No abstract

Objective Empowerment is critical for cancer patients to make informed choices, to manage medication, and to navigate through the oncological care system. Cancer peer support provides patients with information, emotional relief and may promote empowerment. This paper provides a systematic review of the literature examining the impact of cancer peer support interventions on psychological empowerment. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO and PSYNDEX databases were systematically searched from inception until December 2020. We included quantitative studies, published in English or German, which examined peer‐led cancer support interventions and their impact on the three components of psychological empowerment (intrapersonal, interactional and behavioural) among participating cancer patients. Results Database searches and screening of relevant reference lists identified 2336 potentially relevant articles. A total of 29 studies were included in the review. Active coping, self‐efficacy and knowledge were the most prominent dimensions of empowerment in these studies. The majority of studies revealed that peer support led to a small to medium, significant increase in psychological empowerment, and was associated with further patient‐reported benefits. Conclusions The existing evidence suggests a weak to moderate, positive association between cancer peer support and the three components of psychological empowerment among cancer patients. Peer support groups should be seen as an important element in cancer care and clinical practice and, thus, be more systematically involved in cancer care.

In spring 2005, Sims Memorial Library at Southeastern Louisiana University initiated "Text A Librarian," a service that enables Southeastern students, faculty, and staff to use the text message feature of their cell phones to send questions to and receive answers from the library. Librarians at Sims use a dedicated text messaging telephone number and "e-mail/SMS" conversion software, provided by Altarama Systems and Services, to send and receive text messages.

Purpose: The use of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine (TCAM) for cancer may influence the delivery or effectiveness of conventional cancer treatment. In this systematic review, we aimed to 1.) summarize the available prevalence data on traditional medicine use by cancer patients in less developed countries (LDCs), and 2.) stratify the prevalence data by world region and country income level. Methods: A literature search for cancer, TCAM, and low income (LI) and lower-middle income (LMI) countries was conducted across 5 databases. A total of 2,365 publications were reviewed for eligibility, of which 25 studies met inclusion criteria. Results: The combined sample size was 6,878 cancer patients, with a median of 54.5% reporting the use of TCAM for cancer care. Of the studies providing data on the concomitant use of TCAM and conventional cancer treatment (n = 4,872 cancer patients), a median of 26.7% of participants reported combining the two systems of medicine.