BACKGROUND: Cancer-related pain is a global health-related problem associated with functional impairment, anxiety, depression, and reduced quality of life. The use of educational interventions for patients and their caregivers has been proposed as a promising tool for overcoming pain in cancer. The aim of this study was to summarize by means of a standardized methodological systematic revision the actual pain education intervention used in cancer patients and their caregivers and to analyze its effects on pain.
METHODS: A search was conducted through PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Cinhal from their inception to September 2022. Randomized controlled trials which included pain education interventions were identified. Two reviewers performed independent data extraction and methodologic quality assessments of these studies.
RESULTS: A total of seven studies was included in the study. The meta-analysis showed that pain education interventions have a significant effect on the worst pain; however, there was no effect on average pain.
CONCLUSIONS: Pain education interventions addressed to patients and their caregivers could have positive effects on cancer-related pain. It is recommended that a minimum of three sessions of about one hour\'s duration be held once a week. Further research needs to be carried out and analyzed on the effects over the long term. Pain education interventions show positive results in improving pain in cancer patients regardless of etiology or extent of the cancer. Studies with better methodological quality should be carried out to address specific components related to education interventions.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to characterize health related quality of life (HRQOL) in Japanese patients after bladder cancer surgery and to perform cross-cultural comparison between Japanese and American patients.
METHODS: Firstly, we cross-sectionally assessed HRQOL of 371 patients in Japan using the Bladder Cancer Index (BCI-Japanese). HRQOL of the four groups of patients (native bladder without intravesical therapy, native bladder with intravesicaltherapy, cystectomy with ileal conduit, and cystectomy with neobladder) were assessed. Secondly, we compared the Japanese with the American cohort (n = 315) from the original BCI paper. After adjusting for age and gender, the differences in each BCI subdomain score was analyzed.
RESULTS: Among Japanese patients, the urinary domain function score was significantly lower among the cystectomy with neobladder group, compared to the cystectomy with ileal conduit group (p < 0. 01). Despite this, the urinary bother was comparable between the two groups. Although there were apparent differences between Japanese and American patients, there were few differences in Urinary and Bowel HRQOL. In three of the four treatment groups (other than native bladder with intravesical therapy), Japanese patients were more likely than Americans to report poor sexual function (p < 0.05). However, Japanese patients were less likely than Americans to be bothered by their lower sexual function, regardless of treatment (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: HRQOL outcomes following treatment of bladder cancer in Japan are comparable to those in the USA, except for sexual functioning and sexual bother. The BCI can be used for cross-cultural assessments of HRQOL in bladder cancer patients.

This article reviews the contemporary and inclusive definition of cancer survivorship, including patients with and without disease who have completed or continue to undergo treatment. The Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) describes in this article the needs of these patients and outlines a care model based on an estimation of cancer incidence and identification of patient needs, to enable the provision of practical actions to achieve effective care. The objectives of this review are to identify the main effects of cancer on survivors and to establish appropriate ways of measuring these effects, as well as discussing the management of physical, psychological and social, occupational, financial, and other health-related needs. We suggest a multidisciplinary care model and training programs for the different professionals involved in care, and highlight challenges and the future role of the SEOM and health-care policy in ensuring optimum care of cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE: Healthy cancer survivorship involves patients\' active engagement with preventative health behaviors and follow-up care. While clinicians and patients have typically held dual responsibility for activating these behaviors, transitioning some clinician effort to technology and health coaches may enhance guideline implementation. This paper reports on the acceptability of the Shared Healthcare Actions & Reflections Electronic systems in survivorship (SHARE-S) program, an entirely virtual multicomponent intervention incorporating e-referrals, remotely-delivered health coaching, and automated text messages to enhance patient self-management and promote healthy survivorship.
METHODS: SHARE-S was evaluated in single group hybrid implementation-effectiveness pilot study. Patients were e-referred from the clinical team to health coaches for three health self-management coaching calls and received text messages to enhance coaching. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 patient participants, 2 referring clinicians, and 2 health coaches to determine intervention acceptability (attitudes, appropriateness, suitability, convenience, and perceived effectiveness) and to identify important elements of the program and potential mechanisms of action to guide future implementation.
RESULTS: SHARE-S was described as impactful and convenient. The nondirective, patient-centered health coaching and mindfulness exercises were deemed most acceptable; text messages were less acceptable. Stakeholders suggested increased flexibility in format, frequency, timing, and length of participation, and additional tailored educational materials. Patients reported tangible health behavior changes, improved mood, and increased accountability and self-efficacy.
CONCLUSIONS: SHARE-S is overall an acceptable and potentially effective intervention that may enhance survivors\' self-management and well-being. Alterations to tailored content, timing, and dose should be tested to determine impact on acceptability and outcomes.

UNASSIGNED: As cancer survival rates increase, it has become crucial to pay attention to the long-term quality of life of survivors, including sexual functioning. The quality of sexual life and fear of cancer progression are often unmet needs, significantly impacting cancer patients\' overall quality of life. In this study, we investigate these factors in Romanian female cancer patients and highlight their relationship with mental health and demographic variables.
UNASSIGNED: This study included 242 Romanian female cancer patients who completed questionnaires assessing sexual functioning (EORTC QLQ-SHQ22), fear of cancer progression (FoP-Q), depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). We examined these relationships using descriptive, exploratory, and regression analyses.
UNASSIGNED: Around 50% of patients reported impairments in sexual satisfaction and pain during sex. Lower sexual satisfaction increased sexual dysfunction, and heightened fear of cancer progression (FCP) were associated with depression, anxiety, younger age, lower education, rural residence, and unmarried status.
UNASSIGNED: This study reveals a complex interplay between sexual health, fear of cancer progression, and psychological well-being among female cancer survivors in Romania. Addressing sexual concerns, providing psychoeducation, promoting coping with the fear of progression, and utilizing interdisciplinary interventions are essential to improving these patients\' overall quality of life. These findings underscore the need for integrated care approaches that consider both physical and psychological dimensions of cancer survivorship.

Walking is one form of physical activity (PA) individuals affected by cancer have indicated strong preference for and interest in, regardless of disease or treatment status. We developed a community-based, outdoor, peer-led walking program for adults affected by cancer called Walk it Out (WIO). Over the span of six months, we were unable to meet targets for peer-leaders (to lead the walking groups; n = 5 self-identified) or participants (n = 0 self-identified; n = 3 recruited via peer-leaders). This inability to recruit meant that we were not able to offer the WIO program. In this paper, we reflect upon the lack of coherence between what has been shown in the literature regarding preferences for walking and the lack of interest in the present program. We describe challenges at both the interpersonal and individual level. Adults affected by cancer can benefit immensely from PA, and desire outdoor walking programs, but the question remains: how do we best launch and promote this type of physical activity program?

BACKGROUND: Exercise intensity (eg, target heart rate [HR]) is a fundamental component of exercise prescription to elicit health benefits in cancer survivors. Despite the validity of chest-worn monitors, their feasibility in community and unsupervised exercise settings may be challenging. As wearable technology continues to improve, consumer-based wearable sensors may represent an accessible alternative to traditional monitoring, offering additional advantages.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the agreement between the Polar H10 chest monitor and Fitbit Inspire HR for HR measurement in breast cancer survivors enrolled in the intervention arm of a randomized, pilot exercise trial.
METHODS: Participants included breast cancer survivors (N=14; aged 38-72 years) randomized to a 12-week aerobic exercise program. This program consisted of three 60-minute, moderate-intensity walking sessions per week, either in small groups or one-on-one, facilitated by a certified exercise physiologist and held at local community fitness centers. As originally designed, the exercise prescription included 36 supervised sessions at a fitness center. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of supervised sessions varied depending on whether participants enrolled before or after March 2020. During each exercise session, HR (in beats per minute) was concurrently measured via a Polar H10 chest monitor and a wrist-worn Fitbit Inspire HR at 5 stages: pre-exercise rest; midpoint of warm-up; midpoint of exercise session; midpoint of cool-down; and postexercise recovery. The exercise physiologist recorded the participant\'s HR from each device at the midpoint of each stage. HR agreement between the Polar H10 and Fitbit Inspire HR was assessed using Lin concordance correlation coefficient (rc) with a 95% CI. Lin rc ranges from 0 to 1.00, with 0 indicating no concordance and 1.00 indicating perfect concordance. Relative error rates were calculated to examine differences across exercise session stages.
RESULTS: Data were available for 200 supervised sessions across the sample (session per participant: mean 13.33, SD 13.7). By exercise session stage, agreement between the Polar H10 monitor and the Fitbit was highest during pre-exercise seated rest (rc=0.76, 95% CI 0.70-0.81) and postexercise seated recovery (rc=0.89, 95% CI 0.86-0.92), followed by the midpoint of exercise (rc=0.63, 95% CI 0.55-0.70) and cool-down (rc=0.68, 95% CI 0.60-0.74). The agreement was lowest during warm-up (rc=0.39, 95% CI 0.27-0.49). Relative error rates ranged from -3.91% to 3.09% and were greatest during warm-up (relative error rate: mean -3.91, SD 11.92%).
CONCLUSIONS: The Fitbit overestimated HR during peak exercise intensity, posing risks for overexercising, which may not be safe for breast cancer survivors\' fitness levels. While the Fitbit Inspire HR may be used to estimate exercise HR, precautions are needed when considering participant safety and data interpretation.
BACKGROUND: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03980626; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03980626?term=NCT03980626&rank=1.

OBJECTIVE: Our study explores cancer care disruption among different demographic subgroups. It also investigates these disruptions\' impacts on cancer survivors\' mental and physical well-being.
METHODS: Pooled cross-sectional survey data.
METHODS: Health Information Trends Survey for Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results, HINTS-SEER.
METHODS: n = 1234 cancer survivors participated in the study and completed the survey.
METHODS: Outcome variables were treatment disruption in cancer care, mental health and physical health perceptions, age, race, education, income, and sexual orientation.
METHODS: Multiple imputations were used to address missing data. Descriptive statistics were conducted to understand the perceptions of care disruption. Partial least squares structural equation models were employed for data analysis, adjusted for socio-demographics.
RESULTS: COVID-19 impacted cancer treatment and follow-up appointments (69.45%), routine cancer screening (60.70%), and treatment plans (73.58%), especially among elderly patients. It changed the interactions with health care providers (HCP) for 28.03% of the participants. Older adults were 2.33 times more likely to experience treatment appointment disruptions. People who thought their contact with their doctors changed during COVID-19 were more likely to be older adults (65 or more) (OR = 3.85, P = .011), white (OR >1, P = .002), and with higher income (OR = 1.81, P = .002). The changes to cancer treatment and follow-up medical appointments negatively impacted the well-being of the patients (mental: β = -.006, P = .043; physical: β = -.001, P = .006), routine screening and preventative care visits (mental: β = -.029, P = .031; physical: β = -.003, P = .008), and cancer treatment plans (mental: β = -.044, P = .024; physical: β = -.021, P = .040).
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the crucial requirement for implementing focused interventions aimed at alleviating the discrepancies in the accessibility of cancer care across diverse demographic groups, particularly during times of emergency, in order to mitigate any potential disruptions in care.

Moving Beyond Cancer to Wellness is a patient- and caregiver-focused educational outreach event with an inspirational message and lectures that address common concerns among cancer survivors. This event is open to the communi.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is commonly experienced by patients with cancer during treatment, and 35% of patients experience cognitive impairment after treatment completion. Impairments in memory, attention, executive functioning, and information processing speed are most reported and often negatively impact daily functioning and quality of life (QoL). Despite the large scale of reports, this adverse side effect is underinvestigated across common cancer types, and there is a lack of insight into the CRCI experience.
OBJECTIVE: This qualitative synthesis aims to explore the evidence in relation to the experience of CRCI across common cancers. It also aims to understand the prevalence of CRCI across various cancer types, cognitive domains, and its impact on QoL and functional ability.
METHODS: A comprehensive search of databases, including PubMed, American Psychological Association PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus, will be conducted. A total of 2 independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts for inclusion, followed by full-text screening. A third reviewer will resolve any arising conflicts in the process of data screening and inclusion. Subsequently, data extraction and quality assessment using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool will be conducted. The results will be analyzed using thematic analysis.
RESULTS: This review is part of a PhD program funded in January 2023. The review commenced in June 2023, and data analysis is currently in progress. The qualitative synthesis will explore the experiences of CRCI across common cancers. The included studies are expected to report on numerous cancer types such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, and lung cancer. The included study types are most likely to be interviews, focus groups, and surveys with qualitative components.
CONCLUSIONS: This protocol highlights the need for a qualitative synthesis that will explore the experience of CRCI across common cancer types. It will provide valuable insight into the lived experience of CRCI and the cognitive domains that may be disproportionately affected. There is a growing demand for further management interventions and clinically tested treatments of CRCI and the qualitative exploration of patient experience is crucial for their development. This qualitative synthesis will inform future developments and will contribute to improving QoL after cancer.
UNASSIGNED: DERR1-10.2196/56888.