• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.128-137
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• 2008

Purpose: To explore and describe the essence of oncology nurses' experiences of counseling with cancer patients. Methods: Qualitative research with a phenomenological study. Participants were 6 oncology nurses who had worked as a clinical nurse specialist or an education-counseling nurse. Data were collected through individual semi-constructed interviews and analyzed with a thematic approach according to Colaizzi's method. Results: Seven themes emerged from the data: harmony of education and counseling, burdening, useless self-blaming, getting more matured, experiencing rewards and meanings, internalized strategies for counseling, and needs for self growth. Conclusion: The study highlights the significant impact of counseling with cancer patients by oncology nurses. Oncology nurses experienced both positive and negative aspects of being involved in cancer care. They stated that they were personally growing and getting maturated with the counseling experience. Sometimes they felt sad when the patient's status was progressed. They learned and internalized counseling skill during the communication with cancer patients. They wanted to learn about the practical course of counseling and communication method and the psychology of cancer patients.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.219-225
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• 2010

Purpose: The long-term survival rate of gastric cancer patients after surgery has recently increased as a result of making an early diagnosis of gastric cancer. Therefore, the incidence of remnant gastric cancer is increasing. This study was performed to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with remnant gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: From January 2005 to December 2009, twenty-nine patients with remnant gastric cancer and who underwent surgery at Pusan National University Hospital were enrolled in this study. We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed their medical records. We also divided them into two groups: the remnant gastric cancer (RGC)-B group (first operation for benign disease) and the RGC-M group (first operation for malignant disease). Results: The RGC-B group included ten patients and the RGC-M group included nineteen patients. The mean interval between the first and second operations was 17 years. The curative resection rate was 93.1% (27/29). The postoperative complication rate was 20.7% (6/29) and there was no perioperative mortality. Ten (37%) of twenty-seven patients experienced recurrence after curative resection and eight patients (27.6%) expired due to aggravation of remnant stomach cancer. An advanced TNM stage and non-curative resection were the negative prognostic factors for survival for patients with remnant stomach cancer (P=0.0453 and P<0.001). The RGC-M group showed a shorter interval (P<0.001) and the RGC-B group had more advanced TNM stage (P=0.003). Conclusions: Long-term follow-up should be considered not only for patients who undergo an operation for malignant disease, but also for the patients who underwent an operation for benign disease. When remnant gastric cancer is diagnosed, curative resection is essential to improve the survival.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.10-15
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• 2009

Sleep problems and disorders are common in patients with cancer. Sleep of the cancer patients is affected by various factors, including thermoregulatory changes associated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, cancer related symptoms, such as pain, fatigue, and emotional difficulties. As one of the most common symptoms in cancer patients, fatigue is positively correlated with sleep difficulties. Cytokine is also frequently associated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It provokes excessive daytime sleepiness and hypersomnia. Medications for controlling pain, depression, and anxiety can affect sleep of the cancer patients. Medications as well as behavior therapy are reported to be effective for controlling sleep problems, and the physicians need to be accustomed to use the modalities appropriately. This paper reviews causative factors, evaluation, and management of sleep problems and disorders, experienced by cancer patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6579-6584
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• 2013

Background: With effective early treatments, many breast cancer patients suffer from psychological distress due to adverse effects and lifelong physical disfigurement. Our study aimed to evaluate the psychopathological profile of breast cancer patients in comparison with healthy women and explored demographic correlates. Method: We consecutively enrolled breast cancer patients who came to the hospital for follow-up or rehabilitation care after primary treatment, and healthy female relatives or friends of inpatients in the Cancer Institute of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between August 30, 2010 and January 1, 2012. Psychopathological profile was assessed based on the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R) for patients and controls. We compared demographics such as age, ethnicity, education, marriage, and occupation, and incorporated these data plus cancer status for the association with the general SCL-90-R index and scores for 9 major symptom dimensions in multiple regression analysis. Results: We surveyed a total of 291 female breast cancer patients and 531 healthy women. The average age was $55.1{\pm}6.40$ years for breast cancer patients and $43.1{\pm}12.8$ for healthy controls (P<0.01). The mean survival was 5.20 years for cancer patients (range, 0.60-9.90 years). There were statistically significant differences in education, marriage, and occupation between the two groups (P<0.01). General index ($1.45{\pm}0.45$ versus $1.32{\pm}0.37$) and 8 dimension scores (excluding anxiety) on SCL-90-R were significantly higher in patients (P<0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that the breast cancer status was positively correlated with general SCL-90-R index and 6 dimension scores (excluding the anxiety, phobic anxiety and paranoid ideation dimensions) (P<0.05). Regression coefficients ranged from 0.10 (depression) to 0.19 (somatization). Higher interpersonal sensitivity was noticed in single women compared to married women. Conclusions: Chinese patients with breast cancer demonstrate greater psychopathology compared to healthy controls. The breast cancer status is an independent contributing factor to the general psychopathological profile. Breast cancer patients should be given particular counseling and care to alleviate their psychological distress.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.339-346
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was conducted to identify the impact of Symptom Severity and Symptom Interference on Sleep Disturbance among cancer patients. Methods: This study was conducted from October 8th to October 25th, 2012. One hundred eight cancer patients were recruited from S city in Korea. The instruments used in this study were the Symptom Severity, Symptom Interference and the Sleep Disturbance scales for patients with cancer. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression with the SPSS/WIN 20.0 program. Results: The Sleep Disturbance for cancer patients showed a significant relationship with Symptom Interference and cancer stage. The significant factors influencing Sleep Disturbance were Symptom Severity and Symptom Interference. They explained 40.5% of the variance in stage IV. Conclusion: Patients with cancer experienced Symptom Severity and Symptom Interference which led to a negative effect on Sleep Disturbance. The results suggest that intervention programs to reduce Symptom Severity, Symptom Interference could improve Sleep Disturbance for cancer patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.4005-4012
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• 2014

Background: This study investigated the utilization of both problem and emotion focused coping strategies and their association with aspects of quality of life among Turkish women with ovarian cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: The convenience sample consisted of 228 patients in all disease stages. The data were collected using the brief COPE, QOL-Cancer patient tool, sociodemographic sheet, and medical variables were gathered from patients' medical charts. Results: Findings reveal that quality of life is moderately high for this group of cancer patients, despite some specific negative facets of the illness and treatment experience. Acceptance, emotional support and religion were the most frequently used problem-focused coping strategies and self-distraction, venting and behavioral disengagement were the most frequently used emotion-focused coping strategies reported by patients. Overall quality of life and, particularly, psychological and spiritual well-being scores of younger patients were lower. Patients reported using significantly more problem-focused coping than emotion-focused coping, and more problem-focused and less emotion-focused coping predicted greater quality of life. Problem-focused coping was related to patients' physical and spiritual well-being and emotion-focused coping was related inversely with psychological and social well-being. Conclusions: Coping strategies are influential in patient quality of life and their psychosocial adaptation to ovarian cancer. Psycho-oncology support programs are needed to help patients to frequent use of problem-focused coping and reduce emotion-focused coping strategies to improve overall quality of life.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.126-132
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• 2010

Purpose: Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) has a dismal prognosis and is occasionally encountered during initial exploration in patients with gastric cancer. The clinicopathological characteristics and survival were analyzed in patients with gastric cancer and PC. Materials and Methods: Among 2,083 gastric cancer patients who received surgery at the department of surgery, Hanyang University Hospital from 1992 to 2009, 130 patients revealed PC. Ten patients who were lost during follow-up were excluded. The remaining 120 patients were divided into three groups according to the type of surgery. The degree of PC was classified into P1(to the adjacent peritoneum) and P2 (to the distant peritoneum). Various other clinicopathological factors were analyzed using univariate and multivariatec survival analyses. Results: Systemic chemotherapy (SC), type of surgery, lymph node dissection, degree of PC, and presence of ascites were significant prognostic factors. However, age, gender, resection of PC, and Borrmann type were not significant prognostic factors. In a multivariate analysis, SC and the degree of PC were independent prognostic factors. The survival benefit of SC was significant without reference to the type of surgery or degree of PC. Conclusions: A gastrectomy should be considered feasible in patients with gastric cancer and PC. The independent favorable prognostic factors were SC and a low degree of PC. SC improved the prognosis regardless of operation type and degree of PC.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.271-280
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to assess the nutritional status of cancer patients and non-cancer patients who were admitted to an internal medical department and to determine the degree of malnutrition among these patients. The study was performed from May to July l996 with 151 subjects recruited from the general medical department at D University Hospital. For nutritional assessment the anthropometric and biochemical assessment were performed. Biochemical measurements included serum hemoglobin, albumin, and lymphocytes. For anthropometric assessment, patient's body weight, skinfold thickness in four areas, body mass index, and percent of body fat were measured. The results were as follows : 1) Of the 151 patients who were studied, 47 patients had cancer while 104 patients had non cancer related disease. The mean age of the cancer patients was 57 and 52 for non cancer patients. The percentage of patients who had lost body weight during the last 6 months was 29.8% in cancer patients and 15.4% in non cancer patients. This percentage difference between the 2 groups was statistically significant. However, there was no statistical significance between the 2 groups in gastrointestinal symptoms which lasted more than 2 weeks. 2) There was a statistically significant difference in nutritional status(lympocyte : P＝.002 ; skinfold thickness in four areas : p＜0.05) between the cancer and the non-cancer patients. The percentage of the patients who had the possibility of malnutrition was 65.5% in cancer patients and 6% in non-cancer patients. 3) There was a correlation between the weight loss during the last 6 months before admission and body mass index and skinfold thickness.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.15
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• pp.6339-6342
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• 2014

Background: The incidence of rectal cancer is increasing in younger age groups. Limited data is available regarding survival outcome in younger patients with conflicting results from western world. The goal of this study was to determine survival in patients with rectal cancer <30 years of age and compare it with their older counterparts in the Pakistani population. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients operated for rectal adenocarcinoma between January 2005 and December 2010 was performed. Patients were divided into two groups, Group 1 aged ${\leq}30years$ and Group 2 aged >30years. Patient characteristics, surgical procedure, histopathological details and number of loco-regional and distant failures were compared. Expected 5 year survival was calculated using Kaplan Meier curves and significance was determined using the Log rank test. Results: There were 38 patients in group 1 and 144 in group 2. A significantly high number of younger patients presented with poorly differentiated histology (44.7% vs 9.7%) (p=0.0001) and advanced pathological stage (63.1% vs 38.1%) (p=0.04). Predicted overall 5 year survival was 38% versus 57% in groups I and II, respectively (p=0.05). Disease free survival was 37% versus 52% and was significantly different (p=0.007). Conclusions: Early onset rectal cancer is associated with poor pathological features and a worse outcome in Pakistani population.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.91-95
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• 1998

Background： Laryngeal cancer, the most common malignancy of head and neck, is being detected and treated in earlier and more effectively due to introduction of endoscope, continuous development of radiographic technology, and advancement in new surgical techniques such as laser surgery and conservation laryngeal surgery Objectives To compare the different treatment results for early laryngeal cancer to determine which methos provides the good prognosis. Materials and Methods： Retrospective study was done for 135 patients with early laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma(Stage I or II) who were treated at our institute between 1989 to 1996. There were 105 patients with glottic cancer(Stage I: 68 patients, Stage II：37 Patients) and 30 patients with supraglottic cancer(Stage I: 12 patients, Stage II：18 patients) Initial treatment included radiation therapy for 54 patients, endoscopic laser surgery for 8 patients, laryngofissure and cordectomy for 8 patients, vertical partial laryngectomy for 37 patients, supraglottic laryngecomy for 14 patients and supracricoid laryngectomy for 5 patiens, and total laryngectomy for 9 patients. Results : Salvage treatments, such as total laryngectomy, conservation laryngeal surgery, radiation therapy and neck dissection were performed for initial treatment failure with 9 patients after radiation therapy, 8 patients after conservation laryngeal surgery, 2 patients after endoscopic laser and 3 patients after total laryngectomy. Overall 3-year survival rate for glottic 71 was 92.4%, glottic f 84.3%, supraglottic 7172.7%, and supraglottic f was 63.%%. However, survival rate of the same stage was variable according to the choice of initial treatment. Conclusion New classification of the early laryngeal cancer was necessary and helpful for the choice of the initial treatment.