Radiotherapy side effects: integrating a survivorship clinical lens to better serve patients

Diet and nutrition in patients who have received pelvic radiotherapy: A mixed-methods study to explore dietary habits, nutritional awareness, and experiences of nutritional care

OBJECTIVES

Individuals who have survived cancer may benefit from dietary modifications to improve quality of life and future health outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore dietary habits and experiences of nutritional support in patients with a cancer diagnosis who have received radiotherapy to the pelvic area.

METHODS

A mixed-methods approach was used. Individuals diagnosed with a pelvic cancer (anal, bladder, rectal, and cancers of the reproductive organs), either undergoing or having completed pelvic radiotherapy 6 to 24 mo previously, were invited to participate in a postal survey. A purposive subsample was also invited to take part in telephone interviews. Thematic analysis of interview data was undertaken and integrated with data from quantitative analysis.

RESULTS

The survey was completed by 254 (38%) respondents. Two-thirds of respondents (170) reported dietary changes since diagnosis; most notable changes were reduction of sugary foods (48%) and alcohol (41%). Receipt of support from the health care team was significantly associated with dietary change (odds ratio, 3.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.58-6.75); however, only 43% (108) had received dietary support from the health care team. Of the respondents, 68% (171) said they would like to receive additional dietary support. The effect of the condition on diet was highlighted in the theme "Impact of diagnosis and treatments on dietary choices." Self-management of disease was influenced by personal resources, social resources, comorbidities and disabilities, influence of work, regaining normality, and barriers to dietary changes.

CONCLUSION

Lack of routine provision of nutritional care to patients after a cancer diagnosis and patient interest in this area highlighted unmet needs in managing diet-related problems and leading a healthy future lifestyle.

Impact of cervical cancer on the sexual and physical health of women diagnosed with cervical cancer in Ghana: A qualitative phenomenological study

INTRODUCTION

Although cervical cancer is preventable, it is a major gynecological disorder among women currently. More than 500,000 new cases of cervical cancer are being diagnosed across the globe, with one woman dying of cervical cancer every 2 min. In addition, about half of cervical cancer survivors have challenges with their sexual function. Despite these findings, literature regarding the sexual function of women with cervical cancer is scanty. The study aims to assess cervical cancer's impact on the sexual and physical health of women diagnosed with cervical cancer in Ghana.

METHODS

The researchers of this study employed a qualitative approach with phenomenological design. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 30 participants engaged in face-to-face in-depth interviews that were audio-recorded. The content of the transcripts was analyzed using content analysis.

RESULTS

This study revealed that cervical cancer patients experienced low libido due to the cervical cancer symptoms and the side effects of chemotherapy. This low libido made them divert their sexual gratification from the vagina to other centers of the body. Findings further revealed that some participants showed apathy toward their partners' sexual feelings. Some physical problems experienced by the participants were also unraveled.

CONCLUSION

Cervical cancer affects all aspects of a woman's health, including sexual function and physical well-being. Therefore, there is the need for more to help address challenges faced by cervical cancer women about their sexual and physical health.

Standardized nursing and clinical efficacy of OxyContin in reducing oral mucosal pain in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study protocol

BACKGROUND

Pain caused by oral mucositis (OM) is the main problem in the process of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for the nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This protocol aims to explore the standardized nursing and therapeutic effect of OxyContin on OM pain in the patients with NPC undergoing the concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

METHODS

The experiment is a randomized clinical research, which was granted through the Research Ethics Committee of Shandong Provincial Third Hospital (No.20200802097). In this research, 90 NPC patients with OM induced by chemotherapy are enrolled, and the score of visual analogue >5 and the grade of OM >1 are evaluated. Patients with known allergy to OxyContin, the opioid abuse history, or major organ dysfunction, for instance, hepatic insufficiency, renal failure, and respiratory and heart failure, as well as a series of severe mental illness are excluded from our research. Patients in study groups receive standardized nursing and oral OxyContin. Patients in control groups only receive oral OxyContin. The analgesic effect could be assessed with the comparison of the visual analogue scale after and before the treatment. Safety evaluations contain the assessment of the vital signs, laboratory tests, as well as adverse events. The Karnofsky performance status standards of the International Cancer Control Union is utilized to evaluate the quality of life.

RESULTS

The comparison of outcomes after taking OxyContin in both groups will be shown in .(Table is included in full-text article.) CONCLUSION:: The combination of OxyContin and standardized nursing care appears to improve the analgesic efficacy and life quality in NPC patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

We registered this protocol in Research Registry (researchregistry6098).