Patient-Nurse Communication in an Oncology Hospital Setting: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Communication is an important aspect in making patients competent to define, process, and manage their disease condition as well as to intercept and satisfy psychosocial needs. Communication between patient and nurse is central to the learning and orientating process since the nurse has the greatest frequency and continuity of relationship with patients and their families. This study aims to investigate the quality of communication between patient and nurse and the factors that promote or hinder effective communication from the oncology patient's perspective within an inpatient hospital setting.

How Psychophysical Stress Can Mediate the Effects of Anxiety and Depression on the Overall Quality of Life and Well-Being in Women Undergoing Hereditary Breast Cancer Screening.

: Women undergoing genetic counseling for hereditary breast cancer often experience a high emotional burden. Distress and stress in the initial phases of genetic counseling can be significant predictors of long-term psychological health, influencing quality of life and well-being. : This study aimed to evaluate the mediating role of psychophysical stress in the relationship of anxiety and depression with quality of life and well-being in women undergoing genetic counseling for BRCA1/2 mutations.

Moral Distress in Oncology: A Descriptive Study of Healthcare Professionals.

Background: The oncology setting is characterized by various complexities, and healthcare professionals may experience stressful conditions associated with ethical decisions during daily clinical practice. Moral distress (MD) is a condition of distress that is generated when an individual would like to take action in line with their ethical beliefs but in conflict with the healthcare facility's customs and/or organization. This study aims to describe the MD of oncology health professionals in different care settings.

Coping Style in Glioma Patients and Their Caregiver: Evaluation During Disease Trajectory.

Patients with glioma have a poor prognosis and, in a short period of time, have to deal with severe forms of disability, which compromise their psychological distress and quality of life. The caregivers of these patients consequently carry a heavy burden in terms of emotional and patient care. The study aims to evaluate the coping strategies of patients and their caregivers during the course of the disease in order to frame the adaptation process in a rapidly progressing pathology.

Home care for brain tumor patients.

Background: Brain tumor patients are quite different from other populations of cancer patients due to the complexity of supportive care needs, the trajectory of disease, the very short life expectancy, and resulting need for a specific palliative approach.

Methods: A pilot program of comprehensive palliative care for brain tumor patients was started in the Regina Elena National Cancer Institute of Rome in October 2000, supported by the Lazio Regional Health System. The aim of this model of assistance was to meet patient's needs for care in all stages of disease, support the families, and reduce the rehospitalization rate.

Epilepsy in the end-of-life phase in patients with high-grade gliomas.

Epilepsy is common in patients with brain tumors. Patients presenting seizures as the first sign of a malignant glioma are at increased risk of recurrent seizures despite treatment with antiepileptic drugs. However, little is known about the incidence of epilepsy in the last stage of disease and in the end-of-life phase of brain tumor patients.

Quality of care and rehospitalization rate in the last stage of disease in brain tumor patients assisted at home: a cost effectiveness study.

Unlabelled: Despite aggressive multimodality treatment the prognosis of patients with primary brain tumors (BT) remains poor. At present, there are no data about the role of palliative home-care services and their impact on quality of care. We report the results of a pilot project of palliative home care for BT patients started in 2000 in the National Cancer Institute Regina Elena of Rome.

End of life issues in brain tumor patients.

Despite aggressive antitumor treatment, the prognosis of brain tumor (BT) patients remains poor. In the last stage of disease, BT patients present severe symptoms due to the growing tumor or to treatment side-effects, which require adequate palliative management and supportive therapy. However, studies specifically addressing palliative care and end-of-life (EoL) issues in BT patients are lacking.