Quality of Life for Cancer Patients

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2016) | Viewed by 25904

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Professor and Associate Dean of Assessment and Scholarship, Chapman University School of Pharmacy, 9401 Jeronimo Road, Irvine, CA 92618, USA
Interests: supportive care; EGFRI-induced papulopustular skin rash; cancer care delivery outcome research; drug development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer can impact significantly on the emotional, physical, and mental states of the patients and their caregivers, including survivors. The delivery of coordinated models of care is crucial for maximizing outcomes and quality of life for all patients living with and surviving cancer. A multidisciplinary team model employs a wide range of medical and allied healthcare professionals that consider all relevant treatment and care options adopting a holistic, person- centered approach promotes for personalized treatment plan for each patient. The use of molecular biology and genomic approach to promote the use of translational science in symptom management drives for precision medicine in cancer care.  The engagement of both patients and providers is essential to advocate for governments to enable access to symptom control and palliative care.
Cancers, an international, peer-reviewed open access journal on oncology, is planning a Special Issue on "Quality of Life for Cancer Patients". We are seeking for submissions of original research, case reports, and reviews to highlight all these aforementioned developments in optimizing the quality of life of cancer patients. Studies showing meaningful but negative results are also welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Siu Fun Wong
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • quality of life
  • symptom management
  • precision medicine
  • cancer care delivery
  • survivorship
  • advocacy
  • psychosocial
  • barriers to pain relief
  • multidisciplinary or interprofessional care

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

1247 KiB  
Article
Self-Esteem and Academic Difficulties in Preadolescents and Adolescents Healed from Paediatric Leukaemia
by Marta Tremolada, Livia Taverna, Sabrina Bonichini, Giuseppe Basso and Marta Pillon
Cancers 2017, 9(6), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers9060055 - 24 May 2017
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 6231
Abstract
Adolescents with cancer may demonstrate problems in their self-esteem and schooling. This study aims to screen the preadolescents and adolescents more at risk in their self-esteem perception and schooling difficulties post-five years from the end of therapy. Twenty-five paediatric ex-patients healed from leukaemia [...] Read more.
Adolescents with cancer may demonstrate problems in their self-esteem and schooling. This study aims to screen the preadolescents and adolescents more at risk in their self-esteem perception and schooling difficulties post-five years from the end of therapy. Twenty-five paediatric ex-patients healed from leukaemia were recruited at the Haematology-Oncologic Clinic (University of Padua). The mean age of the children was 13.64 years (Standard Deviation (SD)) = 3.08, range = 10–19 years), most were treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) (84%) and relatively equally distributed by gender. They filled in the Multidimensional Self-Esteem Test, while parents completed a questionnaire on their child’s schooling. Global self-esteem was mostly below the 50 percentile (58.5%), especially regarding interpersonal relationships (75%). An independent sample t-test showed significant mean differences on the emotionality scale (t = 2.23; degree of freedom (df) = 24; p = 0.03) and in the bodily experience scale (t = 3.02; df = 24; p = 0.006) with survivors of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) having lower scores. An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed significant mean differences in the bodily experience scale (F = 12.31; df = 2, p = 0.0001) depending on the survivors’ assigned risk band. The parent reports showed that 43.5% of children had difficulties at school. Childhood AML survivors with a high-risk treatment were more at risk in their self-esteem perceptions. Preventive interventions focusing on self-esteem and scholastic wellbeing are suggested in order to help their return to their normal schedules. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality of Life for Cancer Patients)
Show Figures

Figure 1

255 KiB  
Article
Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress and Posttraumatic Growth in Childhood Cancer Survivors
by Veronika Koutná, Martin Jelínek, Marek Blatný and Tomáš Kepák
Cancers 2017, 9(3), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers9030026 - 16 Mar 2017
Cited by 40 | Viewed by 7387
Abstract
This longitudinal study aims to analyze predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among gender, age, objective factors of the disease and its treatment, family environment factors and negative emotionality. The sample consisted of 97 childhood cancer survivors (50 girls [...] Read more.
This longitudinal study aims to analyze predictors of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among gender, age, objective factors of the disease and its treatment, family environment factors and negative emotionality. The sample consisted of 97 childhood cancer survivors (50 girls and 47 boys) aged 11–25 years who were in remission 1.7 to seven years at T1 and four to 12.5 years at T2. Survivors completed a set of questionnaires including the Benefit Finding Scale for Children and the University of California at Los Angeles Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Index. Regression and correlation analyses were performed. The relation between PTSS and PTG was not proven. A higher level of PTSS (T2) was associated with higher levels of negative emotionality (T1). A higher level of PTG (T2) was connected to a higher level of warmth in parenting (T1), female gender and older age at assessment. Medical variables such as the severity of late effects and the time from treatment completion did not play a significant role in the prediction of PTSS and PTG. PTG and PTSS are more influenced by factors of parenting and emotional well-being of childhood cancer survivors than by objective medical data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality of Life for Cancer Patients)

Review

Jump to: Research

526 KiB  
Review
Physical Activity and Quality of Life in Cancer Survivors: A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Research
by Shaunna Burke, Amanda Wurz, Andrew Bradshaw, Stephanie Saunders, Malcolm A. West and Jennifer Brunet
Cancers 2017, 9(5), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers9050053 - 20 May 2017
Cited by 72 | Viewed by 11347
Abstract
Qualitative research on the impact of physical activity on quality of life (QoL) in adults diagnosed with cancer is accumulating. However, the field of physical activity and cancer survivorship lack a synthesis of this research to reliably understand the implications for future research [...] Read more.
Qualitative research on the impact of physical activity on quality of life (QoL) in adults diagnosed with cancer is accumulating. However, the field of physical activity and cancer survivorship lack a synthesis of this research to reliably understand the implications for future research and practice. The aim of this meta-synthesis was to identify, appraise, and synthesize qualitative research on cancer survivors’ perspectives of the impact of physical activity on their QoL. Seven electronic databases were searched for original studies published in English, and reference lists of relevant studies were hand-searched to identify additional studies. Forty studies met eligibility criteria and were included in this meta-synthesis. Study characteristics and major findings were extracted, and findings were summarized, compared, and synthesized. Themes identified in this review revealed that physical activity positively impacted four dimensions of cancer survivors’ QoL: physical (e.g., managing the physical consequences of cancer and its treatment), psychological (e.g., evoking positive self-perceptions), social (e.g., feeling understood by others), and spiritual (e.g., redefining life purpose). This meta-synthesis corroborates conclusions from reviews of quantitative research and illustrates that physical activity can be used to improve QoL in adult cancer survivors, regardless of diagnosis (i.e., stage, cancer type) and treatment status. It also provides detailed insight into specific aspects within each dimension of QoL impacted by physical activity from cancer survivors’ perspectives, which is important for understanding the meaning and utility of physical activity for them. However, more research is needed to further develop the qualitative evidence base in order to better understand how physical activity impacts on QoL experiences in men, young adults, and adults diagnosed with less common types of cancer at different points along cancer trajectory (i.e., diagnosis, treatment, post-treatment, palliation). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quality of Life for Cancer Patients)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop