Sexual Function of Male Survivors of Hematological Malignancy Treated by Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Multicenter Controlled Observational Study.

A multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the sexual function of male survivors of hematological malignancy treated by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) and to compare it with that of healthy male controls. By convenience sampling, 71 sexually active male survivors of hematological malignancy who underwent AHSCT were recruited, as well as 74 healthy men. A questionnaire with demographic and clinical data and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) were completed. Survivors had a median age of 47 years, a median time since transplant of 3 years, and 46.5% had Hodgkin lymphoma. Based on the IIEF, they had a high level of sexual function, with best functioning domain "erection" and worst "overall satisfaction". Healthy men had statistically significantly higher scores in all domains of the IIEF, except for "orgasm" (p = 0.205). There was a statistically significant association between sexual function and age (p < 0.0005), years since transplantation (p = 0.006), functional status (p < 0.0005), having children (p < 0.0005), relationship status (p = 0.001), education (p < 0.0005), diagnosis (p < 0.0005) and disease relapse (p = 0.017). Multivariate analysis showed that only age was a strong prognostic factor of sexual function (p < 0.0005). After age was excluded from the model, because of the strong effect it had on the dependent variable, functional status (p = 0.015), education (p = 0.002) and diagnosis (p = 0.001) had a statistically significant association with sexual function. These findings indicate the importance of sexual function for survivors' well-being and the need for implementation of integrated care plans for survivors of hematological malignancy.

The Validation of the COmprehensive Score for Financial Toxicity (COST) Scale in Greek Language.

The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Greek version of FACIT-COST, as well as to assess the levels of financial distress of patients suffering from lung cancer in relation to their quality of life and lung cancer symptom burden. This was a cross-sectional quantitative study. A self-assessment instrument was used to gather the data. The study involved 120 lung cancer patients who were treated using chemotherapy in a day clinic of a General Hospital in Athens. Data were collected with the COST-FACIT-v2 (used to assess the patients' financial toxicity), The 12-item Health Survey (SF-12), and functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung Symptom Index Questionnaire-7 items-version 4 (FACIT-FACT-LCS). Descriptive statistics as well as exploratory factor analysis performed all the statistical analyses, which were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 25 and had p-values with a significance level of 0.05. The majority of the participants were male (68.3%), married or cohabitated (81.3%), and had been diagnosed with microcell cancer (90%). The factor analysis resulted in one factor that interpreted 35% of the total variance. FACT-L (r = 0.365, p < 0.001), physical component SF-12 (r = 0.184, p = 0.045), and mental health component SF-12 (r = 0.268, p = 0.003) were positively correlated to FACIT-OST, as expected. The Greek validated COST-FACIT-v2 is a reliable tool in providing rapid assessment of cancer patients' level of financial distress.

Assessment of the Relationship between Fear of Cancer Recurrence, Spiritual Well-Being, and Mental Health among Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between fear of cancer recurrence, spiritual well-being, and mental health among cancer patients. The study involved 217 patients undergoing chemotherapy. Data were collected with the following instruments: a demographic and clinical information recording form, the fear of cancer recurrence inventory, the Athens insomnia scale, the FACIT-Sp-12 scale for the assessment of spirituality, and the HADS scale for the assessment of mental health. For statistical analysis, SPSS statistical software was used, with the significance threshold set at 0.05;andtl number, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression tests were used. The sample consisted of 217 cancer patients with a mean age of 63.7 years (SD = 11.6 years), 39.2% male and 60.8% female. The minimum value on the scale of fear of cancer recurrence was 0 and the maximum was 33 points, with a mean value of 14.1 points (SD = 8.2 points). The hospital scale of anxiety and depression was correlated, both in the dimension of anxiety and in the dimension of depression, significantly and positively with the scale of fear of cancer recurrence. Thus, greater fear of recurrence was associated with greater anxiety and depression. On the contrary, the correlations of anxiety and depression with the dimensions and the overall chronic disease treatment rating scale were significant and negative. So, greater spiritual well-being, in each domain and overall, were associated with less anxiety and depression. Finally, less fear of cancer recurrence was associated with finding greater meaning in life, greater peace, and overall greater spiritual well-being. In summary, fear of cancer recurrence is a predictor of psychological distress in cancer patients. However, spirituality can prevent the development of mental illness and FCR.

A cross-sectional study for assessing perceived symptoms, depression and quality of life in advanced lung cancer patients.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study was to assess the perceived symptoms, depression and quality of life (QoL) in advanced lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. METHODS: The study was cross sectional and was conducted in the oncology department of General Hospital "George Papanikolaou", Thessaloniki, Greece. The sample was convenient and consisted of 76 advanced lung cancer patients. A questionnaire including instruments such as Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale- CES-D, Revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale r-ESAS, EORTC QLQ-C30 and demographic and clinical information was used to collect data. RESULTS: The most frequently observed symptoms were tiredness, shortness of breath, anxiety and well-being. The vast majority of patients (75.3%) had total score in CES-depression higher than 16. The type of residence affected ESAS emotional score (p=0.010). Gender affected the level of depression (p=0.014) and the type of lung cancer affected depression (p=0.036). The type of residence affected emotional functioning (p=0.010), the type of treatment influenced the score of global health status (p=0.007), the role functioning (p=0.032) and social functioning (p=0.024). Multivariate regression analysis was conducted to identify the predictors of overall QoL and depression. The statistically significant factors for QoL were pain (p<0.001) and tiredness (p=0.003), while the type of lung cancer (p<0.007), the type of insurance (p<0.025) and the type of treatment (p<0.041) influenced depression as well. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced lung cancer patients experienced moderate level in QoL and mild levels of symptoms. Demographic and clinical characteristics influenced depression and QoL.

Spiritual Needs of Lung Cancer Patients and Their Relation to Psychological Distress and Quality of Life.

Background This study aimed to investigate the spiritual needs of patients suffering from lung cancer in relation to their mental health and quality of life. Methodology A cross-sectional quantitative study design was employed to investigate 110 lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. A four-part self-assessment instrument was used to gather the data comprising a sheet containing demographic and clinical information, Spiritual Needs Questionnaire, The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 Items, and the 12-item Health Survey. Descriptive inferential statistics were applied. Results Of the 110 patients, 71.8% were men, the mean age was 64.25 (±9.3) years, and 71.8% were married. In total, 40.9% of the patients were retired, and 92.7% had a public insurance company. Regarding education, 30% were primary school graduates and 31.8% were high school graduates. Regarding the clinical features of the sample, 23.6% of the patients had small-cell carcinoma, 71.9% had non-small-cell carcinoma, and 4.5% had large-cell carcinoma. Spiritual needs have a negative effect on the mental health component of quality of life (p < 0.001) and can increase psychological distress in lung cancer patients. Conclusions In contrast to the findings of other international studies, spiritual needs appeared to be lower; however, similar to other studies, spiritual needs increased in those suffering from depression and anxiety. Moreover, the subtype of lung cancer also appeared to play a role.