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Purpose: From a cancer survivor perspective, the purpose of this paper is to explore what has changed in their lives that they attribute to the disease. The rationale for the study is that evidence of the extent to which cancer disrupts people's lives in the longer term is contradictory. Methods: Written accounts from 40 cancer survivors were analysed using interpretative methods. The researchers drew on the concept of biographical disruption as a framework for analysis. Results: Cancer survivors construct cancer as a biographically disruptive event with ongoing physical and psychosocial impacts. Cancer is constructed as a permanent threat to life which is responsible for increasing their awareness of their own mortality and invoking positive changes to self. These formulations of living with cancer were found across a range of participants, including those who defined themselves as currently free of cancer, those who had recurrence, those who had been diagnosed 5 years ago and those who had been free of cancer for a long time. Conclusions: This study adds to the body of literature exploring how to enhance supportive care for cancer survivors by reflecting on biographical disruption and continuity, and the complexities within individual constructions of changes in life that they attribute to cancer. Cancer survivors should be given opportunities to articulate the impact of cancer, thus giving legitimate space to talk about cancer's ongoing resonance on life so that problems and difficulties are not dismissed or trivialised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Following head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment, individuals experience an array of side effects which can impact on physical, emotional, and practical aspects of their lives. Responsive, supportive rehabilitation services are therefore essential to address ongoing survivorship needs. This study examined the nature of patient-reported goals from acute to long-term post-treatment, to inform design/delivery of future rehabilitation services.Methods: Using a cross-sectional cohort design, 91 patients between 2 weeks and 5 years of post non-surgical HNC treatment (acute n = 29; sub-acute n = 28; long-term n = 34), provided their top four rehabilitation goals considering any aspect of their lives. Content analysis was used to categorise responses at each time point.Results: Three core categories of patient goals were identified relating to: (1) treatment side effects (TSE), (2) overall health (OH), and (3) living life (LL). TSE goals were a priority during the acute and sub-acute phases, with less focus long-term. LL goals were prevalent across all time points, though increased in the long-term. Approximately a third of all goals at each time point related to OH.Conclusions: A variety of rehabilitation goals were identified, and the focus shifted over time. These data highlight the importance of changing the focus of rehabilitation as patients' priorities vary over time. Early multidisciplinary care from allied health services is crucial to provide support with managing side effects and returning to daily activities. In the long-term, greater input from services to address health, nutrition, leisure, and fitness goals may be more beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People with cancer may experience change in what constitutes quality of life (QOL) over time as a result of the cancer progression (true change) or adaptation to the experience, considered as a response shift phenomenon. As individualized measures are ideally suited to explore response shift, this study aimed to estimate the extent to which reconceptualization response shift occurred over time in a cancer population and the impact of this response shift on estimates of change on QOL measures.Methods: Ninety-seven people with advanced cancer completed the study measures including the Patient-Generated Index (PGI) at diagnosis (T0) and 1 year later (T1). The response shift indicator was the change in the number of areas nominated (range - 4 to + 3). Multivariate linear regression was used to estimate the effect of changing areas on change in the PGI score, single indicators of global QOL, and the EQ-5Dindex adjusted for age and sex.Results: Approximately 72% of people in this sample either added or dropped areas over time. People who dropped more than two areas had higher PGI scores at T1 than T0 while people who added areas showed low PGI score.Conclusion: The results are consistent with the PGI framework as areas nominated tend to focus on negative aspects of QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate associations between cancer survivors' sex, age, and diagnosis in relation to their (1) need for rehabilitation, (2) participation in rehabilitation activities, and (3) unmet needs for rehabilitation in a 14-month period following date of diagnosis. Methods: A population-based cohort study was performed on incident cancer patients diagnosed from 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2008. Fourteen months after diagnosis, participants completed a questionnaire developed to measure the aspects of rehabilitation. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore the association between sex, age, and diagnosis, and the outcome variables for rehabilitation. Results: A total of 3,439 patients participated, yielding an overall response rate of 70%. One third of the cancer patients reported a need for physical rehabilitation and one third for psychological rehabilitation. Half of the patients participated in at least one activity. Unmet needs were most often reported in psychological, sexual, and financial areas. Women expressed more needs, participated more often in rehabilitation activities, and had, to a higher extent, their emotional needs fulfilled. Breast cancer patients participated more often in physical rehabilitation. Elderly who expressed rehabilitation needs more often had them unresolved. Conclusions: A substantial variation in rehabilitation needs, participation in activities, and unmet needs in relation to sex, age, and cancer type was observed. Cancer care ought to systematically address the wide range of needs in all groups through integration of systematic needs assessment and targeted supply of offers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose was twofold: (1) to develop a comprehensive profile of patients discharged from an inpatient oncology rehabilitation unit and (2) to explore the relationships between patient characteristics and functional status. Methods: A retrospective review of electronic data from all patients discharged from oncology rehabilitation between November 1, 2008, and March 31, 2010, was conducted. Data elements included age, sex, primary language, living arrangements, cancer diagnosis, comorbidities, and admission and discharge Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores. Descriptive statistics were compiled for all data elements. General linear regression was conducted to determine the descriptors independently associated with FIM discharge and FIM change scores. Results: There were 153 eligible records. The patients' age ranged from 38 to 97 years ( M = 72.6, SD = 12.9); 59.5% were women, and 39.3% lived alone prior to hospitalization. The most common diagnoses were colorectal cancer ( n = 45, 28.8%), metastatic disease ( n = 24, 15.7%), and cancer of the urinary organs ( n = 14, 9.2%). Service goals were met for 77.1%. Patients improved an average of 17.1 (SD = 8.8) points on the FIM. Being older and having a diagnosis of brain or uterine cancer were associated with lower FIM™ change scores. Conclusions: In this sample, the majority of patients were older women, and many lived alone. While the group as a whole made significant functional gains, those who were younger improved more. Having a diagnosis of uterine or brain cancer was associated with lower functional change scores. This study was limited by a small sample size and the retrospective design; however, the results provide a foundation for future prospective research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author talks about cancer rehabilitation for cancer survivors which include interventions to improve physical performance, nutrition, and mental health by referring to the study titled "Effects of Exercise during Chemotherapy on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial," by researcher Kleckner and colleagues. Topics discussed include medical exercise to improve endurance capacity, assessment of contraindication potential, and dysesthesia.