Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use among Women with Breast Cancer

Notes:

• Results from a qualitative prospective cohort study challenge previous stereotypes by indicating that CAM usage does not increase dramatically with the initial diagnosis of cancer and that younger women are more likely to use CAM than older women.

Religion and spirituality in coping with advanced breast cancer: perspectives from Malaysian Muslim women

Notes:

• This article is part of a larger study on the role of spirituality in coping with breast cancer among Malaysian Muslim women. The study seeks to reveal the meaning of the experience through the stories of three Muslim women surviving advanced breast cancer, to better understand the deep meanings that inform their experiences with spirituality and transformation as they cope with the challenges of breast cancer. Data were gathered using in-depth interview. Qualitative methods were used in identifying two themes--illness as an awakening and hope and freedom comes from surrendering to God. The themes were discussed in the context of two broad areas: (1) what are the new meanings these women discovered in their experiences with cancer; and (2) how did the new meanings change their lives? The study suggests that cancer survivors' experiences with cancer and their learning processes must be understood within the appropriate cultural context. This is especially so for spirituality. The common emphasis of spirituality on relationship with God, self and others, may significantly influence how people learn to live with cancer.

"If God wanted me yesterday, I wouldn't be here today": religious and spiritual themes in patients' experiences of advanced cancer

Notes:

• This study sought to inductively derive core themes of religion and/or spirituality (R/S) active in patients' experiences of advanced cancer to inform the development of spiritual care interventions in the terminally ill cancer setting. The authors concluded that R/S plays a variety of important and inter-related roles for most advanced cancer patients. Future research is needed to determine how spiritual care can incorporate these five themes and address R/S concerns.

The Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Meditation Therapy on Anxiety, Depression, and Spirituality in Japanese Patients with Cancer

Tags:

• prepub

Notes:

• The primary goal of the study was to assess the efficacy of mindfulness-based meditation therapy on anxiety, depression, and spiritual well-being of Japanese patients undergoing anticancer treatment. Conclusions: Mindfulness-based meditation therapy may be effective for anxiety and depression in Japanese cancer patients, and spiritual well-being is related to anxiety and depression, growth, and pain.

Efficacy of short-term life-review interviews on the spiritual well-being of terminally ill cancer patients

Notes:

• The primary aim of the study was to examine the efficacy of a one-week Short-Term Life Review for the enhancement of spiritual well-being, using a randomized controlled trial. The secondary aim was to assess the effect of this therapy on anxiety and depression, suffering, and elements of a good death.

Religiosity and its relation to quality of life in Christian Orthodox cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy

Tags:

• Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
• Christianity
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Quality of Life
• Questionnaires
• religion

Notes:

• The first objective of the current observational study was to assess the levels of religiosity in Greek Christian Orthodox cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. The second objective was to evaluate the associations between religiosity and quality of life (QoL), an endpoint of considerable importance in clinical cancer research and practice.

Religiosity and quality of life in breast cancer patients

"It depends": viewpoints of patients, physicians, and nurses on patient-practitioner prayer in the setting of advanced cancer

Notes:

• Although prayer potentially serves as an important practice in offering religious/spiritual support, its role in the clinical setting remains disputed. Few data exist to guide the role of patient-practitioner prayer in the setting of advanced illness. The aim of the study was to inform the role of prayer in the setting of life-threatening illness, this study used mixed quantitative-qualitative methods to describe the viewpoints expressed by patients with advanced cancer, oncology nurses, and oncology physicians concerning the appropriateness of clinician prayer.

Provision of spiritual care to patients with advanced cancer: associations with medical care and quality of life near death

Notes:

• To determine whether spiritual care from the medical team impacts medical care received and quality of life (QoL) at the end of life (EoL) and to examine these relationships according to patient religious coping.

Support of Cancer Patients' Spiritual Needs and Associations with Medical Care Costs at the End of Life (419-C)

Notes:

• Determine the relationship of spiritual care to end of life costs.

Effect of Iyengar yoga practice on fatigue and diurnal salivary cortisol concentration in breast cancer survivors

Notes:

• This study examines the effect of regular lyengar yoga practice on measures of self-perceived psychosocial function and diurnal salivary cortisol secretion in stage II-IV breast cancer survivors.

The contribution of spirituality and spiritual coping to anxiety and depression in women with a recent diagnosis of gynecological cancer

Tags:

• Adaptation, Psychological
• Adult
• Aged
• Anxiety
• depression
• Female
• Genital Neoplasms, Female
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• spirituality

Notes:

• The objective of this study was to determine whether, after accounting for illness and demographic variables, spiritual involvement and beliefs and positive and negative spiritual coping could account for any of the variation in anxiety and depression among women within 1 year’s diagnosis of gynecological cancer (GC).

Yoga for persistent fatigue in breast cancer survivors: results of a pilot study

Tags:

• breast cancer
• Fatigue
• Iyengar
• yoga

Notes:

• Approximately one-third of breast cancer survivors experiences persistent fatigue for months or years after successful treatment completion.  There is a lack of evidence-based treatments for cancer-related fatigue, particularly among cancer survivors.  This single-arm pilot study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a yoga intervention for fatigued breast cancer survivors based on the Iyengar tradition.  Iyengar yoga prescribes specific poses for individuals with specific medical problems and conditions; this trial emphasized postures believed to be effective for reducing fatigue among breast cancer survivors, including inversions and backbends performed with the support of props. Twelve women were enrolled in the trial, and 11 completed the full 12-week course of treatment.  There was a significant improvement in fatigue scores from pre- to post-intervention that was maintained at the 3-month post-intervention followup.  Significant improvements were also observed in measures of physical function, depressed mood, and quality of life.  These results support the acceptability of this intervention and suggest that it may have beneficial effects on persistent post-treatment fatigue.  However, results require replication in a larger randomized controlled trial.

Spirituality and care of prostate cancer patients: a pilot study

Tags:

• Adaptation, Psychological
• Aged
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Physician-Patient Relations
• Pilot Projects
• Prostatic Neoplasms
• spirituality

Notes:

• Purpose: To explore the integration of spirituality into medical care for African-American men coping with prostate cancer. Findings: A high proportion of survivors reported a general religious orientation as expressed through church affiliation and frequent church attendance. While one-third of the men reported their doctors had been in contact with their clergy, two-thirds would like their doctor and clergy to be in contact with one another.

The Cancer and Deity Questionnaire: A New Religion and Cancer Measure

Notes:

• We evaluated a new measure, the Cancer and Deity Questionnaire (CDQ), which assesses perceived relations with God after a cancer diagnosis. Based on object relations theory, the 12-item CDQ assesses benevolent and abandoning God representations. Sixty-one older participants with recent cancer diagnoses completed the questionnaire at baseline, and 52 of these participants completed the same questionnaire at follow-up. Internal consistency was excellent for the Benevolence scale (α = .97) and good for the Abandonment scale (α = .80). Moderate correlations with the Spiritual Well-Being Scale support divergent validity. Correlations between CDQ scales and the Styles of Religious Coping scales support convergent validity. The CDQ is brief, easily scored, practical for psycho-oncology research, and adaptable for use with other illnesses.

Spirituality and meaning in supportive care: spirituality- and meaning-centered group psychotherapy interventions in advanced cancer

Tags:

• Attitude to Health
• Humans
• Neoplasms
• Palliative Care
• Psychotherapy
• Psychotherapy, Group
• Quality of Life
• Religion and Medicine
• Self Concept
• Terminal Care

Notes:

• This paper reviews the topics of spirituality and end-of-life care, defines spirituality, and suggests measures of spirituality that deal with two of its main components: faith/religious beliefs and meaning/spiritual well-being.

Meaning-centered group psychotherapy for patients with advanced cancer: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Notes:

• An increasingly important concern for clinicians who care for patients at the end of life is their spiritual well-being and sense of meaning and purpose in life. In response to the need for short-term interventions to address spiritual well-being, the authors developed Meaning Centered Group Psychotherapy (MCGP) to help patients with advanced cancer sustain or enhance a sense of meaning, peace and purpose in their lives, even as they approach the end of life.

Yoga of Awareness program for menopausal symptoms in breast cancer survivors: results from a randomized trial

Tags:

• prepub

Notes:

• Breast cancer survivors have limited options for the treatment of hot flashes and related symptoms. Further, therapies widely used to prevent recurrence in survivors, such as tamoxifen, tend to induce or exacerbate menopausal symptoms. The aim of this preliminary, randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of a yoga intervention on menopausal symptoms in a sample of survivors of early-stage breast cancer (stages IA-IIB).

Yoga improves quality of life and benefit finding in women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer

Religion and spirituality in coping with breast cancer: perspectives of Chilean women

Tags:

• Adaptation, Psychological
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Breast Neoplasms
• Chile
• Female
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• religion
• Religion and Psychology
• spirituality

Notes:

• This study examined the roles of religion and spirituality in relation to coping with breast cancer in Chilean women. Specifically, the purpose of the study was to examine how these patients used religion and spirituality to cope with their illness; how their illness changed the roles of religion and spirituality in their lives; and their views regarding whether, and if so how, spiritual faith can help patients recuperate from breast cancer.

Exploring Spiritual Well-Being Among Survivors of Colorectal and Lung Cancer

Notes:

• This descriptive, exploratory study is part of a larger observational study of the quality of cancer care delivered to population‐based cohorts of newly diagnosed patients with lung and colorectal cancer. The current study explores the role of spiritual well‐being in adjustment to life after the cancer diagnosis, utilizing the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Spiritual Well‐Being–Expanded (FACIT‐Sp‐Ex) Scale. Survey data collected from 304 newly diagnosed cancer survivors were analyzed to explore important aspects of spirituality, such as sense of meaning in one's life, harmony, peacefulness, and a sense of strength and comfort from one's faith. Spiritual well‐being scores, particularly meaning/peace, were statistically significant for African Americans, women, and colorectal cancer survivors. These findings amplify a need for oncology social workers and other practitioners to assess spiritual well‐being in cancer survivors in an effort to strengthen psychosocial treatment plans. Implications for social work practice and research are discussed.

Case Study of a Chaplain's Spiritual Care for a Patient with Advanced Metastatic Breast Cancer

Notes:

• The case study seeks to describe an oncology chaplain's pastoral relationship with a 64-year-old woman with advanced metastatic breast cancer. The patient's distress was complicated by a history of anxiety and other chronic medical conditions. Approximately 16 pastoral encounters occurred during the last year of the patient's life. The patient, chaplain, and the pastoral conversations are presented as well as a retrospective assessment of them. The chaplain's interventions were appropriate for the patient's spiritual needs, particularly in regard to her fear of death, loneliness, grief that her life was "too short" and estrangement from her inherited faith tradition, with observable benefits for the patient. The oncology chaplain has a distinctive role in the healthcare team as one who can meet the patient at the point of their spiritual need, provide appropriate interventions and, thereby, ameliorate the distress, particularly in regard to death anxiety, peace of mind, and issues of meaning.

Religion and Cancer: Examining the Possible Connections

Notes:

• Numerous sound scientific studies (cross-sectional and longitudinal) have found a positive correlation between religion and physical and mental health. In particular, there is evidence that demonstrates that religion helps cancer patients better adjust to and cope with their disease, at least psychologically. However, some research suggests that mediating factors associated with religion may explain the positive effects of religion on health. This article argues that even if this is the case, there is still intrinsic value to religion in that the mediators themselves are strongly connected to religion, and therefore religion is important to the patient in terms of coping, support, hope, and meaning. This has possible important implications for clinical practice.

Restorative yoga for women with breast cancer: findings from a randomized pilot study

Tags:

• Adult
• Aged
• Breast Neoplasms
• Feasibility Studies
• Female
• Health promotion
• Health Status
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasm Staging
• Pilot Projects
• Quality of Life
• Questionnaires
• yoga

Notes:

• Study goals of this study were to determine the feasibility of implementing a RY intervention for women with breast cancer; and to examine group differences in self-reported emotional, health-related quality of life, and symptom outcomes.

Spirituality, Religiosity, and Spiritual Pain in Advanced Cancer Patients

Tags:

• Cancer
• Coping
• Palliative Care
• Quality of Life
• religiosity
• spiritual pain
• spirituality

Notes:

• Spirituality, religiosity, and spiritual pain may affect advanced cancer patients’ symptom expression, coping strategies, and quality of life.The object of this study was to examine the prevalence and intensity of spirituality, religiosity, and spiritual pain, and how spiritual pain was associated with symptom expression, coping, and spiritual quality of life.

Predictors of Yoga Use Among Patients With Breast Cancer

Tags:

• breast cancer
• complementary and alternative medicine
• Mind-Body Therapies
• yoga

Notes:

• Emerging research suggests that yoga may be beneficial for reducing symptoms and improving quality of life among breast cancer patients. However, very little is known about the characteristics of breast cancer patients who use yoga; thus, this study seeks to identify the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of yoga users among this population.

Impact and outcomes of an iyengar yoga program in a cancer centre

Notes:

• Objectives We investigated how an Iyengar yoga program affects the self-identified worst symptom in a group of participants. whether quality of life, spiritual well-being, and mood disturbance change over the Iyengar yoga program and at 6 weeks after the program. Conclusions: Over the course of the Iyengar Yoga for Cancer program, participants reported an improvement in overall well-being.

The Effect of Religious Concentration and Affiliation on County Cancer Mortality Rates

Notes:

• Our findings suggest that religion has a significant impact on mortality rates for all malignancies combined, for digestive cancer, and for respiratory cancer when we control for demographic, environmental, and regional factors known to affect cancer mortality.

Deconstructing spiritual well-being: existential well-being and HRQOL in cancer survivors

Tags:

• Adult
• existentialism
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Quality of Life
• Questionnaires
• spirituality
• Survivors

Notes:

• We demonstrate the utility of partitioning the spiritual well-being (SpWB) construct into spiritual and religious components using results from a study of the relationship of existential well-being to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a sample of 237 cancer survivors.

God, Disease, and Spiritual Dilemmas: Reading the Lives of Women with Breast Cancer

Notes:

• Our goal in this essay is to offer close readings of women’s spiritual and bodily journeys through the disease of breast cancer.

Jewish ethnicity and pancreatic cancer mortality in a large u.s. Cohort

Notes:

• A study to examine the association between Jewish ethnicity and pancreatic cancer mortality among approximately 1 million participants in the Cancer Prevention Study II cohort. Participants completed a questionnaire at enrollment in 1982 which included information on religion, smoking, obesity, and diabetes. During follow-up through 2006, there were 6,727 pancreatic cancer deaths, including 480 among Jewish participants. Proportional hazards modeling was used to calculate multivariable rate ratios (RR).

Mind-body therapies in integrative oncology

Notes:

• There is growing interest in mind-body therapies as adjuncts to mainstream cancer treatment, and an increasing number of patients turn to these interventions for the control of emotional stress associated with cancer. Increased research funding has enabled many such interventions to be evaluated for their efficacy, including studies of mind-body interventions to reduce pain, anxiety, insomnia, anticipatory, and treatment-related nauseas, hot flashes, and improved mood. Mind-body treatments evaluated for their utility in oncology include relaxation therapies, biofeedback, meditation and hypnosis, yoga, art and music therapy, tai chi, and qigong. Although studies are not always methodologically sound and results mixed, a growing number of well-designed studies provide convincing evidence that mind-body techniques are beneficial adjuncts to cancer treatment. The evidence is sufficient to recommend further investigation and adoption of these techniques in mainstream oncology care.

Cancer mortality among Mormons

Notes:

• The 1970-72 cancer mortality rate among California Mormon adults is about one-half to three-fourths that of the general California population for most cancer sites. Furthermore, the cancer death rate in the predominately Mormon state of Utah is the lowest in the entire country. Mormons are a large, health-conscious religious group whose Church doctrine forbids the use of tobacco, alcohol, coffee, and tea, and recommends a nutritious diet.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for individuals whose lives have been affected by cancer: a randomized controlled trial

Notes:

• This study evaluated the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for individuals with a diagnosis of cancer.

Breast Cancer Screening Adherence: Does Church Attendance Matter?

Notes:

• This article reviewed telephone interview data of 1,517 women who were church members from 45 churches located in Los Angeles County to determine their breast cancer screening status and to identify the key predictors of screening.

Relationship with God and the Quality of Life of Prostate Cancer Survivors

Notes:

• This study explored the role of relationship with God with respect to the quality of life of men with prostate cancer. Notably, different aspects of relationship with God (e.g., causal attribution) evidenced different associations with functioning and the nonreligious resource of perceived health control.

The trajectory of religious coping across time in response to the diagnosis of breast cancer

Notes:

• This study investigates the mobilization of religious coping in women's response to breast cancer. Ninety-three breast cancer patients and 160 women with a benign diagnosis participated. Breast cancer patients were assessed on their use of religious coping strategies and their level of emotional distress and well-being at pre-diagnosis, 1 week pre-surgery, and 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years post-surgery.

A longitudinal study on the role of spirituality in response to the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer

Tags:

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Breast Neoplasms
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Emotions
• Female
• Humans
• Longitudinal Studies
• Middle Aged
• Models, Psychological
• Questionnaires
• religion
• Spiritualism

Notes:

• This longitudinal study addressed the role of spirituality in women's response to breast cancer. Ninety-three women diagnosed with breast cancer were assessed on various measures of image of God, positive attitude, social well-being and emotional distress at pre-diagnosis, 6 months post-surgery and 1 year post-surgery. As compared to women who dropped out of the study, this sample reported religion to be less important in their daily lives. Path analyses showed evidence of direct and indirect effects of positive and negative images of God on emotional distress in cross-sectional but not longitudinal data. A positive image of God was related to greater concurrent distress while a negative image of God was indirectly related to greater distress through the pathways of social well-being and positive attitude. In the longitudinal path model, a pre-diagnosis measure of religious salience was the only aspect of spirituality that predicted an increase in distress at 1 year post-surgery. The cross-sectional analyses provided limited support for the "religious/spiritual mobilization" hypothesis as put forth by Pargament (The psychology of religion and coping. New York: Guilford Press, 1997). There was also limited support for the mediator variables of positive attitude and social well-being as mechanisms through which spirituality influences adjustment. Finally, there was no support that spirituality acted in a protective manner rather the negative elements of spirituality were more prominent in relation to various aspects of women's adjustment to breast cancer. Such results suggest that women who were less spiritually/religiously involved prior to the onset of breast cancer and who attempt to mobilize these resources under the stress of diagnosis may experience a negative process of spiritual struggle and doubt that, in turn, has implications for their long-term adjustment.

Cancer in Utah Mormon men by lay priesthood level

Tags:

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Alcohol Drinking
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Christianity
• Epidemiologic Methods
• Humans
• Infant
• Life Style
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Religion and Medicine
• Smoking
• UTAH

Notes:

• Mormons have been shown to have low cancer rates at several common sites, particularly those associated with tobacco and alcohol use. This likely reflects adherence to their Church doctrines advocating abstention from the use of these substances. All Mormons, however, do not adhere to the health practices of their Church, and this study classifies Utah Mormon men by their lay priesthood offices, which reflect degree of adherence to Church doctrines.

Cancer in Utah Mormon Men by Church Activity Level

Notes:

• This study classifies female Mormon cancer patients in Utah according to measures of adherence to Church doctrines. Mormon women classified as having the strongest adherence to Church doctrines had lung cancer rates during 1966-1970 much lower than did women with the weakest adherence.

Psycho-spiritual integrative therapy for women with primary breast cancer

Notes:

• A study of twenty four women who completed Psycho-Spiritual Integrative Therapy treatment. 

Associations between breast cancer risk factors and religiousness in American women in a national health survey

Tags:

• Adult
• Age Distribution
• Age Factors
• Alcohol Drinking
• Breast Feeding
• Breast Neoplasms
• Contraceptives, Oral
• Ethnic Groups
• Female
• Humans
• Interviews as Topic
• Menarche
• Odds Ratio
• Population Surveillance
• religion
• Religion and Medicine
• Risk Factors
• Smoking
• Socioeconomic Factors
• United States

Notes:

• A study on breast cancer on the association of risk factors for breast cancer and religiousness. After adjusting for age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, nativity, education and marital status by logistic regression, women who never attended services were still over six times more likely to report having four or more risk factors

Spirituality and quality of life in gynecologic oncology patients

Tags:

• Activities of Daily Living
• Adaptation, Psychological
• Adult
• Aged
• Analysis of Variance
• Female
• Genital Neoplasms, Female
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• NEEDS assessment
• Nursing Methodology Research
• Oncologic Nursing
• Pastoral Care
• Quality of Life
• Questionnaires
• Religion and Psychology

Notes:

• This study explored the relationship between spiritual well-being and quality of life (QOL) in gynecologic oncology patients in an attempt to clarify the significance of spiritual well-being in the assessment process.

Complementary and alternative therapy use before and after breast cancer diagnosis: the Pathways Study

Notes:

• Many women use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to maintain or improve their health. We describe CAM use among the first 1,000 participants enrolled in the Pathways Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study of women diagnosed with breast cancer (BC).

Patient-perceived changes in the system of values after cancer diagnosis

Notes:

• A cross-sectional study investigated changes in patients' value systems following a diagnosis of cancer.

Religiosity, spirituality, and cancer fatalism beliefs on delay in breast cancer diagnosis in African American women

Tags:

• Adult
• African Americans
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Attitude to Health
• Breast Neoplasms
• Early Diagnosis
• Female
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Religion and Psychology
• spirituality
• Time Factors

Notes:

• African American women are more likely than any other racial or ethnic group to present with a later stage of breast cancer at initial diagnosis. Delay in breast cancer detection is a critical factor in diagnosis at a later stage. Available data indicate a delay of 3
  months or more is a significant factor in breast cancer mortalty. Numerous factors have been reported as contributing to delay in time to seek medical care including religiosity, spirituality, and fatalistic beliefs. This study examined the influence of religiosity, spirituality, and cancer fatalism on delay in diagnosis and breast cancer stage in African American women with self-detected breast symptoms. A descriptive correlation, retrospective methodology using an open-ended questionnaire and three validated measurement scales were used: the Religious Problem Solving Scale (RPSS), the Religious Coping Activity Scale (RCAS) subscale measuring spiritually based coping, and the modified Powe Fatalism Inventory (mPFI). A convenience sample of 129 women ages between 30 and 84 years who self-reported detecting a breast symptom before diagnosis of breast cancer within the preceding 12 months were included in the study. Outcome variables were time to seek medical care and breast cancer stage. Other variables of interest included.

Positive and negative religious coping and well-being in women with breast cancer

Tags:

• Adaptation, Psychological
• Adult
• Breast Neoplasms
• Female
• Humans
• Pennsylvania
• Personal Satisfaction
• Questionnaires
• Religion and Medicine

Notes:

• A study that explores the relationship between religious coping and well-being in a prospective manner, using validated measures, while controlling for important covariates.

Role of religion in cancer coping among African Americans: A qualitative examination.

Tags:

• African Americans
• Blacks
• cancer coping
• Coping Behavior
• faith role
• God as healer
• illness control
• Neoplasms
• Recovery
• Recovery (Disorders)
• religion
• religion role
• Religious Beliefs
• social support

Notes:

• The present study used qualitative methods to examine if and how African Americans with cancer use religiosity in coping. Patients (N = 23) were recruited from physician offices and completed 1–1½ hour interviews. Themes that emerged included but were not limited to control over one's illness, emotional response, importance of social support, role of God as a healer, relying on God, importance of faith for recovery, prayer and scripture study, and making sense of the illness. Participants had a great deal to say about the role of religion in coping. These themes may have utility for development of support interventions if they can be operationalized and intervened upon.

Development and validation of measures of religious involvement and the cancer experience among African Americans.

Tags:

• African Americans
• Blacks
• cancer experience
• Coping Behavior
• Diagnosis
• Neoplasms
• religion
• religious involvement
• Religious Practices
• Test Construction
• test development
• Test Reliability
• Test Validity

Notes:

• Research indicates that African Americans diagnosed with cancer tend to use religion in coping. However less is known about the specific role that religion plays in the coping process. Based on previous qualitative work, five instruments were developed to assess the role of religious involvement in cancer coping: God as helper, God as healer, Faith in healing, Control over cancer and New perspective. The instruments were administered to 100 African Americans with cancer. Each exhibited high internal reliability, and concurrent and discriminant validity. These instruments may have applied value for the development of church-based cancer support/survivorship interventions.

An exploration of spiritual needs of Taiwanese patients with advanced cancer during the therapeutic processes

Notes:

• This study explores the spiritual needs of patients with advanced cancer during their therapeutic process in Taiwan and analyses the influence of Chinese culture in addressing their spiritual needs.

Role of religiosity and spirituality in complementary and alternative medicine use among cancer survivors in California

Tags:

• Adult
• Aged
• California
• Complementary Therapies
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Female
• Health Surveys
• Humans
• Logistic Models
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Multivariate Analysis
• Neoplasms
• Religion and Medicine
• spirituality
• Survivors
• Young Adult

Notes:

• Because increased religiosity and spirituality have been found to be associated with higher CAM use in the general population, it was hypothesized that these factors would be important predictors of CAM use in cancer survivors. Conclusions: The use of R/S CAM and non-R/S CAM is very high in cancer survivors.

The effect of religious and spiritual interventions on the biological, psychological, and spiritual outcomes of oncology patients: A meta-analytic review

Notes:

• In addition to biomedical forms of treatment, many cancer patients have elected to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) of a spiritual or religious nature. However, the effectiveness of such spiritual and religious interventions is uncertain. Using a meta-analytic approach, the present study synthesized available treatment-outcome studies on spiritual and religious interventions for cancer patients to determine the efficacy of such interventions.

Religious Coping and Cancer: Proposing an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Approach

Notes:

• This paper presents a relatively new approach to the psychological treatment of individuals with cancer. Namely, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a spiritually and religiously sensitive treatment. This approach aims to first explore a person's values (including spiritual and religious values), to subsequently help the person accept any experience that the person has no control over in light of these values, and to then commit and take actions consistent with these values. Recent evidence providing initial support for this approach is discussed. Finally, a case example is presented to illustrate how ACT may be carried out to address religious coping in outpatient clinical practice with cancer patients.

Spirituality influences health related quality of life in men with prostate cancer

Tags:

• Aged
• Anxiety
• DEMOGRAPHY
• depression
• Health Status
• Humans
• Interpersonal Relations
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prostatic Neoplasms
• Quality of Life
• Questionnaires
• spirituality

Notes:

• We sought to determine whether lower spirituality in men with early stage prostate cancer is associated with worse general health-related quality of life (HRQOL), disease-specific HRQOL, or psychosocial health. We found a consistent relationship between spirituality and the outcomes assessed. Low spirituality was associated with significantly worse physical and mental health, sexual function and more urinary bother after controlling for covariates.

Mind-Body Treatments for the Pain-Fatigue-Sleep Disturbance Symptom Cluster in Persons with Cancer

Tags:

• Cancer
• Fatigue
• mind-body and relaxation techniques
• Pain
• sleep disturbance

Notes:

• This study aimed to synthesize evidence regarding mind-body interventions that have shown efficacy in treating two or more symptoms in the pain-fatigue-sleep disturbance cancer symptom cluster.

Religious/spiritual coping and adjustment in individuals with cancer: unanswered questions, important trends, and future directions

Notes:

• Thune-Boyle, Stygall, Keshtgar, and Newman's (2006) literature review generated inconclusive findings regarding the relationship between religious coping and illness adjustment in cancer patients. This paper aims to review studies following Thune-Boyle et al. (2006), as well as to categorise trends not previously addressed. Increasingly, current research conceptualises religious coping multidimensionally. Separating religious coping into positive and negative dimensions, negative religious coping appears negatively associated with illness adjustment, while the relationship between positive religious coping and adjustment is unclear. Findings are mixed when examining whether religious coping affects adjustment directly, with nonreligious coping and stage of cancer as potential mediators and moderators. Research suggests that religious needs assessments, as well as spiritually focused therapy may positively impact illness adjustment. Further, causal conclusions are generally curtailed by universal limitations in the design and methods of the religious coping research.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction and cancer: a meta-analysis

Tags:

• Adaptation, Psychological
• Aged
• Arousal
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Meditation
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Prognosis
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
• Sick Role
• Stress, Psychological

Notes:

• This meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the mental and physical health status of various cancer patients. Results: MBSR may indeed be helpful for the mental health of cancer patients (Cohen’s effect size d=0.48); however, more research is needed to show convincing evidence of the effect on physical health (Cohen’s effect size d=0.18). Conclusion: The results suggest that MBSR may improve cancer patients’ psychosocial adjustment to their disease.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction and cancer: a meta-analysis

Tags:

• Adaptation, Psychological
• Aged
• Arousal
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Meditation
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Prognosis
• Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
• Sick Role
• Stress, Psychological

Notes:

• This meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the mental and physical health status of various cancer patients.

Qigong for cancer treatment: a systematic review of controlled clinical trials

Tags:

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Breathing Exercises
• Databases as Topic
• Evidence-Based Medicine
• Medicine, Chinese Traditional
• Neoplasms
• Treatment Outcome

Notes:

• The aim of this systematic review is to summarize and critically evaluate the effectiveness of qigong used as a stand-alone or additional therapy in cancer care. We conclude that the effectiveness of qigong in cancer care is not yet supported by the evidence from rigorous clinical trials.

Tai chi for breast cancer patients: a systematic review

Notes:

• The objective of this review was to assess the
  effectiveness of tai chi for supportive breast cancer care.
  Eleven databases were searched from inception through
  December 2009. Controlled trials testing tai chi in patients
  with breast cancer that assessed clinical outcome measures
  were considered.

Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for survivors of breast cancer

Notes:

• We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 84 female BC survivors (Stages 0–III) recruited from the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute. All subjects were within 18 months of treatment completion with surgery and adjuvant radiation and/or chemotherapy. Subjects were randomly assigned to a 6-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program designed to self-regulate arousal to stressful circumstances or symptoms (n=41) or to usual care (n=43). Outcome measures compared at 6 weeks by random assignment included validated measures of psychological status (depression, anxiety, perceived stress, fear of recurrence, optimism, social support) and psychological and physical subscales of quality of life (SF-36).

The effects of religiosity, spirituality, and social support on quality of life: a comparison between Korean American and Korean breast and gynecologic cancer survivors

Notes:

• This study examines the differences in religiosity, spirituality, and quality of life (QOL) between Korean American and Korean breast and gynecologic cancer survivors and investigate the effect of religiosity, spirituality, and social support on QOL.

Effects of yoga on psychological health, quality of life, and physical health of patients with cancer: a meta-analysis

Notes:

• Yoga is one of the most widely used complementary and alternative medicine therapies to manage illness. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the effects of yoga on psychological health, quality of life, and physical health of patients with cancer. Studies were identified through a systematic search of seven electronic databases and were selected if they used a randomized controlled trial design to examine the effects of yoga in patients with cancer. The quality of each article was rated by two of the authors using the PEDro Scale. Ten articles were selected; their PEDro scores ranged from 4 to 7. The yoga groups compared to waitlist control groups or supportive therapy groups showed significantly greater improvements in psychological health: anxiety (P = .009), depression (P = .002), distress (P = .003), and stress (P = .006). However, due to the mixed and low to fair quality and small number of studies conducted, the findings are preliminary and limited and should be confirmed through higher-quality, randomized controlled trials.

The effect of a contemplative self-healing program on quality of life in women with breast and gynecologic cancers

The integration of healing into conventional cancer care in the UK

Tags:

• cancer
• Integrative care
• Spiritual healing

Notes:

• Healing encompasses Reiki, therapeutic touch and healing touch, and is often used by cancer patients to supplement their health care, but the extent of healing provision in conventional cancer care is unknown. This study used snowball sampling to map the healing provision in UK conventional cancer care settings.

Cancer survivors with unmet needs were more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine

Tags:

• Activities of Daily Living
• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Complementary Therapies
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Educational Status
• Employment
• Female
• Health Surveys
• Humans
• Income
• Male
• Marital Status
• Massage
• Meditation
• Middle Aged
• NEEDS assessment
• Neoplasms
• Odds Ratio
• social support
• Survivors

Notes:

• Purpose: Despite advancements in cancer care, cancer survivors continue to experience a substantial level of physical and emotional unmet needs (UMN). This study aims to determine the relationship between patients’ perceived UMN and their use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to help with cancer problems during and after treatment.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction among breast cancer survivors: a literature review and discussion

Notes:

• Purpose of study is to evaluate and discuss existing studies of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) among breast cancer survivors.

Changes in the cortisol awakening response (CAR) following participation in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in women who completed treatment for breast cancer

Tags:

• breast cancer
• Cancer
• Cortisol
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
• Relaxation
• Stress

Notes:

• A study looking at changes in the cortisol awakening response in women participating in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program after completion of their medical treatment for breast cancer.

Psychosocial needs in cancer patients related to religious belief

Tags:

• Aged
• Emotions
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Professional-Patient Relations
• Psychology, Social
• Questionnaires
• Religion and Psychology
• Self Concept
• spirituality

Notes:

Enhancement of the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy by the pineal hormone melatonin and its relation with the psychospiritual status of cancer patients

Notes:

• This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of a biochemotherapeutic regimen in metastatic cancer patients, and its therapeutic activity in relation to the psychospiritual status of patients. In conclusion, the efficacy of chemotherapy may be enhanced by the pineal hormone MLT, by representing a new promising biochemotherapeutic combination; also despite its objective ability to enhance chemotherapy efficacy, the activity of MLT is depending at least in part on the psychospiritual status of cancer patients, and it is maximal in the presence of a real spiritual faith.

Randomized controlled trial of yoga among a multiethnic sample of breast cancer patients: effects on quality of life

Tags:

• Adaptation, Psychological
• Adult
• Aged
• Breast Neoplasms
• Female
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Quality of Life
• Regression Analysis
• SOCIAL adjustment
• yoga

Notes:

• This study examines the impact of yoga, including physical poses, breathing, and meditation exercises, on quality of life (QOL), fatigue, distressed mood, and spiritual well-being among a multiethnic sample of breast cancer patients. Conclusion: Despite limited adherence, this intent-to-treat analysis suggests that yoga is associated with beneficial effects on social functioning among a medically diverse sample of breast cancer survivors.

Healthcare professionals' perceptions of existential distress in patients with advanced cancer

Notes:

• This paper is a report of an exploration of the phenomenon of existential distress in patients with advanced cancer from the perspectives of healthcare professionals.

Mediators of a brief hypnosis intervention to control side effects in breast surgery patients: response expectancies and emotional distress

Notes:

• The present study was designed to test the hypotheses that response expectancies and emotional distress mediate the effects of an empirically validated presurgical hypnosis intervention on postsurgical side effects (i.e., pain, nausea, and fatigue).

Meaninglessness in terminally ill cancer patients: a randomized controlled study

Tags:

• Adult
• Endpoint Determination
• Female
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Nurses
• PATIENTS
• Terminal Care
• Waiting Lists
• Young Adult

Notes:

• The primary aim of this randomized controlled trial was to determine the effects of an educational workshop focusing on patients' feelings of meaninglessness on nurses' confidence, self-reported practice, and attitudes toward caring for such patients, in addition to burnout and meaning of life. The study was designed as a single-institution, randomized controlled trial using a waiting list control.

Spirituality of Childhood Cancer Survivors

Notes:

• With the survival rates for childhood cancer growing, studies point to both the challenges and possible opportunities for personal growth that children with cancer may experience throughout their life journey. Examined in this review, research on the spirituality of childhood cancer survivors has provided insight into their overall spiritual journeys, their strategies to promote well-being, and the dynamics of hope and meaning within their lives. In an area that is in the early stages of research, the qualitative and exploratory research of the spirituality of childhood cancer survivors also contributes to the generation of future hypotheses. Finally, future research in this area should provide us with an enhanced understanding of spiritual paradigms that will assist us in making provisions for optimal support of children and their families

Predictors of spirituality at the end of life

Tags:

• Adult
• Age Factors
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Attitude to Health
• Female
• Greece
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Palliative Care
• Questionnaires
• Retrospective Studies
• Sex Factors
• spirituality
• Terminally Ill

Notes:

• Objective: To assess the relationship between spirituality and hopelessness, desire for hastened death, and clinical and disease-related characteristics among patients with advanced cancer, and to investigate predictors of spirituality. Conclusion: Demographic and clinical characteristics and stronger hopelessness appeared to have statistically significant relationships with spirituality.

Demographic and clinical predictors of spirituality in advanced cancer patients: a randomized control study

Tags:

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• DEMOGRAPHY
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• spirituality

Notes:

• In the prediction of spirituality, the contribution of gender, age, years of education, performance status and radiotherapy is high. Acknowledging the specific patients’ demographic and medical characteristics, such as female gender, old age, years of education, performance status and radiotherapy treatment, contributes to the prediction of patients’ spiritual beliefs and attitudes.

The spiritual needs of neuro-oncology patients from patients’ perspective

Notes:

• This study aimed to identify the spiritual needs of neuro-oncology patients from a patient perspective and how nurses currently support patients with spiritual needs. Spiritual needs of cancer patients should be assessed and discussed by healthcare professionals from diagnosis. Nurses should assess and support neuro-oncology patients with their spiritual needs during their hospital stay.

Spiritual needs in cancer patients and spiritual care based on logotherapy

Tags:

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Attitude to Health
• Female
• Humans
• Japan
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
• Psychotherapy
• Research Design
• Sickness Impact Profile
• Spiritual Therapies
• spirituality

Notes:

• We attempted to elucidate the complicated structure of spirituality in cancer patients in order to identify possible approaches to their spiritual care and means of evaluating such care.

Medical Qigong for cancer patients: pilot study of impact on quality of life, side effects of treatment and inflammation

Tags:

• Adult
• Aged
• Biological Markers
• Breathing Exercises
• C-Reactive Protein
• China
• Female
• Health Status
• Humans
• Inflammation
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Outcome Assessment (Health Care)
• Pilot Projects
• Quality of Life

Notes:

•  In this pilot study, the feasibility, acceptability, and impact of Medical Qigong (MQ) were evaluated on outcomes in cancer patients. The MQ intervention group reported clinically significant improved global QOL scores pre- and post-intervention. The MQ intervention also reduced the symptoms of side effects of cancer treatment and inflammation biomarker (CRP) compare to the control group. Due to the small sample size, however, the results were not statistically significant between treatment and the control groups.

Religiousness/spirituality and health behaviors in younger adult cancer survivors: does faith promote a healthier lifestyle?

Notes:

• The current study focuses on the association of religion/spirituality (R/S) and health behaviors, examining links between health behaviors and religious attendance, daily spiritual experiences, and religious struggle in a sample of 167 younger adult survivors of a variety of cancers. Results revealed that religious attendance had little impact on health behaviors, but that daily spiritual experiences were related to greater performance of health behaviors, while religious struggle was related to less.

Religiousness/spirituality and health behaviors in younger adult cancer survivors: does faith promote a healthier lifestyle?

Tags:

• CANCER -- Patients
• CANCER -- Study & teaching
• Emotions
• GUILT
• Health Behavior

Notes:

• Positive health behaviors are crucial to cancer survivors’ well-being, yet little is known about the personal factors that may facilitate positive health behaviors. The current study focuses on the association of religion/spirituality (R/S) and health behaviors, examining links between health behaviors and religious attendance, daily spiritual experiences, and religious struggle in a sample of 167 younger adult survivors of a variety of cancers. The extent to which positive affect (self-assurance) and negative affect (guilt/shame) mediate these links was also investigated. Results revealed that religious attendance had little impact on health behaviors, but that daily spiritual experiences were related to greater performance of health behaviors, while religious struggle was related to less. Self-assurance partially mediated the effects of daily spiritual experiences, while guilt/shame partially mediated the effects of religious struggle. The findings suggest that aspects of R/S may play important and different roles in the lifestyle choices of cancer survivors.

The Book of Job: a 2,500-year-old current guide to the practice of oncology: the nexus of medicine and spirituality

Tags:

• Bible
• Humans
• Medical Oncology
• Physician-Patient Relations
• Religion and Medicine

Notes:

• GOALS: To establish the role of ancient literature and religious tradition to the modern practice of oncology; foster awareness of practicing in a historical context resulting from different traditions; and propose a spiritual context for the practice of oncology and explore methods to highlight this perspective in cancer education. Conclusions: The Book of Job supports a spiritual perspective in oncology practice, indicating that patient care is a holistic endeavor.

Measuring spiritual well-being in people with cancer: the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy--Spiritual Well-being Scale (FACIT-Sp)

Tags:

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Chronic Disease
• Female
• Health Status
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Psychometrics
• Quality of Life
• Questionnaires
• Religion and Medicine
• Self Concept

Notes:

• In this article we report on the development and testing of a measure of spiritual well-being, the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp), within two samples of cancer patients. The instrument comprises two subscales--one measuring a sense of meaning and peace and the other assessing the role of faith in illness.

Religious coping and use of intensive life-prolonging care near death in patients with advanced cancer

Tags:

• Adaptation, Psychological
• Advance Care Planning
• Aged
• Attitude to Death
• Female
• Humans
• Longitudinal Studies
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Religion and Medicine
• Resuscitation Orders
• spirituality
• Terminal Care
• Withholding Treatment

Notes:

Religious coping and use of intensive life-prolonging care near death in patients with advanced cancer

Tags:

• Adaptation, Psychological
• Advance Care Planning
• Aged
• Attitude to Death
• Female
• Humans
• Longitudinal Studies
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Religion and Medicine
• Resuscitation Orders
• spirituality
• Terminal Care
• Withholding Treatment

Notes:

• The objective of this study is to determine the way religious coping relates to the use of intensive life-prolonging end-of-life care among patients with advanced cancer.

Mortality among California Seventh-Day Adventists for selected cancer sites.

Notes:

• This report compared California SDA to a sample of non-SDA who were demographically similar to SDA. Results indicated that, with the exception of colon-rectal cancer and smoking-related cancers, the difference in risk of fatal cancer between SDA and non-SDA was substantially reduced when SDA were compared with a more socioeconomically similar population. The persistence of the low risk for colon-rectal cancer can probably be attributed to some aspect of the diet or life-style of the SDA.

Religious Practice and Spirituality in the Psychological Adjustment of Survivors of Breast Cancer

Religious and spiritual beliefs of gynecologic oncologists may influence medical decision making

Notes:

• A study on how a physician's religious and spiritual beliefs may affect other medical decision-making. The study surveyed 1972 members of the International Gynecologic Oncologists Society and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists to determine the religious/spirituality characteristics of gynecologic oncologists and whether their religious/spiritual beliefs affected their clinical practice. Demographics, religiosity, and spirituality data were collected.

Anxiolytic effects of a yoga program in early breast cancer patients undergoing conventional treatment: a randomized controlled trial

Tags:

• Adult
• Aged
• Analysis of Variance
• Anti-Anxiety Agents
• Anxiety
• Breast Neoplasms
• Cognitive Therapy
• COMBINED modality therapy
• Female
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• yoga

Notes:

• This study compares the anxiolytic effects of a yoga program and supportive therapy in breast cancer outpatients undergoing conventional treatment at a cancer centre.

Pathways to distress: the multiple determinants of depression, hopelessness, and the desire for hastened death in metastatic cancer patients

Tags:

• Age Factors
• Aged
• Anxiety
• Attitude to Death
• Attitude to Health
• Cancer Care Facilities
• Cost of Illness
• Depressive Disorder
• Female
• Gastrointestinal Neoplasms
• Humans
• Lung Neoplasms
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Models, Psychological
• Neoplasm Metastasis
• Neoplasm Staging
• ONTARIO
• Risk Factors
• Self Concept
• Sickness Impact Profile
• spirituality

Notes:

• We tested a model in which psychosocial and disease-related variables act as multiple protective and risk factors for psychological distress in patients with metastatic cancer. We hypothesized that depression and hopelessness constitute common pathways of distress, which mediate the effects of psychosocial and disease-related factors on the desire for hastened death. The results supported the model. High disease burden, insecure attachment, low self-esteem, and younger age were risk factors for depression. Low spiritual well-being was a risk factor for hopelessness.

Prayer and self-reported health among cancer survivors in the United States, National Health Interview Survey, 2002

Tags:

• Attitude to Health
• Faith Healing
• Female
• Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
• Humans
• Male
• Neoplasms
• religion
• Self Care
• spirituality
• Survivors
• United States

Notes:

• The purpose of this study was to examine prayer for health and self-reported health among a sample of men and women with a personal history of cancer. Conclusions: Data indicate that prayer for health is commonly used among people with a history of cancer and that use of prayer varies by cancer site.

Spirituality and Quality of Life in Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy (RT) at a NCI-designated Cancer Center: Preliminary Report from the Knight Cancer Institute Patient-related Outcomes (PRO) Database

Notes:

• This study evaluates the impact of radiation therapy on spiritual well-being and quality of life.

Spirituality, demographic and disease factors, and adjustment to cancer

Tags:

• Adaptation, Psychological
• Analysis of Variance
• Attitude to Health
• Chi-Square Distribution
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• existentialism
• Factor Analysis, Statistical
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Models, Psychological
• NEEDS assessment
• Neoplasm Staging
• Neoplasms
• Pastoral Care
• Questionnaires
• Regression Analysis
• Religion and Psychology
• Rhode Island
• Sampling Studies
• spirituality

Notes:

• The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between demographic-disease variables, spirituality, and psychosocial adjustment in a heterogeneous sample of patients with cancer.

Faith Moves Mountains: an Appalachian cervical cancer prevention program

Tags:

• Adult
• Appalachian Region
• Community Networks
• Counseling
• Female
• Health Education
• Health promotion
• Health Services Research
• Health Status Disparities
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Program Development
• Religion and Medicine
• United States
• Uterine Cervical Neoplasms
• Vaginal Smears
• Young Adult

Notes:

• To provide a conceptual description of Faith Moves Mountains (FMM), an intervention designed to reduce the disproportionate burden of cervical cancer among Appalachian women.

Image of god: effect on coping and psychospiritual outcomes in early breast cancer survivors

Notes:

• To examine the effect of breast cancer survivors' views of God on religious coping strategies, depression, anxiety, stress, concerns about recurrence, and psychological well-being.

"If you don't believe it, it won't help you": use of bush medicine in treating cancer among Aboriginal people in Western Australia

Notes:

• A qualitative study that explored Aboriginal Australians' perspectives and experiences of cancer and cancer services in Western Australia provided an opportunity to analyse the contemporary meanings attached and use of bush medicine by Aboriginal people with cancer in Western Australia

Spiritual needs of Taiwan's older patients with terminal cancer

Tags:

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Attitude to Death
• Culture
• Emotions
• Female
• Funeral Rites
• Hospitals, Teaching
• Humans
• Life Expectancy
• Male
• Neoplasms
• Nurse-Patient Relations
• Professional-Family Relations
• spirituality
• Taiwan
• Terminal Care
• Terminally Ill
• Trust

Notes:

• To explore the core constitutive patterns from the perspective of the older patient with terminal cancer, the major foci of spiritual needs, and professional actions that manifest tangibly as spiritual care.

What are the core elements of oncology spiritual care programs?

Notes:

• Tending to the spiritual needs of patients has begun to be formally recognized by professional spiritual care providers, health care councils, and health delivery systems over the last 30 years. Recognition of these programs has coincided with evidence-based research on the effect of spirituality on health. Palliative care has served as a forerunner to an integrated professional spiritual care approach, recognizing the importance of addressing the spiritual needs of the dying from its inauguration within Western medicine almost 50 years ago. Oncology programs have also begun to recognize the importance of spirituality to patients along the cancer continuum, especially those who are approaching the end of life. Although standards and best practice guidelines have been established and incorporated into practice, little is known about the actual factors affecting the practice of spiritual care programs or professional chaplains working within an oncology setting. Participant observation and interactive interviews occurred at five cancer programs after we conducted a literature search

An evidence-based review of yoga as a complementary intervention for patients with cancer

Tags:

• Adaptation, Psychological
• Complementary Therapies
• Humans
• Neoplasms
• Questionnaires
• yoga

Notes:

• A evidence-based study review of yoga as an intervention for patients with cancer. Specifically, this paper reviewed the impact of yoga on psychological adjustment among cancer patients.

Religion, spirituality and cancer: Current status and methodological challenges

Notes:

• Research specifically focusing on the role of religion or spirituality on cancer outcomes has been surprisingly sparse. Such research presents a number of methodological and measurement challenges. Due to these unmet challenges in the literature to date, it is premature to determine what role religion and spirituality play in disease, adjustment, or quality of life outcomes in cancer.

The culture of faith and hope: patients' justifications for their high estimations of expected therapeutic benefit when enrolling in early phase oncology trials

Tags:

• Attitude to Health
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Comprehension
• Female
• Humans
• Informed Consent
• Interviews as Topic
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms
• Patient Selection
• Religion and Medicine
• Therapeutic Misconception

Notes:

• Patients' estimates of their chances of therapeutic benefit from participation in early phase trials greatly exceed historical data. Ethicists worry that this therapeutic misestimation undermines the validity of informed consent. The authors interviewed 45 patients enrolled in phase 1 or 2 oncology trials about their expectations of therapeutic benefit and their reasons for those expectations. They used a phenomenological, qualitative approach with 1 primary coder to identify emergent themes, verified by 2 independent coders.

The spiritual dimension of cancer care

Tags:

• Humans
• Neoplasms
• Physician-Patient Relations
• spirituality

Notes:

• Spirituality is more about constant questioning than about providing fixed or final answers. Cancer patients do not expect spiritual solutions from oncology team members, but they wish to feel comfortable enough to raise spiritual issues and not be met with fear, judgmental attitudes, or dismissive comments. Spiritual needs may not be explicit in all illness phases, yet spirituality is not only confined to the areas of palliative or end-of-life care. Sensitive and effective methods to assess and address spiritual needs of cancer patients are being developed and qualitative research on the topic is underway. In addition, formal education and training in communication about cancer patients’ spiritual issues and in how to assess and address them in the clinical context is being increasingly provided. Spirituality can be a major resource for both patients and physicians, yet it can never be imposed but only shared. Those oncology professionals who are familiar with their own spirituality will be better at recognizing, understanding and attending to their patients’ spiritual needs and concerns.

The impact of religiosity and attribution theory on attitudes toward addiction and cancer.

Tags:

• ADDICTIONS
• ATTRIBUTION (Social psychology)
• CANCER -- Patients
• CHRISTIAN life
• Religiousness
• STIGMA (Social psychology)

Notes:

• Little is known about the relation between religiosity and illness stigma. This study examined the relationship between religiosity and stigmatizing attitudes toward the mental illness of addiction and the physical illness of cancer. Participants (N = 120) completed a measure of religiosity and evaluated a vignette describing either a person with addiction or cancer. The results indicated that attitudes were more negative toward a person with addiction than a person with cancer, which is consistent with attribution theory. However, religiosity was generally unrelated to stigmatizing attitudes. These results suggest that religiosity may be a less powerful determinant of stigmatizing attitudes than attributions about the illness.

Mindful exercise, quality of life, and survival: a mindfulness-based exercise program for women with breast cancer

Tags:

• Anxiety
• Breast Neoplasms
• depression
• Exercise
• Exercise Therapy
• Female
• Humans
• Meditation
• Pilot Projects
• Quality of Life
• Questionnaires
• Research Design
• Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Walking

Notes:

• The purpose of this article is to describe the rationale and protocol for a pilot study in women with breast cancer that integrates the two complementary therapies of mindfulness and exercise.

Religious coping is associated with the quality of life of patients with advanced cancer