Care needs of Japanese men for sexual dysfunction associated with prostate cancer treatment.

PURPOSE: Prostate cancer (PC) treatment causes sexual dysfunction (SD) and alters fertility, male identity, and intimate relationships with partners. In Japan, little attention has been paid to the importance of providing care for SD associated with PC treatment. This study is aimed at clarifying the care needs of Japanese men regarding SD associated with PC treatment. METHODS: One-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with 44 PC patients to identify their care needs. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four core categories emerged from the analysis. (1) "Need for empathy from medical staff regarding fear of SD": patients had difficulty confiding in others about their sexual problems, and medical staff involvement in their SD issues was lacking. (2) "Need for information that provides an accurate understanding of SD and coping strategies before deciding on treatment": lack of information about SD in daily life and difficulty understanding information from medical institutions, caused men to regret their treatment. (3) "Need for professional care for individuals and couples affected by SD": men faced loss of intimacy because of their partners' unwillingness to understand their SD issues or tolerate non-sexual relationships. (4) "Need for an environment that facilitates interaction among men to resolve SD issues": men felt lonely and wanted to interact with other patients about their SD concerns. CONCLUSION: These findings may help form care strategies tailored to these needs and applicable to other societies with strong traditional gender norms.

Octave-wide phase-matched four-wave mixing in dispersion engineered crystalline microresonators: erratum.

This erratum presents the corrections to the Letter published in Opt. Lett.44, 3146 (2019)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.44.003146.

Octave-wide phase-matched four-wave mixing in dispersion-engineered crystalline microresonators.

In this Letter, we report phase-matched four-wave mixing separated by over one octave in a dispersion-engineered crystalline microresonator. Experimental and numerical results presented here confirm that primary sidebands were generated with a frequency shift up to 140 THz, and that secondary sidebands formed a localized comb structure, known as a clustered comb in the vicinity of the primary sidebands. A theoretical analysis of the phase-matching condition validated our experimental observations, and our results agree well with numerical simulations. These results offer the potential to realize a frequency-tunable comb cluster generator operating from 1 µm to mid-infrared wavelengths with a single and compact device.

Lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with prostate cancer under and after intensity-modulated radiation therapy.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to collect data on the characteristics, degree, and natural course of urinary complications, as well as self-care for such complications, in patients during and after prostate intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). METHODS: Quality of life data were collected retrospectively for all eligible patients who underwent IMRT. In all eligible patients, urinary symptoms were evaluated using questionnaires and face-to-face interview. Participants were asked to respond to a self-administered questionnaire concerning the core lower urinary tract symptom score during the course of IMRT and up to 12 months after the completion of IMRT. RESULTS: In all, 29 eligible patients were included in the study. The frequency of urinary symptoms increased over of the course of IMRT, decreased at ≥3 months after completion of IMRT, and disappeared 6 months after IMRT. Responses to the questionnaire revealed a variety of approaches to self-care and adaptations by patients to manage urinary symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: During and after IMRT for localized prostate cancer, patients often developed more frequent urination and urgency than at the start of IMRT, and recovered 3-6 months after the completion of IMRT. Based on the present study, clinicians and nurses could help convey this information to patients and thus offer better support.

Electrically stimulated ventilation feedback improves the ventilation pattern in patients with COPD.

[Purpose] We aimed to determine the effects of ventilation feedback using electrical stimulation on ventilation pattern during exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and develop new rehabilitation methods. [Subjects] This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial included 24 patients with COPD. [Methods] Phasic electrical stimulation during expiration (PESE) or a placebo was given to all the cases. Minute ventilation (VE), tidal volume (TV), respiratory rate (RR), expiratory time (Te), total respiratory time (Ttot), dead-space gas volume to tidal gas volume (VD/VT), oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide output (VCO2), Borg scale (Borg), and percutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2) during rest and exercise were assessed. [Results] The placebo group showed no obvious change in ventilation measurements at rest or during exercise. However, in the PESE group, TV, Te, and Ttot significantly increased, while RR and VD/VT significantly decreased during exercise compared with the baseline measurements. Borg scores, SpO2, VO2, or VCO2 did not differ significantly. [Conclusion] PESE improves the ventilation pattern during rest and exercise. Furthermore, PESE does not increase VO2, which may indicate an increased workload. Biofeedback may contribute to PESE effects. Stimulation applied during expiration may evoke sensations increasing prolonged expiration awareness, facilitating prolongation.

The effects of deep breathing on 'tension-anxiety' and fatigue in cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy.

AIMS: We investigated the effect of deep breathing intervention on 'tension-anxiety' and fatigue in Japanese women with gynaecological cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. SETTING: A total of 23 patients were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 11) and control (n = 12) groups. INTERVENTION: Deep breathing was practised in the intervention group, but not in the control group. Deep breathing comprised a 10-min breathing program comprising abdominal breathing, thoracic breathing and breathing with arms raised. Using the Profile of Mood States-Short Form (Japanese version) and the Cancer Fatigue Scale, the effects were assessed pre- and post-chemotherapy. RESULTS: 'Tension-anxiety' and fatigue of the intervention group were relieved more than those of the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated that deep breathing intervention is likely to ameliorate the 'tension-anxiety' and fatigue in patients with gynaecological cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy.