Psycho-oncology
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Controlled Clinical Trial
The influence of priming and pre-existing knowledge of chemotherapy-associated cognitive complaints on the reporting of such complaints in breast cancer patients.
Many cancer patients report cognitive changes following chemotherapy. In social psychology, there is ample evidence that psychological and physical complaints can increase with increased accessibility of relevant schemata. The accessibility of related concepts in memory may be facilitated through priming or by pre-existing knowledge, resulting in an increase of reported complaints. We examined whether pre-existing knowledge of chemotherapy-associated cognitive problems and priming the 'chemo-brain' schema increase the reporting of cognitive complaints. ⋯ Our study shows that facilitating the accessibility of concepts related to chemotherapy-associated cognitive complaints directly increases the reporting of such complaints, in particular in patients without firsthand chemotherapy experience. This increase in prevalence of cognitive complaints following a chronically or temporarily accessible 'chemo-brain' schema has relevant implications for clinical practice and for scientific research in this area.
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The aims of this study were to validate an instrument for measuring bereaved family members' perceptions of caregiving consequences and to examine the association between caregiving consequences and psychological distress. ⋯ The CCI is valid for measuring caregiving consequences from the bereaved family member's perspective in Japan. Furthermore, it is important to use perceived rewards and burdens as a measure of caregiving consequences for improving the quality of the caregiving and bereavement experience.
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This longitudinal study developed and confirmed the factor structure of the 32-item Coping with Colorectal Cancer (CCRC) measure. Reliability and validity of the measure were also assessed. ⋯ Results demonstrated the preliminary validity and reliability of the CCRC subscales, and have extended the cancer coping research by revealing new relations between coping subscales and QOL in a mixed-gender, older population with CRC.
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Side effects of cancer treatment have been found to have a significant impact on patients' psychological well-being. Each of the primary treatment options for prostate cancer is associated with significant side effects that can have a dramatic impact on quality of life. Hot flashes are a notable side effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and a potential source of distress due to their episodic nature and low frequency in a normal aging male population. The current study sought to examine the relationship between hot flashes and cancer-related distress during the first three months of ADT. ⋯ These results suggest that hot flashes serve to maintain levels of distress during the treatment period. Further research should extend these findings by lengthening the follow-up period and using ecological momentary assessment to refine measurement of these constructs and provide evidence for the direction of causality between hot flashes and distress.