Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2016
Different phenotyping approaches lead to dissimilar biologic profiles in men with chronic fatigue following radiation therapy.
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) persists months after treatment completion. Although a CRF biomarker has not yet been identified, validated self-report questionnaires are used to define and phenotype CRF in the discovery of potential biomarkers. ⋯ The variation in genetic profiles for CRF suggests that phenotypic profiling for CRF should be carefully considered because it directly influences biomarker discovery investigations.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2016
Gender and Racial Differences in Stress, Coping, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Chronic Kidney Disease.
Living with chronic kidney disease can be stressful and influence an individual's health-related quality of life. Effective coping strategies may reduce stress and improve quality of life in individuals with chronic medical conditions. ⋯ The findings of the study suggest that the wider range of coping strategies used by women may be associated with buffering the link between perceived stress and quality of life. Men with CKD may benefit from interventions that not only reduce stress but also facilitate the use of a broader range of coping strategies to reduce stress and improve quality of life.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2016
How Islam Influences End-of-Life Care: Education for Palliative Care Clinicians.
According to the Joint Commission, cultural competency is a core skill required for end-of-life care. Religious and cultural beliefs predominantly influence patients' lives, especially during the dying process. Therefore, palliative care clinicians should have at least a basic understanding of major world religions. Islam is a major world religion with 1.7 billion followers. At our institution, a needs assessment showed a lack of knowledge with Islamic teachings regarding end-of-life care. ⋯ In this pilot study, a one-hour educational intervention improved knowledge of Islamic teachings regarding end-of-life care. We present a framework for this intervention, which can be easily replicated. We also provide key teaching points on Islam and end-of-life care. Additional research is necessary to determine the clinical effects of this intervention over time and in practice. In the future, we plan to expand the educational material to include other world religions.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2016
Family Relationships and Psychosocial Dysfunction among Family Caregivers of Patients with Advanced Cancer.
Caring for a family member with advanced cancer strains family caregivers. Classification of family types has been shown to identify patients at risk of poor psychosocial function. However, little is known about how family relationships affect caregiver psychosocial function. ⋯ The study identified supportive, low-expressive, and detached family types among caregivers of advanced cancer patients. The supportive family type was associated with the best outcomes and detached with the worst. These findings indicate that family function is related to psychosocial function of caregivers of advanced cancer patients. Therefore, paying attention to family support and family members' ability to share feelings and manage conflicts may serve as an important tool to improve psychosocial function in families affected by cancer.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2016
What Factors Affect the Insomnia Symptom Trajectories in Women with Non-metastatic Breast Cancer?
This study sought to identify the trajectories of insomnia symptoms in Chinese women with nonmetastatic breast cancer and further determine the effects of sociodemographic, disease, and psychological variables on different insomnia symptoms. ⋯ Four latent trajectories may be a reliable and valuable approach in analyzing insomnia symptoms in breast cancer patients. Heterogeneity should be considered to allow more attention to be paid on patients in high and moderate sustained class. Education and cognitive emotion regulation strategies are important factors for the onset and development of insomnia symptoms.