A high prevalence of morbidity was noticed in caregivers of patients admitted at the palliative care unit. The early provision of psychological support to caregivers by healthcare staff may indeed help to decrease comorbidity symptoms.

In end-of-life care for patients with dementia, due to significant levels of caregiver distress and burden symptoms, there is a need to support caregivers in the same way as is done for caregivers of cancer patients.

The MAC scale was a valid and acceptable tool for Spanish cancer patients, however, these findings provide a factorial structure different from the original MAC scale.

Significant changes to the quality of life and psychological distress subscales are seen during breast cancer treatment. The degree to which psychological distress affected quality of life varied over the illness continuum. Health professionals should pay attention to the variability of the emotional support and care needs of patients with cancer at different times of treatment.

The conceptualization of PTSD symptoms for cancer patients is supported by the specific symptom clusters identified on PCL-C.

The findings of the current study report the importance of HRQoL domains in predicting perceived social support during cancer treatment, emphasizing the holistic and multidisciplinary approach to facilitate adjustment to cancer.

This study assessed the influence of cognitive processing variables on cancer worries and distress after breast cancer treatment. In multivariate analyses, while independent variables were intolerance of uncertainty and intrusive thoughts, constructs' variables were anxiety and depression symptoms and cancer-related worries. The intolerance to uncertainty had a tendency to influence on distress and concerns about cancer after the end of treatment (Wilks' λ = 0.687, p = 0.074). Whereas, thought intrusion had a significant influence on distress and cancer related worries (Wilks' λ = 0.228, p = 0.000). Cognitive variables could be addressed by the oncology nurse when considering the patients' concerns related to cancer and psychological distress.

No abstract