• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.59-67
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was the development and validation of knowledge scale for patients with breast cancer (KS-Br) in Korea. Methods: The process included the construction of a conceptual framework, generation of preliminary items, and the test of validity and reliability of the scale. Thirty-seven items were developed through an evaluation process by 10 experts and 24 items were finally confirmed through item analysis. Psychometric testing was performed with a convenient sample of 303 women with breast cancer. The data was analyzed using independent t-test, Pearson's correlation, and calculation of KR-20. Results: Participants averaged 70.8% correct on the test. The KS-Br has 24 items consisting of 5 categories: incidence of breast cancer, diagnosis and treatment, symptom management, sexuality, and maintenance of daily life. Validity was supported by the use of content validity, known-group technique, and criterion-related validity. Women who had undergone education intervention scored significantly higher than women who had not (p<.001). KS-Br scores were significantly correlated with those of Mishel's Illness Uncertainty Scale (r=-.214, p<.001). Internal consistency of the KS-Br was appropriate (KR20=.805). Conclusion: This study reveals that the KS-Br is reliable and valid scale to measure the knowledge of breast cancer. Therefore, this scale can be effectively utilized to assess the knowledge of patients with breast cancer regarding their disease.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.215-224
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was to investigate the effect of music therapy as intervention on peripheral neuropathic pain and anxiety of gynecologic cancer patients who were undergoing paclitaxel chemotherapy. Methods: Hospitalized 62 patients were assigned to an experimental group (n=30) and a control group (n=33) in this quasi-experimental study. The experimental group participated in music therapy that includes listening, singing and song writing during 1 hour. The peripheral neuropathic pain, anxiety and depression were examined as pre-intervention evaluation by using pain scale, anxiety scale (20 questions) and depression scale (20 questions) in both groups. There were no further treatments for the control group while the experimental group involved in music therapy. The peripheral neuropathic pain and anxiety were evaluated in both groups as post-intervention evaluation. Results: Outcomes were verified through hypothesis testing. The level of peripheral neuropathic pain and anxiety in the experimental group was decreased, compared to the control group. Conclusion: According to the study, music therapy is a beneficial intervention that reduces peripheral neuropathic pain and anxiety in gynecologic cancer patients. These findings are encouraging and suggest that music therapy can be applied as an effective intervention for minimizing chemotherapy related symptoms.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.27-36
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• 2008

Purpose: This study was to investigate the effects of foot massage on fatigue and depression among patients undergoing chemotherapy with hematological malignancies. Method: The subjects were 60 patients hospitalized for undergoing chemotherapy from September 2007 to March 2008, and 30 of them were the experimental group and the other 30 were the control group. To the subjects in the experimental group, foot massage was provided for 30 minutes everyday before the chemotherapy at the same time for 4 days, and the effect was measured on Day 4 and 5 after chemotherapy. Fatigue was measured using the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) developed by Mendoza et al. (1999), and depression was measured by psychiatric rating scale SCL-90-R developed by Derogatis (1977) and translated by Kim Gwang il et al. The data were analyzed through $x^2$-test, Fisher's exact test, unpaired t-test and repeated measures ANOVA using SPSS 12.0. Results: Fatigue and depression were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group. Even on Day 5, fatigue and depression were significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control after finish foot massage. Conclusion: The findings of the study demonstrated that foot massage would be an effective nursing intervention to reduce fatigue and depression in patients with hematological malignancies.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.68-75
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• 2006

Purpose: This study was carried out to obtain basic data for developing effective pain management by identifying the positive and negative determinants for pain management in both cancer patients and their nurses. Method: The participants were 85 cancer patients and 78 nurses at C university hospital in Seoul. Data were collected from December 2004 to March 2005 using structured questionnaires. Results: The level of pain peaked at 5.02 when going into the hospital, and was then lowered to 2.08. The waiting time for analgesics was less than 30 minutes in 81.1% of the patients and for 68.2% answered that they reported their pain when the pain was no more endurable. Just over eighty percent (80.6%) of the patients were satisfied with the pain management. Only 10.3% of the nurses used a standardized tool for assessing patients, pain and 64.1% gave analgesics whenever patients complained of pain, while 19.2% did not when patients complained too frequently. Nurses who were unsatisfied with pain management accounted for 85.4% of the participants. Patients showed higher levels of barriers to pain management than nurses. Conclusion: There is a need to give cancer patients and nurses appropriate information on effective cancer pain management.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.620-631
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• 2001

Purpose: Fatigue is one of the most common complaints of cancer patients. In this study, we analyzed the change of fatigue level and general symptoms as time go by, so that, we could explain more on the mechanism and change of fatigue in relation with treatment, and explore the influencing factors. Method: The subjects of this study were 50 GI cancer patients who have visited the cancer center of A hospital in Suwon. We measured fatigue by using the Revised Piper Fatigue Scale(RPFS) at the time of starting and finishing induction chemotherapy, and starting the 2nd cycle of chemotherapy. Results: 1) The fatigue score was 2.81, 3.73, and 3.82 in a 10 point scale at the time of starting and finishing induction chemotherapy, and starting the 2nd chemotherapy, respectively. This means fatigue persisted until after the treatment. 2) Fifty two percent of participants complained of some kinds of symptoms when starting the treatment, and the proportion increased up to 92% when finishing the treatment. 3) Fatigue scores were significantly high in patients with fatigue-related symptoms than for patients without those symptoms. 4) Fatigue scores showed significant differences according to patients' general characteristics such as age, educational level, economic status, occupation, diagnosis, hematocrit, weight, and amount of sleepy. Conclusion: We have to develop intervention strategies to reduce fatigue in cancer patients in the consideration of influencing factors.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.411-417
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• 2002

Purpose: This study was to investigate symptom occurrence related to the disease characteristics of patients with cancer. Method: A total of 301 patients with cancer participated in this study. The participants were recruited from University Hospitals located in Seoul, Wonju, Kwangju, Daegu, and Pusan. Data collection was performed by using a questionnaire on symptom occurrence. The obtained data was analyzed using SPSS computer program that included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, one-way ANOVA, and t-test. Result: The mean score of fatigue was the highest (3.24), followed by loss of appetite, lack of concentration, change in appearance, pain, insomnia, change in bowel pattern, nausea/vomiting, coughing, and dyspnea. Most symptoms were significantly correlated with each other. The level of symptom occurrence in patients with lung cancer or cervix cancer was significantly higher than the level in patients with stomach cancer. Patients receiving radiation therapy or a combined therapy of radiation therapy and chemotherapy experienced significantly higher level of symptom occurrence than those receiving chemotherapy only. Also, female patients experienced higher level of symptom occurrence than male patients did. Conclusion: The sites of cancer, types of treatment, and gender influence the level of symptom occurrence of patients with cancer. Thus, these variables should be considered when assessing and planing for symptom occurrence of patients with cancer.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.659-667
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• 2012

Purpose: The study was to identify the level of Spiritual Health and Fatigue in women with breast cancer according to three treatment phases (post op phase, adjuvant phase, follow up phase). Methods: The research method was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Data were collected from 161 women patients with a diagnosis of breast cancer. Both in-patient and out-patient units from two general hospitals were the source of subjects. The subjects completed two standardized instruments: the "Spiritual Health Scale" developed by Highfield and the "Fatigue Scale" developed and revised by Piper. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, ${\chi}^2$, ANOVA, Scheff$\acute{e}$ test, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and Multiple regression. Results: The subscale scores of Self-Esteem of spiritual health and fatigue in patients with breast cancer differed among the three treatment phases (F=3.14, p= .046; F=3.31, p= .039). Significant correlations were found between spiritual health and fatigue. The variables which explained 29% of the variance in fatigue in breast cancer patients were education, religious belief, economic status, and spiritual health. Conclusion: The study results demonstrated that spiritual health significantly explain fatigue. It is needed to develop nursing interventions to improve the spiritual health of breast cancer patients to manage fatigue according to treatment phases.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.138-149
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• 2007

Purpose: This study was to identify the level of quality of life in patients with woman cancer across treatment phases. Methods: The research method was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Data was collected by questionnaires from 226 female, who were in- and out-patients. They were diagnosed with breast and uterine cancer from three university hospitals and two general hospitals. The instruments used for this study included, "the Quality Of Life Scale(QOL)". The collected data were analyzed using Frequency, Percentage, ANOVA, Two-Way ANOVA. Results: Quality of life of women cancer patients was significantly different according to three treatment phases. Quality of life of women cancer patients was not significantly different according to areas of disease in the three treatment phases. Quality of life of women cancer patients was significantly different according to level of fatigue in the three treatment phases. Quality of life of women cancer patients was significantly different according to level of perceived health status in the three treatment phases(F=60.14, p=0.000). Quality of life of women cancer patients was significantly different according to education level(F=3.70, p=0.027) & occupation(F=5.67, p=0.018) in three treatment phases. Conclusion: Strategies for intervention are needed to improve the quality of life in women cancer patients across the treatment phases. The significant several characteristics of affecting on quality of life across treatment phases should be considered in sociopsychological nursing intervention.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.36-49
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the pain management education on pain of the terminal cancer patients at home. For evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention modified Patient Outcome Questionnaire (APS, 1995) including patients concerns with cancer pain management, pain intensity, and interference of daily activities related to pain were measured before and after the education in control group and experimental group and the differences were compared with each other. Satisfaction with pain management was measured after the intervention. Pain management education was delivered to 16 experimental group patients by home care nurses, who were provided with 3-hour education on cancer pain management by one of the researchers. Pain management education included common misconceptions about cancer pain control and pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions and emphasis was put on the importance of pain reports and patients' active participation in pain management. The results of the study were as follows. Patients concerns with pain management were decreased more greatly in the experimental group than those of the control group. The worst, average, and present pain intensities during the last 24 hours were decreased more greatly in the experimental group, and total score and each subcategory of the interference of daily living, except walking, were decreased more greatly in the experimental group. And satisfaction score with total pain management and nurses response to the pain reports were higher in the experimental group. The results of this study suggest that pain management education given to the patients by home care nurses is a very useful intervention to improve pain of the cancer patients at home. This positive result is thought to derive from patients' active pain report and participation in pain control and the use of powder form sustained release morphine for breakthrough pain control in part. Further studies with increased sample size from more institutions are recommended and early introduction of short acting morphine is strongly suggested for effective cancer pain control.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.16-25
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• 2004

The purpose of this study is to provide the basic data to improve the QOL in patients suffering from female cancers. Subjects of this study were consisted 255 persons who admitted or visited three university hospitals. The instruments used for this study included "the Quality Of Life Scale(QOL)" developed by National Conference on Cancer Nursing and successively amended by Kwon(1990), "Anger in" developed by Spielberger(1988) and successively amended by Chon(1997). The collected data were analyzed using a SPSS 11.0 for PC. To find out significant factors of Anger in & QOL in patients with Female Cancer patients, Frequency, Percentage, t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe-test, Pearson's correlation coefficients were conducted. The main findings : Anger in score was a little low & QOL score was middle. Several characteristics of the subjects were identified to differenti ate the "Anger in" and "QOL". Age status(F=2.64, p=0.05), education status(F=2.73, p=0.04), Health insurance(t=2.27, p=0.00) and cancer insurance status(t=2.97, p=0.00) was significant factors of the "Anger in". Education status(F=2.64 p=0.05), Occupation status (t=2.90, p=0.00), Monthly income (F=3.23 p=0.01), Stage of disease(F=9.23 p=0.00), Perceived health status(F=73.61 p=0.00), Perceived fatigue status(F=11.26 p=0.00) was significant factors of the "QOL". In conclusion, Anger in score was a little low & QOL sore was moderate. The degree of Anger in and quality of life were significantly negative correlated. Therefore, It is needed strategies for intervention of 'Anger in' to improve the QOL in female cancer patients. The significant characteristics of related to "anger in" & QOL should consider in sociopsychogical nursing intervention.