• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.667-685
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning and essence of experience of family members as care-givers of terminally ill cancer patients at hospice wards. This study was based on the Giorgi phenomenological method, which describes the experiences about the family caregivers. We had in-depth interview with spouses and orthogonal families of nine terminally ill cancer patients. Results were drawn into 13 essential themes, 45 sub themes, and 122 main points. The essential themes are as follows: "cling of life", "bed-keeper", "sacrifice of care", "physical and mental exhaustion during care process","feeling of love and hatred", "avenge on a patient", "self-condemnation", "futility after exhaustion", "consolation of other caregivers", "utmost efforts in resignation", "freedom from suffering", "paradoxical blessing of cancer", "introspected revolution", and "preparation of a dignified death". Implications and limitations are discussed based on study results.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.3-13
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of fatigue and functional status in patients with cancer. Method: The data were collected from August, 15 to October, 10, 2005. The subjects were recruited from three university hospitals and two general hospitals in B, U, and S cities in Korea. Fatigue was measured using the Fatigue Scale for Cancer Patients, and Functional Status was measured using the Karnofsky Performance Status Index. Result: 1) The mean score of fatigue was $79.72{\pm}21.25$(range: 26-130), and the mean score of functional status was $79.33{\pm}13.02$. 2) There were significant differences in the scores of fatigue by sex, age, marital status, employment, major care-giver, pain, and period after diagnosis. 3) There were significant differences in the scores of functional status by employment, major care-giver, pain, stage of cancer, period after diagnosis, and type of cancer. 4) There was a significant negative correlation between fatigue and functional status (r= -.472, p= .000). Conclusion: Increase in fatigue was associated with decrease in functional status in patients with cancer. Nurses must assess fatigue and functional status when caring for the cancer patients, and provide nursing intervention to relieve fatigue and to improve functional status.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.79-89
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• 2004

This study carried a comparative analysis of quality of living perceived by cancer and hospiece patients who received radiotheraphy, and influential factors in order to provide basic data for nursing goals and establishment of strategy. The subjects of the study were 50 cancer patients who were more than twenty years old and was receiving radiotheraphy in therapeutic radiology department of C university hospital, and fourteen hospiece patients who were in J hospital in Gwangju. They were conveniently sampled according to the selection standard, and researchers personally interviewed them using questionnaire and patient scripts to obtain necessary data. The results were presented as follows: 1. When cancer and hospiece patients were examined demographically, the number of 60 year-old patients were the most. The subjects whose marriage period was more than thirty-one years were the most. In medical expense, more than $70.0\%$ of the patients bore their expenses themselves. 2. When disease-related characteristics of the cancer and pospiece patients were exmained, more than $75\%$ of the patients had experience of being in hospital, and more than $60.0\%$ experienced operation. However, for prevalence period, $57.5\%$ of the cancer patients had less than six months, and $64.3\%$ of the hospiece patients had more than two years. 3. For physical symptoms of cancer patients, $77.5\%$ had fatigue, $60.0\%$ had loss of appetite, and $52.5\%$ had loss of weight while for the hospiece patients, $100\%$ had loss of weight, and $92.9\%$ had fatigue and loss of appetite. For the cancer patients, $0.0\%$ had swelling, and $7.5\%$ had bleeding, For the hospiece patients, $7.1\%$ had change in skin, and $14.3\%$ had diarrhea. 4. Mean score of the cancer subjects were as follows: family support, social support, emotional and spiritual support, physical symptoms, and periods were 3.87, 2.88, 3.10, 2.80, and 2.94 respectively. Those of the hospiece patients were 3.80, 1.96, 1.58, 2.64 and 3.24 respectively. 5. Mean score of family support of both patients were almost identical, but in character, a considerable difference was found: 3.10 and 1.58. In qualify of living, the mean score of hospiece patients was slightly lower.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.10-18
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was intended to identify the patterns of fatigue and its related factors in patients with stomach cancer during chemotherapy. Methods: Thirty participants (24 males and 6 females) were recruited for this study which utilized a longitudinal and descriptive approach. The research instruments included the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale, Symptom Distress Scale, and Linear Analogue Self Assessment Scale. The participants received 5-FU and Adriamycin at the first week and 5-FU only at the second and third week. The instruments were measured six times in total. The data were analyzed using SPSS 17.0. Results: It was found that fatigue scores in patients with stomach cancer, receiving 5-FU and Adriamycin (FA) regimen, reached the highest level on the third day (F=9.37, p=.024) after the initial infusion, and decreased gradually afterward. The symptom and psychological distress scores illustrated very similar pattern. The concept of multidimensionality of fatigue in patients with stomach cancer was supported in this study, showing that all four dimensions of the scale were positively correlated. Conclusion: The results of this study provided useful information of patients with stomach cancer on fatigue and other related symptoms which they experienced during weekly scheduled chemotherapy with FA regimen.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 2005

Purpose: This descriptive correlation study was to identify the influencing factors on fatigue of patients undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer. Method: One hundred twenty-six breast cancer patients were recruited from a radiotherapy clinic of two university hospitals. Data were collected using a package of questionnaires consisting of the Symptom Experience Scale, mood disturbance scale, and Social Support Scale. Results: The mean score of the fatigue, physical status, emotional status, and social support was 4.18, 21.96, 100.95, and 3.70, respectively. Family support and health profession support were 3.94 and 3.47, respectively. Fatigue and physical status, fatigue and emotional status, physical status and emotional status were found to have statistically positive correlations. But emotional status and social support were found to have statistically negative correlation. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that the influencing factors on fatigue were emotional status, marital status, and physical status which explained 64.4% fatigue of breast cancer patients.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.126-134
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• 2020

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the needs for return-to-work support of cancer survivors and related factors in patients with cancer and their caregivers. Methods : 182 patients and 114 caregivers were recruited. Distress Thermometer and Problem List and scale ranging 0~10 measuring the degree of needs for return-to-work support were utilized. The needs for return-to-work support between the patient group and caregiver group (patient's needs evaluated by the caregiver) were compared, and related factors were investigated using logistic regression analysis. Results : 34.6% and 28.1% of patients and caregivers reported return-to-work support of cancer survivors is "very necessary". The degree of needs was 6.60±3.365 points in the patient group and 6.17±3.454 points in the caregiver group, with no significant difference (p=0.282). The needs for return-to-work support evaluated by patients was high when they underwent surgery (OR=2.592, p=0.007), has fertility problems (OR=6.137, p=0.025), has appearance problems (OR=2.081, p=0.041), or has fatigue (OR=2.330, p=0.020). The needs for return-to-work support of patients evaluated by caregivers was high when patients treated with breast cancer (vs respiratory cancer, OR=13.038, p=0.022 ; vs leukemia/lymphoma, OR=4.517, p=0.025 ; vs other cancer, OR=13.102, p=0.019), has work/school problems (OR=4.578, p=0.005), or has depression (OR=3.213, p=0.022). Conclusions : The degree of needs for return-to-work support of cancer survivors was high, and factors related to the needs were different between the two groups. This suggests that return-to-work support of cancer survivors is required, and clinical characteristics, the distress of patients, and differences between patients and their caregivers should be considered in establishing a support plan.

• The Journal of Korean Academic Society of Nursing Education
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.244-252
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• 2003

This study was intented to identify the differences of fatigue and quality of life in patients with breast cancer according to the different treatment modalities. Ninety-one subjects were recruited from a medical unit and a therapeutic radiologic clinic at a university hospital in Chungnam, Korea. Fatigue was measured using Lee's scale(1999) translated from Piper's Fatigue Scale and quality of life was measured using Yang's scale(2002). The women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy were less fatigued and had better quality of life than those receiving radiotherapy(t=-2.914, p=.005; t=2.565, p=.012, respectively). The fatigue and quality of life in the women with breast cancer undergoing cancer treatments were influenced by the weight change during the past 3 months(F=24.70, p=.039). Cancer stage, metastasis and weight were not associated with fatigue and quality of life. Health professionals can help cancer patients undergoing treatments prepare to cope with the expected side effects by providing a specific treatment-related information to them. The findings of this study can contribute the knowledge of these information.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.420-430
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test a hypothetical model of chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) and depression in people with gastrointestinal cancer. Methods: A purposive sample of 198 patients undergoing chemotherapy was recruited from November 2014 to July 2015. The instruments were Everyday Cognition (ECog), Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F), and M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory-Gastrointestinal Cancer Module. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and path analysis. Results: CRCI was directly affected by cancer symptoms (${\beta}=.19$, p=.004) and fatigue (${\beta}=.56$, p<.001)($R^2=47.2%$). Depression was directly affected by fatigue (${\beta}=.48$, p<.001) and CRCI (${\beta}=.27$, p<.001). However, The impact of cancer symptoms on depression was confirmed through the mediating effect of CRCI. Conclusion: Results indicate that in patients with gastrointestinal cancer undergoing chemotherapy along with the direct physiologic effects (fatigue, symptoms) of cancer treatment may have altered cognitive function leading to depression.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.163-175
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was to analyze the characteristics and effect size of intervention studies applied to cancer-related fatigue in Korea. Methods: For meta-analysis, a total of 963 studies were retrieved from search engines. And 19 studies with a total of 721 participants published from 1990 to 2010 were selected upon their satisfaction with the inclusion criteria. Two authors independently extracted data from the selected studies and assessed the methodological quality. The data was analyzed by the RevMan 5.0 program of Cochrane library. Results: Intervention studies included 4 studies on foot-reflexo-massage (21.1%), comprehensive program (21.1%), and exercise (21.1%), respectively, 3 for hand-reflexo-massage (15.8%), and 4 for others. The effect size of the intervention studies shown higher effect size in order of exercise (d=-1.80), and foot & hand-reflexo-massage (d=-0.55). Conclusion: This study suggest that exercise can reduce the intensity of cancer-related fatigue, even though the number of intervention studies and randomized controlled trials were very few. There is limited evidence that reflexo-massage is effective in reducing cancer-related fatigue.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.1260-1269
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to determine postoperative quality of life(QoL), thyroid specific symptoms(TSSs), self care compliance, anxiety and depression in patients with papillary thyroid cancer and to identify factors influencing their postoperative QoL. 154 patients were surveyed using structured questionnaires and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression with SPSS/WIN 18.0 program. The mean score of postoperative QoL in the subjects was 2.72 and the postoperative QoL score of social/family well being subscale showed the lowest score. Most of the subjects suffered from TSSs such as fatigue, cold intolerance, and mood swings. The most frequent activity for self care compliance was taking thyroid hormone(100%) and OPD follow up was the second activity(99.4%). Anxiety score was 45.3 indicating a medium level however 63% of the subjects were evaluated as depression status. Postoperative QoL in thyroid papillary cancer patients showed significantly negative correlations to TSSs, anxiety, and depression (r=-.573, p<.001; r=-.739, p<.001; r=-.742, p<.001). The factors influencing postoperative QoL were TSSs, anxiety, and depression, which explained about 64.9% of the variance. Thus to improve postoperative QoL in patients with papillary thyroid cancer, health care providers should relieve negative emotions related to long term cancer management, develop the support system and provide practical information to apply patients' physical, and psychological symptoms control.