Fatigue-related symptom clusters and functional status of older adults in hospice.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is frequently co-existing with other symptoms and is highly prevalent among patients with cancer and geriatric population. There was a lack of knowledge that focus on fatigue clusters in older adults with cancer in hospice care. OBJECTIVES: To identify fatigue-related symptom clusters in older adult hospice patients and discover to what extent fatigue-related symptom clusters predict functional status while controlling for depression. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study in a sample of 519 older adult hospice patients with cancer, who completed the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression, Boston Short Form Scale, and the Palliative Performance Scale. Data from a multi-center symptom trial were extracted for this secondary analysis using exploratory factor analysis and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Data from 519 patients (78 ± 7 years) with terminal cancer who received hospice care under home healthcare services revealed that 39% of the participants experienced fatigue-related symptom clusters (lack of energy, feeling drowsy, and lack of appetite). The fatigue cluster was significantly associated positively with depression (r = 0.253, p < 0.01), and negatively with functional status (r = -0.117, p < 0.01) and was a strong predictor of participants' low functional status. Furthermore, depression made a significant contribution to this predictive relationship. CONCLUSION: Older adult hospice patients with cancer experienced various concurrent symptoms. The fatigue-specific symptom cluster was identified significantly associated with depression and predicted functional status. Fatigue should be routinely monitored in older adults, especially among hospice cancer patients, to help reduce psychological distress and prevent functional decline.

Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Taiwanese Version of the Hospice Quality of Life Index.

Quality of life is an important outcome for people with cancer throughout their cancer trajectory. Having a valid and reliable instrument to measure the quality of life is critical. This cross-sectional study examined the psychometric properties of the Taiwanese version of the Hospice Quality of Life Index among patients with advanced cancer in Taiwan. There were 3 phases: (1) translation of the Hospice Quality of Life Index from English to Mandarin, (2) pilot testing among 30 targeted participants, and (3) field testing to examine validity and reliability. The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the original factor structure of the Hospice Quality of Life Index did not fit the data. After 5 items were deleted from the original questionnaire, principal factor extraction with oblique rotation for exploratory factor analysis yielded 3 subscales: Social/Spiritual Well-Being, Psychological Well-Being, and Functional/Physiological Well-Being. For convergent validity, the small to moderate strength of associations showed shared variance with the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale. The internal consistency was supported by Cronbach α ranging from 0.77 to 0.86. This study shows early evidence that the quality of life of people with advanced cancer can be appropriately assessed by the Taiwanese Hospice Quality of Life Index.

The Mutual Effects of Perceived Spiritual Needs on Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced Cancer and Family Caregivers.

Perceived spiritual needs may increase when patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers are confronted with the challenges of physical and psychological distress. Given the intertwined relationships between patients and family caregivers, their interdependence should be considered to understand how perceived spiritual needs affect the quality of life of their own and of their partner. This study used the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model as the conceptual model to investigate the mutual effects of perceived spiritual needs on the quality of life in patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers after being admitted to hospice. This cross-sectional study used the baseline data of a large clinical trial and identified that patients with cancer and their family caregivers perceived similar spiritual needs associated with the community and outlook needs and had fewer unmet spiritual needs. After controlling for partner effects, perceived outlook needs shown in patients significantly predicted their own functional well-being and social/spiritual well-being. Outlook and community needs perceived by family caregivers also significantly predicted their own mental health. Although partner effects were not shown as expected, the findings provide insight into the mutuality of spirituality and demonstrate the necessity of providing timely and ongoing spiritual assessment and care.

Quality of life among women veterans.

BACKGROUND: Of 23 million US veterans, 2 million are women. Female veterans often have physical and mental health disorders, but only 6.5% use the Veterans Health Administration (VA) system. Health care for women veterans is challenging in a health care system unfamiliar with this population. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate how receipt of treatment by female veterans at a VA women's health specialty clinic affected levels of distress, quality of life (QOL), and depression. METHODS: A retrospective record review was completed on 51 female veterans between the ages of 40 and 60 years attending a VA clinic. The clinic provides comprehensive women's health services to female veterans. Multiple linear regression models were fit to explore QOL and depression levels with socioeconomic status, parity, years of service, and military sexual trauma (MST). RESULTS: Female veterans had significantly lower baseline scores for QOL than did a comparison group. The only significant predictor associated with higher health-related symptom scores at baseline was a history of MST (ß = 0.363; t = 2.44; p = .02). Means and standard deviations for total scores were significantly higher than those of the comparison group. Higher symptom scores indicated lower QOL among female veterans. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Study findings suggested that timely, comprehensive, gender-specific health care can significantly improve overall QOL and depression levels. Nurse practitioners play a leading role in providing primary care to this population with significant potential to impact QOL, depression levels, and overall health of female veterans.

Examining the Relationship Between Patient Fatigue-Related Symptom Clusters and Carer Depressive Symptoms in Advanced Cancer Dyads: A Secondary Analysis of a Large Hospice Data Set.

BACKGROUND: Most symptom management takes place in the community, conducted by patient and/or informal carer dyads with guidance from clinicians. Given the prevalence of cancer, there is a critical need for examination of the impact of managing multiple symptoms, particularly those that cluster with fatigue, on informal carers. OBJECTIVES: To (1) examine clustering of patient fatigue-related symptom severity and distress in individuals with cancer and (2) test the hypothesis that patient fatigue-related symptom clusters (severity, distress) will be positively associated with carer depressive symptoms. METHODS: Secondary analysis of 689 hospice patient/informal carer dyads using exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Patient symptoms were measured by the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, and carer depressive symptoms were measured by the Center for Epidemiological Study-Depression Scale. RESULTS: Patients were 73 (SD, 12) years old, and 43% were female. Carers were 65 years (SD, 14) years old, and 74% were female. For symptom severity, dyspnea, dry mouth, lack of appetite, drowsiness, cough, dizziness, and difficulty swallowing clustered with fatigue. For symptom distress, dyspnea, cough, and dry mouth clustered with fatigue. Structural equation modeling results indicated that the patient fatigue severity cluster was positively related to carer depressive symptoms (b = 0.12, P < .05), but distress was not. CONCLUSION: Managing multiple symptoms that cluster with fatigue negatively impacts informal carers. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: When patients complain of severe fatigue, clinicians need to explore all causes and ask about other symptoms while exploring whether the informal carer is feeling burdened or depressed.

Cancer Pain and Quality of Life.

Cancer pain is an unrelenting symptom with the potential to alter the quality of life of patients. To adequately manage pain, nurses caring for cancer patients need to fully understand each patient's pain experience. The purpose of this study was to identify the intensity, distress, frequency, or constancy of pain in patients treated for cancer or cancer symptoms and to better understand patient barriers to pain management. This cross-sectional study included patients (N = 105) treated for cancer or cancer symptoms at 2 outpatient medical centers. Assessments included the Pain Barriers Scale, the Cancer Symptom Scale, and the Multidimensional QOL Scale-Cancer. Descriptive statistics and Spearman correlations were used to analyze the data. Sixty-nine percent of patients reported present pain of moderate to severe intensity that caused distress, was frequent/constant, or interfered with their lives. Patients with the greatest pain distress reported the greatest intensity of pain (r = 0.77) and the greatest interference (r = 0.78) with daily lives. Cancer pain was associated with significant distress and interference with life activities and occurred frequently or constantly for many study patients.

Understanding the roles of patient symptoms and subjective appraisals in well-being among breast cancer patients.

PURPOSE: To examine the roles of both patient symptoms, and subjective appraisals of stress (self-efficacy, symptom barriers, symptom distress), in understanding well-being (anxiety, depression, cancer-specific quality of life, mental health quality of life, and physical health quality of life) in breast cancer patients. METHODS: We examined data from 104 female breast cancer patients. Using a stress process model, we hypothesized that while high levels of patient symptoms would be associated with poorer patient well-being, these effects would be mediated by subjective appraisals, including patient self-efficacy, perceived symptom barriers, and symptom distress. RESULTS: As expected, higher levels of patient symptoms were associated with poorer well-being on all five indicators. Subjective appraisals of stress added significantly to predictors of well-being, and were mediators of this relationship across all five outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: While patient symptoms are important predictors of patient well-being, subjective appraisals of the stressfulness of symptoms, and of patients' self-efficacy in managing symptoms, are also key factors. The findings suggest the utility of a stress process model in understanding well-being in breast cancer patients, and point to the potential value of targeting patient appraisals as well as symptoms to improve psychological well-being and quality of life.

Mutual Effects of Depression on Quality of Life in Patients and Family Caregivers.

OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the importance of mutual effects within dyads by examining the contribution of depression on quality of life (QOL) in patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers (FCs). SAMPLE & SETTING: 716 patients with advanced cancer paired with their FCs at two large, private not-for-profit hospices. METHODS & VARIABLES: A descriptive, cross-sectional design with the baseline data of a randomized hospice clinical trial was used. Structural equation modeling helped examine four hypotheses by integrating the features of the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Variables included QOL and depression. RESULTS: Depression in patients with cancer and their FCs exhibited significant actor effects on an individual's QOL after controlling for the partner effects. Among the spousal pairs, depression in FCs exhibited a positive partner effect on the functional well-being of patients with cancer, indicating that depressive symptoms occurring in FCs may increase patients' functional well-being. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: This study suggests the importance of consistent assessment in emotional well-being for dyads with cancer because their concerns may be transmitted to each other.

A Behavioral Physical Activity Intervention to Manage Moderate and Severe Fatigue Among Head and Neck Cancer Patients-Pre-efficacy Study in the National Institutes of Health ORBIT Model.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) reduces head and neck cancer (HNC) survival rates and is the most common, severe, and distressing symptom negatively impacting activities of daily living (ADLs) dependence among HNC patients. These patients remain physically inactive after their cancer treatment, although there is consensus that physical activity mitigates CRF in cancer patients. OBJECTIVE: A home-based personalized behavioral physical activity intervention with fitness graded motion exergames (PAfitME) was evaluated for its intervention components, intervention delivery mode, and intervention contact time/duration with initial assessment of the feasibility, acceptability, safety, and outcomes. METHODS: This study (N = 8) was a single-group, pre-post design to evaluate a 6-week PAfitME at the end of HNC treatment. Health outcomes were CRF, ADL dependence, and fitness performance. Behavioral outcomes were exergame adherence. RESULTS: Positive health and behavioral outcomes support the PAfitME protocol including intervention components, intervention delivery mode, and intervention contact times/duration. The PAfitME intervention is feasible and acceptable with promising adherence rates. No adverse events were reported. There was marked improvement in CRF, ADL dependence, cardiorespiratory fitness, balance, muscle strength, and shoulder forward flexion, with large to moderate effect sizes as a result of the PAfitME intervention. CONCLUSION: The PAfitME protocol is ready for additional testing in a randomized clinical trial. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The PAfitME intervention is a nurse-led nonpharmacological intervention. It can be integrated into home care or telehealth care for HNC patients at the end of their cancer treatment once effectiveness is established.

Validation of the Spanish version of the Cancer Symptom Scale in Hispanic cancer patients.

AIM: To assess the validity of the translated Spanish Cancer Symptom Scale. BACKGROUND: Instruments to facilitate comprehensive and objective assessments of the cancer symptom experience in underrepresented populations are essential. METHODS: The Cancer Symptom Scale was translated into Spanish, and a back translation was conducted. During June 2016, a sample of 121 Hispanic Puerto Rican patients with any cancer diagnosis, all undergoing cancer treatments, completed four paper surveys. A subgroup of 15 patients agreed to complete the Spanish Cancer Symptom Scale a second time after a short delay of 1 to 2 hours. Construct validity and reliability (internal consistency via Cronbach alpha and test-retest reliability) was evaluated. RESULTS: All the Intensity Items of the Spanish Cancer Symptom Scale correlated significantly with the matched items on the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory. In a subgroup of 77 participants, each Cancer Symptom Scale subscale total of scores correlated significantly with the total scores from the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General. Discriminant validity was demonstrated between those receiving chemotherapy and those from post treatment. The Spanish Cancer Symptom Scale internal consistency reliability was 0.98. CONCLUSION: The Spanish Cancer Symptom Scale has excellent evidence of validity and reliability for assessing cancer-therapy-related symptoms.

An Academic Perspective on Publishing in Oncology Nursing.

OBJECTIVES: To describe authorship opportunities for nursing students, encourage writing for publication, and provide practical guidance on reformatting a "school" paper into a version suitable for publication. DATA SOURCES: Published literature, authors' experience. CONCLUSION: Nursing students have unique opportunities to write for publication during, and beyond, their educational programs. Writing for publication can be a very rewarding experience and a meaningful one, as nurse authors contribute to the body of knowledge of oncology nursing. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: While an excellent paper written for a class, thesis, final project, or dissertation is virtually never publishable without substantial changes, by following the guidance provided in this article, publication is very possible.

Initial evaluation of the validity and reliability of the culturally adapted Spanish CaSUN (S-CaSUN).

PURPOSE: There is a dearth of knowledge and limited research on the needs of Hispanic male cancer survivors (HMCSs). There is a clear need for the development of culturally and linguistically adapted needs assessment tools that are valid and reliable for use among the growing HMCS population. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to describe the field testing and psychometric evaluation of the translated and culturally adapted Spanish Cancer Survivor Unmet Needs Measure (S-CaSUN). METHODS: Hispanic male cancer survivors (n = 84) completed the Spanish CaSUN (S-CaSUN), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General Population (FACT-GP). Construct validity of the S-CaSUN was assessed by correlation analysis among aforesaid measures. A test-retest procedure with 2-week delay was used to examine reproducibility with a participant subsample (n = 50). Cronbach's alpha was computed to assess internal consistency of the S-CaSUN. RESULTS: Construct validity of the S-CaSUN was estimated by moderate correlation with the HADS anxiety (r = 0.55, P < 0.001) and depression scales (r = 0.60, P < 0.001) and the FACT-GP (r = - 0.62, P < 0.001). The test-retest correlation coefficient for the S-CaSUN was 0.78. Cronbach's alpha was 0.96. Field testing yielded a mean S-CaSUN score of 38.3 (SD = 26.2); all needs and positive change items were endorsed. CONCLUSION: Findings from field testing and preliminary psychometric evaluation of the S-CaSUN provide initial evidence of validity and reliability of the measure and highlight the importance of going beyond translation when adapting measures to take culture, literacy, and language into consideration. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Reliable, culturally, and linguistically valid instruments facilitate identification of unique unmet needs of Hispanic cancer survivors that, in turn, can be addressed with evidence-based interventions. As cancer centers continue to develop survivorship programs, the S-CaSUN may be useful for a growing group of cancer survivors.

Cultural adaptation of a supportive care needs measure for Hispanic men cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE: Research with ethnic minority populations requires instrumentation that is cultural and linguistically relevant. The aim of this study was to translate and culturally adapt the Cancer Survivor Unmet Needs measure into Spanish. METHODS: We describe the iterative, community-engaged consensus-building approaches used to adapt the instrument for Hispanic male cancer survivors. We used an exploratory sequential mixed method study design. Methods included translation and back-translation, focus groups with cancer survivors (n = 18) and providers (n = 5), use of cognitive interview techniques to evaluate the comprehension and acceptability of the adapted instrument with survivors (n = 12), ongoing input from the project's community advisory board, and preliminary psychometric analysis (n = 84). RESULTS: The process emphasized conceptual, content, semantic, and technical equivalence. Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches offered a rigorous, systematic, and contextual approach to translation alone and supports the cultural adaptation of this measure in a purposeful and relevant manner. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the importance of going beyond translation when adapting measures for cross-cultural populations and illustrate the importance of taking culture, literacy, and language into consideration.

Treatment Choices: A Quality of Life Comparison in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and High-risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: In the present exploratory, observational study, we compared the effect of intensive versus nonintensive treatment on quality of life for patients aged ≥ 60 years diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome at 1 month after treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 73 patients with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome who had been treated at the inpatient and outpatient malignant hematology at Moffitt Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, were included. Two paired measurements of self-reported quality of life were used, 1 before treatment and 1 at 1 month after treatment to compare intensive versus nonintensive treatment. Patients completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Leukemia version for the quality-of-life measurement. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare the effect of treatment and time and the interaction of treatment and time. The main research variables were intensive versus nonintensive treatment as the independent variable and quality of life measured using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Leukemia version as the dependent variable. RESULTS: Physical function and leukemia symptoms improved for patients treated with intensive chemotherapy. A trend was found for improved quality of life for the intensive treatment compared with nonintensive treatment, for which the quality of life was stable at 1 month. CONCLUSION: The study participants treated with inpatient, induction chemotherapy experienced statistically significant improvement in their quality of life at 1 month. The outpatient, nonintensive study participants had stable quality of life at 1 month.

Complicated Grief: Risk Factors, Interventions, and Resources for Oncology Nurses.

BACKGROUND: When a loved one dies of cancer, complicated grief (CG) may occur because of the trauma associated with family caregivers' perceptions of their loved one's suffering, either from advanced cancer or from side effects of cancer treatment.
. OBJECTIVES: This article provides an overview of CG and existing interventions for family caregivers who may be at risk for CG following the loss of a loved one and the implications for oncology nurses who provide emotional support and guidance.
. METHODS: Current evidence related to the treatment of CG and information to assist with identification of individuals at risk for CG are presented, as well as resources for oncology nurses who encounter individuals who are at high risk for, or who are experiencing, CG.
. FINDINGS: Although therapy interventions for CG have been shown to be effective forms of treatment, these therapies are not widely available and often require an extended treatment period to yield results. Oncology nurses can provide early interventions, such as referrals to supportive care services and mental health professionals to facilitate effective treatment.

Symptom Burden: Experiences of Puerto Rican Men With Prostate Cancer Prior to External Beam Radiation Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men in Puerto Rico, and external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) is a popular treatment. Although symptom management is a clinical priority of comprehensive oncology care, symptom assessment at the time of primary or adjuvant EBRT has received limited attention. OBJECTIVES: This article examines the prevalence and severity of symptoms experienced by 54 Puerto Rican men prior to EBRT. METHODS: Participants completed a demographic form and the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory. Descriptive statistics were generated. FINDINGS: Most participants had received hormonal treatment, and about a third had received no treatment prior to EBRT. About a third of those who received hormonal treatment reported experiencing side effects before EBRT, and disturbed sleep, numbness and tingling, fatigue, and dry mouth were the most severe. Puerto Rican men with prostate cancer who receive hormonal treatment are at increased risk for experiencing symptom burden prior to EBRT. Greater need for symptom surveillance, treatment, and control may be needed among this population.

A psychometric examination of an instrument to measure the dimensions of Champion's Health Belief Model Scales for cervical cancer screening in women living with HIV.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper was to examine the psychometric properties of Champion's Health Belief Model Scales for cervical cancer and screening among women living with HIV. METHODS: A secondary data analysis was conducted using data from an exploratory cross-sectional study with a convenience sample of 300 women living with HIV receiving care at two HIV ambulatory care clinics in Florida. A 39-item adaptation of the Champion's Health Belief Model Scales was administered via paper and pencil. RESULTS: The authors used internal consistency measures, confirmatory factor analysis, and ordinal item response theory (IRT) techniques to examine the psychometric properties of the instrument. The 39-item instrument had adequate internal consistency and factor structure. However, the IRT analyses suggested that the instrument could be reduced to 24-items (61.5%), without loss of relevant information. CONCLUSION: A shortened 24-item instrument demonstrated good internal consistency among women living with HIV. Future work should include validating the properties of the reduced instrument in diverse samples of patients and conditions.

Understanding the supportive care needs of Hispanic men cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE: To date, there is a paucity of research and information on Hispanic men cancer survivors (HMCS), who comprise part of the largest and fastest growing racial/ethnic minority group in the country. The purpose of this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of the supportive care needs of HMCS. DESIGN: Three focus groups with a community sample of HMCS (n = 18) and interviews with providers (n = 5) were conducted to explore the supportive care needs of Hispanic men who had been diagnosed with cancer within the last five years. The data were analyzed using applied thematic analysis techniques. RESULTS: Findings from focus groups and interviews are presented concurrently. The overarching themes that emerged were the need for: culturally sensitive cancer care and better communication with providers; cancer treatment-related information and comprehensive survivorship care; support and to connect with other cancer survivors and the need to negotiate changing gender role expectations and still provide for their family. CONCLUSION: Study findings contribute to the literature by presenting the supportive care needs of HMCS and illustrate the need for continued research to address disparities in access to cancer information and in the provision of culturally sensitive care. We provide recommendations and suggestions to address the supportive care needs of HMCS.

Identifying factors of psychological distress on the experience of pain and symptom management among cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological evidence suggests the impact psychological distress has on symptomatic outcomes (pain) among cancer patients. While studies have examined distress across various medical illnesses, few have examined the relationship of psychological distress and pain among patients diagnosed with cancer. This study aimed to examine the impact psychological distress-related symptoms has on pain frequency, presence of pain, and pain-related distress among oncology patients. METHODS: Data were collected from a sample of White and Black adults (N = 232) receiving outpatient services from a comprehensive cancer center. Participants were surveyed on questions assessing psychological distress (i.e., worry, feeling sad, difficulty sleeping), and health (pain presence, pain frequency, comorbidities, physical functioning), behavioral (pain-related distress), and demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Patients reporting functional limitations were more likely to report pain. Specifically, those reporting difficulty sleeping and feeling irritable were similarly likely to report pain. Data further showed age and feeling irritable as significant indicators of pain-related distress, with younger adults reporting more distress. CONCLUSIONS: It must be recognized that psychological distress and experiences of pain frequency are contingent upon a myriad of factors that are not exclusive, but rather coexisting determinants of health. Further assessment of identified predictors such as age, race, socioeconomic status, and other physical and behavioral indicators are necessary, thus allowing for an expansive understanding of the daily challenges and concerns of individuals diagnosed with cancer, while providing the resources for clinicians, researchers, and policy makers to better meet the needs of this patient population.