Walking groups for women with breast cancer: Mobilising therapeutic assemblages of walk, talk and place.

Walking is widely accepted as a safe and effective method of promoting rehabilitation and a return to physical activity after a cancer diagnosis. Little research has considered the therapeutic qualities of landscape in relation to understanding women's recovery from breast cancer, and no study has considered the supportive and therapeutic benefits that walking groups might contribute to their wellbeing. Through a study of a volunteer-led walking group intervention for women living with and beyond breast cancer (Best Foot Forward) we address this gap.

Training in self-needling and performing it as part of a clinical trial: the practitioner and patient experience.

Objective: To explore the experience of training and performing self-needling from both the practitioners' and patients' perspective.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using focus groups and interviews, nested within our multi-site randomised controlled trial, Acupuncture for Cancer-Related Fatigue in Patients with Breast Cancer. Patients allocated to self-needling across two UK study sites and all therapists who were involved in the trial were invited to participate.

Receiving or not receiving acupuncture in a trial: the experience of participants recovering from breast cancer treatment.

Objective: To explore the experience of breast cancer patients who either received acupuncture or were allocated to the control group.

Methods: Focus group/interviews nested within our multi-site randomised controlled trial. Participants were recruited from the standard care and experimental arm.

"No decision about me without me" in the context of cancer multidisciplinary team meetings: a qualitative interview study.

Background: Cancer care is commonly managed by multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) who meet to discuss and agree treatment for individual patients. Patients do not attend MDT meetings but recommendations for treatments made in the meetings directly influence the decision-making process between patients and their responsible clinician. No research to-date has considered patient perspectives (or understanding) regarding MDTs or MDT meetings, though research has shown that failure to consider patient-based information can lead to recommendations that are inappropriate or unacceptable, and can consequently delay treatment.

Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Acupuncture for Cancer-Related Fatigue.

Background: Fatigue is a distressing and pervasive problem for people with cancer. In recent years, acupuncture has gained increasing attention among researchers as an alternative management strategy for cancer-related fatigue (CRF). This review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture for CRF.

Development and testing of the patient-reported chemotherapy indicators of symptoms and experience: patient-reported outcome and process indicators sensitive to the quality of nursing care in ambulatory chemotherapy settings.

Background: Outcome indicators are increasingly advocated to demonstrate the impact of high-quality care; however, generic measures do not encompass outcomes relevant to specialist areas.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop an outcome measure (Patient-Reported Chemotherapy Indicators of Symptoms and Experience [PR-CISE]) for use in ambulatory chemotherapy settings and assess its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy in clinical practice.

Methods: Three areas were covered by PR-CISE--symptom management, safe medication administration, and experience of supportive care.

A systematic review of complementary and alternative medicine interventions for the management of cancer-related fatigue.

Fatigue, experienced by patients during and following cancer treatment, is a significant clinical problem. It is a prevalent and distressing symptom yet pharmacological interventions are used little and confer limited benefit for patients. However, many cancer patients use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and some evidence suggests it may relieve fatigue.

The psychosocial experience of patients with end-stage renal disease and its impact on quality of life: findings from a needs assessment to shape a service.

Background. A needs assessment was conducted on renal patients registered to a leading hospital trust in London in order to explore their psychological, social, and spiritual needs. The aim of the needs assessment was to create an evidence base for the development of a comprehensive health psychology service to run concurrently with a renal counselling support service within the department.

Acupuncture for cancer-related fatigue in patients with breast cancer: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: We aimed to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture for cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in patients with breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: We conducted a pragmatic, randomized controlled trial comparing acupuncture with enhanced usual care. Three hundred two outpatients with breast cancer participated.