Feasibility study of a self-guided internet-based intervention for family caregivers of patients with cancer (OAse).

Despite high levels of distress, family caregivers of patients with cancer rarely seek psychosocial support and Internet-based interventions (IBIs) are a promising approach to reduce some access barriers. Therefore, we developed a self-guided IBI for family caregivers of patients with cancer (OAse), which, in addition to patients' spouses, also addresses other family members (e.g., adult children, parents). This study aimed to determine the feasibility of OAse (recruitment, dropout, adherence, participant satisfaction). Secondary outcomes were caregivers' self-efficacy, emotional state, and supportive care needs. N = 41 family caregivers participated in the study (female: 65%), mostly spouses (71%), followed by children (20%), parents (7%), and friends (2%). Recruitment (47%), retention (68%), and adherence rates (76% completed at least 4 of 6 lessons) support the feasibility of OAse. Overall, the results showed a high degree of overall participant satisfaction (96%). There were no significant pre-post differences in secondary outcome criteria, but a trend toward improvement in managing difficult interactions/emotions (p = .06) and depression/anxiety (p = .06). Although the efficacy of the intervention remains to be investigated, our results suggest that OAse can be well implemented in caregivers' daily lives and has the potential to improve family caregivers' coping strategies.

Suicidal ideation in patients with cancer: Its prevalence and results of structural equation modelling.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with cancer have a higher risk of suicidal ideation (SI) and suicidality than the general population. This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of SI and its association with psychosocial and sociodemographic factors and tumour entity. METHODS: In this observational cross-sectional study, 4372 adult patients with different cancer entities were enrolled. We assessed the outcome variables (i.e. SI, depressive and anxiety symptoms, mental and physical fatigue and sociodemographic data) using self-report questionnaires. Data were analysed via descriptive statistics, binomial logistic regression and structural equation modelling (SEM). RESULTS: Among all patients, 627 (14.3%) reported SI, of whom 12.8% reported SI on several days, 0.9% on half of the days and 0.6% nearly every day. Age, anxiety, mental fatigue and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items 'feeling down, depressed and hopeless', 'feeling bad about oneself' and 'slowing or agitation' were significant predictors of SI. SEM, including all significant predictors with a latent depressiveness-demoralisation variable, explained 30.3% variance of SI, showing a good fit. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that a significant number of patients with cancer show SI. Future long-term studies are needed to address the differential contribution of depression and demoralisation on SI in patients with cancer.

Cancer-related fatigue: benefits of information booklets to improve patients' knowledge and empowerment.

PURPOSE: To investigate cancer patients' knowledge and attitudes regarding fatigue and the potential benefits and acceptability of a brief information booklet. METHODS: The CARPE DIEM study assessed knowledge and attitudes regarding fatigue in a diverse group of 50 cancer patients before (T0) and about one (T1) and four months (T2) after reading the booklet. At T1, participants additionally rated its usefulness. RESULTS: At baseline, 37.5% of respondents did not know the term "fatigue" or what it meant. Those who already knew something about fatigue mainly had obtained their information from booklets, books, or articles (63.3%) and/or the internet (46.7%). Overall, knowledge gaps existed, particularly about potential fatigue treatment options and whether fatigue is an indicator of cancer progression. Furthermore, 56.4% felt poorly informed, and 46.1% reported feeling helpless in the face of fatigue. Lower knowledge at baseline was significantly associated with lower education and older age. At T1 and T2, there were significant improvements in several knowledge questions and attitudes. Patient-reported benefits included getting new information about fatigue (91.1%), awareness of not being alone with their problems (89.7%), taking appropriate actions (72.9%), and encouragement to talk about their fatigue with family/friends (55.3%) or with a health professional (52.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Specific gaps were identified in the provision of information and education for cancer patients about fatigue. A low-cost intervention asking to read a brief information booklet was associated with improved knowledge. This could be considered as a first step offered as part of a bundle of further efforts to improve knowledge and care of fatigue.

Acceptability and Feasibility of a Guided Biopsychosocial Online Intervention for Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy is a physically and psychologically highly demanding treatment, and specific Internet-based interventions for cancer patients addressing both physical side effects and emotional distress during chemotherapy are scarce. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a guided biopsychosocial online intervention for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy (OPaCT). A pre-post, within-participant comparison, mixed-methods research design was followed. Patients starting chemotherapy at the outpatient clinic of the National Center for Tumor Diseases in Heidelberg, Germany, were enrolled. Feasibility and acceptability were evaluated through intervention uptake, attrition, adherence and participant satisfaction. As secondary outcomes, PHQ-9, GAD-7, SCNS-SF34-G and CBI-B-D were administered. A total of N = 46 patients participated in the study (female 76.1%). The age of participants ranged from 29 to 70 years (M = 49.3, SD = 11.3). The most prevalent tumour diseases were breast (45.7%), pancreatic (19.6%), ovarian (13.1%) and prostate cancer (10.8%). A total of N = 37 patients (80.4%) completed the OPaCT intervention. Qualitative and quantitative data showed a high degree of participant satisfaction. Significant improvements in the SCNS-SF34 subscale 'psychological needs' were found. Study results demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. The results show that OPaCT can be implemented well, both in the treatment process and in participants' everyday lives. Although it is premature to make any determination regarding the efficacy of the intervention tested in this feasibility study, these results suggest that OPaCT has the potential to reduce unmet psychological care needs of patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Patient expectations are better for immunotherapy than traditional chemotherapy for cancer.

PURPOSE: The main aim of the study was to explore the expectations and knowledge of advanced-stage cancer patients about immunotherapy. METHODS: This mixed methods study included 53 cancer patients on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), 55 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy (CT), and 53 non-cancer patients. Participants' expectations about ICIs and CT were compared. Additional qualitative data were derived from semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: Among patients who did not receive ICIs, 63 (58%) had never heard of ICIs and 94 (87%) had large gaps in their knowledge of ICIs. Among ICI patients, 33 (62%) simply described ICIs without errors. ICI perception was positive, regardless of whether respondents received or had heard of ICIs, which became particularly evident when compared to CT. ICIs were rated as more promising, and all adverse effects were expected to be significantly lower than those of CT. Knowledge about ICIs was also limited in the interviewed ICI patients. Some patients reported adverse effects of ICIs that were mostly mild and well-tolerated or easily treated. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of understanding of ICIs should be improved by activities to increase the knowledge of ICI patients and the general population. In contrast to CT, ICIs invoked fewer negative associations with efficacy and toxicity. Therefore, attention should be paid to risk awareness when educating patients. (Clinical trial registration number: DRKS00011868) Trial Registration: German clinical trials register, www.germanctr.de , number DRKS00011868.

Screening for depression in cancer patients using the PHQ-9: The accuracy of somatic compared to non-somatic items.

BACKGROUND: The PHQ-9 is a standard screening tool for depressive disorders in cancer patients. As for the frequently reported symptom overlap with somatic disease, it has been debated whether somatic items are suitable for identifying depressive disorders in cancer patients. Thus, this study examines the diagnostic accuracy of somatic versus cognitive-emotional PHQ-9 items. METHODS: The routine data of 4,705 patients, screened at the National Center for Tumor Diseases in Heidelberg between 2011 and 2016, was analyzed. For the single PHQ-9 items, receiver operating characteristics (ROC), sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), the Youden Index (YI), and the Clinical Utility Index (UI+/UI-) were applied for the diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD) and any depressive disorder (ADD). RESULTS: The non-somatic items played a pivotal role in the diagnosis of MDD, whereas the diagnostic accuracy of the somatic items increased in the diagnosis of ADD. For both MDD and ADD, the best performance was achieved by the non-somatic items "little interest" and "feeling down." LIMITATIONS: In this study, only one self-reported instrument was used (i.e., the PHQ-9). In other words, the diagnoses were not validated by clinical interviews or other self-reported instruments. CONCLUSION: The somatic PHQ-9 items showed less discriminatory value than the non-somatic items. However, they may be useful as screening mechanisms for identifying at-risk cancer patients with mild/moderate depression. Disregarding the somatic items would lead to an underestimation of depressive syndromes and inadequate treatment of somatic symptoms.