Web-based nutrition: a useful resource for cancer patients?

Introduction: An accessible and affordable way to deliver behavior change programs to a large proportion of the growing community of cancer patients and survivors is through web-based methods of nutritional counselling. Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of web-based nutritional therapies targeting physical activity, diet, and/or weight control for cancer patients or survivors, primarily disseminated via modern technologies (mobile phone applications) or online. Materials and methods: The authors conducted a structured search of the PubMed database. Studies that have focused on physical activity (PA) and dietary change and/or weight control in adolescent and adult cancer patients and survivors have reported outcomes conducted via a broad modality. Results: Nine articles focused on web-based nutrition for patients with cancer and cancer survivors. They were conducted in the United States, Australia, Korea, China, and in the United Kingdom, and were published between 2018 and 2022 in a variety of scientific journals. The number of participants ranged from 20 to 159. Conclusion: Web-based nutrition counselling helps cancer patients and survivors improve their dietary intake, impacts their weight and quality of life, and promotes a healthy lifestyle. Future research should evaluate (1) the differences in cost and coverage between face-to-face and web-based nutrition, (2) long-term outcomes, (3) cost-effectiveness, and last but not least, (4) the effectiveness of web-based nutrition in adolescents and children who suffer from cancer or who survived cancer, as nutritional status and body composition have a marked impact on clinical outcomes during and after treatment. The strength of this review lies in the large number of randomized controlled trials, which offer a guarantee of effectiveness and objectivity compared to cross-sectional studies.

The Psychosocial Role of Body Image in the Quality of Life of Head and Neck Cancer Patients. What Does the Future Hold?-A Review of the Literature.

Background and Objectives: It is well known that among all cancers, cancers of the head and neck (HNC) have a major impact on patients' quality of life. Disfigurement, anxiety and disabling physical and psychological symptoms affect people with HNC to such an extent that the suicide rate in this category of patients is exceeded only by that of patients with pancreatic cancer. The aim of this review was to summarize the published literature describing the severity of body image and quality of life impairment in patients with HNC over time, and to examine the psychosocial and functional associations and interventions implemented to improve body image and quality of life. Materials and Methods: We conducted a literature search from 1 January 2018 to June 2021 that included electronic searches of six major databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, PsycINFO, PsychArticles and Scopus) and review of references of articles screened. Of 620 records, only 9 articles met the eligibility criteria. Results: Numerous studies have been conducted to analyze various psychological variables, but there is still a lack of standardization in the assessment of body image perception (BI) and quality of life, resulting in small-scale testing of interventions with poor results. Conclusions: Expected longitudinal studies describing the flow of body image problems and the mediation and balance factors associated with body image will allow researchers to design methods aimed at limiting body image disorders and thus improving quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer.

Association between personality type, affective distress profile and quality of life in patients with psoriasis vs. patients with cardiovascular disease.

Common chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases and psoriasis, are associated with increased psychological distress. Health-related quality of life and personality type in patients with these two diseases were evaluated, including the patient's ability to respond truthfully or his/her tendency to be introverted or extroverted. The subjects (n=63) responded to questionnaires including: SF-36 questionnaire, Eysenck test and the questionnaire of the affective distress profile designed to assess the subjective dimension of functional negative emotions, dysfunctional negative emotions and positive emotions. Psoriasis patients had significantly higher average scores of physical functions and limitations brought on by emotional problems. Emotional instability was common for both types of patients and anxiety was associated with a low level of education. Overall, we believe that it is necessary to include items evaluating the patients' affective profile and personality in the assessment protocols of these diseases. These items could help the clinician in identifying possible factors that signal worsening of the disease or of non-response to treatment.

Association of sense of coherence and supernatural beliefs with death anxiety and death depression among Romanian cancer patients.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association of supernatural beliefs and sense of coherence with death anxiety and death depression in a Romanian sample of cancer patients. We found support for the terror management theory worldview defence hypothesis postulating the presence of a curvilinear relation between death anxiety and supernatural beliefs among cancer patients. Results conformed to an inverted U-shape quadratic regression, indicating that cancer patients who scored moderately on supernatural beliefs were afraid of death the most, while death anxiety was lowest for the extreme atheists and extreme believers in supernatural entities.

The utility of Leventhal's model in the analysis of the psycho-behavioral implications of familial cancer - a literature review.

INTRODUCTION: We aim to highlight the utility of this model in the analysis of the psycho-behavioral implications of family cancer, presenting the scientific literature that used Leventhal's model as the theoretical framework of approach. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic search was performed in six databases (EBSCO, ScienceDirect, PubMed Central, ProQuest, Scopus, and Web of Science) with empirical studies published between 2006 and 2015 in English with regard to the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation (CSMR) and familial/hereditary cancer. The key words used were: illness representations, common sense model, self regulatory model, familial/hereditary/genetic cancer, genetic cancer counseling. The selection of studies followed the PRISMA-P guidelines (Moher et al., 2009; Shamseer et al., 2015), which suggest a three-stage procedure. RESULTS: Individuals create their own cognitive and emotional representation of the disease when their health is threatened, being influenced by the presence of a family history of cancer, causing them to adopt or not a salutogenetic behavior. Disease representations, particularly the cognitive ones, can be predictors of responses to health threats that determine different health behaviors. Age, family history of cancer, and worrying about the disease are factors associated with undergoing screening. No consensus has been reached as to which factors act as predictors of compliance with cancer screening programs. CONCLUSIONS: This model can generate interventions that are conceptually clear as well as useful in regulating the individuals' behaviors by reducing the risk of developing the disease and by managing as favorably as possible health and/or disease.

Cognitive-Behavioral Coping, Illness Perception, and Family Adaptability in Oncological Patients with a Family History of Cancer.

Aim. The study investigated the differences between patients with and without a family history of cancer regarding coping strategies, illness perception, and family adaptability to the disease. Material and Methods. A total of 124 patients diagnosed with cancer were included in the research (55 of them with a family history of cancer). The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Strategic Approach to Coping Scale, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale, and the Illness Perception Questionnaire were applied. The data were processed using the SPSS 21 software. Results. Patients with previous records of cancer in the family get significantly higher scores for the illness coherence factor. Family satisfaction is significantly higher for patients with a genetic risk, compared to the one reported by patients who suffer from the disease but have no genetic risk. Cognitive-behavioral coping strategies and family cohesion are factors that correlate with an adaptive perception of the illness in the case of patients with a family history of cancer. Conclusion. Results are important for the construction of strategies used for patients with a family history of cancer.