Communication in oncology between healthcare providers, patients, the scientific community, and the media: recommendations from the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM).

Aim: To identify barriers between health and communication in oncology in order to promote the best possible practice. The areas of communication to be focused on are communication directly with the patient, communication within the scientific community, and communication with the media.

Material And Methods: A working group including eminent experts from the national mass media, healthcare system, and patients' advocacy has been established on behalf of the Italian Association of Medical Oncology (AIOM), with the aim of developing suitable recommendations for the best communication in oncology.

COVID-19 pandemic distress among a sample of Italian psycho-oncologists: risk of isolation and loneliness.

Purpose: To measure the prevalence and characteristics of distress and hope for the future among psycho-oncologists, who faced the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency along with other healthcare workers.

Methods: A web-based study was conducted among members of the Italian Society of Psycho-Oncology between May 29 and June 5, 2020.

Results: A total of 237 members, aged 28-72 years, completed the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and HOPE questionnaires; 86.

Screening for distress in cancer patients: a multicenter, nationwide study in Italy.

Background: Routine screening for distress is internationally recommended as a necessary standard for good cancer care, given its high prevalence and negative consequences on quality of life. The objective of the current study was to contribute to the Italian validation of the Distress Thermometer (DT) to determine whether the single item DT compared favorably with referent criterion measures.

Methods: In total, 1108 outpatients with cancer were recruited from 38 representative oncology centers in Italy.

Psychological aspects in day-case surgery.

Many reasons have helped to achieve the expansion of day surgery in health care system. First, surgical and pharmacological advances have dramatically reduced length of hospitalizazion needed for recovery from anaesthesia and operation. Second, day surgery has the potential to be more cost-effective than inpatient surgery.

Breast cancer surgery in an ambulatory setting.

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of outpatient surgery for early breast cancer in an Italian ambulatory setting and to assess its benefits.

Patients And Methods: A review of 88 women treated for breast cancer from an outpatient facility was undertaken from July 2003 to December 2006. The patients were selected for ambulatory surgery according to specific social, environmental, physical and oncological criteria.

Cancer of the esophagus: the value of preoperative patient assessment.

In the past few years, major improvements and new technologies have been proposed and applied in esophageal surgery. Its evolution depended not only on a thorough knowledge of surgical anatomy and technique, but also on important developments in pre- and postoperative care. Esophageal resection for cancer is still associated with high morbidity and mortality.