The relationship between quality of life and sex role of women with gynecological cancers undergoing brachytherapy.

PURPOSE: This study aims to analyze the relationship between the quality of life and sex roles of women diagnosed with cancer and undergoing brachytherapy. METHODS: The research is a cross-sectional descriptive study. The sample of the study included 116 women over 35 years old who were diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer and underwent intracavitary brachytherapy at the Radiation Oncology Department of a university hospital. Personal information form, SF-36 the Quality of Life Scale, and BEM Sex Role Inventory were used in the study. The researcher collected the data through face-to-face interview. The data were collected in the nurses' room after 3 different brachytherapy treatments that patients received weekly. RESULTS: It was found that the average score of the physical functioning subscale was 32.80 ± 24.33, the average score of role physical was 15.43 ± 28.78, the average score of role emotional was 17.81 ± 28.96, the average score of vitality was 39.13 ± 16.12, the average score of social functioning was 43.53 ± 20.55, the score average of pain was 50.0 ± 20.09, the average score of general health was 42.67 ± 14.61, and the general health of mental health was 55.86 ± 16.12. In the BEM sex roles scale, the average score of BEM femininity was 105.56 ± 13.95, and the average score of BEM masculinity was 80.61 ± 12.77. In our study, a very low, negative, and significant relationship was determined between the role of femininity and emotional role limitation, physical functionality, social functionality, and general health perception in the women undergoing brachytherapy (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of the present study, we can state that an increase in the "role of femininity" in women undergoing brachytherapy was effective in the decrease in the quality of lives of women. It can be claimed that the results will be a guidance for the nurses who will play an important role in increasing the quality of lives of the women undergoing brachytherapy.

Aromatherapy Massage for Pain and Xerosis After Repeated Needle Insertion Into a Fistula Arm in Hemodialysis.

CONTEXT: Repeated needle insertion into the fistula causes dry skin in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Dry skin can add to the acute pain from needle by increasing skin irritability. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of aromatherapy massage on acute pain and dry skin following needle insertion into an arteriovenous fistula in patients undergoing HD. METHODS: The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. SETTING: The study took place at a dialysis center in a city center in Central Anatolia in Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were patients with arteriovenous fistulas who were undergoing HD at the dialysis center. INTERVENTION: The 75 patients were randomly divided into 3 groups of 25 each: (1) the aromatherapy massage group received massage 3 times per week for a period of 4 weeks, for 12 sessions in total; (2) the olive-oil massage group also received 12 sessions of massage therapy on the same schedule; (3) the control group received only standard care. OUTCOME MEASURES: The study measured pain levels using a visual analog scale (VAS) and skin moisture using a skin moisture analyzer. RESULTS: The mean VAS scores for acute pain of the aromatherapy and olive-oil massage groups postintervention were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < .001). The average skin-moisture scores of the aromatherapy-massage group were significantly higher postintervention and at the eight-week follow-up than those of the control and olive-oil massage groups (P < .01). In addition, at the end of 8 weeks, the mean VAS pain scores were significantly lower and the skin-moisture scores were significantly higher in the aromatherapy-massage group compared to the control and olive-oil massage groups (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Aromatherapy massage can be an effective nursing practice to manage acute pain and dry skin from needle insertion at the site of an arteriovenous fistula in HD units. Further randomized controlled trials are needed.