Sociodemographic and treatment-related correlates of fatigue in breast cancer survivors at an oncology clinic in Nigeria.

Background: Breast cancer survivors (BCS) still experience fatigue that may impair their quality of life even after completion of treatment. There is a need to understand the sociodemographic and treatment-related factors associated with this to develop relevant and effective interventions. Aim: To assess the relationship between cancer-related fatigue and sociodemographic and treatment-related factors in BCS. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional study involving 80 BCS attending the radiation oncology University College Hospital Ibadan. Their sociodemographic, disease and treatment characteristics were obtained. Fatigue Symptom Inventory was used to assess fatigue. A score of at least 3 on average fatigue severity item was taken as cut-off for clinically meaningful fatigue. Result: The mean age of patients was 51.5 years. The prevalence of fatigue was 22.5%. On univariate analysis, fatigue was significantly associated with younger age (p = 0.022), employment (p = 0.006), stage of the disease(p = 0.014), anthracycline-based chemotherapy (p = 0.026), last chemotherapy less than 1 year (p = 0.001). Using logistic regression analysis, stage (Odds ratio (OR) 5.115, 95% CI 1.029-25.438, p = 0.046), employment status (OR 52.224, 95% CI 3.611-755.899, p = 0.004) and year of last cycle chemotherapy (OR 6.375, 95% CI 1.108-36.680, p = 0.038) were associated with fatigue in BCS. Conclusion: About a quarter of BCS reported fatigue. Advance stage disease, employment status and receiving last course of chemotherapy less than a year are correlates of fatigue.

Contextualizing the Cultural Factors Associated With Cancer Care in Nigeria: An Ethnonursing Study.

Introduction: Culture and care are two important phenomena of particular concern to transcultural nursing. Cancer care is generally affected by certain cultural factors that influence how cancer patients experience diseases and seek and utilize care services. This study aimed to explore the cultural factors that affect cancer care in a Nigerian cancer care institution. Method: This study adopted an ethnonursing method involving participant observation and individual interviews. The study was conducted in the oncology unit of University College Hospital, Nigeria. Seven nurses and six patients were key participants, while four physicians, three ward assistants, and six patients' relatives constituted the general participants. Result: Two themes and five patterns were identified. Participants described how the interplay of several cultural factors influenced or inhibited cancer care. Findings revealed significant influence of kinship, family, and social structure as well as the roles played by cultural beliefs, values, and practices in cancer care in Nigeria. Discussion: Cultural factors need to be considered broadly for the efforts toward prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of cancer to be effective in Nigeria.

The Troubled Nurse: A Qualitative Study of Psychoemotional Effects of Cancer Care on Nurses in A Nigerian Cancer Care Setting.

OBJECTIVE: Nurses who care for cancer patients are exposed to varying degrees of psychological pressure. These psychological issues among nurses are thought to have some consequences relating to professional satisfaction, quality of care, and patient outcome. This study aimed to explore the psychological and emotional impact of caring for persons among cancer care nurses. METHODS: A qualitative, descriptive approach was employed, and a purposive sampling technique was used to select seven nurses who were interviewed one-on-one. Interview data were coded and analyzed using NVivo 12 to generate the final themes and patterns. The EQUATOR's COREQ guideline for qualitative studies was adhered to. RESULTS: Data analysis yielded two major themes and four sub-themes. Participants expressed concerns about their frequent encounter with dying patients on the ward which affects their own mental well-being as persons. Sometimes, the health-care professionals used emotional distance to mitigate the emotional and psychological effects of the frequent deaths encountered on the ward. Professional dissatisfaction was also brought about by the increased amount of patients who died on the ward, the gloomy nature of the care environment, and the feeling of incapacitation to help. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that nurses who care for cancer patients need to be supported to enhance their psychological and emotional well-being. The findings of this study could help nurse managers to understand the level of psychological pressure cancer care impose on nurses and the importance of improving the mental health of nurses in cancer care.

The role of radiation treatment in the management of inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions: a revisit.

Inflammatory musculoskeletal conditions are a common group of diseases among the elderly, worldwide. They are characterized by articular degenerative changes accompanied with often debilitating pain. Treatments often involve life-long analgesic therapy or joint replacement in extreme cases. The aim of this current review is to look at the role of radiation treatment with the hope of further study into the effectiveness of radiation treatment in reducing pain, eliminate or reduce the need for life-long analgesic therapy and thereby avoiding the analgesics' side effects. Extensive literature search was done on PubMed and other available data base and the findings are presented and discussed. Literature showed that many countries in Europe, especially Germany use radiation routinely for the treatment of many degenerative disorders including osteoarthritis with good results and few side effects. A pilot study is therefore recommended with a view to establish the effectiveness or otherwise of this treatment method in patients.