A longitudinal study of psychosocial distress in breast cancer: Prevalence and risk factors

This longitudinal study was conducted among 102 women with non-metastasic breast cancer to identify the time evolution and prevalence of distress at specific times through diagnosis and treatment of disease: preliminary diagnosis, surgery, definitive diagnosis and chemotherapy. Additionally, the study aimed to examine the role of demographic, medical and psychosocial factors on distress. The results indicated that prevalence of distress was higher at initial diagnosis (25%) than the following time points (approximately 17%). The differences inter-individuals in the levels of distress were observed over the four assessments. No relation between distress and demographic and medical factors was found. However, psychosocial aspects were significant risk factors. Patterns of emotional suppression and specific coping responses like helplessness/hopelessness, anxious preoccupation, cognitive avoidance and fatalism were positively related to distress, whereas fighting spirit and perceived social support showed a protective role. Moreover, helplessness/hopelessness and anxious preoccupation jointly predicted 75% of cases and 98% non-cases of distress. Finally, a mediational model between emotional suppression and distress through helplessness/hopelessness was tested. Results support the necessity of routine distress screening all through the illness. Implications of data for psychosocial interventions with breast cancer patients are highlighted.     

Psychological intervention with couples coping with breast cancer: A systematic review

Objective: Information about psychological intervention with couples coping with breast cancer is not well-disseminated. This can be explained, at least in part, by the absence of knowledge about the efficacy of this kind of intervention. The aim of the present systematic review is to identify and describe psychological interventions for couples coping with breast cancer and evaluate their efficacy.

Design: Studies identified by a searching multiple literature databases related to health and psychology between 1975 and 2013. Rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria were utilised.

Results: Of 129 abstracts, 13 were extracted for further analysis and a final ten studies were deemed eligible for inclusion. Data were extracted from each study regarding study sample characteristics, design, results and methodological limitations. The results obtained were mixed in regard to efficacy, although the overwhelming majority of studies (eight studies) found benefits for both women and their partners in some dimensions, such as quality of life, psychological distress, relationship functioning and physical symptoms associated with cancer.

Conclusion: Psychological interventions for couples coping with breast cancer appear to be effective for both women and their partners. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of couple-based interventions and, to identify for whom and how they are more effective.     

Do stigma and its psychosocial impact differ between Asian-born Chinese immigrants and Western-born Caucasians with head and neck cancer?

Stigma appears to influence emotional distress and well-being in cancer survivors, but cross-cultural differences have been ignored. Previous studies suggest that stigma may be especially relevant for survivors of Asian origin. However, their study designs (e.g. focused on female cancers, qualitative designs, and an absence of comparison groups) limit the strength of this conclusion. We hypothesized that (1) Asian-born Chinese immigrants (AI) would report more perceived cancer-related stigma than Western-born Caucasians (WBC); and (2) the impact of stigma on emotional distress and well-being would be greater in AI as compared to WBC. Head and neck cancer survivors (n = 118 AI and n = 404 WBC) completed measures of well-being, emotional distress, and a three-item indicator of stigma in structured interviews. The majority of respondents (59%) reported one or more indicators of stigma. Stigma correlated significantly with emotional distress (r = .13, p = .004) and well-being (r = ?.09, p = .032). Contrary to our hypotheses, WBCs and AIs did not differ in reported stigma nor did we detect differences in its psychosocial impact. Stigma exerts a deleterious psychosocial impact on head and neck cancer survivors. It did not differ significantly between AI and WBC survivors.     

对保乳手术及预防性乳腺切除术的思考

鉴于对乳腺癌是全身性疾病的认识,为提高术后生存质量,目前乳腺癌治疗中保乳手术日益受到重视.而为了阻断高危险性的乳腺向乳腺癌发展,预防性乳房切除术也正在被患者接受.保留乳腺与预防性切除乳腺的医学实践反映了目前人们对乳腺癌的深层认识,值得深入思考.     

结直肠癌相关肿瘤标志物的最新研究进展

结直肠癌是最常见的恶性肿瘤之一。其起病隐匿、病死率较高,治疗成功的关键在于早期发现、早期诊断,结直肠癌相关肿瘤标志物曾为此做出了贡献。近年又发现了许多新的结直肠癌相关肿瘤标志物,其中有的已进入临床应用,还将有更多标志物为结直肠癌的早期诊断、疗效观察、预后判断和复发监测提供新思路和新方法。     

复发转移性乳腺癌患者血浆VEGF水平的临床价值研究

探讨血浆血管内皮生长因子（P-VEGF）在乳腺癌术后复发转移患者中的表达情况及临床意义。采用酶联免疫吸附试验检测50例术后复发转移性乳腺癌患者及20例乳腺良性疾病对照组的P-VEGF含量,同期采用微粒子化学发光法检测术后复发转移性乳腺癌患者血清CEA和CA15-3的表达情况,进行对比研究。结论认为转移肿瘤细胞可产生大量...     

电视胸腔镜下肺癌切除术应用体会

电视胸腔镜手术被视为20世纪末期胸外科界革命性的一大突破,是微创胸腔外科应用范围最为广阔的胸腔镜手术。其中,腔镜下治疗非小细胞肺癌的肺叶切除术是胸外科微创的代表性手术,其创伤小、恢复快、并发症发生率低等优点日益明显。尽管胸腔镜肺癌切除的安全性及有效性得到普遍认可,而且胸腔镜手术治疗早期肺癌患者也取得了良好的效果,但目前...     

转化医学与肿瘤诊治

转化医学是促进基础研究成果向临床应用转化和根据临床医学的需求从事应用基础研究的桥梁。本文以转化医学在肿瘤防治研究的实例,分析转化医学的意义,以期为使大家重视转化医学,提高肿瘤诊治水平。     

‘What made me unhappy’. Experiences of,and responses to,lifestyle changes in breast cancer patients

Sixteen breast cancer patients were interviewed about any lifestyle changes they had experienced and their reactions to those changes. Data were collected and analysed via content analysis and then summary tabulations of patient responses until replication of responses was verified across patients. Results indicated that most patients suffered a reduction in recreation activities, unpleasant physical side effects from treatment and loss of feminine appearance characteristics, all of which were seen as decreases in previously available and valuable sources of social support and self-esteem. In response to these losses, patients reported a common coping strategy of avoidance or escape similar to some depressive symptomatology. Implications for counsellors are discussed.     

癌症患者健康赋权能力的研究现状

追溯赋权的起源及其概念的演变,全面研究健康赋权的内涵及其对癌症患者的重要性。通过总结癌症患者健康赋权的测评工具、相关影响因素、促进健康赋权策略三个方面,了解国内外癌症患者健康赋权研究与实施的关键点与未来挑战,以期为探索适合我国癌症患者健康赋权的专科评估、干预模式构建和护理实践提供依据,以提高患者对健康相关知识的掌握,促使患者与医务人员共同规划、设计医疗保健行为,并最终实现以患者为中心的医疗服务理念,促进医疗系统的可持续发展。