bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Selecting and Implementing Support Groups for Bereaved Adults
Authors: Lorenz Lois 
Published: March 2003

Purpose
: This paper offers a rationale for initiating bereavement support groups in sites providing cancer care and delineates models to implement them. Skills needed to lead a bereavement support group are identified, with emphasis on adding to staff members’ competency that has already been developed by facilitating groups for oncology patients and their families.
Overview
: Bereavement support groups are essential elements in the provision of comprehensive oncology care, though they are seldom offered by staff in the traditional hospital setting. It is important that the bereaved feel that there is a place in which they have the time and understanding required to work through the normal grieving process. Special requirements for facilitators include self‐awareness of the impact of loss in their own lives and ability to tolerate both the emotions expressed in the grieving process and the often extended time period required for members' personal healing. Several bereavement support models, including the time‐limited, ongoing, monthly, and self‐help groups, are documented.
Clinical Implications
: Bereavement support is an essential element in the provision of comprehensive oncology care. Predictive models to identify individuals who are at higher risk for psychological distress could be used in oncology clinics to facilitate early referral or greater psychological support for family members. Staff members wishing to introduce this service can build on skills already developed leading traditional oncology support groups, and can utilize cofacilitation with a mental health professional to ease the anxiety of assuming a new role and obtain mentoring. Recruitment for a group might be achieved by inviting family members of patients who have died within a specific time frame or by issuing press releases to local papers and church bulletins. Offering bereavement support in the oncology setting is especially helpful to family members who might otherwise be unaware of such a service and who now have the opportunity to attend.
Increasing Mammography Practice by African American Women
Authors: Erwin Deborah O. , Spatz Thea S. , Stotts R. Craig , Hollenberg Jan A. 
Published: March 2003

purpose
: This study examines the effectiveness of the Witness Project, a culturally competent cancer education program that trains cancer survivors to promote early detection and increased breast self‐examination and mammography in a population of rural, underserved, African American women.
description of study
: The primary setting for the Witness Project–an intensive, community‐based, culturally sensitive educational program that incorporates spirituality and faith–was the African American church. Baseline and 6‐month follow‐up surveys were obtained from 206 African American women in two intervention counties and from 204 African American women in two control counties in the rural Mississippi River Delta region of Arkansas.
results
: Witness Project participants significantly increased (P < .0001) their practice of breast self‐examination and mammography (P < .005) compared with the women in the control counties.
clinical implications
: These results demonstrate that intensive, community‐based, culturally sensitive educational programming incorporating the spiritual environment of the faith community, such as the Witness Project, can positively influence breast cancer screening behaviors among rural, underserved African American women. Through the use of community churches and cancer survivors, breast cancer screening activities can be improved in this population.
Gender and Cancer Support Group Participation
Authors: Krizek Claudette , Roberts Cleora , Ragan Robin , Ferrara Jeffrey J. , Lord Beth 
Published: March 2003

purpose
: Although support groups are offered to many patients who have received a diagnosis of cancer, a majority of patients choose not to participate. This article reports the results of a study comparing the behavior of men diagnosed with prostate cancer and women diagnosed with breast cancer in their responses to invitations to participate in support groups.
description of study
: One hundred thirty women with breast cancer and 87 men with prostate cancer completed a structured telephone interview. The interview included questions about the patients' choices about support group participation.
results
: Interview findings showed that men are less likely to join a support group, but those men who do join attend meetings for about 1 year, as do the women who join. Men and women cite essentially the same reasons for participation: to learn more about their diagnosis, to share their, concerns to compare their physical and emotional progress with other individuals.
clinical implications
: These results indicate the need for further exploration of effective interventions for men and women who have been diagnosed with prostate and breast cancer, respectively, in an effort to offer support for the difficult psychological and emotional issues associated with their diagnoses. Although more women than men join support groups, the majority of both populations (67% for women, 87% for men) do not attend any support group meetings. Innovative approaches are needed to encourage participation in existing support groups or to design alternative interventions.
Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Groups
Authors: Coreil Jeannine , Behal Ravish 
Published: March 2003

purpose
:In this report, the authors describe Man to Man prostate cancer support group characteristics and functioning to identify ways to strengthen the program as it expands nationally and internationally.
description of study
:A mail survey of 38 groups in Florida collected data on group meeting practices, facilitator background, training, and perceived needs, and on participant characteristics and satisfaction with the group. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses of survey data were performed.
results
:Typical groups included both survivors and significant others, met on a monthly basis, and followed a format that combined educational content with sharing of personal experiences. Facilitators and participants alike were typically retired white men in their 60s and 70s from well‐educated professional backgrounds, who joined the groups after undergoing treatment for prostate cancer. High levels of satisfaction with the program's organization and functioning were reported. Perceived needs were in the areas of increasing access to support services, achieving a more diverse membership, and better outreach to newly diagnosed patients.
clinical implications
:Healthcare professionals can play a key role in informing newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients about the availability of support groups in their communities. Earlier referral to support groups would enhance patients' access to shared experiences and resources for guidance in treatment decisions. Greater attention to psychosocial issues in Man to Man support groups might better meet the emotional needs of patients and families.
Screening to Predict Complicated Grief in Spouses of Cancer Patients
Authors: BrintzenhofeSzoc Karlynn M. , Smith Elizabeth D. , Zabora James R. 
Published: March 2003

objectives: Grief is the expected reaction to the death of a family member or close friend and is accompanied by substantial distress for almost everyone who experiences it. For some the grief response becomes complicated. This pilot study sought to identify individuals at high risk for complicated grief, by 1) examining the relationships that exist between family functioning before the death, psychological distress, and the grief reaction of a family after the death, and 2) presenting the use of screening with standardized measures to identify those at risk.materials and methods: This pilot study examined the relationships between family functioning, psychological distress, and grief reaction. A cross‐sectional design was used and the instrument included the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and the Texas Revised Inventory of Grief (TRIG). Significant relationships were identified between the level of family functioning, psychological distress and grief reaction. Depression, anxiety, and general distress were significantly correlated with the two subscales of the TRIG.conclusions: The findings clearly illustrate the merit of psychosocial screening of spouses and suggest the possible benefits of screening before the patient's death, using FACES III and the BSI to identify which spouses are at risk for complicated grief reactions.
Assessing Cultural Sensitivity in Printed Cancer Materials
Authors: Guidry Jeffrey J. , Walker Verrick D. 
Published: March 2003

objectives: Printed cancer education materials (PCEMs) (pamphlets and fact sheets) are used to educate individuals about cancer prevention and awareness. Culture is an important variable affecting the retention and use of information in printed materials to African Americans that has not been fully addressed in the literature.materials and methods: The major goal of the Cancer Prevention Materials for African Americans project, funded by the Texas Cancer Council, was to assess cultural sensitivity of currently disseminated PCEMs targeting African Americans. The project consisted of conducting focus groups, forming an advisory committee, and developing and using the Printed Cancer Education Materials for African Americans Cultural Sensitivity Assessment Tool.results: Cultural sensitivity of PCEMs was assessed in terms of format, visual message, and written message. The majority of the PCEMs (56.2%) were culturally insensitive, with the visual message being the weakest component of all the materials.conclusion: Future PCEMs targeting African Americans should include culturally sensitive visual messages to be more effective in delivering the cancer prevention message. The use of the assessment tool can assist cancer control specialists in developing culturally sensitive materials.
Delirium in Patients with Cancer at the End of Life
Authors: Cobb Janet L. , Glantz Michael J. , Nicholas Patrice K. , Martin Edward W. , Paul‐Simon Alexandra , Cole Bernard F. , Corless Inge B. 
Published: March 2003

Purpose: Delirium is a common and distressing syndrome seen in patients with advanced cancer. Behavioral manifestations of delirium, such as agitation, may result in medical intervention, stress to family caregivers, and inpatient hospice admission. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency, characteristics, and presumed causes of delirium in patients with advanced cancer.Description of study: Records of all patients with cancer who were admitted to an inpatient hospice facility in 1995 were reviewed retrospectively (N = 210). Patients were classified as delirious based on the clinical judgment of the admitting physician.Results: Delirium was the third most common reason for admission (20%). Male gender (P = .04) and the presence of a primary or metastatic brain tumor (P = .03) were significant risk factors for delirium, while advanced age and primary or metastatic liver, lung, or bone cancer were not. Resolution of the agitation, the most disruptive symptom of delirium, occurred in 69% of patients before death or discharge.Clinical implications: Delirium is common in hospice patients with cancer and is an important cause of family distress and increased cost of care. The recognition of early clinical signs and predisposing factors should facilitate prompt diagnosis. Appropriate intervention is usually successful in alleviating the most distressing symptoms of delirium.
Early Postsurgery Experience of Prostate Cancer Patients and Spouses
Authors: Phillips Catherine , Gray Ross E. , Fitch Margaret I. , Labrecque Manon , Fergus Karen , Klotz Laurence 
Published: March 2003

Purpose: The authors describe the experience of men with prostate cancer and their spouses in the early recovery period after surgery.Description of study: As part of a longitudinal qualitative study, semistructured interviews were held with 34 patients who had prostate cancer and their spouses 8 to 10 weeks after surgery.Results: Five components of experience emerged from the interviews: 1) hearing news about the extent of their cancer after surgery influenced how patients viewed their cancer experience and, in many cases, their recovery; 2) men placed great emphasis on recovering their physical capacity quickly; 3) couples connected with each other through working out care routines and managing periods of irritability; 4) couples described a range of responses to surgery side effects and complications; and 5) the meaning of cancer varied for couples, with most seeing the experience as a temporary disruption.Clinical implications: Physicians, nurses, social workers, and other health professionals working with patients before and after prostatectomies may assist couples to prepare better for the early recovery period by being both sensitive to the men's need to recover physical capacity quickly while helping them to understand that recovery takes time. Accurate information about expected periods of irritability, side effects, and possible complications would diminish the likelihood of distress during this period.
Cancer Survivor Identity and Quality of Life
Authors: Zebrack Brad J. 
Published: March 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to propose a framework for enhancing an understanding of quality of life among cancer survivors that takes into account individuals' subjective experiences and attributions of self as they relate to their own experience with cancer.Overview: This review of a small yet burgeoning cancer survivorship literature posits that there is room to expand the theoretical context for understanding cancer and its impact on quality of life by assuming that the experience of cancer involves changes in social roles and identity. In turn, changes in the way cancer survivors see themselves in relation to the world, including the ability to carry out roles and responsibilities, may affect quality of life. This perspective suggests that a cancer diagnosis initiates a survival trajectory and a social role that extends over the remainder of one's life, regardless of life expectancy.clinical Implications: Expanding the understanding of quality of life and the factors that contribute to it should help subsequent investigations of who might benefit from which psychosocial support interventions provided when (i.e., during early diagnostic stage, treatment stage, or both or in the long term). Equipped with this understanding, clinicians and agencies providing services to cancer survivors and their families can develop appropriate supportive interventions that facilitate and enhance quality of life.
Oncologists' and Naturopaths' Nutrition Beliefs and Practices
Authors: Novak Kerri L. , Chapman Gwen E. 
Published: March 2003

Purpose: Despite the widespread use of complementary and alternative therapies by persons with cancer, little is known about how the understandings of complementary and alternative practitioners of these therapies compare with those of conventional physicians. The broad purpose of this research was, thus, to explore the beliefs of physicians and complementary and alternative health practitioners, their use of scientific and other types of evidence, and their counseling practices. The specific issue addressed was the beliefs and practices of oncologists and naturopaths regarding the role of diet in breast cancer prevention and treatment.Description of study: A qualitative research design was used, involving in‐depth semistructured interviews with 10 oncologists and 11 naturopaths. Interviews were tape‐recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using qualitative methods.Results: The oncologists believed that there is little evidence of a role for diet in breast cancer prevention and treatment, citing the lack of evidence from randomized controlled trials. They reported that they provide only general advice on healthy eating to patients. The naturopaths believed that diet is strongly implicated in breast cancer development, prevention, and treatment. They justified this belief by using scientific evidence from a variety of types of studies, logic or common sense, and their clinical experiences. Naturopaths reported that they provide patients with specific suggestions for foods to avoid or to emphasize in diets.Clinical implications: The differences in the advice provided by oncologists and naturopaths are associated with different decision‐making or knowledge construction systems. Educating patients about these differences will help patients to make more informed healthcare choices.
Altered Sexual Patterns after Treatment for Prostate Cancer
Authors: Berterö Carina 
Published: March 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the impact of prostate cancer and its treatment on men's sexuality and intimate relationships from the perspective of the men's lived experiences.Description of the study: Ten men diagnosed with prostate cancer were interviewed. Verbal transcripts were analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological approach based on Heidegger's philosophy.Results: “Altered sexual patterns” was identified as the major theme, which in turn was influenced by five minor themes: choice of consequences; age affecting sexual life; hope of improvement; acceptance of altered sexual life; and image of manliness. Choice of consequences showed that survival is paramount, as interviewees often felt that they were choosing between death or sexual dysfunction. Age affecting sexual life identified sexual dysfunction as caused by natural effects of aging. Hope of improvement showed that several men hoped for improvement in sexual function, although it had been years since their treatment. Acceptance of altered sexual life illustrated that the men often felt the need to accept their altered sex life, with their wives playing an important role in this acceptance. Finally, the theme image of manliness showed the men's attempts to acknowledge and cope with the changes in their self‐image.Clinical implications: It is important that healthcare professionals adopt a comprehensive approach in communicating information about prostate cancer treatment choices and potential side effects that includes the patient and his partner. Communication and counselling about treatment options, potential side effects, and potential strategies to manage side effects should be offered both at the time of diagnosis and at post‐treatment follow‐up.
Exercise Discussions During Cancer Treatment Consultations
Authors: Jones Lee W. , Courneya Kerry S. 
Published: March 2003

purpose: Physical exercise has been shown to help cancer survivors cope with treatment side effects. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the oncologist in promoting exercise in cancer survivors.description of study: Cancer survivors who had recently completed treatment (N = 311) were mailed a self‐administered questionnaire that assessed the following: whether exercise was discussed during any of their treatment consultations; whether they preferred that exercise be discussed during this time; their perceived oncologist approval for exercise; and the amount of exercise they performed during treatment.results: Descriptive statistics showed that 28.4% of cancer survivors reported that their oncologist initiated a discussion of exercise during their treatment consultation, that 13.9% said that they initiated a discussion, and that 57.8% said that exercise was not discussed. Survivors younger than 60 years of age were more likely to initiate a discussion of exercise than were older survivors. Survivors whose oncologist initiated a discussion of exercise also reported a stronger normative belief for exercise, performing more frequent exercise during treatment, and performing more total minutes of exercise during treatment. Most (82.2%) survivors preferred that the oncologist initiate the discussion of exercise.clinical implications: These findings indicate that most cancer survivors responding to this survey preferred that their oncologist initiate a discussion of exercise. Such a discussion appears to increase survivor exercise levels during treatment. If confirmed in a prospective, randomized, controlled trial, the implication is that an oncologist‐initiated discussion of exercise during treatment consultations may be a cost‐effective strategy for promoting exercise in cancer survivors.
An Evaluation of the Man to Man Self‐Help Group in Colorado and Utah
Authors: Smith Roberta L. , Crane Lori A. , Byers Tim , Nelson‐Marten Paula 
Published: March 2003

purpose: Two surveys were conducted to evaluate the Man to Man program, a prostate cancer self‐help group of the American Cancer Society (ACS).description of study: The study involved two surveys in Colorado and Utah in 2001, one of program participants, the other of area urologists, respectively. A focus group also was conducted of African American men with prostate cancer in Denver, Colo.results: In total, 112 participants in the Man to Man program and 66 urologists participated in the study. Results of the participant survey indicated that men and their families found out about the group through other prostate cancer survivors, doctors, or the ACS. Monthly attendance at the groups ranged from 2 to 50 participants. Participants valued the prostate cancer treatment information, physician presentations, and social aspects that were offered. The results of the urologist survey indicated that 67% were aware of the Man to Man program, but most were not aware of the services it offered. Urologists learned of the group through Man to Man participants, other physicians, and the ACS. Focus group results suggested that a personal preference for access to other sources of support and information was a primary reason for nonattendance at Man to Man meetings.clinical implications: Attendance at Man to Man meetings is likely to be enhanced by focusing on basic prostate cancer information topics. Future evaluations of Man to Man meeting participation should focus on the role of women in the program. Most urologists were not familiar with the services offered by Man to Man. The ACS and the organizers of local Man to Man programs should target urologists in future outreach efforts.