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This review aims to elucidate the relationship between mental disorders and various forms of skin cancer, as well as to examine the prevention and treatment strategies for these patients using a multidisciplinary approach. The recognition that the impact of skin cancer extends beyond physical manifestations has led to an increasing need to investigate the psychological effects and mental health implications associated with this pathology. Cancer diagnoses represent significant stressors that can induce moderate-to-severe levels of emotional distress among patients and substantially impact patients' quality of life. Individuals diagnosed with malignant melanoma demonstrate a higher prevalence of psychosocial disturbance than those diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancers. This observation suggests that the classification of skin neoplasia and its visibility may influence a patient's quality of life. Healthcare professionals need to develop communication skills to observe the psychological changes faced by patients diagnosed with cutaneous malignancies. This study aims to enhance patient care, improve overall well-being, and promote comprehensive approaches for treating patients with cutaneous malignancies. The potential impact of stress and anxiety on the immune system may influence the treatment of various types of skin neoplasia. It is important to investigate the relationship between psychological factors and the immune system to develop efficacious interventions for managing stress and anxiety-related skin disorders. Further research is needed to establish standardized methods, assess long-term outcomes, develop tailored psychological support programs, and identify the potential risk and protective factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: High risk of degraded quality of life and psychological distress is observed in patients diagnosed with sinonasal, nasopharyngeal, and laryngeal cancers, which could be caused by exposure to carcinogens in workplaces. This review aimed to investigate the psychological impact of diagnosis associated with the possible occupational etiology of such neoplasms and to explore the instruments that evaluate the quality of life (QoL), anxiety, and depression in these patients. Methods: Studies were considered for the review only if they described aspects of the psychological impact of the diagnosis of sinonasal, nasopharyngeal, and laryngeal cancers and reported results distinguished by the tumor site. The psychological impact was assessed in terms of health-related QoL, anxiety, and depression using reliable psychometric questionnaires administered at the time of diagnosis and 1 year later. Results: In more than 5,900 records identified, 442 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and 436 were excluded after full-text screening, resulting in six studies to be finally included in the review. The EORTC Core Quality of Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), EORTC QLQ-H&N35, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) were used to evaluate the QoL, whereas the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) questionnaires were employed to assess anxiety and depression. QoL scores were similar to those of the general population at the time of diagnosis and remained unchanged or slightly improved at 1 year since diagnosis. In contrast, a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression was observed compared with the general population, although the results were inconsistent across the very few studies identified. No study investigating the association between the potential occupational etiology and QoL or distress was found. Conclusion: Exploring the existing scientific literature on emotional distress in sinonasal, nasopharyngeal, and laryngeal cancer patients was prompted by concerns over the disfiguring nature of treatment and the additional emotional burden resulting from their occupational etiology. Unfortunately, neither a crucial element nor other risk factors (lifestyle, smoking, drinking, etc.) were examined in any study. Patients' employment history should be considered in order to assess the possible impact of believing they are affected by an occupational exposure disease in the evaluation of their psychological distress. This history would support evidence-based recommendations about dedicated psychological interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postradiotherapy surveillance, which aims to detect and treat radiation injury, is important from the patient's perspective, but also from the radiation oncologist's perspective. Unfortunately, patient nonattendance increases over the course of five years. The aim of the study was to investigate the appropriateness and acceptability of reduced versus usual (conventional) postradiotherapy surveillance in breast cancer patients. A total of 192 consecutive patients with curatively irradiated breast cancer from two selected treatment years were included in our study, of whom 65 were offered six (after three months, 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months, and 60 months) and 127 were offered four follow-up appointments (after three months, 12 months, 36 months, and 60 months). Their patient-, tumour- and treatment-related characteristics were analysed, as well as follow-up events and attendance rates. The reduced four-meeting surveillance practice shows similar results to the traditional six-meeting practice in terms of appropriateness and acceptability, with significantly higher attendance rates at 36 and 60 months (p = 0.014 and 0.013 , respectively) when the individual moments are compared on a one-to-one basis. The patient-, tumour-, and treatment-related variables examined did not show an effect on the attendance rate. There was also no significant difference between the two cohorts in the detection of follow-up events (such as recurrence) and late radiation effects. In conclusion, this retrospective study provides scientific support for the trend towards a risk-adjusted, reduced surveillance practice in radiation oncology. In particular, four postradiotherapy follow-up visits seem to be appropriate and accepted in breast cancer patients after curative postoperative breast irradiation. This reduced postradiotherapy surveillance practice has the advantage of saving time for the patient and resources for the healthcare system without compromising quality; it could also improve patient participation. We, therefore, recommend it as an appropriate standard for breast cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delivery of food and drug molecules is a challenging field of research with growing interests. Due to concerns on solubility, stability, and bioavailability, numerous techniques have been explored to identify effective and sustainable approaches. The large surface area and wide blood supply made the lungs a prominent route for the delivery of therapeutic molecules. Several drug molecules have been effectively delivered through the pulmonary route, and this review focuses on the pulmonary delivery of food-derived therapeutic molecules through aerosols. Various methods have been used to fabricate aerosols; their mechanism of deposition and absorption in the lungs involves intricacies in terms of a range of factors including their physical and aerodynamic properties, apart from the conditions of the body. This review attempts to elaborate on these aspects, apart from providing a status report on the current scenario of delivering therapeutic molecules through the pulmonary route. Importantly, highlighting regulatory aspects, challenges associated with the delivery of food-derived molecules such as aerosols are presented, giving lead for directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological distress (including depression and anxiety) is common in the first years of cancer diagnosis but can differ by country and region. The aim of the present paper was to review the prevalence of psychological distress among cancer patients in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region. A systematic literature search was carried out using several databases (i.e., PubMed, PsychARTICLES, Embase, CINAHI, Web of Sciences, Plus, Scopus, and AHMED). Papers originally published in English language were taken into consideration if they (i) were published from 2010 to 2021 and (ii) reported the prevalence of psychological distress among patients with different types of cancer. A total of 23 studies met the inclusion criteria. The most frequently employed psychometric instrument for anxiety and depression screening was the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The prevalence of anxiety (ranging from 7% to 88%) was wider than that of depression (ranging from 3% to 65.5%) among patients with different types of cancer and living in various countries in the SEA region. The overall prevalence rate of psychological distress among cancer patients from the SEA region was not fundamentally very different from that of general populations. These findings provide useful information for health professionals and cancer patients to understand the negative role of psychological distress in quality of life and health. The research findings demonstrate the importance of counselling for psychological distress among cancer patients as means of effectively resolving their psychological problems and ultimately improving the quality of oncology medical care. Clinical recommendations for cancer management should incorporate the early identification of (and therapy for) psychological distress, as well as their monitoring during treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]