Optimism and prostate cancer-specific expectations predict better quality of life after robotic prostatectomy.

We examined the relations among generalized positive expectations (optimism), prostate-cancer specific expectations, and prostate cancer-related quality of life in a prospective sample of 83 men who underwent robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) for prostate cancer. Optimism was significantly associated with higher prostate cancer-specific expectations, β = .36, p < .

A prospective report of changes in prostate cancer related quality of life after robotic prostatectomy.

In this prospective, longitudinal study the authors examined changes in cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal components of prostate cancer-related quality of life in 71 men who underwent robotic-assisted prostatectomy for prostate cancer. They identified significant changes across several quality-of-life domains from presurgery to 3-months and 1-year postsurgery. Although some components of quality of life returned to baseline by one year postsurgery, decrements in sexual intimacy, sexual confidence, and masculine self-esteem were enduring.

Need for cognition and psychosocial adjustment in prostate cancer patients and partners.

Individual differences in cognitive style, specifically need for cognition (NFC), may play an important role in facilitating communication and psychosocial adjustment to cancer during the presurgical period, a time marked by distress and the need to process disease-related information. This study examines the relations between NFC, adjustment, and communication in 106 prostate cancer patients and their partners within 2 weeks prior to radical prostatectomy. High NFC was significantly associated with better psychological adjustment for partners only, whereas for patients, communication with the medical team played a more important role.

Psychometric properties of the benton visual form discrimination test.

Coefficient alpha and an item analysis were calculated for the 16-item Benton Visual Form Discrimination Test (VFDT) using a heterogeneous sample (N = 293) of mostly elderly medical patients who were suspected of having cognitive impairment. The total score reliability was .74.

Quality of life of breast cancer survivors after a recurrence: a follow-up study.

Previous studies on breast cancer recurrence provide a mixed picture of the quality of life of women following a recurrence. To clarify the picture, the present study addresses some previous methodological concerns by offering a multidimensional assessment with follow-up, a matched comparison group of disease-free survivors, and a closer look at the nature of recurrence (local versus metastatic). Fifty-Four of 817 women who participated in an earlier study experienced a recurrence at follow-up, and are compared to a matched sample of 54 women who remained disease-free.

Psychometric properties of the Hooper Visual Organization Test.

The psychometric properties of the Hooper Vsual Organization Test (VOT) have not been well investigated Here the authors present internal consistency and interrater reliability coefficients, and an item analysis, using data from a sample (N = 281) of "cognitively impaired" and "cognitively intact" patients, and patients with undetermined cognitive status. Coefficient alpha for the VOT total sample was .882.