Hope as a bridge to post-traumatic growth.

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) has been characterized as the subjective appraisal of growth, or personal development, following a confrontation with an array of high-impact challenges in life (Psychol Inq 15:1-18, 2004). Song et al. found that patients with cancer may be described by three profiles with regard to symptom burden and PTG.

Radiation Therapy Delivery During the 2023 Israel-Hamas War: Trust Prevails Over Fear.

Purpose: The attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians (October 7, 2023) triggered the ongoing war, which could be detrimental to cancer care in general and radiation therapy (RT) in particular. To assure continuity of care within the Radiation Oncology Department of Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital (SAAUH), which borders on Gaza, patient-centric measures were redoubled by our institution. This study describes the impact of these measures on patients' perception and their willingness to continue RT, despite fear of war.

A topical BRAF inhibitor (LUT-014) for treatment of radiodermatitis among women with breast cancer.

Background: Modern radiotherapy is associated with dermatitis (RD) in approximately one-third of patients treated for breast cancer. There is currently no standard for treating RD.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether LUT014, a topical BRAF inhibitor which paradoxically activates mitogen-activated protein kinase, can safely improve RD.

Hope during somber times: a defining moment.

In addition to the diverse educational materials the National Cancer Institute provides to patients, caregivers, and health-care professionals, the NCI maintains an online dictionary that provides concise definitions of terms used in modern oncology. The dictionary is regarded as a valuable data reserve because it is updated frequently and employs language that facilitates comprehension among lay users and professionals alike. In this commentary, we call attention to the absence of the word hope as an entry in this important digital resource.

The biology of hope: Inflammatory and neuroendocrine profiles in ovarian cancer patients.

Introduction: Although the concept of hope is highly relevant for cancer patients, little is known about its association with cancer-relevant biomarkers. Here we examined how hope was related to diurnal cortisol and interleukin-6 (IL-6), a pro-inflammatory cytokine previously associated with tumor biology and survival in ovarian cancer. Secondly, we examined whether hope and hopelessness are distinctly associated with these biomarkers.

The Coming of Age of Breast Radiotherapy.

Exactly 50 years ago, the investigators of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project began to design the B-06 trial [...

Feasibility and acceptability of an online intervention to enhance hopefulness among oncology professionals.

Background: Patients prefer medical communication including both hopefulness and realism, though health-care professional (HCPs) struggle to balance these. Providers could thus benefit from a detailed personal understanding of hope, allowing them to model and convey it to patients. Additionally, given that hope is associated with lower levels of burnout, HCPs may benefit from tools designed to enhance their own personal hopefulness.

Pegylated Liposomal Mitomycin C Lipidic Prodrug in Combination With External Beam Radiation Therapy in Patients With Advanced Cancer: A Phase 1B Study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate a formulation of pegylated liposomal mitomycin C lipidic prodrug (PL-MLP) in patients concomitantly undergoing external beam radiation therapy (RT).

Methods And Materials: Patients with metastatic disease or inoperable primary solid tumors requiring RT for disease control or symptom relief were treated with 2 courses of PL-MLP (1.25, 1.

Hope and cancer.

Two models of hope have predominated in the literature pertaining to cancer-Snyder's "Hope Theory" and Herth's hope model-both of which have produced brief self-report measures. Growing evidence demonstrates that hope, as operationalized in these models, is associated with a number of psychological variables in individuals with cancer, including depression, distress, coping, symptom burden, and posttraumatic growth. Emerging evidence also suggests that hope may predict probability of survival in advanced cancer.

Efficacy and Safety of the Addition of Internal Mammary Irradiation to Standard Adjuvant Radiation in Early-Stage Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Existing data on adding internal mammary nodal irradiation (IMNI) to the regional nodal fields are inconsistent. Methods: Randomized trials investigating the addition of IMNI to standard adjuvant radiation were identified. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were extracted for overall-survival (OS), breast cancer specific-survival (BCSS), and disease-free survival (DFS) as well as distant-metastasis free survival (DMFS).

Development of a measure of clinicians' self-efficacy for medical communication (SEMC).

Objectives: Studies of clinician-patient communication have used varied, ad hoc measures for communication efficacy. We developed and validated the Self-Efficacy for Medical Communication (SEMC) scale as a standard, quantitative measure of clinician-reported skills in communicating difficult news.

Methods: Using evidence-based scale development guidelines, we created two 16-item forms of the SEMC, one assessing communication with patients and one assessing communication with families.

Dispositional hope as a potential outcome parameter among patients with advanced malignancy: An analysis of the ENABLE database.

Background: Hopefulness, whether inherently present (dispositional hope) or augmented (by enhancement techniques), may affect outcomes. This study was performed to determine the association of dispositional hope with survival among patients diagnosed with advanced cancer.

Methods: Data from ENABLE (Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends), a palliative care intervention, were reanalyzed to determine the association of higher dispositional hope and patient survival.

Risk-Reducing Mastectomy and Reconstruction Following Prophylactic Breast Irradiation: Hope Sustained.

Risk-reducing mastectomy (RRM) is often advocated for BRCA1/2 mutation carriers who face a heightened lifetime risk of breast cancer. However, many carrier patients seek alternative risk-reducing measures. In a phase II nonrandomized trial, we previously reported that prophylactic irradiation to the contralateral breast among BRCA carriers undergoing breast-conserving treatment significantly reduced subsequent contralateral breast cancer.

Hope, Burnout, and Life Satisfaction: An Intriguing Trinity Among Investigators of the SWOG Cancer Research Network.

Purpose: Although hope has been explored in patients, few studies have investigated hopefulness in health care professionals. We surveyed oncology professionals within the SWOG Cancer Research Network, exploring relationships among personal hopefulness, social support, work stress, burnout, and life satisfaction. We hypothesized that hope would mediate the relationships between these other variables and life satisfaction.