Ethnic differences in breast self-examination practice and health beliefs

Thirty-two African American nurses (AAN) and 78 Caucasian nurses (CN) were compared on breast self-examination (BSE) practice and health beliefs. Relationships between these variables were also examined. The Health Belief Model provided the framework for the study. The sample is a subset of 269 women from a larger study. AANs were recruited from a professional nurses' group. CNs were recruited from a list of female employees of a university medical centre. The results of t -tests revealed no significant group differences on BSE frequency ( P =0·06) or BSE proficiency ( P =0·10). Noted was that 42% of AANs compared to 20% of CNs examined their breasts 12 or more times during the year. AANs were more likely to consider BSE beneficial ( P =0·002) and to feel confident ( P =0·006) about doing BSE; CNs perceived more barriers ( P =0·001) to BSE. For AANs, BSE frequency and proficiency were positively related to confidence and inversely related to barriers; BSE frequency was also related to health motivation. For CNs, BSE frequency and proficiency were inversely related to seriousness. Implications include additional research to validate findings and to increase the knowledge base of all nurses regarding BSE.     

Thai nurses’ perspectives on the use of complementary and alternative medicine among Thai breast cancer survivors in northern Thailand

Breast cancer survivors are more likely to seek complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for their health and well‐being than other cancer patients. The purpose of the study was to describe how Thai nurses perceive the use of CAM in Thai breast cancer survivors. An ethno‐nursing research method was used. Fifteen Thai nurses who had experience in taking care of Thai breast cancer survivors who used CAM from a tertiary care referral and resource centre in the lower northern part of Thailand were interviewed. Two major themes emerged from this study: Meaning of care practices in CAM was seen as: (i) an additional beneficial choice for health; and (ii) emotional and psychological healing. Nurses should be concerned about CAM use in Thai breast cancer survivors. Open communication about CAM helps ensure that safe and holistic care is provided. Further research to enhance integration of CAM into health care is needed.     

Knowledge, practice, and risk of breast cancer among rural women in Korea

Abstract Breast cancer is the third leading cause of death among Korean women after stomach and cervical cancer. Furthermore, the incidence of breast cancer is increasing in contrast to decreasing trends of those two cancers described above. According to the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare, in 1998, 6.1% of all cancers and 14.1% of cancers in women were breast cancers. Early detection of breast cancer can be achieved by performing periodic breast self-examinations (BSE), clinical breast examinations, and/or mammography. Women should perform early detection procedures such as BSE or mammography on a regular basis to detect breast cancer earlier. For the cost effectiveness of the program, the identification of high-risk groups should be conducted, and the provision of community programs for the early detection of breast cancers should be focused on high-risk groups. The present study was designed to classify the high-risk groups of breast cancer among rural women in Korea, to provide early detection of breast cancer programs. Breast cancer risk of each participant, aged 35–65 years and who reside in the Korean rural community including Kyungki-Do and Chungchongbuk-Do, was assessed utilizing the breast cancer risk appraisal instruments. The tool estimates the six risk factors including age, family history, personal breast disease history, breast-feeding experience, number of children, and frequency of fat intakes. Breast cancer-related knowledge and practices were also assessed. The study results identified a 1.5% high-risk group, 3.8% moderate-risk group, and 24.0% borderline-risk group. Approximately 30% of the respondents were above the borderline-risk groups, which indicate the need for systematic approach for breast cancer prevention and early detection in the community.     

农村适龄妇女乳腺癌筛查行为的调查分析

[目的]了解农村适龄妇女乳腺癌筛查行为。[方法]采用自行设计的《农村适龄妇女乳腺癌筛查行为调查问卷》对1013名河南省农村适龄妇女进行乳腺癌筛查行为调查。[结果]河南省农村妇女乳腺癌筛查率仅为33.6%,年龄、经济水平及医疗保障享有状况等对筛查行为均具有显著影响;筛查意识好者筛查行为发生率33.2%;曾接受乳腺癌筛查服务者相关知识得分高于未曾接受筛查者。[结论]河南省农村妇女乳腺癌预防行为采用率低,应提高适龄妇女乳腺癌筛查意识并加强相关知识宣传,可能会对其乳腺癌筛查行为产生良好的促进作用。     

Impact of symptom burden and self-efficacy on functional status in advanced breast cancer patients: A path analysis

This correlational study aims at exploring the correlations between symptom burden, functional status, and self-efficacy in advanced breast cancer patients and to analyze their paths of influence. The study was performed with 122 patients with advanced breast cancer receiving outpatient chemotherapy between April 10, 2021 and April 29, 2022. Data were collected using a sociodemographic information form, the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory, the Functional Living Index-Cancer, and the Symptom Management Self-Efficacy Scale for Breast Cancer Related to Chemotherapy. Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney U, and Spearman correlation tests and path analysis were used for data evaluation. Less-educated individuals had a higher symptom burden and poorer self-efficacy. Low-income level was related to poor self-efficacy. Symptom severity did not directly influence functional status but affected it indirectly through self-efficacy, while symptom interference and self-efficacy had a direct impact on functional status. This study mainly concludes that symptom burden and self-efficacy affect functional status in advanced breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Self-efficacy-enhancing interventions may be helpful strategies for symptom relief and improvement in functional status in this population.     

中老年乳腺癌化疗患者自我效能感与焦虑、抑郁及生存质量的相关性分析

目的 探讨中老年乳腺癌化疗患者自我效能感现状,分析其与焦虑、抑郁及生存质量的相关性.方法 采用便利抽样法选取2019年9月至2020年2月在衡阳市某4所三甲医院肿瘤科接受化疗的230例中老年乳腺癌患者.采用一般资料调查表收集患者的基本情况.采用中文版癌症自我管理效能感量表、焦虑自评量表、抑郁自评量表及乳腺癌患者生命质量...     

Challenges in providing breast and cervical cancer screening services to Vietnamese Canadian women: the healthcare providers' perspective

Breast cancer and cervical cancer are major contributors to morbidity and mortality among Vietnamese Canadian women. Vietnamese women are at risk because of their low participation rate in cancer-preventative screening programmes. Drawing from the results of a larger qualitative study, this paper reports factors that influence Vietnamese women's participation in breast and cervical cancer screening from the healthcare providers' perspectives. The women participants' perspective was reported elsewhere.
Semistructured interviews were conducted with six healthcare providers. Analysis of these interviews reveals several challenges which healthcare providers encountered in their clinical practice. These include the physicians' cultural awareness about the private body, patient's low socioeconomic status, the healthcare provider–patient relationship, and limited institutional support.
This is the first Canadian study to identify the healthcare providers' perspective on giving breast and cervical cancer preventive care to the Vietnamese immigrant women. The insight gained from these healthcare providers' experiences are valuable and might be helpful to healthcare professionals caring for immigrant women of similar ethno-cultural backgrounds. Recommendations for the promotion of breast cancer and cervical cancer screening among Vietnamese women include: (i) effort should be made to recruit Vietnamese-speaking female healthcare professionals for breast and cervical health-promotion programmes; (ii) reduce woman–physicians hierarchical relationship and foster effective doctor–patient communication; (iii) healthcare providers must be aware of their own cultural beliefs, values and attitudes that they bring to their practice; and (iv) more institutional support and resources should be given to both Vietnamese Canadian women and their healthcare providers.     

农村适龄妇女“两癌”筛查中的组织管理方法与效果

目的探讨农村适龄妇女"两癌"筛查中的组织管理方法及效果,为更好地开展农村女性群体健康服务提供科学依据。方法坚持政府主导、采取筛查前对适龄妇女人群进行摸底、对筛查对象实施健康教育、培训筛查人员、合理布局和体检现场管理,结合耐心的问卷调查和对调查对象进行心理疏导。结果符合本次筛查年龄段的妇女共64 357人,完成对48 946人调查及"两癌"筛查,完善各项体检并完整收回问卷调查表46 981份,有效收回率为95.99%,筛查率为73.00%。结论政府主导及科学地组织管理是农村适龄妇女妇科病调查及"两癌"筛查顺利实施的保障。     

乳腺癌化疗患者赋权水平与自我效能、感知护理服务质量的相关性研究

目的 探讨乳腺癌化疗患者赋权水平现状,分析其与自我效能感、感知护理服务质量的相关性。方法 采用便利抽样法选取2020年6—12月在湖南省人民医院、湖南省肿瘤医院及中国人民解放军联勤保障部队第九二一医院肿瘤科住院的303例乳腺癌化疗患者为研究对象,使用自行设计的一般资料调查问卷、乳腺癌赋权量表、中文版乳腺癌幸存者自我效能感量表、住院患者感知护理服务质量评价量表进行调查。结果 乳腺癌化疗患者赋权水平总分为（90.38±20.09）分,总均分为（3.01±0.67）分。单因素分析显示,不同文化程度、有无照护者、家庭成员人均月收入、手术方式的乳腺癌化疗患者赋权水平得分比较,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。Pearson相关性分析显示,乳腺癌化疗患者赋权水平与自我效能感、感知护理服务质量均成正相关（P<0.01）。结论 乳腺癌化疗患者赋权水平处于中等水平,且与自我效能感、感知护理服务质量存在相关性。医护人员应关注患者的赋权行为,采取针对性干预措施,以提高其赋权水平。     

自我效能在肝癌术后患者恐惧疾病进展与焦虑抑郁间的中介效应

目的 探讨肝癌术后患者自我效能感与恐惧疾病进展及焦虑抑郁的关系,并分析自我效能在恐惧疾病进展与焦虑抑郁间的中介效应.方法 采用一般资料调查表、恐惧疾病进展量表、一般自我效能感量表、医院焦虑抑郁量表对广州市某三级甲等肿瘤医院175例原发性肝癌术后患者进行调查分析.结果 肝癌术后患者自我效能总分为(2.54±0.65)分,...     

Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in breast and lung cancer patients

OBJECTIVE: To measure the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation, in patients with breast and lung cancer. METHOD: Analysis of plasma MDA, and serum uric acid, albumin, cholesterol and triglycerides in 26 breast and 12 lung cancer patients and 41 healthy controls. The effects of age, body mass index (BMI), and menopausal status on plasma MDA were evaluated in the 26 patients with breast cancer. RESULTS: Plasma MDA levels in cancer patients were significantly higher than those in controls (P < 0.001). Average MDA levels were 6.33 micromol/L in breast cancer patients and 5.87 micromol/L in lung cancer patients. There was no correlation between MDA and triglyceride levels in either controls or cases. There was no correlation between MDA and cholesterol levels in patients with breast cancer, but there was a correlation in patients with lung cancer. Albumin levels did not differ significantly between controls and cases (P > 0.05), but uric acid levels in breast cancer patients were significantly higher than those of controls (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide further evidence of the relationship between lipid peroxidation and cancer and should contribute to the interpretation of epidemiological studies in this area and the planning of future research.     

Advances in quantitative immunohistochemistry and their contribution to breast cancer

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Automated image analysis provides an objective, quantitative, and reproducible method of measurement of biomarkers. Image quantification is particularly well suited for the analysis of tissue microarrays which has played a major pivotal role in the rapid assessment of molecular biomarkers. Data acquired from grinding up bulk tissue samples miss spatial information regarding cellular localization; therefore, methods that allow for spatial cell phenotyping at high resolution have proven to be valuable in many biomarker discovery assays. Here, we focus our attention on breast cancer as an example of a tumor type that has benefited from quantitative biomarker studies using tissue microarray format.

Areas covered: The history of immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry and the current status of these techniques, including multiplexing technologies (spectral and non-spectral) and image analysis software will be addressed. Finally, we will turn our attention to studies that have provided proof-of-principle evidence that have been impacted from the use of these techniques.

Expert opinion: Assessment of prognostic and predictive biomarkers on tissue sections and TMA using Quantitative immunohistochemistry is an important advancement in the investigation of biologic markers. The challenges in standardization of quantitative technologies for accurate assessment are required for adoption into routine clinical practice.