Racial/ethnic differences in spiritual well-being among cancer survivors.

This study examined racial/ethnic differences in spiritual well-being (SWB) among survivors of cancer. We hypothesized higher levels of Peace and Faith, but not Meaning, among Black and Hispanic survivors compared to White survivors, differences that would be reduced but remain significant after controlling for sociodemographic and medical factors. Hypotheses were tested with data from the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors-II.

Individual and dyadic relations between spiritual well-being and quality of life among cancer survivors and their spousal caregivers.

Objectives: There is evidence that cancer generates existential and spiritual concerns for both survivors and caregivers, and that the survivor's spiritual well-being (SWB) is related to his/her own quality of life (QOL). Yet the degree to which the SWB of each member of the couple has an independent association with the partner's QOL is unknown. Thus, this study examined individual and dyadic associations of SWB with the QOL of couples dealing with cancer.

Theory-based evaluation of an online cancer fatigue class.

Fatigue is a common problem faced by cancer patients and survivors, yet is often overlooked. An online fatigue class is evaluated using measures based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). A sample of 26 survivors and seven caregivers completed pre-class and post-class surveys and a facilitated discussion.

Cancer survivors' spiritual well-being and use of complementary methods: a report from the American Cancer Society's Studies of Cancer Survivors.

We examined associations between spiritual well-being and CAM use among 4,139 cancer survivors. We also explored the classification of religious/spiritual practices (R/S) as CAMs and alternative subscale structures of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy--Spiritual Well-being (FACIT-Sp). We evaluated three aspects of spirituality, Faith, Peace, and Meaning, and use of 19 CAMs in 5 domains.

The role of psychological functioning in the use of complementary and alternative methods among disease-free colorectal cancer survivors: a report from the American Cancer Society's studies of cancer survivors.

Background: The medical and demographic correlates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among cancer survivors have been well documented. However, the role of psychological functioning in cancer survivors' CAM use and the degree to which such factors apply to survivors of colorectal cancer require additional study. In addition, sex differences in CAM use and its correlates among colorectal cancer survivors are not well understood.

Introduction: charting the landscape of cancer survivors' health-related outcomes and care.

The field of cancer survivorship is characterized by a complex and rapidly evolving landscape. This supplement presents a series of data-driven articles selected to highlight the breadth of new knowledge in this area of the cancer control continuum that were presented at the Fourth Biennial Cancer Survivorship Research Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, June 2008. Included in the volume is research on the biobehavioral impact of cancer; studies on quality-of-life and economic outcomes; and work focused on caregivers, understudied populations, and healthcare providers.

Mass media and marketing communication promoting primary and secondary cancer prevention.

People often seek and receive cancer information from mass media (including television, radio, print media, and the Internet), and marketing strategies often inform cancer information needs assessment, message development, and channel selection. In this article, we present the discussion of a 2-hour working group convened for a cancer communications workshop held at the 2008 Society of Behavioral Medicine meeting in San Diego, CA. During the session, an interdisciplinary group of investigators discussed the current state of the science for mass media and marketing communication promoting primary and secondary cancer prevention.

An examination of the 3-factor model and structural invariance across racial/ethnic groups for the FACIT-Sp: a report from the American Cancer Society's Study of Cancer Survivors-II (SCS-II).

Objectives: Recent confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp) Scale in a sample of predominantly white women demonstrated that three factors, Meaning, Peace, and Faith, represented a psychometric improvement over the original 2-factor model. The present study tested these findings in a more diverse sample, assessed the stability of the model across racial/ethnic groups, and tested the contribution of a new item.

Methods: In a study by the American Cancer Society, 8805 cancer survivors provided responses on the FACIT-Sp, which we tested using CFA.

A population-based study of prevalence of complementary methods use by cancer survivors: a report from the American Cancer Society's studies of cancer survivors.

Background: The use of complementary methods (CMs) is widespread and increasing in the United States. Most literature on CM use among cancer survivors focuses on the treatment period, whereas only a few studies address use further along the cancer continuum.

Methods: This study analyzed the prevalence and the medical and demographic associations of CM use among cancer survivors surveyed 10 to 24 months after diagnosis.

Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of beliefs regarding cancer risks.

Background: Inaccurate beliefs about cancer risk may contribute to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and poor adherence to recommended screening and prevention guidelines. To address this issue the current study assessed the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of scientifically unsubstantiated beliefs about cancer risk in a representative sample of the US population.

Methods: Nine hundred fifty-seven US adults with no history of cancer were surveyed by telephone.

Psychological distress of female cancer caregivers: effects of type of cancer and caregivers' spirituality.

Introduction: This study examined the effects of the survivor's cancer type (gender-specific vs nongender-specific) and the female caregiver's spirituality and caregiving stress on the caregiver's psychological distress. Cancer caregivers, who were nominated by cancer survivors, participated in a nationwide quality-of-life survey with 252 caregivers providing complete data for the variables.

Patients And Methods: Breast and ovarian cancer were categorized as gender-specific types of cancer (GTC+), whereas kidney, lung, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and skin melanoma cancers were GTC-.