Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Mar 2017
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyFatigue during and after breast cancer therapy - A prospective study.
Chronic fatigue (CF) in breast cancer (BC) survivors is multifactorial and may be caused by immune activation triggered by BC or its treatment. In the Neoadjuvant Avastin in Breast Cancer study, BC patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (FEC100→taxane) ± bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody with fatigue as a potential side effect. ⋯ Neither bevacizumab treatment nor low-grade systemic inflammation as measured by CRP was associated with the increased fatigue levels and raised prevalence of CF, observed during and after BC therapy. Increased fatigue levels at baseline and psychological distress at T3 were associated with CF at T3.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Feb 2017
Randomized Controlled TrialDignity Therapy and Life Review for Palliative Care Patients: A Randomised Controlled Trial.
Dignity therapy (DT) is a psychotherapeutic intervention with increasing evidence of acceptability and utility in palliative care settings. ⋯ This study provides initial evidence that the specific process of legacy creation is able to positively affect sense of generativity, meaning, and acceptance near end of life. High acceptability and satisfaction rates for both DT and LR and positive impacts on families/carers of DT participants provide additional support for clinical utility of these interventions. Further evaluation of specific mechanisms of change post-intervention is required given DT's uncertain efficacy on other primary outcomes.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2017
Randomized Controlled TrialCoping in Patients with Incurable Lung and Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Validation Study of the Brief COPE.
Patients with incurable cancer engage in several coping styles to manage the impact of cancer and its treatment. The Brief COPE is a widely used measure intended to capture multiple and distinct types of coping. The Brief COPE has not been validated among patients with incurable cancer. ⋯ The selected subscales of the Brief COPE are appropriate measures of coping among individuals newly diagnosed with incurable lung and gastrointestinal cancers.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2017
Randomized Controlled TrialImpact of different exercise programs on severe fatigue in patients undergoing anticancer treatment - a randomized controlled trial.
Physical exercise can alleviate cancer-related fatigue. Randomized controlled trials in patients with advanced cancer are scarce. ⋯ Our results imply that tumor-patients' severe general fatigue can be reduced when patients conduct appropriate physical exercise. This study amends previous knowledge, as it describes the impact of outpatient physical exercise on fatigue in a heterogeneous patient cohort with various advanced cancer entities. Furthermore, this trial differentiates between patients with only a self-directed exercise program versus those receiving additional partially professional supervision.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2017
Randomized Controlled TrialImpact of Adding a Pictorial Display to Enhance Recall of Cancer Patient Histories: A Randomized Trial.
Current health care delivery models have increased the need for safe and concise patient handover. Handover interventions in the literature have focused on the use of structured tools but have not evaluated their ability to facilitate retention of patient information. ⋯ Most studies examining the institution of handover protocols in the health care setting have failed to harness the power of pictures and other representative images. This study demonstrates the ability of pictorial displays to improve both immediate and delayed recall of patient histories without increasing review time. These types of displays may be amenable to generation by software programs and have the potential to enhance information transfer in various settings.