Exploring hope and expectations amidst the shadows: Navigating through the hearts of cancer patients admitted to a palliative care unit.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to conduct an in-depth exploration of the psychological well-being, hope, and expectations of cancer patients receiving care in a palliative care unit, utilizing a qualitative research approach.

Methods: We employed the methodology of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Our data collection involved conducting 1-hour semi-structured interviews with the patients.

HIV Disclosure and Low HIV Stigma in a Gay Serodiscordant Couple: An Interpretative Phenomenological Case Study of the Discloser-Confidant Dynamics.

Introduction HIV stigma levels are high in Greece. HIV stigma hinders testing, healthcare access, and treatment adherence, often leading to non-disclosure. The discloser navigates challenges by balancing the confidant's potential reactions, ranging from rejection and discrimination to the benefits of increased intimacy and liking.

Translation and Validation of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative Care (Facit-Pal-14) Scale.

Introduction: In palliative care, assessing outcomes and evaluating quality of life (QoL) are essential to ensure high-quality, evidence-based care. The aim of this study was the Greek validation of the Functional Assessment Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative Care (FACIT-PAL-14) in patients with cancer.

Methods: The FACIT-PAL-14 was translated into Greek and administered to 185 patients with cancer treated in two central hospitals of Athens, Greece.

Dr. George Papanicolaou: The Visionary Who Revolutionized Women's Health.

Dr. George Papanicolaou, a distinguished Greek physician, biologist, and researcher, made monumental contributions to medical science, particularly in the field of cytopathology. His groundbreaking work in the early detection of cervical cancer through the development of the Pap smear has had an enduring global impact, transforming women's healthcare and significantly reducing mortality rates associated with cervical cancer.

Experiences of Patients Living in a Unique Leprosy Hospice in Greece: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Background: Hansen's disease, or leprosy, has a long-standing presence in human history, and our study uniquely delves into the experiences of individuals who are among the last survivors of this condition in Greece. During the early 1930s, patients with Hansen's disease from Spinalonga, an isolated location in Crete, were moved to a medical facility in Athens. This event represents a significant historical change in the management and treatment of the disease.

The Impact of Post-traumatic Stress on Sexual Function of Survivors of Hematological Malignancies and Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Background: Autolοgous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (AHSCT) is a treatment οption fοr patients with hematological malignancies that improves prοgnοsis and survival. Thus, it is necessary tο deal with its long-term cοmplications, such as sexual dysfunction and trauma that significantly affect survivors' quality οf life.

Objective: The aim οf this study was to evaluate the Sexual Function (SF) and the Pοst-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) οf survivοrs οf hematolοgical malignancy and AHSCT.

Osteolytic Bone Metastasis: Different Radiotherapy Fractionation Schedules Compared Clinically and Radiographically.

The purpose of this study is to compare three commonly used radiotherapy fractionation schedules for bone metastasis in terms of clinical and radiological effectiveness. A total of 93 patients with osteolytic bone metastasis were randomized to receive 8 Gyin a single fraction (group A), 20 Gy in 5 fractions (group B) and 30 Gy in 10 fractions (group C). Changes in bone density were measured using the Relative Electron Density (RED) type corrected by Thomas (pe = HU/1.

Adapting Amidst Vulnerability: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Study on Gay Men Living With HIV.

Background: HIV represents a "biographical disruption", interrupting the continuity of life and fostering a sense of vulnerability. The transition of HIV into a chronic condition, coupled with extended life expectancy, necessitates significant lifestyle adjustments, making adaptation and navigation through uncertainties essential.

Method: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to investigate the lived experiences and adaptation processes of gay men in Greece who are living with HIV.

Psychometric Properties of the Greek Version of Demoralization Scale-II (DS-II) in Patients with Cancer.

Introduction: The concept of demoralization is used to describe situations of existential distress and self-perceived inability to effectively deal with stressors. The Demoralization Scale-II (DS-II) is a short and modified version of the original DS that measures the level of demoralization in patients. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the Greek Demoralisation Scale-II (DS-II GR) in the population of patients with cancer.

Exploring the occurrence and the risk factors of the desire for hastened death and depression in people with early-stage dementia in Greece.

Objectives: To assess the factors associated with desire for hastened death and depression in early-stage dementia as well as the association between them. Also, to explore the mediator and moderator role of age in the relationship between depression and desire for hasten death.

Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study including 100 patients diagnosed with early-stage dementia from a rehabilitation center between December 2018 and July 2019.

Hope and Distress Symptoms of Oncology Patients in a Palliative Care Setting.

Background Hope has a positive impact on health, playing a significant role in managing illness and its associated losses. In oncology patients, hope is crucial for effective adaptation to the disease, as well as a strategy for coping with physical and mental distress. It enhances disease management, psychological adaptation, and overall quality of life.

Sexual Function in Women Survivors of Hematologic Malignancy after Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the sexual function of women survivors of hematologic malignancy after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT), and to compare it with that of healthy women controls. Fifty-six sexually active women survivors of hematologic malignancy who underwent AHSCT were recruited through convenience sampling, as well as 60 healthy women. Demographic and clinical data questionnaires and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) were completed.

Factors associated with anxiety and depression in cancer patients: Demographic factors and the role of demoralization and satisfaction with care.

Objective: Anxiety and depression are common in cancer patients and seem to affect quality of life, treatment compliance and even survival. Defining factors related to anxiety and depression and exploring the role of demoralization and satisfaction with care, could contribute to the improvement of patients' quality of life and quality of health services as well.

Methods: A convenience sample of 150 cancer inpatients and outpatients from two oncology centers, with various types of solid tumors, participated in a prospective cross-sectional observational study.

Sexual Function of Male Survivors of Hematological Malignancy Treated by Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Multicenter Controlled Observational Study.

A multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the sexual function of male survivors of hematological malignancy treated by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) and to compare it with that of healthy male controls. By convenience sampling, 71 sexually active male survivors of hematological malignancy who underwent AHSCT were recruited, as well as 74 healthy men. A questionnaire with demographic and clinical data and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) were completed.

A Prospective, Real-World, Multinational Study of Naloxegol for Patients with Cancer Pain Diagnosed with Opioid-Induced Constipation-The NACASY Study.

The Naloxegol Cancer Study (NACASY) was a multinational European study aimed to evaluate the 4-week safety and efficacy of naloxegol in a real-world setting in patients with cancer pain diagnosed with opioid-induced constipation. The primary safety endpoint was the incidence of adverse events leading to study discontinuation. We recruited 170 patients who received at least one dose of naloxegol (i.

Herth Hope Index: A Psychometric Evaluation Study within a Sample of Greek Patients with Cancer.

Objectives: This study aims to develop the Greek version of the Herth Hope Index (HHI) and assess its psychometric properties to a palliative care patient sample, using a cross-sectional design.

Materials And Methods: The HHI was translated into Greek (HHI-Gr) using the 'forward-backward' procedure. It was administered to 130 eligible cancer patients, while for the stability of patients' responses, 40 of these patients completed the HHI-Gr 3 days later.

The Experience of Living With Breast Cancer and the Assessment of Needs and Expectations.

Living with a chronic disease constitutes a biographical reversal characterized by change and loss. The aims of this study are to conceptualize the meaning of breast cancer, of its burden, to explore the patient's needs and expectations while being admitted to a palliative care unit, and to evaluate the fulfillment of those expectations. Two semistructured interviews were conducted, audio taped, transcribed verbatim, and subjected to the qualitative method of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Sexuality and quality of life of patients with hematologic malignancy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a critical review.

Purpose: This systematic review aims to investigate the relationship between sexuality and quality of life (QoL) of patients with hematological malignancies that underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Methods: A bibliographic search was carried out through PubMed database with the following terms for the years 2008 to 2019: sexuality, sexual function, quality of life, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Results: Fourteen studies were included in the review.

Complementary Therapies for Patients with Cancer: Reflexology and Relaxation in Integrative Palliative Care. A Randomized Controlled Comparative Study.

Comparison of the effects of reflexology and relaxation on pain, anxiety, and depression, and quality of life (QoL) of patients with cancer. A stratified random sample was selected, using an experimental design. An outpatient Palliative Care Unit in Attica, Greece.

Quality of Life, Anxiety, and Depression in the Head-and-Neck Cancer Patients, Undergoing Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy Treatment.

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate and compare distress and quality-of-life parameters among head-and-neck cancer patients who underwent intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Subjects And Methods: The patients' sample consists of 55 individuals under IMRT treatment. Three questionnaires (Quality of Life Questionnaire [QLQ]-C30 and QLQ-H and N35) of the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer and the Greek Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales were used.

The effect of cancer patients' attachment orientations on their satisfaction of medical care.

Purpose: To assess the effect of cancer patients' attachment patterns on their satisfaction of medical care.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional design study performed in an outpatient palliative care clinic. The sample consisted of 100 cancer patients.

A Systematic Review of Sexuality and Depression of Cervical Cancer Patients.

The goal of this article is to investigate the correlation between sexuality and depression of cervical cancer (CC) patients. A bibliographical search was carried out in the databases CINAHL, PubMed, and Cochrane Library with the following terms in English for the years 2006 to 2017: , , , , , , , . Fourteen studies were included.

Depression as a Mediator or Moderator Between Preparatory Grief and Sense of Dignity in Patients With Advanced Cancer.

The objectives of the study were to evaluate the relationship between depression, preparatory grief, and loss of dignity in patients with advanced cancer and whether depression has a mediator and/or a mediator role between preparatory grief and dignity. The participants were 120 patients with advanced cancer who completed the Greek version of the Patient Dignity Inventory, the Greek Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Preparatory Grief in Advanced Cancer Patients questionnaire. Depression was highly correlated with preparatory grief and loss of dignity.

Depression as mediator and or moderator on the relationship between hopelessness and patients' desire for hastened death.

Purpose: Previous findings have shown that depression in advanced stages of cancer is associated with hopelessness and frequently with wishes for hastened death. The current study tries to investigate the relationship between hopelessness and desire for hastened death and if depression may be a moderator and/or mediator role in patients with advanced cancer.

Method: The participants were 102 patients with advanced cancer which they completed the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), the Greek Schedule of Attitudes towards Hastened Death (G-SAHD), and the Greek Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).

Psychometric Properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support in Greek Nurses.

Background: Psychosocial well-being in the workplace may increase retention of oncology nurses, while a lack of social support has been a predictor of occupational stress in nurses.

Purpose: To further explore this phenomenon by examining the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support in Greek nurses working in oncology and mental health settings.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was used.