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Purpose: This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the quality of life of patients with radical prostatectomy. Methods: Participants included 114 patients with radical prostatectomy in Pusan National University Hospital in Busan, Korea. Data were collected from May to July 2018, using a structured questionnaire measuring quality of life, erectile dysfunction, lower urinary tract symptoms, appraisal of uncertainty, resilience, educational needs for sexual health, and marital intimacy. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, an independent t-test, a one-way analysis of variance, and hierarchical multiple regression. Results: The statistically significant regression model explained about 77% of the variance in quality of life. Appraisal of uncertainty as an opportunity, appraisal of uncertainty as a danger, and resilience were identified as factors influencing the participants' quality of life. Conclusion: In order to improve the quality of life of patients with radical prostatectomy, it is necessary to reduce uncertainty through providing practical information on uncertain situations, and the programs should be applied that can lower the danger aspect of uncertainty, increase the opportunity factor of uncertainty, and increase the resilience of the patient himself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To correlate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) with prognostic factors of breast cancer. Materials and Methods 24 breast cancer patients were evaluated with CEUS. As a quantitative analysis, the peak enhancement (PE), wash-in and wash-out area under curve (Wi- WoAUC), wash-in rate (WiR) and wash-out rate, rise time, fall time, mean transit time, time to peak, and wash-in perfusion index (WiPI) were measured. As a qualitative analysis, the enhancement patterns were evaluated. Pathologic prognostic factors, including histologic grade, hormonal receptors and Ki-67 proliferative index were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Correlation of quantitative and qualitative parameters of CEUS with prognostic factors was assessed. Results We found that the quantitative CEUS values (PE, WiWoAUC, and WiPI) of estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer were higher than those of ER negative counterpart (all p < 0.05). Lower quantitative CEUS values (PE, WiWoAUC, WiR, and WiPI) were found in triple-negative cancer (TNC) than those of non-TNC (all p < 0.05). No CEUS parameter showed significant difference in distinguishing histologic grade (all p > 0.05). Conclusion The CEUS parameters were helpful in predicting prognostic factors, such as ER positivity or triple negativity. However, they could not predict the histologic grade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the various measures available for assessment of oxaliplatin- induced peripheral neuropathy (OXLIPN) and to evaluate the measurement properties of each assessment tool. Methods: A systematic review was conducted to identify existing measures for OXLIPN found in the databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, RISS and KoreaMed. The quality of the 24 identified tools was evaluated based on their properties of measurement including content validity, internal consistency, criterion validity, construct validity, reproducibility, responsiveness, floor-ceiling effects and interpretability. Results: Ten (41.7%) of the 24 tools were identified as specific measures for assessing OXLIPN and the most popular type of measures were clinical grading systems by clinicians (62.5%) and only 25% of measures were identified as patient reported outcomes. The most frequently used tool was National Cancer Institute-Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI-CTC), but the validity of NCI-CTC has not been reported appropriately. Overall, the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory (NPSI) received the best psychometric scores, and the Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool (CIPNAT) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynaecologic Oncology Group뻨eurotoxicity-12 (FACT/GOG-Ntx-12) followed NPSI. Conclusion: To select appropriate measure, evidences should be accumulated through the clinical use of tools. Therefore, practitioner and researchers are urged to report relevant statistics required for the validation of the currently used measures for assessment of OXLIPN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing resilience in breast cancer patients. Methods: The data were collected using structured questionnaires from 106 breast cancer patients who are members of a self-help group. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and stepwise multiple regression in SPSS WIN version 21.0. Results: Resilience was significantly negatively correlated to depression and positively correlated to hope and family support. However, resilience was not significantly correlated to anxiety. In the regression analysis, factors influencing resilience were reported as hope, religion, lymph node metastasis, surgery side, and time since surgery, which explained 34.1% of the variation. Conclusion: The resilience scores of women with breast cancer were higher when depression was lower, hope was higher, and greater family support. This means that reducing depression and increasing hope and family support are necessary when developing and implementing nursing interventions. The results of this study also show the importance of hope in explaining resilience in patients with breast cancer. Therefore, nurses should focus on encouraging hope when they develop programs in order to implement more effective interventions to improve breast cancer patients' resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was done to analyze how a death preparation education program have the effects on awareness of hospice palliative care and withdrawing life sustaining treatment in older adults. Methods: This study employed a non-equivalent control group design among quasi-experimental designs. The experimental group was comprised with 35 adults and the control group with 40 adults. The death preparation program consisted of five two-hour sessions and was administered once a week for five straight weeks. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, χ² test, Fisher's exact test, and ANCOVA using SPSS version 18.0. Results: The mean age of the participants was 66.2 years. A significant difference between the experimental and control groups was observed in withdrawing life sustaining treatment (F=3.380, P=0.040). However, no significant difference was found in awareness of hospice palliative care (F=0.163, P=0.850). Conclusion: The study results indicate that death preparation training could positively affect people's awareness of withdrawing life sustaining treatment. More studies should be conducted to explore effects of death preparation education for all ages and help people better understand hospice palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship among the attitudes on exercise, physical activity and quality of life (QOL) in hemodialysis patients. Methods: A total of 42 patients in a hemodialysis unit participated in this study. Physical activity level was measured directly by 6 minute walking test and grip strength test. Structured questionnaires were also used for measuring their attitudes on exercise, physical activity and QOL. Participants' medical records were reviewed for obtaining their biochemical and clinical information. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson correlation, and multiple liner regression. Results: A significant positive correlation between participants' attitudes and physical activity level measured by International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was found. And the physical activity level measured by Korea Activity Scale/Index (KASI) was significantly related to QOL. Conclusion: This study shows that QOL of the hemodialysis patients was significantly associated with their physical activity level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]