Introduction:Cancer is a leading cause of death. People living with cancer experience a variety of symptoms. Quality of life (QOL) is a major concern of patients with terminal cancer. Symptoms affect their QOL. Management of symptoms improves distress and QOL.Objective:The objective of the study was to assess the QOL among cancer patients.Materials and Methods:A survey was conducted among 768 cancer patients selected by a convenient sampling technique. Data was collected from cancer patients by interview technique using structured and validated interviewed schedule.Results:Out of 768 cancer patients, 30.2% patients were in the age group of 51–60 years, majority with head–and-neck cancer (40.1%), and 57.7% had stage III disease. QOL of majority of patients was influenced by their symptoms. 82.3% of them had low QOL scores.Conclusion:Cancer patients experienced many symptoms that affected their QOL. There is a need to develop interventions for effective management of symptoms that will empower the patients to have a greater sense of control over their illness and treatment and to improve the QOL.

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Background:People living with cancer experience wide variety of symptoms. If symptoms are not managed well, it may hamper an individual's ability to continue his or her activities of daily life. Treatment of symptoms relieves suffering and improves the rate of recovery as well as the quality of life.Objectives:To assess the symptoms of suffering among cancer patients and to identify the perceived barriers to their symptom management.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was carried out among 768 cancer patients selected by stratified sampling with a proportionate selection from each stratum. Data were collected from cancer patients by interview technique using structured validated questionnaire.Results:Majority of the samples (30.2%) belonged to the age group of 51–60 years, most of them were diagnosed with head and neck cancer (40.1%) and 57.7% had stage III disease. The majority of the patients studied had pain (77%), tiredness (96.5%), disturbed sleep (96.4%), weight loss (63.3%), and irritability (85.7%). Most of the patients had lack of appetite (89.4%), feeling of sadness (96.6%), worry (94.5%), and feeling of nervousness (82.8%). Majority of the patients had some misconception regarding symptoms, that is, increasing pain signifies disease progression (92.7%), medicine to control pain may weaken the immune system (89.9%) and pain is inevitable for cancer patients (78.5%). Seventy-seven percent of samples reported that the anxiety or depression is expected after the diagnosis of cancer.Conclusion:This study provides an overview of symptoms among cancer patients and barriers experienced by them.

Introduction:Breast cancer accounts for 19-34% of all cancer cases among women in India. There is high mortality due to late stage diagnosis as patients usually present at an advanced stage because of lack of awareness and nonexistent breast cancer screening programs. Early detection and prompt treatment offer the greatest chance of long-term survival and breast self-examination (BSE) seems to be a important viable optional substitute for early detection of cancer.Objectives:1) To assess the level of knowledge of degree college female students on BSE. 2) To determine the effectiveness of planned teaching program among degree college female students on BSE. 3) To find the association between pretest knowledge and selected demographic variables.Materials and Methods:Pre-experimental one group pretestpost-test design was carried out among 40 degree female students by using cluster sampling method from selected colleges of Udupi district.Results:The data analyzed showed that majority (52%) of them was in the age group of 18-19 years and 72% of them were had average knowledge on BSE in the pretest score. Out of 40 participants only one student was performing BSE occasionally.Conclusions:Awareness regarding breast self examination among young generations is useful and it is the most important viable tool for early detection.

Introduction: Vaginal candidiasis common problem among pregnant women. According to Jumbo G.T.A et al., during pregnancy women who did not know Candidiasis as a disease were 94.1% and 83.6% of the respondents felt there was no compelling need for treatment while 86.3% did not consider the disease of any serious clinical significance1. Objective: This study was conducted to find the effectiveness of an awareness programme on prevention of vaginal candidiasis among pregnant women in selected seven Rural Maternity Child Welfare centres (RMCW's) of Udupi district. Materials and Method: Evaluative survey approach was used to find the effectiveness of awareness program. The sampling technique used was non probability convenient sampling. Total of 142 pregnant women those who visited antenatal clinics of RMCW's were selected. One group pre-test – post-test design was used to assess the knowledge by administering a structured knowledge questionnaire, followed by awareness program. On seventh day post-test was conducted using same questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge of the subject. Result: Majority of the pregnant women (89.2%) had poor knowledge in pre-test whereas 95.8% of them acquired a good knowledge in post-test. Conclusion: Health professionals caring for pregnant women should find out about symptoms of vaginal candidiasis and they can give them knowledge and make aware, which may help them in improving their health by adopting preventive measures and help them to avoid the complications.

Introduction:Caring for patients with advanced disease involves many concerns for caregivers. All aspects of health of the caregiver is compromised in the process of caring for the cancer patients. Usually, most of the terminally ill cancer patients live with their caregivers at home.Objectives:The aims of the present study was to identify the barriers to symptom management among caregivers of cancer patients and to find the association between perceived barriers to symptom management of caregivers' with their demographic variables and their patients' disease-related variables.Materials and Methods:A descriptive study was conducted among 768 family caregivers (FCGs) of cancer patients, and they were selected using convenient sampling technique. Data was collected from caregivers who were caring for their beloved one at least 2–3 h/day and who were above 20 years of age. Data was collected through a structured interview using barriers questionnaire and demographic pro forma after obtaining the consent from the caregivers.Results:The result shows that among 768 FCGs, 216 (28.1%) of them were in the age group between 31 and 40 years and most of them were spouses (45.6%). The perceived barriers of caregivers were less confidence on the management of symptoms. A total of 423 (55.1%) had lack of awareness about pain assessment and management of cancer by 681 (88.6%). Majority, i.e., 654 (85.1%) of them had financial problems in the family.Conclusion:FCGs take the major responsibilities both at the hospital and at home in caring for the cancer patients. Since FCGs had lack of knowledge on caring of cancer patients, there is a need for awareness program on the assessment and management of symptoms among cancer patients.

Background: Chronic job stress adversely impacts both mental health of nurses and patient care. There is paucity of data regarding workplace stressors and negative emotions among nurses. Aims: To assess depression, anxiety and stress among nurses and analyse their association with workplace stressors. Settings and Design: A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted in two tertiary care hospitals. Methods and Material: Four hundred and thirty one nurses completed nurses rated depression, Anxiety and Stress instrument (DASS-21) and a questionnaire probing perceived workplace stressors on a 4 point Likert scale . The stressors across subgroups of workareas were compared. Satistical Analysis: Association between stress, anxiety or depression and workplace stressors were analysed using binary logistic regression. Results: 50.8% of nurses had stress; 74% had anxiety; 70.8% had depression. 79.1% had at least one of them. Stressed, anxious or depressed nurses were more concerned about lack of job satisfaction and conflicts with supervisors. Work-place stressors varied with work areas: private hospital, no job satisfaction, conflicts with doctors and patients; government hospital, acquiring infectious diseases; ICUs, inadequate salary; non-ICUs, odour and sounds in workplace and conflicts with patients. Conclusions: Prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress was high. Workplace stressors varied across different working areas. Interventions need are to be tailored accordingly.

Introduction:Quality of life (QOL) should be considered as the main outcome measure for patient with advanced cancer. QOL of cancer patients is affected by several factors.Objectives:The objective of the study was to assess the symptom interference and the relation between the domains of QOL among cancer patients.Methodology:An exploratory survey conducted among 768 patients diagnosed as Stage III or IV of cancer of breast/cervix/head and neck/gastrointestinal tract/lung/colorectal. Data were collected using pretested reliable structured interview questionnaire.Results:Out of 768 cancer patients, symptoms burden was interfered completely in their relationship with others among 445 (57.9%), sleep among 491 (63.9%), and QOL among 433 (56.4%). The domains of QOL were general well-being, physical well-being, psychological well-being, familial relationship, sexual and personal abilities, cognitive well-being, economic well-being, informational support, doctors’ cooperation, and body image. Since the data were not following the normal distribution, Spearman rho was computed to assess the relationship between the domains. The data revealed that there is a positive statistically significant correlation between the domains of general well-being of the participants with physical wellbeing (r = 0.265, P = 0.001), psychological well-being (r = 0.195, P = 0.001), sexual and personal abilities (r = 0.278, P = 0.001), and body image (r = 0.168, P = 0.001). The study inferred that cancer patients with good cognitive well-being and high economic status had a sense of positive body image.Conclusion:Cancer patients have poor QOL in physical and psychological domains. QOL of patients is affected by the symptoms suffering during the treatment and diagnosis. Symptoms need to be managed effectively to improve the QOL of cancer patients.