Symptom burden and integrative medicine in cancer survivorship

Cutshall, Susanne M.; Stephen, S.; Ness, Sheryl M.; Stan, Daniela; Christensen, Sarah; Bhagra, Anjali; Price, Katharine A.; Thompson, Carrie A.; Hashmi, Shahrukh K.; Chon, Tony Y.; McCray, Tracy J.; Sood, Amit; Bauer, Brent A.; Ruddy, Kathryn J.

doi:10.1007/s00520-015-2666-0

Cited by 27 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…In our study, the fear of recurrence (FOR) was the top emotional concern among the cancer survivors and also throughout the cancer trajectory. This finding has also been reported by other studies [14,21,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]. Evidence in literature reveals the negative impacts associated with FOR, including emotional distress [41], functional status [42] and quality of life [42][43][44][45].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…Fatigue was the most prevalent physical concern and one of the predictors for QOL of patients in this study. Cancer-related fatigue is a well-established concern for cancer survivors [8,32,34,[37][38][39]45,55,56]. Fatigue reduces QOL by affecting a patient's self-concept, appetite, activities of daily living, employment, social relationships and compliance with medical treatment [8,37,55,57], and may lead to treatment discontinuation and reduced survival [58].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Concerns and Quality of Life of Cancer Survivors Across the Survivorship Trajectory: A Singapore Perspective

Chua¹,

Ng²,

Tan³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Background The aim of this study is to determine the main concerns of survivors at various stages of the cancer survivorship of the cancer survivorship trajectory and to assess whether these concerns have any effect on their quality of life (QOL). The overall goal was to use the insights from the study to guide practice on patient care. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 1107 cancer survivors diagnosed with colorectal, breast, lung, gynaecological, prostate or liver cancers from a cancer centre in Singapore. Eligible patients self-completed a questionnaire adapted from the Mayo Clinic Cancer Centre’s Cancer Survivors Survey of Needs. Results The top 5 concerns among all survivors were cancer treatment and recurrence risk (51%), followed by long-term treatment effects (49%), fear of recurrence (47%), financial concerns (37%) and fatigue (37%). Cancer treatment and recurrence risk, long-term treatment effects and fear of recurrence were amongst the top concerns across the survivorship trajectory. Mean QOL was 7.3 on a scale of 0 – 10. Completed treatment patients had higher QOL score than the newly diagnosed and on treatment patients and the patients dealing with recurrence or second cancer patients. Predictors for QOL included the economic status and housing type of patients and whether patients were concerned with pain and fatigue Conclusion This study confirms that cancer survivors in Singapore face multiple challenges and had various concerns at various stages of cancer survivorship, some of which negatively affect their QOL It is critical to design patient care delivery that appropriately address the various concerns of cancer survivors in order for them to cope and improve their QOL.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concerns and Quality of Life of Cancer Survivors Across the Survivorship Trajectory: A Singapore Perspective

Chua¹,

Ng²,

Tan³

et al. 2019

Preprint

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“…Survivors sometimes experience the physical, social, and emotional effects of cancer and its treatments for years afterwards. Long-term symptoms can include fatigue, pain, neuropathy, lymphedema, difficulty sleeping, weight gain, cognitive dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, and fear of recurrence [2]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…According to the Society for Integrative Oncology, specific modalities include physical activity, diet, dietary supplements, mind-body modalities, acupuncture, and massage therapy [3]. Cancer survivors often use integrative medicine to address long-term adverse effects and symptoms [2]. In fact, many times oncology patients utilize integrative modalities without the knowledge of their providers [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrative medicine in cancer survivors

Viscuse¹,

Price

Millstine

et al. 2017

Current Opinion in Oncology

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Purpose of review Due to medical advances and an aging population, the number of cancer survivors continues to rise. Survivors often experience late and long-term sequelae of cancer and its treatment (e.g. fatigue, pain, fear of recurrence, and stress). As a result, some patients have utilized or expressed interest in integrative medicine modalities for prevention of recurrence, optimizing health, enhancing quality of life, and managing symptoms. The purpose of this review is to focus on research published during the past year that informs our understanding of the utility of integrative medicine for cancer survivors. Recent findings Physical activity, diet, dietary supplements, mind-body modalities, acupuncture, and massage therapy all may play a role in the management of the physical (e.g. fatigue and pain) and emotional (e.g. anxiety and fear) issues faced by cancer survivors. Summary Integrative medicine therapies are appealing to and utilized by many cancer survivors and may reduce symptom burden. Clinicians who provide cancer survivorship care may improve patient care by understanding the evidence for and against their use.

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“…Patients with cancer increasingly desire complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for relief from symptoms that have not been addressed by conventional treatments. [6][7][8] In fact, cancer survivors are more likely to use CAM than the general population and to use it for general wellness, immune enhancement, and pain. 9,10 Preliminary research suggests that massage, a common CAM therapy, may benefit cancer populations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating Oncology Massage Into Chemoinfusion Suites: A Program Evaluation

Mao

Wagner

Seluzicki

et al. 2017

JOP

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QUESTION ASKED: Can a clinical oncology massage program be safely and effectively integrated into chemoinfusion units to provide symptom control for patients with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy?SUMMARY ANSWER: A clinical oncology massage program can be safely and effectively implemented into chemoinfusion suites by addressing common patient-level barriers to access of cost, time, and travel, and the institutional-level barrier of space. WHAT WE DID:We developed an integrative oncology massage program for patients with breast cancer in private chemoinfusion suites at an academic hospital and evaluated its outcomes using tablet-based technology.WHAT WE FOUND: The program was well received with no adverse events noted. Patients reported significant decreases in anxiety, nausea, pain, and fatigue. BIAS, CONFOUNDING FACTORS, REAL-LIFE IMPLICATIONS:We evaluated the immediate effect of oncology massage on symptom control. This approach, along with the potential for bias due to social desirability and the lack of a control group, may overestimate the benefit of massage. Despite the limitations, our study provides initial evidence that an oncology massage program can be safely and effectively integrated into chemoinfusion suites to provide symptom relief to patients with breast cancer. Materials and MethodsWe describe the development and implementation of an oncology massage program embedded into chemoinfusion suites. We used deidentified program evaluation data to identify specific reasons individuals refuse massage and to evaluate the immediate impact of massage treatments on patient-reported outcomes using a modified version of the Distress Thermometer delivered via iPad. We analyzed premassage and postmassage data from the Distress Thermometer using paired t test and derived qualitative data from participants who provided written feedback on their massage experiences. ResultsOf the 1,090 massages offered, 692 (63%) were accepted. We observed a significant decrease in self-reported anxiety (from 3.9 to 1.7), nausea (from 2.5 to 1.2), pain (from 3.3 to 1.9), and fatigue (from 4.8 to 3.0) premassage and postmassage, respectively (all P , .001). We found that 642 survey participants (93%) were satisfied with their massage, and 649 (94%) would recommend it to another patient undergoing treatment. Spontaneous patient responses overwhelmingly endorsed the massage as relaxing. No adverse events were reported. Among the 398 patients (36%) who declined a massage, top reasons were time concerns and lack of interest. ConclusionA clinical oncology massage program can be safely and effectively integrated into chemoinfusion units to provide symptom control for patients with breast cancer. This integrative approach overcomes patient-level barriers of cost, time, and travel, and addresses the institutional-level barrier of space.

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Symptom burden and integrative medicine in cancer survivorship

Cited by 27 publications

References 27 publications

Concerns and Quality of Life of Cancer Survivors Across the Survivorship Trajectory: A Singapore Perspective

Concerns and Quality of Life of Cancer Survivors Across the Survivorship Trajectory: A Singapore Perspective

Integrative medicine in cancer survivors

Integrating Oncology Massage Into Chemoinfusion Suites: A Program Evaluation

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