articles+ search results

ANXIETY, BEHAVIOR modification, CANCER patients, MENTAL depression, DIGITAL libraries, FEAR, GUILT (Psychology), SADNESS, SELF-perception, SPIRITUALITY, UNCERTAINTY, and SYSTEMATIC reviews (Medical research)

Introduction: The magnitude of cancer suggests that it is a public health problem with high incidence, prevalence and mortality rates in the population, averaging 27 million new cases by 2030. Different coping strategies are used to face this situation, in which religiosity and spirituality are clearly predominant. Objective: To understand the changes in the lives of cancer patients and their behavior as a consequence of their spiritual practice. Materials and methods: An integrative review study comprising ten articles was conducted, which were obtained from the Virtual Health Library using the descriptors neoplasm and spirituality. Results: Experiencing cancer may cause feelings of guilt, sadness, failure, loss of self-esteem, uncertainty, anxiety, depression, nervousness, fear, concern and insecurity about the future because, despite today's technological advances, such feelings continue to be attributed to cancer, intensifying the search for spirituality. Discussion: Religion and spirituality can be seen as important coping strategies providing comfort and hope in difficult times. Conclusion: Cancer patients experiencing spirituality as a therapeutic tool is not dependent on gender, age, social class, race and religion as well as the importance of spiritual practice has been proved to have a strong positive impact on the lives of cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CANCER patient psychology, CINAHL (Information retrieval system), PSYCHOLOGY information storage & retrieval systems, MEDLINE, UNCERTAINTY, SYSTEMATIC reviews (Medical research), LITERATURE reviews, WELL-being, and OLD age

Problem Identification: Uncertainty is a major source of distress for cancer survivors. Because cancer is primarily a disease of older adults, a comprehensive understanding of the antecedents and outcomes of uncertainty in older adults with cancer is essential. Literature Search: MEDLINE®, PsycINFO®, Scopus, and CINAHL® were searched from inception to December 2015. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and free text words were used for the search concepts, including neoplasms, uncertainty, and aging. Data Evaluation: Extracted data included research aims; research design or analysis approach; sample size; mean age; type, stage, and duration of cancer; type and duration of treatment; uncertainty scale; and major results. Synthesis: Of 2,584 articles initially identified, 44 studies (30 qualitative, 12 quantitative, and 2 mixed-methods) were included. Evidence tables were developed to organize quantitative and qualitative data. Descriptive numeric and thematic analyses were used to analyze quantitative results and qualitative findings, respectively. Outcomes were reported under four main categories: antecedents of uncertainty, outcomes of uncertainty, management of uncertainty, and the experience of uncertainty. Conclusions: Uncertainty is an enduring and common experience in cancer survivorship. Uncertainty is affected by a number of demographic and clinical factors and affects quality of life (QOL) and psychological well-being. Implications for Practice: Uncertainty should be considered a contributing factor to psychological well-being and QOL in older adults with cancer. Nurses are in a unique position to assess negative effects of uncertainty and manage these consequences by providing patients with information and emotional support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EXPERIMENTAL design, GENETIC pleiotropy, TUMOR risk factors, EPIDEMIOLOGY research methodology, CHROMOSOMES, GENES, GENETIC polymorphisms, HUMAN genome, UNCERTAINTY, DATA mining, and GENETIC markers

Pleiotropy across the 8q24 region is perhaps the most intriguing of the genome-wide association findings relating to cancer. This region of chromosome 8 is a gene desert, far from any recognized genes. Guarrera et al., whose work is reported in this issue (Am J Epidemiol. 2012;175(6):479–487), took an epidemiologic approach to learn more about the 8q24 region. They capitalized on their ascertainment of other endpoints in members of the cohort at the Turin site of the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition to investigate multiple outcomes for additional pleiotropic effects in the 8q24 region. Alternative design options might involve genotyping of more variants, incorporation of more cases, or use of a single control group close to the size of the most common case group. Their analytic methods reflect the uncertainty of the underlying biology. The findings sharpen the scientific question about how variation in the 8q24 region affects pathogenesis. The genome-wide association effort is possible because of the economy of scale afforded by extremely dense genotyping. Strict adherence to the hypothesis-driven approach would ignore information that is obtainable at a trivial cost. The genome-wide association strategy tests whether agnostic data-mining methods can advance knowledge alongside or even in place of the standard hypothesis-driven approach, which is the conventional scientific method children learn in kindergarten and onward, even through graduate school and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SPOUSES -- Psychology, PSYCHOLOGY of parents, PSYCHOLOGICAL adaptation, CHANGE, CINAHL (Information retrieval system), COMMUNICATION, CONTENT analysis, FATHERS, PSYCHOLOGY information storage & retrieval systems, MARRIAGE, MEDLINE, MOTHERS, ONLINE information services, PARENTING, RESEARCH funding, SEX distribution, SOCIAL role, PSYCHOLOGICAL stress, UNCERTAINTY, QUALITATIVE research, CHILDHOOD cancer, FAMILY relations, and QUANTITATIVE research

Purpose: The diagnosis of cancer and the treatment decisions associated with it may cause uncertainty, stress, and anxiety among parents. Emotional tensions can affect parents’ relationships during the trajectory of the child's cancer illness. We conducted an integrative review to examine the evidence related to the effects of childhood cancer on parents’ relationships. Methods: An integrative literature search of studies published between 1997 and 2009 was conducted in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Psychology Information (PsycINFO), PubMed, Scopus, CUIDEN, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Science Literature (LILACS). The key words used were neoplasms, child, marriage, spouses, family relations, and nursing. Articles were reviewed if the (a) topic addressed parents’ relationships during childhood cancer; (b) participants were mothers, fathers, or both; (c) design was either qualitative or quantitative; (d) language was English, Portuguese, or Spanish; (e) date of publication was between January 1997 and October 2009; and (f) abstract was available. Results: Fourteen articles met the search criteria and were reviewed using Cooper's framework for integrative reviews. Four themes emerged: (a) changes in the parents’ relationship during the trajectory of the child's illness; (b) difficulty in communication between couples; (c) gender differences in parental stress and coping; and (d) role changes. Conclusions and Implications: Findings revealed positive and negative changes in parents’ relationships, communication, stress, and roles. Nurses need to assess the impact of cancer diagnosis and treatments on parent relationships, offer support and encouragement, and allow expression of feelings. Future research is needed to develop and test interventions that increase parents’ potentials and strengthen relationships during the challenging trajectory of their children's cancer and treatment. Clinical Relevance: The multiple sources of stress and uncertainty associated with a child's cancer diagnosis and treatment affect parents’ relationships. Difficulties in communication appear frequently in parents’ relationship. Our findings may guide healthcare professionals in identifying parents at risk for developing conflicts, communication problems, and lack of alignment between parents that could interfere with providing optimal care for their child with cancer. Healthcare professionals may promote dialogue and encourage parents to express their feelings, seek mutual support, and establish a partnership in dealing with the child's illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]