Fear of cancer recurrence: a theoretical review and its relevance for clinical presentation and management.

Background: There is increasing recognition of the unique physical and psychosocial concerns of the growing population of cancer survivors. An emerging literature demonstrates that fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a problematic long-term and late effect for cancer survivors. In fact, FCR is a top concern, and this article provides a necessary synthesis of the extant research evidence and theory.

Health disparities in unmet support needs of women with gynecologic cancer: an exploratory study.

International research suggests that many women with gynecological cancers have unmet supportive care needs that often correlate with greater psychological distress and poorer quality of life. The United States has a diverse population and evolving health care system, so this study aims to identify the support needs of women with gynecologic cancer in this geographic region. Furthermore, there are numerous health disparities with regards to cancer care; therefore, a second aim of this study is to explore health disparities in unmet support needs.

Impact of breast cancer recurrence and cancer-specific stress on spouse health and immune function.

Spouses of cancer patients are at-risk for poor psychological and physical health as they cope with the complex nature of the disease and fears of losing their partner. Moreover, spouses often serve as patients' primary informal caregivers, a group that evidences poor outcomes across a variety of domains. The present study examines the relative contributions of cancer recurrence - a cancer-specific stressful event - and the subjective experience of cancer-specific stress (IES) in a sample of male spouses of breast cancer survivors.

Understanding the support needs of women with gynecologic cancer.

There is a relative sparsity of research on and resources for individuals with and survivors of gynecologic cancer compared to other cancers. This paper aims to review the current literature related to the challenges this population faces and subsequent support needs. In addition, it discusses future steps that will allow for the highest quality of care for those recovering from gynecologic cancers.

The relationship between affect balance style and clinical outcomes in fibromyalgia.

Objective: Affective balance, relative levels of negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA), better describes emotional functioning than NA or PA alone. Affect balance styles and their relationship to clinical outcomes were compared between patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and controls.

Methods: FM patients (n = 79) were compared with patients with other medical conditions (controls; n = 92).

Physical sequelae and depressive symptoms in gynecologic cancer survivors: meaning in life as a mediator.

Background: Continuing symptoms and poor health following cancer treatments may alter meaning in life for cancer survivors. Gynecologic cancer survivors are particularly troubled with physical sequelae. In addition, for the most common sites of disease, such as breast and gynecologic cancers, the prevalence of depression is also high.