scholarly journals Effect of a nurse-led pre-chemotherapy education programme on quality of life and psychological distress of patients with breast cancer; a pilot based randomized controlled trial

Author(s):  
Ruchika Rani ◽  
Sukhpal Kaur ◽  
Manoj Gupta

Background: Breast cancer has seized the whole world and affecting almost one in four women, globally. Many patients receive chemotherapy as treatment regimen. Oncology nurses are responsible to meet the educational needs of newly diagnosed patients and alleviate their anxiety. Objectives of the study were to assess the effects of Nurse-led pre-chemotherapy education programme on quality of life and psychological distress among breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on newly diagnosed breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy for the first time at AIIMS, Rishikesh India. Data was obtained from thirty patients (16 in experimental and 14 in control group) by using standardized scale i.e., European organization for research and treatment of cancer quality of life questionnaire C-30 (EORTC QLQ C-30)-version-3 and hospital anxiety and distress scale (HADS) to assess quality of life and psychological distress among patients at baseline (before first cycle of chemotherapy) and at chemotherapy cycle 4.Results: The mean scores of qualities of life significantly enhanced in experimental group as compared to control group, in terms of global health status (p=0.00), functional scores (p=0.00) and symptom scores. Similarly, the mean HADS score was significantly less in experimental group as compared to control group (p=0.05).Conclusions: It is concluded that the nurse-led pre-chemotherapy education programme is effective to improve quality of life and reduce psychological distress among patients receiving chemotherapy.

2018 ◽  
pp. 163-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Somaye Salmani ◽  
Masoomeh Imanipour ◽  
Alireza Nikbakht Nasrabadi

Background: Breast surgery for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer is associated with poor postoperative quality of life (QOL). The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a programmed discharge planning in improving overall QOL and its physical, emotional, social, and spiritual domains. Method: In this quasi-experimental study, we evaluated the newly diagnosed breast cancer women undergoing breast-conserving therapy in two groups, an experimental group (n = 35) and a control group (n = 34). The experimental group received programmed discharge planning at the time of hospital admission until six weeks after discharge. The control group received routine hospital care. Participants completed the QOL questionnaires before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed using the independent-samples t test, Fisher exact test, and Mann-Whitney U. Results: Before the intervention, there were no significant differences between the control and experimental groups in overall QOL or its physical, emotional, social, and spiritual domains. The data analysis after intervention showed significant improvement in QOL in the experimental group as compared with the control group. The changes in the scores of various domains of QOL were statistically significant (P < 0.01). Conclusion: This study emphasizes that programmed discharge planning is useful for improving QOL after breast-conserving surgery. Our finding could be applied to breast cancer patients with radiation therapy or chemotherapy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 153473541987877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise M. Millstine ◽  
Anjali Bhagra ◽  
Sarah M. Jenkins ◽  
Ivana T. Croghan ◽  
Daniela L. Stan ◽  
...  

Background: Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment affect quality of life and stress and are associated with fatigue. Meditation interventions are effective strategies for patients with breast cancer but are often limited by poor access, high cost, substantial time commitment, and poor adherence. In this feasibility study, we investigated the use of a portable, wearable, electroencephalographic device for guided meditation practices by breast cancer patients during the period from breast cancer diagnosis until 3 months after surgical treatment. Methods: We enrolled women (age = 20-75 years) who had received a recent diagnosis of breast cancer and planned to undergo surgical treatment. Participants were randomly assigned to perform guided meditation with the device (intervention group) or receive CD-based stress-reduction education (control group). Surveys were used to measure stress, quality of life, and fatigue at baseline, within 4 days before surgery, up to 14 days after surgery, and at 3 months after surgery. Results: In the intervention group, 15 of 17 participants (88.2%) completed the study; in the control group, 13 of 13 participants completed the study (100%). Participants in both groups had less fatigue and stress and improved quality of life at 2 weeks and 3 months after surgery compared with baseline, but there were no significant intergroup differences at any time point. Conclusion: The use of this wearable electroencephalographic device for meditation is a feasible strategy for patients with breast cancer.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolin Wei ◽  
Ruzhen Yuan ◽  
Juan Yang ◽  
Wei Zheng ◽  
Yongmei Jin ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Cognitive decline is one of the main side effects of breast cancer patients after relevant treatment, but there is a lack of clear measures for prevention and management without definite mechanism. Moreover, postoperative patients also have a need for limb rehabilitation. Whether the cognitive benefits of Baduanjin exercise can improve the overall well-being of this breast cancer patients remains unknown. This study aims to figure out these problems in the under-researched Chinese population.Methods This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 70 patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy who were randomly assigned and allocated to (1:1) the supervised Baduanjin group (5 times/week, 30 min each time) or the control group for three months. The effects of Baduanjin exercise intervention were evaluated by outcome measures including subjective cognitive function, symptoms (fatigue, depression and anxiety) and health-related quality of life at pre-intervention (T0), 4 weeks (T1), 8 weeks (T2) and 12 weeks (T3). The collected data were analyzed by using an intention-to-treat principle and linear mixed-effects modeling.Results Participants in the Baduanjin group had a significantly greater improvement in terms of FACT-cog (F=14.511; P < 0.001), PCI (F=15.915; P < 0.001), PCA (F=2.767; P= 0.047), and health-related quality of life (F=8.900; p = 0.004) compared with the control group over the time. The exercise-cognition relationship was significantly mediated by reduced fatigue (indirect effect: β= 0.132; 95% CI: 0.046, 0.237) and improved anxiety (indirect effect: β=-0.075; 95% CI: -0.165, -0.004).Conclusions This pilot study revealed the benefits and outlined the underlying mediating mechanism of Baduanjin exercise to the subjective cognition and health-related quality of life of Chinese breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. The findings provided insights into the development of public health initiatives to promote brain health and improve quality of life among breast cancer patients.Trial registration number ChiCTR 2000033152


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anu Susanna Toija ◽  
Tarja Helena Kettunen ◽  
Marjut Hannele Kristiina Leidenius ◽  
Tarja Hellin Kaarina Vainiola ◽  
Risto Paavo Antero Roine

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 228-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanford I. Nidich ◽  
Jeremy Z. Fields ◽  
Maxwell V. Rainforth ◽  
Rhoda Pomerantz ◽  
David Cella ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (6) ◽  
pp. 887-894

Background: Cluster symptoms are a common occurrence in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The telephone is a well-recognized, convenient device for reaching out to patients for monitoring and managing their symptoms in an efficient, prompt, and appropriate manner. Objective: To investigate the efficacy of telephone-based intervention to achieve energy conservation among breast cancer patients with the aim of alleviating fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, and depression. Materials and Methods: The present study was a two-armed, randomized control trial conducted in the university hospital between March and September 2019. Seventy-four breast cancer patients, receiving four courses of adjuvant chemotherapy, were randomly recruited and assigned into the experimental group and the control group. One face-to-face intervention interview for energy conservation was conducted, followed by 20-minutes telephone brief counselling and assessment sessions, scheduled on day 1, 2, 7, and 14. Results: The scores for symptoms of median fatigue and pain in the experimental group were shown to be significantly reduced at the end of the study as compared to those scores within the control group (p<0.05). Similarly, scores for median sleep time and depression were greater at the end of cycle 1 and highest in cycle 2 (p<0.05, 0.001, respectively). Physical activity levels were also higher in the experimental group than in the control group in every cycle, with a statistical significance (p<0.001). Conclusion: The present study intervention demonstrated an effectiveness for the reduction of cluster symptoms. Further studies would be needed in a larger population scale in the customary, randomized controlled trial manner. Keywords: Cancer; Energy conservation; Fatigue; Pain; Sleep; Telephone


Trials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yajie Ji ◽  
Siyu Li ◽  
Xinyue Zhang ◽  
Yu Liu ◽  
Qing Lu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history of use in breast cancer, but lacking systematic evidence to support its clinical benefits. In this study, we evaluated the prophylactic and therapeutic effects of moxibustion combined with decoctions for treating chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression (CIM) in early-stage breast cancer patients. Methods This is a randomized controlled clinical trial single-blinded for TCM decoction but not moxibustion. Patients are equally divided into the control group without decoction and moxibustion treatment (control), the decoction+moxibustion group (MD), and the placebo+moxibustion group (MP), according to the following stratification factors: age (below 40s, 40s, 50s, and 60s or above), chemotherapy regimen (anthracyclines, taxanes, anthracyclines+taxane, and others), and chemotherapy strategy (adjuvant and neoadjuvant). The TCM decoction is Wenshen Shengbai Decoction. The anticipated sample size is 462 cases (154 cases in each group). All participants are expected to treat with chemotherapy and recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF). The primary outcomes include the proportion of patients with relief of leukopenia and/or neutropenia, the myelosuppression-associated serious adverse event including grade 3–4 leukopenia and/or neutropenia, and febrile neutropenia, and the dose of rhG-CSF. The secondary outcomes include chemotherapy adherence, stratified analysis, adverse reactions, quality of life by EORTC Breast-Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire including EORTC QLQ-C30 (V3.0) and QLQ-BR23, TCM Constitution, and 3-year disease-free survival and overall survival. Baseline information including age, surgical approach, chemotherapy regimen and strategy, pathological stage, and molecular subtype will be recorded. Discussion This will be the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of moxibustion combined with TCM decoction in treating CIM in early-stage breast cancer patients, aiming to standardize the TCM decoction and moxibustion method, thus providing evidence for its clinical benefit. Trial registration chictr.org.cn ChiCTR-INR-16009557. Registered on 23 October 2016.


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