Management of menopausal symptoms for breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Menopausal symptoms are commonly experienced in women treated for breast cancer. This project aimed to identify the types and prevalence of menopausal symptoms women experience and assess how well such symptoms are managed by means of a clinical audit. The authors also wanted to identify whether patients and health professionals require further education in this area to enhance patients' quality of life. METHOD: A pilot audit was initially undertaken. Twenty women were recruited from medical and clinical oncology clinics spanning a 2-week period. The main audit was conducted over a 3-week period (19 March 2012 to 6 April 2012). A total of 215 patients were surveyed from 11 consultant-led and 1 nurse-led clinic per week. A menopause rating scale (MRS) developed by Heinemann et al (2003) was used to assess the types and severity of symptoms. RESULTS: Findings from the main audit provided preliminary evidence that certain breast cancer treatments can cause either the early onset of menopausal symptoms in pre-menopausal women or the return or aggravation of menopausal symptoms in peri-menopausal or post-menopausal women. This indicated that, for many women, symptoms are inadequately managed and supported. DISCUSSION: A more detailed exploratory study of the management of menopausal symptoms is needed. Health professionals should consider discussing such symptoms when patients start treatment and assess these symptoms at follow-up appointments to identify potential interventions.

The challenges of health professionals in meeting the needs of vulnerable patients undergoing chemotherapy: a focus group study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore health professionals' perceptions of the needs of patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer. BACKGROUND: Patients with vulnerabilities face additional challenges. People with learning difficulties are often protected from even basic cancer information; patients with severe mental illness are open to structural discrimination with limited access to diagnostic and treatment services. There is also a much poorer survival rate after a cancer diagnosis for patients living with dementia. DESIGN: A qualitative design was used. METHODS: A focus group design was undertaken for this project using a narrative analytical approach revealing how narrative tales are presented and performed. Eighteen healthcare workers were recruited from a regional oncology centre in North West England. Two focus groups were conducted with nine participants in each. The data were collected from late 2011-2012. RESULTS: Participants were primarily focused on getting patients through treatment. The identification of vulnerability was an 'extra' complication and one that in practice was difficult to define/categorise. The participants appreciated the wider inclusion of family and friends to support vulnerable patients although they felt formalised health care was not particularly facilitative of this process. There were difficulties in achieving support for complex patient needs in the presence of a target driven culture. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare professionals need wider managerial and cultural support in meeting the needs of vulnerable patients. There appeared to be a tendency by healthcare professionals to minimise the inherent coping abilities of vulnerable patients. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: There is a clear need to support health professionals in providing appropriate resources in order to address the complex needs of vulnerable patients. This requires a cultural shift away from targets and an investment into greater resources for effective multidisciplinary working.

Facilitating reproductive choices: the impact of health services on the experiences of young women with breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Chemotherapy and hormone treatments carry significant implications on the fertility of young women with breast cancer. Increasingly, nulliparous women experience fertility dilemmas due to rising survival rates and pregnancy delay. This qualitative study investigated women's responses to being told that treatments affected their fertility and how their interactions with health services impacted on their experiences. METHODS: Twenty-four women under 40 years participated in three focus groups using a flexible interview structure. Data were analysed using content analysis and participants subsequently member checked the themes generated. RESULTS: The priority for most women was survival, although women without children were more willing to take risks. Many women felt that pregnancy after breast cancer and methods of egg harvesting carried a significant risk to survival and fears appeared to be increased by conflicting advice from health professionals. Overall, the women felt the cancer, its treatment options and the health service itself had each robbed them of choice. Hence, with hindsight, many said they would have welcomed an open and honest discussion with a fertility expert to maximise their options. CONCLUSIONS: Young women with breast cancer face complex decisions regarding their fertility and treatment options. Survival remains the priority for the majority of women. Although there is a paucity of evidence concerning many fertility issues, it is essential that available options and any potential risks are discussed in a coherent, objective fashion. Early referral to specialist fertility services that provide clear, cohesive advice can aid informed decision making.

Meeting the information needs of women with breast cancer: Piloting a nurse-led intervention.

This study evaluated a telephone intervention, administered by specialist breast care nurses, that aimed to meet the information needs of women with breast cancer. The intervention was developed from previous work that examined priority information needs. Participants were allocated to a telephone intervention (n = 67) or control group (n = 68). Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews with participants at two time points (3 months and 8-12 months post-diagnosis) and focused on patient satisfaction with sources of information, information needs and psychological morbidity. Interviews were also conducted with breast care nurses to ascertain their views on administering the intervention. The intervention group reported fewer physical problems at Time 2 and were more likely to have had their information needs met than women in the control group. The control group were more likely to utilise media sources of information at Time 2 whereas women in the intervention group reported breast care nurses as their most prominent source of information. There were no significant differences in psychological morbidity between the two study groups. The findings indicate that the intervention is a feasible and acceptable approach to meeting the information needs of women with breast cancer. Further research is required to evaluate the intervention in a randomised controlled trial.

Ozone treatment for radiotherapy skin reactions: is there an evidence base for practice?

Clinical staff and researchers working together can do much to bridge the gap between research and practice. This paper reports on the practice of treating severe radiotherapy skin reactions with ozone therapy; a practice that has been in place for a number of years at a specialist oncology hospital in England and perceived to be beneficial in terms of wound healing and pain relief. A multidisciplinary team of clinical staff and researchers questioned the evidence base for this practice and a literature search revealed little support for the effectiveness of this treatment in this particular context. The views of patients receiving ozone therapy were sought and assessment forms were completed to gain objective information on the progress (or otherwise) of wound healing. While patients perceived the ozone treatment to be beneficial in terms of pain relief, it was impossible to isolate the impact of ozone alone as other preparations and treatments were also being given. Patient reports and nursing assessments did not support that ozone was effective at wound healing. A more formal evaluation of this treatment is being planned, supported by the shared governance initiative at the study site and a continued collaboration between clinical staff and researchers.