Sleep Deprivation and Psychosocial Impact in Acutely Ill Cancer Patients

Randomized control trial evidence for the benefits of massage and relaxation therapy on sleep in cancer survivors-a systematic review

PURPOSE

Cancer survivors may experience sleep disturbances during and after their cancer treatments. While pharmacological approaches are commonly used to address sleep disturbances, they may have a number of adverse effects. This review studied the effect of two non-pharmacological interventions (massage and relaxation therapy) on sleep disturbances in cancer survivors.

METHODS

A search for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PEDro, and CINAHL using relevant keywords.

RESULTS

The search yielded 371 articles, with 4 RCTs studying massage therapy and 3 RCTs studying relaxation therapy included for qualitative analysis. Massage therapy studies showed statistically significant improvement in self-reported sleep questionnaires and objectively recorded long sleep episodes, as assessed via an accelerometer. No significant improvements in sleep outcomes were observed in the relaxation therapy studies, although there were trends for improved self-reported sleep quality.

CONCLUSION

While massage therapy provided by massage therapists may have some potential for improving sleep outcomes for cancer survivors, there is no such current evidence regarding relaxation therapy.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

Cancer survivors who experience sleep disturbances may benefit from regular sessions with a massage therapist. However, future studies should examine the long-term feasibility of massage therapist-delivered services, particularly for cancer survivors with limited finances, and determine if benefits can be obtained if massage is provided by non-certified individuals. Relaxation therapy appears to be safe for cancer survivors, but future RCTs involving larger sample sizes need to be conducted to better determine its feasibility and efficacy.

Factors associated with sleep quality during chemotherapy: An integrative review

Aim

To identify the most important factors associated with sleep pattern changes in patients with cancer during chemotherapy treatment.

Design

An integrative review of the literature was performed between December 2017-August 2018.

Methods

Two independent reviewers searching the National Library of Medicine (PubMed/MEDLINE), Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS), Scopus and Scielo. The process followed the recommendations of the PRISMA tool. A total of 16 articles were selected for the final study sample, including 11 cohort studies and 5 cross-sectional studies.

Results

The predisposing factors for the most prevalent sleep disturbances were precipitants related to the disease and the treatment, such as fatigue, pain, depression, anxiety and distress. Predisposing factors related to lifestyle and demographic characteristics have a significant correlation with sleep disturbances.

Validation of the Taiwanese version of the Athens Insomnia Scale and assessment of insomnia in Taiwanese cancer patients

CONTEXT

It is well known that insomnia is highly prevalent in cancer patients. Although various studies have used the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) for insomnia assessment, it has never been applied to cancer patients with insomnia.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to establish the reliability and validity of the Taiwanese AIS version (AIS-T) and evaluate the severity of insomnia among cancer patients in Taiwan.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional research design, 195 cancer patients (n=195) were recruited from outpatient oncology clinics.

RESULTS

Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was 0.83, and the test-retest reliability was 0.94 over an interval of three days, based on a sample of 30 patients. Moreover, concurrent validity could be evaluated by significant correlations of the AIS-T with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-Taiwan form (PSQI-T) (r=0.82, P<0.001) and sleep efficiency measured by Actiwatch parameters (r=-0.54, P<0.001). Construct validity could be established by the Brief Fatigue Inventory-Taiwan form (r=0.56, P<0.001) and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36-Taiwanese version (physical component summary: r=-0.52, P<0.001; mental component summary: r=-0.53, P<0.001). The AIS-T could detect significant known-group validity from sleep quality (PSQI-T ≥ 5 or <5, respectively). The Actiwatch parameters are consistent with the results of the AIS-T, and both data sets indicate that patients experienced sleep disturbances. The prevalence of insomnia, as defined by the criteria of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed., was 22.56%; 49.2% subjects had significant insomnia at the score ≥ 6 at AIS-T.

CONCLUSION

This study concludes that the AIS-T is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing insomnia among cancer patients in Taiwan.

Quality of sleep in postoperative surgical oncologic patients

This study aimed to evaluate surgical-oncologic patients' quality of sleep through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. It is an exploratory study with transversal-observational design, in 46 postoperative head & neck and urology cancer patients. The PSQI questionnaire was used to evaluate the subjective quality of sleep and the occurrence of sleep disorders. Six PSQI components were statistically significant and 78.3% of the interviewees had impaired subjective quality of sleep. Among factors leading to sleep disorders we point out: taking too long to fall asleep; waking up in the middle of the night; getting up to go to the bathroom and napping during the day. This study is expected to sensitize the nursing team regarding the need to investigate quality of sleep and causes of its disorders in cancer survivors for an effective course of action.