Oncology Nursing Forum

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of acceptance and commitment therapy-based psychoeducation applied to women who have undergone breast cancer surgery on body image, quality of sexual life, and dyadic adjustment. SAMPLE & SETTING: Women who have undergone breast cancer surgery were included. The research had a single-group quasi-experimental design with pre-/post-test measurements and 31 participants. METHODS & VARIABLES: The research was carried out between February and July 2021...

PURPOSE: To explore the formation of stigma toward lung cancer and its social consequences for Chinese patients living with this diagnosis. PARTICIPANTS & SETTING: A purposive sample of 19 patients with lung cancer were recruited in the outpatient clinic of a tertiary cancer center in southern China. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: This is a descriptive qualitative study. Semistructured interviews were conducted to explore the formation of stigma toward lung cancer and its social consequences...

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether there are differences in the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of older adult survivors of breast cancer (BC) diagnosed in different time periods and to gain insight into whether advances in BC treatment have improved HRQOL. SAMPLE & SETTING: Three cohorts of older adult survivors of BC diagnosed before 1995, from 1996 to 2005, and from 2006 to 2015 were examined using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare Health Outcomes Survey linked databases...

PURPOSE: To explore the experiences of lung cancer survivors (LCSs) and their informal and professional caregivers with post-treatment care and to empower them to implement action-based study findings. PARTICIPANTS & SETTING: Participants were recruited using purposeful and snowball sampling from patients at a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in the northeastern United States. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: This study used a participatory action research (PAR) four-phase design...

PURPOSE: To gain insight into how survivors of breast cancer (SBCs) with cancer-related fatigue (CRF) self-monitor and manage exercise dose in the context of daily life, and how they identify an optimal exercise dose. PARTICIPANTS & SETTING: 11 SBCs with CRF who reported weekly exercise were recruited from a breast cancer center at a large urban hospital in the northeastern region of the United States. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: One-on-one semistructured interviews were conducted using a descriptive phenomenologic method...

The 2023 Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Congress® was outstanding. More than 3,000 attendees gathered to focus on oncology nursing in San Antonio, Texas. The timing of ONS Congress coincided with Fiesta, the annual festival.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Data on the efficacy of physical exercise interventions for individuals with gynecologic cancer are limited and discordant. The purpose of this review was to determine the benefits of exercise interventions in this population. LITERATURE SEARCH: The PubMed®, Web of Science, Embase® (Ovid), and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched for studies published from January 1, 2010, to November 9, 2022. DATA EVALUATION: 12 randomized controlled trials were included...

OBJECTIVES: To determine the percentage of and the most prevalent moderate to severe symptoms and to analyze longitudinal patterns and co-occurrence of symptoms during the first three cycles of chemotherapy. SAMPLE & SETTING: A secondary analysis of 26 women with gynecologic cancer who reported daily symptoms. METHODS & VARIABLES: Moderate to severe symptom presence and severity levels were calculated as proportions. Symptoms for each patient were graphed during three cycles and analyzed for patterns of onset, duration, and clustering...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of pranayama and deep breathing exercises on fatigue and sleep quality in women undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer. SAMPLE & SETTING: This randomized controlled study was conducted on the outpatient radiation oncology unit of a hospital with 20 patients each in pranayama, deep breathing, and standard care groups (N = 60). METHODS & VARIABLES: The Piper Fatigue Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to evaluate the participants' fatigue and sleep quality...

OBJECTIVES: To understand taste and smell alterations (TSAs) and their relationship with quality of life among women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy. SAMPLE & SETTING: A descriptive correlational study was conducted with 121 women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy, and data were collected through an online survey. METHODS & VARIABLES: The Taste and Smell Survey was used to measure TSAs, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast was used to measure quality of life...

PURPOSE: To clarify the experiences of spirituality among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer following diagnosis. PARTICIPANTS & SETTING: Participants were recruited at a clinic and on an oncology unit in Turkey. A combination of purposive sampling and theoretical sampling strategy was used to identify 14 participants. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH: A grounded theory design was used for this study. Semistructured interviews were conducted with each participant between October 2021 and January 2022...

OBJECTIVES: To examine symptoms and symptom clusters in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) with or without diabetes at three key periods (0-6 months, 12-18 months, and 24-30 months) post-initial chemotherapy. SAMPLE & SETTING: Patients with CRC from a cancer center in the midwestern United States between January 2007 and December 2017. METHODS & VARIABLES: Eight of the most common symptoms (fatigue, gastrointestinal issues, depression, anxiety, peripheral neuropathy, physical function, cognition, and sleep disturbance) reported by patients with CRC and patients with diabetes were extracted from electronic health records...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate differences in the severity of global, cancer-specific, and cumulative life stress, resilience, and common neuropsychological symptoms among four subgroups of patients with distinct chemotherapy-induced nausea (CIN) profiles. SAMPLE & SETTING: Adult patients with cancer (N = 1,343) receiving chemotherapy. METHODS & VARIABLES: Patients completed stress, resilience, and neuropsychological symptom severity measures...

OBJECTIVES: To describe area deprivation, anxiety, depression, relative dose intensity of first-line metastatic breast cancer (MBC) treatment, and survival in Black and White women who had died from triple-negative MBC, including interaction analysis. SAMPLE & SETTING: This cohort study drew from a database of women who had died from MBC (N = 53). METHODS & VARIABLES: Descriptive statistics, independent t tests, analysis of variance, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used, and effect sizes were calculated...

OBJECTIVES: To assess oncology nurses' awareness of biomarker testing and targeted therapy for ovarian cancer. SAMPLE & SETTING: 100 oncology nurses completed an online survey in June 2022. METHODS & VARIABLES: A cross-sectional survey was used to examine nurses' understanding of ovarian cancer testing and treatments, assess barriers, and identify opportunities for further education. RESULTS: Almost all respondents believed biomarker testing and targeted therapy were very/extremely important in diagnosing and supporting treatment of patients with ovarian cancer...

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effect of an intervention to improve human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination confidence, attitudes, and beliefs among non-Hispanic Black mothers. SAMPLE & SETTING: Participants were 63 non-Hispanic Black mothers of children aged 9-17 years who resided in the United States and whose children had not received HPV vaccination. Interventions and data collection were conducted via a videoconferencing platform. METHODS & VARIABLES: A randomized controlled trial was performed using two groups...

Artificial intelligence is a revolution in the computing and data scientist era that has led to excitement and controversy in many fields, including research and publishing. As we move further into the artificial intelligence.

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Dyspnea is a common and distressing symptom for patients with cancer. Although the risk factors for dyspnea in patients with cancer are likely to be multifactorial, a comprehensive description of these risk factors and associated mechanisms is not available in the extant literature. LITERATURE SEARCH: A search of all relevant databases, including Cochrane Library, PubMed®, Embase®, Web of Science, and CINAHL®, was done from January 2009 to May 2022...

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Composition and measurement of the gastrointestinal (GI) symptom cluster (SC) has been inconsistent; therefore, a gap exists in understanding of the GI SC. The purpose of this study was to synthesize findings from prior studies to better understand the GI SC and accompanying non-GI symptoms in children receiving cancer treatment. LITERATURE SEARCH: PubMed®, Embase®, CINAHL®, Scopus®, and PsycINFO® databases were searched through February 2022...

OBJECTIVES: To examine factors that lead to the facilitation of multiple myeloma (MM) treatment. SAMPLE & SETTING: 29 patients who had been diagnosed with MM at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. METHODS & VARIABLES: Semistructured qualitative interviews were administered by trained research staff. Interview topics included illness beliefs, illness experiences, treatment experiences, and treatment decision-making. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim...