Cancer nursing
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Recent evidence suggests that women who receive treatment for breast cancer may experience multiple symptoms that decrease their functional status and quality of life. Few studies evaluated the occurrence, severity, and distress of multiple symptoms in women at the initiation of radiation therapy (RT) for breast cancer. ⋯ Findings suggest that clinicians need to use a multidimensional symptom assessment tool in women with breast cancer at the initiation of RT.
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A basic tenet of palliative care is to maintain an individual's control over the dying process. However, when decline occurs quickly, as may be the case in advanced cancer, transition of responsibility for illness management to a family caregiver may become necessary when care takes place in the home. ⋯ Palliative care education for nurses in all care health settings may ease transitions for end-stage patients. Health promotion initiatives designed to educate the lay public about advance directives and end-stage illness management in a home setting may help to prepare family caregivers for their future responsibilities.