BACKGROUND This report offers a unique analysis of the psychological distress associated with ovarian cancer in a review of natural correspondence between ovarian cancer survivors and an ovarian cancer newsletter. METHODS A review of 21,806 letters, cards, and e‐mails reflecting correspondence from January 1994 to December 2000 between ovarian cancer survivors and the founding editor of Conversations!: The International Newsletter for those Fighting Ovarian Cancer was performed using ethnographic qualitative research methods. Statements related to the impact of disease were bracketed and coded within physical, psychological, social, and spiritual domains according to the City of Hope Quality of Life Ovarian Cancer instrument. Statements that reflected psychological well being were then evaluated with respect to the disease trajectory (i.e., diagnosis, treatment, remission, recurrence, and advanced disease/end of life). RESULTS A total of 1282 communications were identified that pertained to psychological well being. Findings based on major themes derived from the analysis included descriptions of stressors associated with disease status. Significant stressors were identified within all phases of diagnosis, treatment, remission, and recurrence. Women described both positive and negative effects of disease and frequently demonstrated resourcefulness and perseverance by sharing coping mechanisms and survival strategies. CONCLUSIONS The natural correspondence from women with ovarian cancer provided a rare opportunity to capture the psychological concerns of women throughout all stages of the cancer trajectory. Health care professionals' awareness of the common psychological stressors throughout the ovarian cancer trajectory may allow them to identify more readily the needs for support, leading to improvement in overall quality of life. Cancer 2003;98:1061–71. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11291
Knowledge of the unique survivorship issues of patients with ovarian cancer can enable nurses to improve their care for these women.
The study findings revealed that caregivers require additional support from the healthcare community, especially to address disease-specific needs in patients with ovarian cancer. The correspondence demonstrates a need in family caregivers to connect with others fighting the same disease. This study also identifies the need for support for at-risk women, as well as a continuing need for palliative-care services.
A diagnosis of ovarian cancer requires a woman to reevaluate her interactions with family, friends, and employers, and cope with unexpected and unwanted changes in areas spanning from financial stability to sexuality and fertility. Social well-being is the aspect of a patient's overall quality of life that encompasses these topics, as it has evolved to represent activities related to roles and relationships at work and at home. The purpose of this study was to explore the social well-being of women with ovarian cancer to better define their needs for the health care community. Data consisted of all correspondence (n = 21,806) sent to 'Conversations!: The newsletter for those fighting ovarian cancer' by women with ovarian cancer from 1994 to 2000. Using ethnographic, qualitative research methods, statements related to the impact of disease were bracketed and coded within physical, psychological, social, and spiritual domains according to the City of Hope Quality of Life Ovarian Cancer Instrument. Comments reflecting social well-being were categorized in sub-themes and reviewed for content. Statements related to social support were most common (n = 251) reflecting the need for support from family, friends, and other women with ovarian cancer. Distress regarding the genetic association of the disease comprised a major theme (n = 73). Family relationships were also discussed (n = 146) in light of the stress of changing roles and relationships at home. Issues related to employment and returning to work (n = 74) focused on both the difficulties in taking time off work to receive treat-ment and sense of achievement felt upon returning to work and regaining normalcy. The themes identified in this study challenge healthcare professionals to provide increased disease-specific support, as well as concomitant sup-port for husbands/partners and children of patients. Additional information on genetic testing and counseling for women at-risk due to a family history of ovarian cancer is also needed.
This study describes the symptom experience of women with ovarian cancer. A body of data consisting of 21,806 letters, cards, and e-mails written by ovarian cancer patients was donated to the City of Hope investigators by the founder and editor of Conversations!: The International Newsletter for Those Fighting Ovarian Cancer. Using ethnographic qualitative research procedures, meaningful comments in the data were bracketed and coded within physical, psychological, social, and spiritual domains according to the City of Hope QOL-Ovarian Cancer instrument. Six hundred seventy-seven (677) comments were identified as pertaining to pre- and post-diagnostic symptomatology. Findings, based on major themes derived from the analysis, included distress over delayed diagnoses given the presence of pre-diagnosis symptoms. Frequently described post-diagnosis symptoms included pain, fatigue, gastrointestinal effects, and menstrual and fertility changes. Women demonstrated resourcefulness and optimism by sharing innovative ideas for coping with varied symptoms. Significant attention was dedicated to complementary and alternative therapies, both for symptom management and with curative intent. Findings demonstrate the need to improve diagnostic tests, symptom management, and patient education.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.