This prospective study evaluated components of a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) to identify rates and predictors of falls in older patients. Fall rates and scores on components of the CGA were compared among adults aged 70 or older in three groups: patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy, patients with cancer not receiving chemotherapy, and community-dwelling adults without cancer...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To collect baseline measurements before the implementation of interventions associated with the AIM (Assessment Information Management) Higher Initiative--a quality improvement program intended to improve symptom assessment, management, and information distribution for five chemotherapy-related symptom groups: anemia, neutropenia, diarrhea and constipation, nausea and vomitin...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To gain insight into how and why patients' perceptions of nurses' knowledge about cancer and its treatments relate to quality nursing care. DESIGN Qualitative study inspired by Giorgi's approach to phenomenology. SETTING An oncology ward in a regional hospital in Norway. SAMPLE 20 patients (10 women and 10 men). Most received life-prolonging and symptom-relieving treatm...

Chemotherapy-related toxicities are common and often undertreated in routine cancer care. Initiatives to improve toxicity management in practices may not always be effective. Quality improvement programs must engage multiple disciplines of the healthcare team and sustain efforts to institute and maintain procedures that address practice needs. The Assessment, Information, and Management (AIM) H...

The purpose of this article is to describe the incidence of hand-foot syndrome (HFS) and self-management of patients with it, including their self-recognition, supportive care, and outcome at home. Study participants were patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) who received adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery. About 67% of participants had HFS, most at grade 1. The median chemotherapy cycle where...

background: anxiety is the most prevalent psychological side effect of breast cancer and chemotherapy. this study aimed to determine the effect of slow stroke back massage (ssbm) on the anxiety of old female patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. methods: in this quasi-experimental study, 80 elderly women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy were enrolled by continuous sampl...

introduction: chemotherapy is recognized as a primary cancer treatment method, but despite its benefits, it causes side-effects. the most important of these side-effects are nausea and vomiting. given the simplicity of use of non-medicinal methods such as semi-sitting position, which can be performed by the patient alone, with the least effort and no side-effects, this method can be utilized to...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To review the effects on hemoglobin and quality of life of an every-two-week (Q2W) regimen of the erythropoietic agent darbepoetin alfa for treating patients with chemotherapy-induced anemia. DATA SOURCES Published articles and abstracts. DATA SYNTHESIS Darbepoetin alfa Q2W increases hemoglobin in patients with chemotherapy-associated anemia and is well tolerated. Increas...

OBJECTIVE Nurse-led telephone follow-up is effective in meeting information and psycho-social needs. We explored the potential effects of nurse-led telephone follow-up for patients treated with chemotherapy in China. METHODS A quasi-experimental study was employed in the research. 300 cases of cancer inpatients in a cancer hospital in Beijing during July-October 2012 were selected by convenie...

Temozolomide (TMZ), an alkylating agent used in the treatment of malignant gliomas, is a pregnancy category D medication that is not advised for use in pregnant women. We report the case of a 19-year-old woman with anaplastic oligodendroglioma (high-grade glioma) who became pregnant during maintenance chemotherapy consisting of TMZ 200 mg/m(2) administered 5 days monthly. The TMZ was immediatel...