Improving physicians' communication skills and reducing cancer patients' anxiety: a quasi-experimental study.

Aims And Background: This study is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of a physician-centered communication skills training program on cancer patient anxiety levels.

Methods And Study Design: In this quasi-experimental study, physicians from 9 units of 5 general hospitals and 1 cancer research institute were recruited. The unit heads chose which physicians would attend the training program (treatment group) and which would not (control group).

The psychological impact of breast and ovarian cancer preventive options in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers.

This study was performed to describe the impact of preventive options on the psychological condition of BRCA1/BRCA2 carriers. A sample of 52 cancer-affected (C-A) and 27 cancer-unaffected (C-UN) women were enrolled after gene test disclosure (T0). Psychological evaluations were performed at T0 and 15 months later (T1).

Evaluation of a screening programme for psychological distress in cancer survivors.

Purpose: This study is aimed at evaluating the feasibility of a screening procedure for psychological distress in cancer survivors.

Methods: Consecutive series of 339 cancer patients from three centres were requested to fill in two questionnaires measuring psychological distress (PDI) and social support (MOSS). Psychological intervention was offered to patients with significant degree of distress.

End-of-life care in Italy: personal experience of family caregivers. A content analysis of open questions from the Italian Survey of the Dying of Cancer (ISDOC).

Objective: This study aims at describing the emotional and practical experience of a representative sample of Italian non-professional caregivers when caring for a terminally ill family member and is part of the 'Italian Survey of the Dying of Cancer', which involved 2000 adult cancer deaths representative of the whole country.

Methods: Information on patients' experience was gathered from non-professional caregivers by an interview. A specific question was asked about the caregivers' emotional and practical experiences while assisting a terminally ill relative.

Diagnosis and prognosis disclosure among cancer patients. Results from an Italian mortality follow-back survey.

Background: The observed cultural changes in truth-telling attitudes suggest a radical change in the practice of delivering information to cancer patients, but limited research is available from countries known for their policy of non-disclosure. This study estimates the proportion of Italian who died of cancer who had received information about diagnosis and prognosis, and explores the variables associated with disclosure.

Materials And Methods: This is a mortality follow-back survey of 1271 non-professional caregivers of Italians who died of cancer in 2002, representative of the approximate 160 000 Italian annual cancer deaths.