The effects of cancer-related pain and fatigue on functioning of older adult, long-term cancer survivors.

This research examines the fatigue and pain reported by a sample of long-term (5 years), older adult (>or=60 years) survivors of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer. It also examines the importance of cancer and age-related factors as correlates of pain and fatigue as well as the relationship between pain and fatigue and functional difficulty. Data were derived from 321 in-person interviews with a sample of survivors randomly selected from a tumor registry at a comprehensive cancer center.

Cancer survivorship and identity among long-term survivors.

This article examines the concept of survivorship and the adoption of the "survivor identity" by those who have been treated for cancer. First, we review recent and growing theoretical and empirical literatures on cancer and identity and identity transformation. With that review as background, we present our own research findings from 2 separate studies on survivorship and identity.

Cancer-related health worries and psychological distress among older adult, long-term cancer survivors.

While long-term survivors (5 years+) do not face the stressors of diagnosis and treatment, they continue to face the uncertainties that survivorship brings: recurrence, other cancers, late effects of treatment, and the potential of a shortened life expectancy. This research focuses on the cancer-related health worries of older adult, long-term cancer survivors, the factors that predict these worries, and their link to traditional measures of psychological distress. Specifically, a model is proposed that identifies the personal (including race and gender) and illness/treatment characteristics of survivors that are significantly associated with cancer-related health worries and their effects on anxiety and depression.

Coping among older-adult, long-term cancer survivors.

This research focuses on the coping behavior of older adult, long-term cancer survivors. Specifically, it identifies the personal (including race and gender) and illness/treatment characteristics of survivors that are significantly associated with the use of specific coping styles: planning, acceptance, venting, denial and seeking social support. It also examines the mediating role that these forms of coping play in terms of psychological distress: anxiety, depression and cancer-related worries.