scholarly journals Linguistic Markers of Processing Trauma Experience in Women’s Written Narratives During Different Breast Cancer Phases: Implications for Clinical Interventions

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 651-663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Luisa Martino ◽  
Raffaella Onorato ◽  
Maria Francesca Freda

Research into the change processes underlying the benefits of expressive writing is still incomplete. To fill this gap, we investigated the linguistic markers of change in cognitive and emotional processing among women with breast cancer, highlighting the differences and peculiarities during different treatment phases. A total of 60 writings were collected from 20 women: 10 receiving chemotherapy and 10 receiving biological therapy. We performed a series of repeated measures ANOVA for the most meaningful LIWC linguistic categories, including positive/negative emotions and cognitive processes, to assess change over three sessions. Results demonstrated a significant increase in the positive emotions category for the entire group of women, with particular relevance for the biological therapy group of women, and a marginally significant (p = .07) greater use of words indicating cognitive processes for women receiving biological therapy. For the negative emotions category time was significant for the whole group of women, showing a peak of use in the second session of writing. Peculiar differences in the linguistic markers of processing trauma were observed between the two groups. Although the writing intervention is a support for both groups of women, it seems to be beneficial when there is a large time gap since the administration of chemotherapy and, thus, when the patient can revisit the experience. The relationship of the illness with life can be rearticulated, and the writing becomes a space for resignifying the traumatic cancer experience.

Diagnosis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abigail Konopasky ◽  
Steven J. Durning ◽  
Anthony R. Artino ◽  
Divya Ramani ◽  
Alexis Battista

AbstractBackgroundThe literature suggests that affect, higher-level cognitive processes (e.g. decision-making), and agency (the capacity to produce an effect) are important for reasoning; however, we do not know how these factors respond to context. Using situated cognition theory as a framework, and linguistic tools as a method, we explored the effects of context specificity [a physician seeing two patients with identical presentations (symptoms and findings), but coming to two different diagnoses], hypothesizing more linguistic markers of cognitive load in the presence of contextual factors (e.g. incorrect diagnostic suggestion).MethodsIn this comparative and exploratory study, 64 physicians each completed one case with contextual factors and one without. Transcribed think-aloud reflections were coded by Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software for markers of affect, cognitive processes, and first-person pronouns. A repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance was used to inferentially compare these LIWC categories between cases with and without contextual factors. This was followed by exploratory descriptive analysis of subcategories.ResultsAs hypothesized, participants used more affective and cognitive process markers in cases with contextual factors and more I/me pronouns in cases without. These differences were statistically significant for cognitive processing words but not affective and pronominal words. Exploratory analysis revealed more negative emotions, cognitive processes of insight, and third-person pronouns in cases with contextual factors.ConclusionsThis study exposes linguistic differences arising from context specificity. These results demonstrate the value of a situated cognition view of patient encounters and reveal the utility of linguistic tools for examining clinical reasoning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (28) ◽  
pp. 2998-3004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aida Raigon-Ponferrada ◽  
María E.D. Recio ◽  
Jose L. Guerrero-Orriach ◽  
Alfredo Malo-Manso ◽  
Juan J. Escalona-Belmonte ◽  
...  

: Breast cancer is a complex heterogeneous disease that is categorized into several histological and genomic subtypes with relevant prognostic and therapeutical implications. Such diversity requires a multidisciplinary approach for a comprehensive treatment that will involve surgeons, radiotherapists and medical oncologists. Breast cancer is classified as either local (or locoregional), which stands for 90-95% of cases, or metastatic, representing 5% of cases. : The management of breast cancer will be determined by the stage of the disease. The treatment of local breast cancer is based on surgery and/or radiotherapy. Systemic breast cancer requires chemotherapy and/or endocrine and/or biological therapy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-159
Author(s):  
Arezoo Shayan ◽  
Mansoureh Refaei ◽  
Farkhondeh Jamshidi

Background: Treatment of breast cancer can be accompanied by long-term consequences affecting women’s participation in many tasks. Objective: This study aimed to assess the effect of cognitive behavioral stress management (CBSM) program on occupational performance of women with breast cancer. Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, conducted between Feb 3 and Oct 26, 2016, 104 women with breast cancer who had referred to Imam Khomeini clinic in Hamadan, and who fulfilled the inclusion criteria (20-60 years old, married, suffering from grade 1-3 breast cancer with a history of recent surgery) were enrolled. They were randomly divided into two groups of 52 using a permuted block size of four. The intervention group took part in four 60-minute sessions of CBSM over four weeks. The study data were collected using a demographic information form and the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. The statistical analyst was masked to intervention allocation. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA. Results: A significant difference was observed between the two groups regarding the mean scores of occupational performance (p=0.02) and satisfaction (p=0.005) after the intervention. Each variable was measured at three time points (before the intervention, immediately and 2 weeks after intervention). A significant difference was observed in the two groups’ mean scores of performance (p=0.026) and satisfaction (p=0.01), irrespective of the time of assessment. Conclusion: The CBSM program promoted the occupational performance immediately and two weeks after the intervention in women with breast cancer. This technique can be used as a complementary method alongside medical therapies in oncology centers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M. Dieli-Conwright ◽  
Nathalie Sami ◽  
Mary K. Norris ◽  
Junxiang Wan ◽  
Hiroshi Kumagai ◽  
...  

AbstractMOTS-c is a mitochondrial derived peptide with exercise mimetic activity that elicits beneficial effects on metabolism and exercise capacity. Furthermore, MOTS-c effects in humans are affected by race, potentially via ethnic-specific mtDNA variations. Women treated for breast cancer are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, due to side effects of cancer-treatments. We conducted a secondary analysis of the effects of a 16-week aerobic and resistance exercise intervention on MOTS-c in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White breast cancer survivors (BCS). BCS (Stage I–III) were randomized to exercise or standard care. The intervention promoted aerobic and resistance exercise for 16 weeks. MOTS-c was analyzed in fasting plasma using an in-house ELISA. Within and between group differences were assessed by paired t-test and repeated measures ANOVA. Pearson’s correlation was computed to assess the association between MOTS-c and metabolic biomarkers at baseline and post-exercise. Twenty-five Hispanic-BCS and 24 non-Hispanic White BCS were included. Hispanic BCS were younger, of greater adiposity, had higher stage cancers, and had worse metabolic profiles at baseline compared to non-Hispanic White BCS (p < 0.001). Post-exercise, MOTS-c levels significantly increased when compared to baseline and the usual care group among non-Hispanic White BCS (p < 0.01) but not among Hispanic breast cancer survivors (p > 0.01). Post-exercise levels of MOTS-c among non-Hispanic White BCS were significantly associated with reductions in fat mass, body weight, HOMA-IR, CRP, and an increase in lean mass (p < 0.01). A 16-week aerobic and resistance intervention increased MOTS-c levels among non-Hispanic White BCS. Trial registration: This trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01140282 as of June 9, 2010. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01140282.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (10) ◽  
pp. 1104-1111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda L. Irwin ◽  
Brenda Cartmel ◽  
Cary P. Gross ◽  
Elizabeth Ercolano ◽  
Fangyong Li ◽  
...  

Purpose Arthralgia occurs in up to 50% of breast cancer survivors treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and is the most common reason for poor AI adherence. We conducted, in 121 breast cancer survivors receiving an AI and reporting arthralgia, a yearlong randomized trial of the impact of exercise versus usual care on arthralgia severity. Patients and Methods Eligibility criteria included receiving an AI for at least 6 months, reporting ≥ 3 of 10 for worst joint pain on the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and reporting < 90 minutes per week of aerobic exercise and no strength training. Participants were randomly assigned to exercise (150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise and supervised strength training twice per week) or usual care. The BPI, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) index, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire were completed at baseline and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Intervention effects were evaluated using mixed-model repeated measures analysis, with change at 12 months as the primary end point. Results Over 12 months, women randomly assigned to exercise (n = 61) attended 70% (± standard deviation [SD], 28%) of resistance training sessions and increased their exercise by 159 (± SD, 136) minutes per week. Worst joint pain scores decreased by 1.6 points (29%) at 12 months among women randomly assigned to exercise versus a 0.2-point increase (3%) among those receiving usual care (n = 60; P < .001). Pain severity and interference, as well as DASH and WOMAC pain scores, also decreased significantly at 12 months in women randomly assigned to exercise, compared with increases for those receiving usual care (all P < .001). Conclusion Exercise led to improvement in AI-induced arthralgia in previously inactive breast cancer survivors.


Biofeedback ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 144-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaclene A. Zauszniewski ◽  
Tsay-Yi Au ◽  
Carol M. Musil

Over one million American grandmothers raise grandchildren, and many experience stress that may be alleviated by biofeedback. This pilot trial of 20 grandmothers used a pretest-posttest design with repeated measures to test the effects of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback on perceived stress, negative emotions, and depressive cognitions. Significant decreases in stress, negative emotions, and depressive cognitions were found. Biofeedback is thus potentially effective for reducing stress and depressive thoughts and feelings in grandmothers raising grandchildren, and the intervention warrants further testing.


1996 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 2738-2746 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Saphner ◽  
D C Tormey ◽  
R Gray

PURPOSE To determine if the long-term increase of recurrence for breast cancer is stable or slowly decreasing, or if it ever reaches zero; and to determine the effect of prognostic factors on the hazard of recurrence. METHODS All patients entered onto the seven completed and unblinded Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) coordinated studies of postoperative adjuvant therapy for breast cancer were analyzed in terms of annual hazard of recurrence of breast cancer. RESULTS For the entire group, the peak hazard of recurrence occurred in the interval of 1 to 2 years. The hazard decreased consistently in the interval of 2 to 5 years. Beyond 5 years, the hazard of recurrence decreased very, very slowly through year 12. The average hazard of recurrence between years 5 and 12 for the entire population was 4.3% per year. The pattern of a peak hazard of recurrence during the first 5 years with a slowly decreasing hazard of recurrence beyond 5 years was also observed to varying degrees in most subsets. Higher risk subsets such as patients with more than three nodes positive had a higher hazard of recurrence at all time intervals, while lower risk subsets such as patients with negative nodes had a lower hazard of recurrence in all time periods. CONCLUSION Patients 5 years postsurgery for breast cancer appear to have a very slowly decreasing hazard of recurrence. The mean hazard of recurrence between years 5 to 12 postsurgery is 4.3% per year. This group of patients may be well suited for trials evaluating cytostatic drugs or differentiating agents.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document