Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · Mar 2014
The sexual health care needs after colorectal cancer: the view of patients, partners, and health care professionals.
Sexual dysfunction among patients with colorectal cancer is frequently reported. Studies examining patients' sexual health care needs are rare. We examined the sexual health care needs after colorectal cancer treatment according to patients, partners, and health care professionals (HCPs). Factors that impede or facilitate the quality of this care were identified. ⋯ Our findings illustrate the need for patient-tailored sexual health care and the complexity of providing/receiving this care. An adequate referral system and training are needed to help HCPs engage in providing satisfactory sexual health care.
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Support Care Cancer · Mar 2014
The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) as a screening tool for depression and anxiety in non-advanced patients with solid or haematological malignancies on cure or follow-up.
Symptoms' assessment should be considered a clinical practice routine in all cancer stages. The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) is a ten-item patient-rated symptom assessment developed and validated for population affected by cancer in different languages and cultures. The main objective of this study was to assess the performance of ESAS items on anxiety and depression when detecting Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) 'cases'. ⋯ Anxiety or depression ESAS items score >3 can be applied as a useful, easy and not time consuming screening tool for assessing anxiety and depression in non-advanced patients with solid or haematological malignancies.
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Support Care Cancer · Mar 2014
Safety profile of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia for breakthrough pain in cancer patients: a case series study.
The WHO analgesic ladder supports medication choice according to pain intensity. The use of the analgesic ladder in an inverse way, has the advantage of using the same principles of the original ladder to treat crisis of pain in cancer patients. The purpose of this study is to describe the use of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) technique in patients admitted to an oncological Hospital. ⋯ IV-PCA provided timely, safe and useful analgesia for patients with severe breakthrough pain and may be useful to help titration of opioids, weaning to oral analgesia and to decide for interventional procedures.