malignancy (75%) scored lower than the median score (67) compared to those with haematologic malignancy (44%).

CONCLUSIONSThe domains of HRQOL are affected to different extents for the patients with solid and those with haematologic malignancy. This is most likely to be due to the differences in treatment strategies and clinical course. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the effects of treatment on HRQOL and take practical steps to address these issues.

Adolescent ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Neoplasms ; psychology ; therapy ; Quality of Life ; Singapore