ABSTRACT
There is a lack of recognition regarding the negative impact of cancer cachexia on advanced cancer patients and their family members. Management of cancer cachexia should address not only patients’ physical problems, but also psychosocial burdens of both patients and their family members. Eating-related distress (ERD) is one of the most representative psychosocial burdens experienced during cancer. Summary points of palliative care and nutritional support for ERD experienced by patients and their family members are described as below. 1) Management strategies should address ERD experienced by patients and their family members. 2) If multimodal treatments reduce the negative impact of cachexia, ERD placed on patients and their family members might be alleviated. 3) The main causes of ERD experienced by patients and their family members are a lack of knowledge about cachexia, unsuccessful attempts to increase body weight, expected occurrence of the patient’s death, and conflicts over food between them. 4) Supportive, communicative, and educational interventions would alleviate ERD of patients and their family members. 5) Palliative care and nutritional support for ERD experienced by patients and their family members needs to be tailored to the severity of the patient’s cachexia, especially in cases of refractory cachexia. Since ERD can change during cancer, palliative care and nutritional support need to be tailored to each advanced cancer patient and their family.
ABSTRACT
<p>Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome defined by ongoing loss of skeletal muscle mass that cannot be fully reversed by conventional nutritional support. Nutritional treatment is a component of nutritional support, as well as symptom palliation and nutritional counseling. Nutritional treatment, exercise, and pharmacological agents are essential for treating cancer cachexia. In our studies at palliative care units, 76% and 73% of advanced cancer patients and bereaved families, respectively, required nutritional support, and nutritional support was also found to have beneficial effects on selected groups of advanced cancer patients. Our studies also indicated that as chronic inflammation is the underlying cause of cancer cachexia the plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) level might be useful as a prognostic marker/biomarker of advanced cancer. It was suggested that nutritional support based on the mechanism responsible for cancer cachexia is useful during the treatment of cancer cachexia although the evidence for this is not robust, and the CRP level is suggested to be a clinically significant index of the response to such treatment.</p>
ABSTRACT
This study was aimed to evaluate effects of traditional Chinese medicine ( TCM ) five elements music therapy on the quality of life for both senior and non-senior advanced cancer patients , and improve TCM com-prehensive treatment mode . A total of 170 patients were stratified according to 70-year-old in a randomized controlled trial ( RCT ) with a parallel single-blind design . The ratio of patients among three groups was 2:2:1 . In the experimental group , TCM five elements music was given in the treatment . In the positive control group , western music was used in the treatment . And in the negative control group , no music was given in the treat-ment . The treatment was given for 30 min , 5 times per week . And the observation duration was 3 weeks . The Hospice Quality of Life Index-Revised ( HQOLI-R ) , Karnofsky Performance Scale ( KPS ) and Symptom Diary Score recorded by patients were used in the evaluation . The results showed that when comparing HQOLI-R , KPS and Symptom Diary Score before and after treatment among all advanced cancer patients in each group , there was a significant difference before and after treatment in the TCM five elements music therapy group ( P 0 . 05 ) . It was concluded that TCM five elements music therapy is effective in improving quality of life and subjective symptoms for both senior and non-senior advanced cancer patients . However , the sensitivity of using the Symptom Diary Score as an evaluation index among senior patients still needs to be further proved .
ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo screen the items of Advanced Cancer patient Needs Questionnaire (ACNQ)and develop a short version.MethodsA total of 80 cancer patients of middle and advanced stage were recruited.The items were screened with variation degree method and factor analysis method,combined with clinical meaning of the items.The reliability and validity of newly-development scale were confirmed with new sample of 60 cancer patients.ResnltsThrough statistical methods 12 items were removed from the original scale,forming a short version of Advanced Cancer patient Needs Questionnaire:ACNQ-29.The correlation coefficient of split half reliability was 0.913.The Cronbach′s α coefficient of all items was 0.923.Through principal components and factor analysis,7 principal components were gained including basically the 4 dimensions of physiological,psychological,spiritual and social domain with accumulation contribution of 75.478％.ConclusionsNew scale has good reliability and validity,and more easily for patients to complete.It has feasibility and practicability.