• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.77-83
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• 2012

Purpose: This study was designed to describe outcomes of pain management, to identify pain intensity, pain management and barriers to pain management, and to test correlation among the variables in cancer patients who are registered in public health centers. Methods: By using a descriptive survey design, 3 instruments were used to collect data: the Numeric Rating Scale for pain, the Barriers Questionnaire-Korean version, and a one-item self-report tool about patient satisfaction. A sample of 190 patients with cancer was recruited from a public health center. Results: The mean rating for pain during the past 24 hours was mild and the mean score of barriers to pain management was 3.20. Patients were satisfied with pain management but they also had concerns it. A negative correlation was found among pain severity, pain relief and satisfaction of pain management. However, there was not significant correlation between the patient-related barriers to pain management and other variables. Conclusion: These results suggest that the intervention for cancer patients should focus not only on patient-related barriers to pain management, but also address health-care system related barriers.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2012

Purpose: This study reviewed articles related to breast cancer, cognitive function and chemotherapy available in 4 databases. Methods: The researcher reviewed 32 pieces of literature that were published between January 2001 and November 2011. Results: Within the last decade, several studies have investigated whether adjuvant treatment of breast cancer affects cognitive function. A number of prospective studies have reported inconsistent results regarding whether chemotherapy affects cognitive function. Approximately half of the studies reported subtle cognitive decline in a wide range of domains among some breast cancer patients following chemotherapy, and others did not. Conclusion: Breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy showed the most deterioration and the most persistent decline in cognitive function. Since cognitive impairment is subtle, if evident at all, discrepant findings are due to hormonal, physiological, psychological or temporal confounding variables and differences in study design. Especially, that chemotherapy may impair memory, executive function, attention and visuospatial function in women with breast cancer.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.61-68
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• 2012

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the influence of resilience and symptom experience on quality of life. Methods: Seventy five patients in an active treatment stage were recruited from 2 hospitals between October and December 2010. A survey including perceived health status, physical functional status, the symptom experience index, resilience, and the functional assessment of cancer therapy-colorectal (FACT-C) was completed. Results: The level of FACT-C was 86.61 (${\pm}18.91$), which was higher than for patients with colostomy, but lower than for patients in a rehabilitation stage. Participants without physical functional limitations showed higher level of both resilience and quality of life. Participants with bad health status showed a lower level of both resilience and quality of life and higher level of symptom experience. The quality of life was related to the level of resilience (${\beta}$=.373), symptom experience (${\beta}$=-.292), and perceived health status (${\beta}$=-3.961). Conclusion: Proactive nursing approaches to manage symptoms and to improve perceived health status would enhance the quality of life of colorectal cancer patients. Furthermore, various strategies to strengthen the level of resilience should be developed.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.93-100
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of laughter therapy on mood, state anxiety, and serum cortisol based on a Stress-Coping Model for preoperative breast cancer patients. Methods: The study used a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. The participants were 40 breast cancer patients who were admitted to one general hospital for surgery in 2009 (experimental group 23, control group 17). The experimental group received one hour laughter therapy consisting of dance, lots of laughter techniques, and meditation. Results: The mean ages were 47 years (experimental group) and 49 years (control group). There were no significant differences in demographic and disease-related characteristics between the two groups. After the intervention, the scores of mood and state-anxiety of experimental group were significantly improved than those of control group. However, no difference was found in serum cortisol. Conclusion: The laughter therapy was partially effective in improving stress response in patients with breast cancer. Further research is needed to develop and evaluate the longer periods of interventions to testify the effects on serum cortisol, and other biochemical variables.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.92-99
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• 2012

Purpose: The study was to examine the relationships between stress, ways of coping and burnout among family caregivers of cancer patients. Methods: Data were collected by self-reported questionnaires from 207 family caregivers of cancer patients at one university hospital and one general hospital in Busan, Korea. The instruments included a Stress Scale, a Ways of Coping Scale and a Burnout Scale. The collected data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe's test, and Pearson's correlation coefficients with the SPSS WIN 19.0 program. Results: Stress was found to have significant relationships with age, relation to the patient, education, monthly income, degree of care-giving, financial burden and activities of daily living of patient. In active coping, there were significant differences according to education and religion. Passive coping was significantly related to gender. In burnout, there were significant differences according to age, relation to the patient, education, occupational status, monthly income, degree of care-giving, financial burden and activities of daily living of patient. Stress and burnout showed a positive correlation, while there was a negative correlation between burnout and active coping. Conclusion: These results suggest that promoting active coping would better support family caregivers of cancer patients in managing burnout effectively.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 2014

Purpose: To improve the family functioning, fear of death and depression among the terminally ill cancer patients, the effects of letter as an independent nursing intervention were identified. Methods: Non-equivalent control group pre and post test design was used. Subjects were 60 patients and their family members who were hospitalized at hospice units of an university-affiliated hospital. Patients and their family members were encouraged to write a letter to each other at least 4 times for 2 weeks. Results: Family functioning, fear of death and depression in the experimental group were significantly more improved after intervention than those of control group, even depression of experimental group before intervention was worse than that of control group. Conclusion: Writing a letter to family members is worth to use as an independent nursing intervention for terminally ill patients. It is recommended that further study to identify the potential of letters as an independent nursing intervention is implemented for various patients.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.146-158
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was to obtain a understanding of breast cancer women with high risk for hereditary cancer syndrome. Method: A micro-ethnography was used, including participation observation, open-ended in-depth interviews. Results: Two major arguments were derived. First, When Korean women at high risk to hereditary breast cancer make a decision about whether to take a genetic test, they are strongly motivated by a desire to preserve close kinship bonds and "family love" among their siblings, parents and children. Second, Even after genetic risk assessment and counseling services, Korean women at high-risk for developing a hereditary breast cancer who have been informed that they are mutation carriers, still hold onto previous beliefs about cancer causation. Their cancer prevention strategies are constructed according to their unchanged perceptions and beliefs about cancer causation. Conclusion: More sensitive genetic counseling program needs to be developed. Referral programs and clinical services must be attentive to cultural values and beliefs otherwise cultural attitudes and practices toward genetic counseling will not change.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.71-81
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• 2004

The purpose of the study was to understand and explore the quality of life in cancer patients in the context of a Korean culture and society. Grounded theory method guided the data collection and analysis. A total of 10 cancer patients was selected by a theoretical sampling. The data were collected by an open question. All interviews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Constant comparison analysis was employed to analyze the data. As the results, eighty-five concepts and twelve categories were emerged, and "keeping well-being status" identified as a core category. Quality of life related categories derived from this study will academically contribute to the understanding and expansion of theoretical bases for quality of life of Korean cancer patients and to the contexts for the development of measurement of quality of life. Furthermore, they will function as the foundation of a intervention development for quality of life.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.319-331
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a scale to evaluate posttraumatic growth in patients with cancer and to examine the validity and reliability of the scale. Methods: A literature review, semi-structured patient interviews and an expert panel consultation produced a 27 preliminary item questionnaire. Participants were 150 cancer patients recruited to test the reliability and validity of the preliminary scale. Data were analyzed using item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, convergent validity and internal consistency. Results: Item reduction and exploratory factor analysis led to 23 items, grouped into five subscales which were labelled new possibilities (6 items), coping skills (5 items), preciousness of life (5 items), relating to others (4 items), and personal strength (3 items). Convergent validity was evaluated by total correlation with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (r=.45, p<.001). The final scale demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ =.94). Conclusion: Findings from this study indicate that the Cancer-Specific Posttraumatic Growth Inventory has validity and reliability and is considered to be appropriate for assessing posttraumatic growth in patients with cancer.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.191-198
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a gum-chewing on the recovery of bowel motility and days of hospitalization after surgery for colorectal cancer. Methods: This study used a non-equivalent control group and non-synchronized design. Thirty-four patients undergoing abdominal surgery for colorectal cancer were assigned to either gum-chewing group (n=17) or control group (n=17). The patients in the gum-chewing group chewed gum for 10 min three times daily from the first postoperative morning until the day they began oral intake. Outcome variables were time of first flatus, time of first bowel movement, and length of hospital stay. Results: Gum-chewing was effective in enhancing the first passage of flatus, but was not effective in enhancing time of bowel movement and length of hospital stay. Conclusion: Gum-chewing can be utilized as a useful nursing intervention to shorten the time of the first flatus of postoperative colectomy.