A widely available free pamphlet and a web-based customized decision aid were highly utilized. The pamphlet was as effective in educating women about BR and prepared women equally as well to make the BR decision as compared with a more costly, customized web-based decision support aid. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Objective To assess demographic, medical and psychological factors that are associated with fear of recurrence (FCR) in ovarian cancer patients. Methods We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. For PubMed, a search using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) was run, as well as a textword search from 1990 to July 2014. Search terms that were used consisted of ovarian terms, fear terms, and recurrence/progression themes. Title and abstract reviews were conducted by two independent reviewers to determine eligibility, and discrepancies were decided by a third reviewer. Full-text reviews of potentially eligible articles were conducted by the review team, which met regularly to ensure the reliability of eligibility ratings across all articles. Results Fifteen articles met our inclusion criteria. Nine were quantitative studies that utilized a cross-sectional design, and six studies consisted of three qualitative studies, two small intervention studies, and one study that utilized content analysis to explore written correspondence among ovarian cancer patients. FCR was reported as a significant concern for both older and younger women at both early and advanced stages. Women were distressed about recurrence at various times during their treatment and post-treatment. FCR was noted to be prevalent around cancer follow-up examinations. Many women report not receiving adequate support for recurrence. FCR was also shown to be linked in some way to hopelessness, faith/spirituality, and PTSD. FCR was also linked to patients’ anxiety about death and dying and the uncertainty of the future of their medical health. Conclusions This review demonstrates that FCR is prevalent in the ovarian cancer population. Cancer recurrence fears are not adequately assessed or treated. More information is needed on the factors that may be related to women’s fears about recurrence in the ovarian cancer population. In addition, a validated measure of FCR among ovarian cancer patients as well as a treatment intervention are needed.

The present study evaluated intimacy as a mechanism for the effects of holding back sharing concerns about cancer on couples' psychological distress, well-being, and marital satisfaction using the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM), and evaluated 2 possible moderators of these associations: the number of patient and spouse cancer concerns. We had 139 men treated for localized prostate cancer in the past year and their spouses complete surveys about holding back sharing cancer concerns, intimacy, distress, and relationship satisfaction, as well as patient and spouse cancer concerns. APIM-indicated that the association between holding back sharing concerns, and patient and spouse distress, well-being, and relationship satisfaction could be partially accounted for by their influence on patient and spouse perceptions of relationship intimacy. The number of cancer concerns did not moderate the mediational model. Holding back has strong associations with both partners' well-being and distress. Holding back sharing concerns was particularly detrimental for couples' intimacy and relationship satisfaction.

Background Resilience has been linked to psychological adaptation to many challenging life events. Objective The goal was to examine three coping strategies - expressing positive emotions, positive reframing of the cancer experience, and cultivating a sense of peace and meaning in life - as potential mechanisms by which resilience translates to quality of life among women recently diagnosed with gynecological cancer. Method This cross-sectional study utilized baseline data from women diagnosed with gynecological cancer participating in an ongoing randomized clinical trial (N = 281; Mage = 55, 80% Caucasian). Participants completed measures of resilience, positive emotional expression, positive reappraisal, and cultivating a sense of peace and meaning, and quality of life. Univariate and multiple mediation analyses were conducted. Results Greater resilience was related to higher quality of life (p < .001). Multiple mediation analyses indicated that the coping strategies, as a set, accounted for 62.6% of the relationship between resilience and quality of life. When considered as a set, cultivating a sense of peace and meaning had the strongest indirect effect (b = .281, se = .073, p < .05). Conclusion The findings suggested that resilient women may report higher quality of life during gynecological cancer diagnosis because they are more likely to express positive emotions, reframe the experience positively, and cultivate a sense of peace and meaning in their lives. Implications for Practice Interventions promoting a sense of purpose in one’s life and facilitating expression of positive emotions may prove beneficial, particularly for women reporting higher levels of resilience.