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- Carlsson, C., et al.
(författare)
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Voluntary associations for cancer patients in Sweden: supportive activities
- 2001
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Ingår i: Supportive Care in Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0941-4355 .- 1433-7339. ; 9:8, s. 581-590
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Our aim was to describe voluntary associations for patients with cancer in Sweden (n=108) and their activities, type and extent of member support, and the associations' collaboration with the health care system. A specially constructed questionnaire with structured and open questions was used for the investigation. The frequency of answers was 89%. The results show in the broadest sense that the associations have two missions. The direct patient-related mission concerns providing patients with support in the form of close proximity, approachability and through distribution of knowledge together with financial and practical support; the indirect patient-related mission deals with activities aimed at improving conditions for patients in general within the health care system and by influencing authorities as well as supporting family members and significant others and providing financing. The associations collaborate with the health care system, although they face difficulties in becoming 'sanctioned' and in establishing positive relationships with the health care community. The associations display a positive attitude towards their cause and the personal gratification that the voluntary work brings. In general, the findings indicate that the associations have a potential to help patients live and cope with their cancer disease.
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2. |
- Carlsson, Maria, 1958-
(författare)
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Cancer patients seeking information from sources outside the health care system.
- 2000
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Ingår i: Supportive Care in Cancer. - 0941-4355 .- 1433-7339. ; 8:6, s. 453-457
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Most of the information patients receive about cancer and its treatment is probably provided by staff in health care, but if patients do not get sufficient information there is a risk that they might rely on nonmedical sources to satisfy their need. The aim of this study was to survey the degree to which patients seek information from sources outside the health care system. All adult cancer patients visiting or being admitted to the Oncology Department on 1 day were asked to complete a questionnaire. In the course of that day, 192 adult patients visited the Oncology Department, and the response rate was 74%. The patients had used an active informationseeking strategy, i.e., had sought information from the following sources, only to a limited degree: the Internet (6%) medical books (37%), narratives (32%) and telephone helplines (10%). A more passive information-seeking strategy was more common; the patients obtained information from television and radio (82%), newspapers (86%), other patients (46%) and friends (55%). There was a significant correlation between educational level and information-seeking from the Internet, medical books and telephone helplines. Persons with a higher level of formal education had used these sources more than people with less education (P~0.05). Younger patients (~60 years) and those with a higher level of formal education had greater access to the Internet (P~0.0001) and read about cancer in the papers to a greater degree than older ones (P~0.05). Younger patients (P~0.05) and women (P~0.01) had used narratives to a greater degree than older patients and men. The main finding of this study was that the patients actively sought information about cancer only to a limited degree, but the majority of patients take an interest when cancer issues are presented in newspapers and magazines, or on radio and television.
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3. |
- Fransson, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Reliability and responsiveness of a prostate cancer questionnaire for radiotherapy-induced side effects
- 2001
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Ingår i: Supportive Care in Cancer. - : Springer. - 0941-4355 .- 1433-7339. ; 9:3, s. 187-198
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Few self-assessment cancer-specific questionnaires / modules have yet been developed for radiotherapy-induced side effects. The aim of the present study was to test the reliability and responsiveness of a prostate cancer (PC)specific questionnaire. Thirty-one patients with PC graded their urinary and intestinal symptoms and their sexual function on the questionnaire. A doctor and a nurse performed a structured interview and graded the patient's symptoms with the same questions. The procedure was performed at both the start and the end of the treatment. A high concordance regarding symptom detection was seen between the patient, nurse and the doctor. The inter-rater test shows intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values above 0.60 in all scales. The internal reliability exceeded the lower limit (Cronbach alpha > 0.70) for all scales. The test-retest gave acceptable reliability for all scales (ICC greater than or equal to 0.60). All scales indicated increased problems during radiotherapy. The questionnaire was proven to be valid for the evaluations of urinary and intestinal problems and for sexual function in PC patients.
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4. |
- Friedrichsen, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Breaking bad news in the transition from curative to palliative cancer care : patient's view of the doctor giving the information.
- 2000
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Ingår i: Supportive Care in Cancer. - 0941-4355 .- 1433-7339. ; 8:6, s. 472-478
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the transition from curative to palliative cancer care, communication is of special importance. The aim of this study was to explore how patients with a disseminated cancer disease experienced the information about their incurable state, focusing on the physician. The persons taking part were 30 patients admitted to a hospital-based home care unit in Sweden. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using a qualitative method. All patients described their doctors as experts, despite different qualities. Sire subcategories were identified: (1) the inexperienced messenger, (2) the emotionally burdened, (3) the rough and ready expert (4) the benevolent but tactless expert, (5) the "distanced" doctor and (6), the empathic professional. The relationship was described as very important to the patients' capacity to handle the information and was felt to have been built up during earlier meetings. The relationship was described in four subcategories: personal between well-acquainted individuals, impersonal between unacquainted individuals, personal between unacquainted individuals and impersonal between well-acquainted individuals. Both the character of the physician and his or her ability to create personal relationships influence patients' capacity to cope with this specific situation. Education and guidance are needed both in clinical practice and in medical schools.
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6. |
- Furst, CJ
(författare)
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Perspectives on palliative care: Sweden
- 2000
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Ingår i: Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0941-4355. ; 8:6, s. 441-443
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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8. |
- Hardy, J, et al.
(författare)
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A double-blind, randomised, parallel group, multinational, multicentre study comparing a single dosed of ondansetron 24 mg p.o. with placebo and metoclopramide 10 mg t.d.s. p.o. in the treatment of opioid-induced nausea and emesis in cancer patients
- 2002
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Ingår i: Supportive Care in Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0941-4355 .- 1433-7339. ; 10:3, s. 231-236
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nausea and emesis are common side effects of opioid drugs administered for pain relief in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to compare the anti-emetic efficacy and safety of ondansetron, placebo and metoclopramide in the treatment of opioid-induced nausea and emesis (OIE) in cancer patients. This was a multinational, multicentre, double-blind, parallel group study in which cancer patients who were receiving a full opioid agonist for cancer pain were randomised to receive one of oral ondansetron 24 mg once daily, metoclopramide 10 mg three times daily, or placebo. Study medication was started only if the patient experienced nausea and/or emesis following opioid administration. Efficacy and safety assessments were made over a study period of 24 h from the time of the first dose of anti-emetics/placebo. The study was terminated prematurely because of the difficulties in recruiting patients satisfying the stringent entry criteria. Ninety-two patients were included in the intent-to-treat population: 30 patients received placebo, 29 patients ondansetron and 33 patients metoclopramide. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the proportion achieving complete control of emesis (33% of patients on placebo. 48% on ondansetron and 52% on metoclopramide) or complete control of nausea (23% of patients on placebo. 17% on ondansetron and 36% on metoclopramide). Rescue anti-emetics were required in 8 of 33 patients on metoclopramide, 4 of 29 on ondansetron, and 3 of 30 on placebo. The incidence of adverse events was very low and similar in all treatment groups. Neither ondansetron 24 mg once daily nor metoclopromide 10 mg t.d.s. given orally was significantly more effective than placebo in the control of OIE in cancer patients.
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9. |
- Heedman, Per Anders, et al.
(författare)
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Pain and pain alleviation in hospital-based home care : demographic, biological and treatment factors
- 2003
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Ingår i: Supportive Care in Cancer. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0941-4355 .- 1433-7339. ; 11:1, s. 35-40
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study was to contrast two opposed groups, namely palliative cancer patients who were suffering significant pain (VASgreater than or equal to4) and palliative cancer patients with no pain (VAS = 0) in hospital-based home care and, retrospectively, to study possible differences in relation to demographic, biological and treatment factors. The ESAS (Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale) was used to assess 191 palliative cancer patients on admission and after I week of home care. Fifty-two (27%) had pain (mean 5.5+/-1.7) and 72 (38%) had no pain on admission [the middle group, (n=67) had VAS 1-3]. Activity was more severely affected (5.4 vs 4.2, p<0.01) and nausea less well controlled in patients with pain (2.3 vs 0.7, P<0.0001). Pain was associated with the diagnosis of prostate cancer (P<0.01) and the presence of skeletal metastases (P<0.001), whereas pain-free patients, with or without analgesics, more often had colorectal cancer (P<.01) or melanoma (P<0.05). The medication profiles differed between the two groups: 22 (42%) of the 52 patients with pain were on step 3 of the WHO analgesic ladder and 24 of 51 (47%) were receiving antiemetics, whereas 42 (58%) of the 72 patients with no current pain had no analgesic prescribed and only 25% of them had antiemetics prescribed, indicating biological differences. If pain was present on admission a pain analysis was formally documented in 23 (44%) of the 52 cases and the medication was changed in 27 of the 52 (52%). The patients improved after I week (5.4+/-1.6 vs 3.9+/-2.3, P<0.001), and the improvement was significant even when a pain analysis was not documented or when medication was not changed. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate biological differences in pain alleviation and the need for a more structured way of working.
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