Title: Supportive Care in Cancer

Title: Supportive Care in Cancer

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? Weeks, L., Verhoef, M. and Scott, C. (2007), Presenting the alternative: Cancer and complementary and alternative medicine in the Canadian print media. Supportive Care in Cancer, 15 (8), 931-938.

Full Text: 2007\Sup Car Can15, 931.pdf

Abstract: Goals of work Cancer patients repeatedly identify the mass media as a primary information source to support their decisions to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Accordingly, the objectives of this research are to describe: (1) what has been reported in the Canadian print media regarding CAM treatment for cancer between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 2005, (2) how that information was represented, and (3) trends in reporting frequency and reporting characteristics. Materials and methods Content analysis of all articles published in four Canadian newspapers and five magazines that discussed CAM treatment for cancer. Main results 915 articles were identified: 760 newspaper articles and 155 magazine articles. The CAM therapies most commonly described in media reports were: natural health products, CAM therapies in general, special diets, spirituality, and meditation. CAM therapies were most often described in a positive fashion, and CAM use was most often described as a potential cure for cancer. The majority of articles did not present information on the risks, benefits, and costs of CAM use and few provided a recommendation to speak with a health care provider before use. Conclusions The results correspond with the commercial interests of media outlets, as coverage appears to be focused around entertainment rather than information provision. The media play a role in introducing a range of treatment options to cancer patients that may not be discussed by conventional health care providers, however, the information provided in media articles appears insufficient to assist patients with informed decision-making.

Keywords: Alternative, Analysis, Cancer, Care, Characteristics, Complementary, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Conventional, Costs, Coverage, Decision Making, Decision-Making, General, Health, Health Care, Information, Media, Medicine, Methods, Natural Health Products, Options, Patients, Potential, Primary, Providers, Reporting, Research, Risks, Role, Source, Support, Treatment, Trends, Work

? Vrijmoet-Wiersma, C.M.J., Egeler, R.M., Koopman, H.M., Norberg, A.L. and Grootenhuis, M.A. (2009), Parental stress before, during, and after pediatric stem cell transplantation: A review article. Supportive Care in Cancer, 17 (12), 1435-1443.

Full Text: 2009\Sup Car Can17, 1435.pdf

Abstract: Pediatric stem cell transplantation (SCT) is a stressful treatment for children with relapsed or high-risk malignancies, immune deficiencies and certain blood diseases. Parents of children undergoing SCT can experience ongoing stress related to the SCT period. The aim of this article was to present a literature review of articles on parental distress and adaptation before, during, and after SCT and to identify risk and protective factors. The review was conducted systematically by using PUBMED, Web of Science, PsychInfo, and Picarta databases. Eighteen articles met our inclusion criteria: publishing date between January 1, 1990 and January 1, 2009; studies concerning parents of children undergoing SCT; studies examining the psychological adjustment and/or stress reactions of parents as primary outcomes and studies available in English. Highest levels of parental stress are reported in the period preceding SCT and during the acute phase. Stress levels decrease steadily after discharge in most parents. However, in a subgroup of parents, stress levels still remain elevated post-SCT. Parents most at risk in the longer term display highest levels of stress during the acute phase of the SCT. Psychosocial assessment before SCT, during the acute phase and in the longer term, is necessary to identify parents in need for support and follow-up care.

Keywords: Acute, Adaptation, Adjustment, Assessment, Blood, Bone-Marrow-Transplantation, Childhood-Cancer, Children, Databases, Depressive Symptoms, Distress, Follow-up, Health, Literature, Literature Review, Mothers, Outcomes, Parental Stress, Parents, Pediatric, Pediatric SCT, Predictors, Primary, Psychological, Psychosocial, Publishing, Pubmed, Quality-of-Life, Review, Risk, Science, Stress, The-Literature, Transplantation, Treatment, Web of Science

? Carey, M., Lambert, S., Smits, R., Paul, C., Sanson-Fisher, R. and Clinton-McHarg, T. (2012), The unfulfilled promise: A systematic review of interventions to reduce the unmet supportive care needs of cancer patients. Supportive Care in Cancer, 20 (2), 207-219.

Full Text: 2012\Sup Car Can20, 207.pdf

Abstract: This review aimed to examine (a) trends in the number of publications on unmet needs over time and (b) the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce unmet needs among cancer patients. An electronic literature search of Medline to explore trends in the number of publications on patients’ unmet needs and an additional literature search of Medline, CINAHL, PsychINFO, and Web of Science databases to identify methodologically rigorous research trials that evaluated interventions to reduce unmet needs were conducted. Publications per year on unmet needs have increased over time, with most being on descriptive research. Nine relevant trials were identified. Six trials reported no intervention effect. Three trials reported that intervention participants had a lower number of unmet needs or lower unmet needs score, compared to control participants. Of these, one study found that the intervention group had fewer supportive care needs and lower mean depression scores; one study found that intervention participants with high problem-solving skills had fewer unmet needs at follow-up; and one study found an effect in favor of the intervention group on psychological need subscale scores. Reasons for varying results across trials and the limited effectiveness of unmet needs interventions are more broadly discussed. These include inadequacies in psychometric rigor, problems with scoring methods, the use of ineffective interventions, and lack of adherence to intervention protocols.

Keywords: Adherence, Breast-Cancer, Cancer, Care, Changing Needs, Control, Databases, Depression, Effectiveness, Follow-Up, Improve, Intervention, Interventions, Literature, Medline, Needs Assessment, Oncology, Patients, Perceived Needs, Psychological, Psychometric Properties, Psychosocial Interventions, Publications, Quality-of-Life, Randomized Controlled-Trial, Research, Review, Rural Women, Science, Survivors, Systematic, Systematic Review, Trends, Unmet Needs, Web of Science, Web-of-Science