“Setting boundaries” – Mental adjustment to cancer in laryngeal cancer patients: An interview study

Psychosocial Adjustments after Advanced Laryngeal Cancer Treatment - A Systematic Review

Psychosocial adjustments are alterations needed by a person after a life-altering event. The present review explored the psychosocial adjustments after advanced laryngeal cancer treatment. Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed and Scopus were searched. Two hundred and three hits, after the three-stage screening, 13 articles were included. Mixed methods appraisal tool was used to perform the quality appraisal. The findings from 1109 laryngeal cancer survivors and 154 spouses of total laryngectomy patients helped to identify the barriers and coping mechanism toward psychosocial adjustments. The barriers included reactions of spouse or family members, effect of voice, communication and speech intelligibility and work and family relationships. The coping was enhanced with a better awareness, motivation and support system. These findings would help in improving the training programs and enhance the pre- and post-treatment counselling based on the priorities and demands of the patient.

Factors influencing readiness for hospital discharge among patients undergoing laryngectomy

AIM

To identify factors influencing readiness for hospital discharge among Chinese patients having undergone a laryngectomy and to provide evidence for developing future processes.

BACKGROUND

Laryngectomy changes the functional and psychological state of laryngeal cancer patients considerably. However, influencing factors for discharge readiness among laryngectomy patients have hardly been investigated.

METHODS

A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used with Meleis' transitions theory as a guiding framework. This survey-based study was performed with 212 laryngeal cancer patients undergoing laryngectomy at a regional tertiary medical centre between August 2012 and September 2013.

RESULTS

Quality of discharge teaching and having a designated caregiver after discharge were found to influence patients' readiness for discharge.

CONCLUSION

Clinical interventions such as nursing assessment on discharge readiness, assistance to coordinate postdischarge support and individualized follow-up planning should be integrated into future clinical processes in China. However, further investigations are needed to systematically align relevant results before clinical practices in Chinese settings are eventually changed.

The desire to survive: the adaptation process of adult cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy

AIM

Radiotherapy is one of the primary treatment strategies for cancer. However, patients not only deal with the side-effects of radiotherapy, but they must also endure the psychological distress caused by cancer. This study explores how cancer patients adapt to the treatment process when receiving radiotherapy.

METHODS

This study used a grounded theory approach, and eight in-depth interviews were conducted with newly diagnosed cancer patients who received radiotherapy as a primary treatment.

RESULTS

The core category that emerged from this study was "the desire to survive". The categories and subcategories that emerged from the data include facing unknown situations (e.g. searching for relevant information and decision-making considerations, and listening to healthcare professionals' suggestions), experiencing the pain of treatment (e.g. tolerating side-effects, tolerating inconvenience during the treatment, accepting support during the treatment, and adjusting lifestyles), and chances to extend life (e.g. accepting fate, determination to undergo the treatment, and adjusting negative emotions).

CONCLUSION

The study results provide a better understanding of the experiences of cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Healthcare professionals should provide effective medical management for side-effects and psychological support to cancer patients during the journey of radiotherapy.