Filling gaps in experiences religious understanding of people living with cancer in palliative care: a phenomenological qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: According to a phenomenology of contemporary religion, the analysis of religious experiences finds that they are part of an individual's search for something powerful that overcomes him seeking not only a need, but the meaning of all existence. The present study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the religious experiences of people living with cancer in palliative care (PC) and fill gaps in access to experience, with regard to how it was properly lived. METHODS: A qualitative, phenomenological, cross-sectional study was conducted with 14 people living with cancer undergoing PC at two outpatient clinics of a public hospital. The experiences were accessed through in-depth interviews and the results were analysed according to the principles of classical phenomenology. RESULTS: The patients confidently surrendered to the divine, attributing to it the power of continuity of life or not, which sustained them and launched them into horizons of hope, directing them to possibilities of achieving meaning in life, which it fed back their faith and to continue living, opening them up to an intense perception of the value of life. CONCLUSIONS: The religious positions of confident surrender to the divine, to his will and a belief in his intervention, regardless of the outcome, opened possibilities to patients for the belief in the continuity of life by the power of faith. This position allowed the patients in this study to visualize achievements in the present and in the future, opening a horizon of hope, meaning and value of living. This study showed how this elements are presented and sustained, providing subsidies to health professionals seeking to provide more holistic care.

Effects of zinc supplementation on fatigue and quality of life in patients with colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of oral zinc supplementation on fatigue intensity and quality of life of patients during chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. METHODS: A prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study was conducted with 24 patients on chemotherapy for colorectal adenocarcinoma in a tertiary care public hospital. The study patients received zinc capsules 35mg (Zinc Group, n=10) or placebo (Placebo Group, n=14) orally, twice daily (70mg/day), for 16 weeks, from the immediate postoperative period to the fourth chemotherapy cycle. Approximately 45 days after surgical resection of the tumor, all patients received a chemotherapeutic regimen. Before each of the four cycles of chemotherapy, the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue scale was completed. We used a linear mixed model for longitudinal data for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The scores of quality of life and fatigue questionnaires were similar between the groups during the chemotherapy cycles. The Placebo Group presented worsening of quality of life and increased fatigue between the first and fourth cycles of chemotherapy, but there were no changes in the scores of quality of life or fatigue in the Zinc Group. CONCLUSION: Zinc supplementation prevented fatigue and maintained quality of life of patients with colorectal cancer on chemotherapy. OBJETIVO: Investigar os efeitos da suplementação oral de zinco sobre a intensidade da fadiga e a qualidade de vida de pacientes durante a quimioterapia para neoplasia colorretal. MÉTODOS: Estudo prospectivo, randomizado, controlado e duplo-cego conduzido em um hospital universitário público terciário, com 24 pacientes em regime quimioterápico para adenocarcinoma colorretal. Os pacientes receberam cápsulas de zinco 35mg (Grupo Zinco, n=10) ou placebo (Grupo Placebo, n=14) por via oral, duas vezes ao dia (70mg/dia), durante 16 semanas, desde o período pós-operatório imediato até o quarto ciclo de quimioterapia. Todos os pacientes receberam quimioterapia por aproximadamente 45 dias após a ressecção cirúrgica do tumor. A escala Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue foi preenchida antes de cada um dos quatro ciclos de quimioterapia. Utilizou-se o modelo de regressão linear misto para dados longitudinais para análise estatística. RESULTADOS: Os escores de qualidade de vida e de fadiga foram semelhantes entre os grupos de estudo durante os ciclos de quimioterapia. O Grupo Placebo apresentou piora da qualidade de vida e da fadiga entre o primeiro e o quarto ciclos de quimioterapia, mas não houve mudança nos escores de qualidade de vida e fadiga no Grupo Zinco. CONCLUSÃO: A suplementação com zinco previne a fadiga e preserva a qualidade de vida de pacientes em quimioterapia para neoplasia colorretal.

Effects of zinc supplementation on fatigue and quality of life in patients with colorectal cancer / Efeitos da suplementação de zinco na fadiga e na qualidade de vida de pacientes com câncer colorretal

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the effects of oral zinc supplementation on fatigue intensity and quality of life of patients during chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. Methods A prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study was conducted with 24 patients on chemotherapy for colorectal adenocarcinoma in a tertiary care public hospital. The study patients received zinc capsules 35mg (Zinc Group, n=10) or placebo (Placebo Group, n=14) orally, twice daily (70mg/day), for 16 weeks, from the immediate postoperative period to the fourth chemotherapy cycle. Approximately 45 days after surgical resection of the tumor, all patients received a chemotherapeutic regimen. Before each of the four cycles of chemotherapy, the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue scale was completed. We used a linear mixed model for longitudinal data for statistical analysis. Results The scores of quality of life and fatigue questionnaires were similar between the groups during the chemotherapy cycles. The Placebo Group presented worsening of quality of life and increased fatigue between the first and fourth cycles of chemotherapy, but there were no changes in the scores of quality of life or fatigue in the Zinc Group. Conclusion Zinc supplementation prevented fatigue and maintained quality of life of patients with colorectal cancer on chemotherapy.

RESUMO Objetivo Investigar os efeitos da suplementação oral de zinco sobre a intensidade da fadiga e a qualidade de vida de pacientes durante a quimioterapia para neoplasia colorretal. Métodos Estudo prospectivo, randomizado, controlado e duplo-cego conduzido em um hospital universitário público terciário, com 24 pacientes em regime quimioterápico para adenocarcinoma colorretal. Os pacientes receberam cápsulas de zinco 35mg (Grupo Zinco, n=10) ou placebo (Grupo Placebo, n=14) por via oral, duas vezes ao dia (70mg/dia), durante 16 semanas, desde o período pós-operatório imediato até o quarto ciclo de quimioterapia. Todos os pacientes receberam quimioterapia por aproximadamente 45 dias após a ressecção cirúrgica do tumor. A escala Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue foi preenchida antes de cada um dos quatro ciclos de quimioterapia. Utilizou-se o modelo de regressão linear misto para dados longitudinais para análise estatística. Resultados Os escores de qualidade de vida e de fadiga foram semelhantes entre os grupos de estudo durante os ciclos de quimioterapia. O Grupo Placebo apresentou piora da qualidade de vida e da fadiga entre o primeiro e o quarto ciclos de quimioterapia, mas não houve mudança nos escores de qualidade de vida e fadiga no Grupo Zinco. Conclusão A suplementação com zinco previne a fadiga e preserva a qualidade de vida de pacientes em quimioterapia para neoplasia colorretal.

Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Antioxidant Defenses and Oxidative Stress Markers in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer: a Placebo-Controlled, Prospective Randomized Trial.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of oral zinc supplementation on antioxidant defenses and oxidative stress markers during chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. Twenty-four patients who had undergone surgical resection of colorectal cancer participated in this placebo-controlled, prospective randomized study. The supplementation was started in the perioperative period, in which 10 patients received 70 mg of zinc (zinc group, n = 10) and 14 patients received placebo (placebo group, n = 14) for 16 weeks. Approximately 45 days after surgical resection of tumor, all patients received a chemotherapeutic regimen (capecitabine, capecitabine combined with oxaliplatin or 5-fluorouracil). Vitamin C, vitamin E, antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and lipid peroxidation markers malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-isoprostane were determined before the first, second, third, and fourth chemotherapy cycles. Compared with the placebo group, the zinc group presented higher SOD values before the first, second, and fourth chemotherapy cycles and lower GPx values before the third cycle. There were no statistical differences between the study groups in vitamin C, vitamin E, MDA, or 8-isoprostane plasma values. Longitudinal analysis revealed decreased vitamin E concentration in the placebo group before the second and fourth cycles as compared with the initial values. Zinc supplementation during chemotherapy cycles increased SOD activity and maintained vitamin E concentrations. Although no effect of zinc supplementation on oxidative stress markers was observed, the increase in SOD activity indicates a production of stable free radicals, which may have a positive effect in cancer treatment.

Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Serological Response to Vaccination Against Streptococcus Pneumoniae in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of zinc supplementation on the antibody titer and the 23-valent pneumococcal seroconversion after vaccination in patients undergoing chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. The study included 25 patients undergoing postsurgery chemotherapy for colorectal adenocarcinoma (chemo group). Subjects were assessed in the perioperative period (prevaccination), before chemotherapy (4th wk) and after 3 cycles of chemotherapy (16th wk). Thirty-two healthy volunteers (control group) were included in the study. Participants received the 23-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, and capsules containing zinc (Zn) sulfate (70 mg daily) or identical placebo capsules (containing wheat starch with no added Zn) for 16 wk and were randomly allocated on one of the following groups: chemo-Zn (n = 10), chemo-placebo (n = 15), control-Zn (n = 21), and control-placebo (n = 11). The antipneumococcal antibody titer against 6 polysaccharides was analyzed by ELISA and compared using linear mixed models. The seroconversion rate was compared using Fisher's exact test. An immune response to the vaccination against pneumococcus was observed in all participants. In the 16th wk, the polysaccharide 6 concentration was lower in the chemo-Zn group [2.96 (1.74-5.03) µg/mL] compared with the Chemo-Placebo group [10.75 (5.37-21.54) µg/mL] and the seroconversion rate was lower in the chemo-placebo (36%) compared with the control-placebo (85%) (P = 0.027). Zinc supplementation did not change the antibody titer after vaccination. However, the lower seroconversion rate observed in the chemo-placebo suggests an influence of zinc in the vaccinal protection.