scholarly journals Why Do Our Cancer Patients Sleep So Badly? Sleep Disorders in Cancer Patients: A Frequent Symptom with Multiple Causes

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Herwig Strik ◽  
Werner Cassel ◽  
Michael Teepker ◽  
Thomas Schulte ◽  
Jorge Riera-Knorrenschild ◽  
...  

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> On the one hand, sleep disorders in cancer patients are reported in 30–50% of cancer patients. On the other hand, specific causes for these sleep disorders are little known. This study was done to evaluate factors which may affect sleep of cancer patients. To our knowledge, this is the first study which includes return to work as one factor of sleep disturbance. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> 107 patients with various types of cancer treated in 2 hospitals were interviewed with a battery of questionnaires after having given informed consent. The questionnaires intended to detect abnormalities of sleep and related pain, breathing disorders, restless legs syndrome, depression, rumination, medication, and psychosocial distress. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the University of Marburg. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The analysis of the 6 sleep-related questionnaires indicated a sleep disorder of any kind in 68% of all patients. Insomnia symptoms were present in 48 patients (44.9%). Pain, depression, anxiety, and worries about the workplace were significantly related to sleep disorders. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Sleep disorders are common in cancer patients. The causes are manifold and should be considered by caregivers during diagnosis, therapy, and aftercare of cancer patients. Tumour patients should actively be asked about sleep disorders. If these are present, they should be addressed, and as they have a large impact on quality of life, treatment options should be offered in cooperation with sleep specialists.

Author(s):  
Frederic Ivan L. Ting ◽  
Aylmer Rex B. Hernandez ◽  
Reno Eufemon P. Cereno ◽  
Irisyl B. Orolfo-Real ◽  
Corazon A. Ngelangel

<p class="abstract"><strong><span lang="EN-US">Background: </span></strong>In the management of head and neck cancer (HNC), assessment of quality of life (QoL) is imperative because of the potentially debilitating effect of treatment toxicities. Currently, there are no published data assessing the QoL in Filipino HNC patients, thus this study.</p><p class="abstract"><strong><span lang="EN-US">Methods: </span></strong>This cross-sectional study utilized the University of the Philippines - Department of Health Quality of Life scale. Patients with head and neck cancers at the University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital from February to September 2019 were invited to participate.  </p><p class="abstract"><strong><span lang="EN-US">Results: </span></strong>A total of 418 patients were included in the study with a mean age of 42 years old (range 18 to 73 years old). In general, Filipino head and neck cancer patients had moderate QoL (mean score of 4.59±0.79). All of the QoL domains (physical, emotional, cognitive, and related functions) had a score of 3-5 (moderate), except for the social status domain which had a mean score of 5.51±0.83 (high). Among socio-demographic factors, patients who are employed and with additional funding sources on top of their income have better global QoL (p&lt;0.01). Clinically, patients with higher stages of disease, fungating tumors, post-laryngectomy, have a feeding tube, with a tracheostomy, and had chemotherapy have lower global QoL (p&lt;0.01).</p><p class="abstract"><strong><span lang="EN-US">Conclusions: </span></strong>Filipino patients with head and neck cancers have an overall moderate quality of life, with high scores in the social domain. Patients with higher tumor burdens and have been exposed to chemotherapy have lower QoL scores, while patients with financial stability and aid have better QoL scores.</p><p class="abstract"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-82
Author(s):  
Vladislav V. Lebedev ◽  
Olga V. Kozhevnikova ◽  
Andrey A. Gazaryan ◽  
Victoriya A. Aysina ◽  
Eka A. Abashidze ◽  
...  

Introduction. Sleep disorders in children with nervous system pathology are more pronounced than in the general population. One of the most common causes of sleep disorders in children is sleep-disordered breathing. The aim of our study was to create an algorithm for the diagnosis of sleep breathing disorders in children with neurological pathology. Materials and methods. The results of night studies (160 polysomnographies, 98 cardiorespiratory monitorings) carried out in the department of instrumental diagnostics at the National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health in 258 children (154 boys and 104 girls, aged one month to 17 years) with neurological pathology were analyzed. Questionnaires were used to assess the quality of sleep. An essential criterion for dividing children into groups was the presence of maxillofacial anomalies (MFA). The results were compared with complaints according to questionnaires, age, BMI and ENT-status of patients. Results. In the general sample, a significant (p < 0.001) relationship between respiratory disorders and complaints and the presence of ENT pathology was obtained. The most severe breathing disorders were recorded in children with MFA (p < 0.001). The result was the creation of an algorithm for examining children with neurological pathology. Conclusion. Children with neurological pathology in sleep-breathing disorders require a personalized approach to correcting the causes of these disturbances, depending on the nosology. Chronic pathology of the ENT organs aggravates respiratory disorders during sleep. Regular monitoring of sleep disorders using questionnaires should be included in the algorithm for managing children with neurological diseases of all ages for early detection of these disorders.


Author(s):  
Ирина Ивановна Широкорад ◽  
Олеся Михайловна Фадеева ◽  
Елена Геннадьевна Пафнутова

Система высшего образования развивается не в изоляции. Она находится в непосредственной зависимости от школьной системы и от рынка труда. С одной стороны, образовательные результаты, полученные в университете, зависят от уровня знаний и навыков, которые получили студенты на предыдущем этапе образования, с другой стороны, ожидаемое высокое качество жизни, которое является ключевой мотивацией для поступления в вуз для большинства населения, определяется состоянием и структурой рынка труда. Именно наличие спроса на продуктивную рабочую силу определяет результативность системы высшего образования. The higher education system does not develop in isolation. It is directly dependent on the school system and the labor market. On the one hand, the educational results obtained at the University depend on the level of knowledge and skills that students received at the previous stage of education, on the other hand, the expected high quality of life, which is a key motivation for entering the University for the majority of the population, is determined by the state and structure of the labor market. It is the demand for productive labor that determines the effectiveness of the higher education system.


2011 ◽  
Vol 93 (8) ◽  
pp. 591-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
JS Williamson ◽  
D Ingrams ◽  
H Jones

INTRODUCTION Laryngeal cancer treatment inherently affects life's most basic functions and significantly affects quality of life (QOL). We aimed to identify which aspects of QOL and which patients are most affected by the various treatment options. METHODS The University of Washington Quality of Life (UW-QOL) questionnaire was administered to all patients with laryngeal cancer treated at a single institution over a seven-year period (2003–2010). RESULTS In total, 41 patients responded. All had been treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. Questionnaires were completed at a median of 18.5 months after treatment. The overall quality of life was 81.1/100 as assessed by the UW-QOL scale, with only 4.9% reporting ‘poor’ or worse QOL. Neither patient age nor time after treatment significantly affected any aspect of QOL. Patients undergoing primary radiotherapy reported the best QOL. Those undergoing chemoradiotherapy or combined surgical treatment and chemoradiotherapy reported the worst QOL, particularly in terms of social eating, taste and saliva production. Patients with a T stage ≥2 and those with nodal metastases reported a significantly worse QOL. CONCLUSIONS Overall, QOL in our patients was good. This study highlights the aspects of QOL most affected by various treatments for laryngeal cancer and identifies areas in which therapeutic intervention may be focused. It also provides information to guide clinicians when assisting patients to make informed decisions regarding treatment of their head and neck cancer.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (29_suppl) ◽  
pp. 213-213
Author(s):  
Margherita Gobbo ◽  
Alessandra Guglielmi ◽  
Giulia Ottaviani ◽  
Katia Rupel ◽  
Serena Zacchigna ◽  
...  

213 Background: Oral mucositis (OM) and dermatitis (RD) are serious side effects of radiotherapy (RT), often leading to its suspension, need for analgesics and enteral/parenteral nutrition. Laser-therapy is becoming a recommended option for mucosal lesions and has also been tested for skin affections. This prospective study investigates the effect of Laser-therapy (HPLT) on RT-induced OM and proposes an off-label use of HPLT to treat RD in breast-cancer patients and in RT-treated anal-carcinoma patients Methods: 53 cancer patients, during/after RT and/or chemotherapy, affected by OM, were treated with HPLT during 4 consecutive days (970nm, 2,5W, 35-6000Hz, 240s). Assessment of OM (WHO-SCALE: Grading objective Scale), pain (VAS: Visual Analogue Scale), functional ability, subjective parameters, site/severity of OM were recorded weekly for 21 days. 27 breast-cancer patients and 2 anal-carcinoma patients affected by RD were treated by HPLT every other day for 2 weeks (970nm/660nm, 2-1000Hz, 6W, 480s) and monitored weekly for one month for grade, discomfort, itching and bleeding. Results: Regarding OM, regressive improvement of WHO- SCALE from day 7 on, and of VAS from day 2 on (p < 0.000) was registered. All patients’ functional capacity improved on day 4 (p < 0.05). All subjective parameters improved on day 14 (p < 0.001) except voice, which improved on day 21 (p < 0.000). Ulcerations’ dimension and erythema’s severity decreased in all sites (p < 0.05). Regarding breast and anal RD, after 6 HPLT’s sessions, complete and progressive resolution of pain, bleeding and itching was registered (p < 0.002). All patients referred maximum satisfaction for receiving HPLT. Conclusions: Regardless of OM grade/site and of kind/site of tumor, HPLT was effective in healing OM. Moreover, HPLT resulted an innovative and highly effective therapy for RD, both in breast and anal lesions. To establish an effective treatment strategy for OM and RD is of paramount importance to improve life-quality of patients but can also be beneficial for the continuation of cancer therapy. Consequently, HPLT may become integral part of everyday-practice in the management of RT adverse effects.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18223-e18223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nida Latif ◽  
Natasha Ali

e18223 Background: Cancer survivor rates have increased over the past few decades leading to a growing interest in research related to quality of life. The American society of clinical oncology’s updated guidelines of 2013 recommend that health care providers discuss the possibility of infertility with patients and present fertility preservation options to those who express interest. We attempted to explore the unique barriers that might prevent adult male cancer patients from accessing sperm cryopreservation in Pakistan Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews of male cancer patients aged 18-45 years, diagnosed with cancer of any stage or type. The interviews were audio-recorded in Urdu and translated to English, following which they were transcribed ad verbatim. The topics included quality of information received regarding the risk of infertility following chemotherapy, future reproductive choices and barriers to sperm cryopreservation Results: Out of the 25 patients interviewed, there were n = 10 cases of Leukemia, n = 3 of Lymphoma, n = 2 cases each of colorectal carcinoma and Multiple Myeloma, n = 1 case each of Neuroblastoma and Osteosarcoma, and solitary cases involving the lung, breast, thymus, brain, jaw and testis. Only n = 4 patients knew about the potential for infertility due to cancer chemotherapy, all of whom were also aware of the option of sperm cryopreservation. Two patients had their sperm preserved prior to the initiation of chemotherapy. Perceived treatment related expenses appeared to be the biggest barrier to sperm cryopreservation for n = 9 patients (36%). This was followed by lack of information which was cited by n = 8 patients (32%) and religious reasons (n = 2 patients, 8.3%). Other barriers were identified as family wishes, female gender of the doctor and patient’s preferences. Four patients stated there are no barriers. Conclusions: There is a significant lack of awareness among male cancer patients regarding threat to fertility following cancer treatment. It is imperative that physicians inform them of this and discuss treatment options, along with addressing potential barriers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e17519-e17519
Author(s):  
Sachin Dhumal ◽  
Vijay Maruti Patil ◽  
Vanita Noronha ◽  
Amit Joshi ◽  
Atanu Bhattacharjee ◽  
...  

e17519 Background: NACT (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) is one of the treatment options in advanced head and neck cancer (H&N cancer); however there is limited quality of life data available in these patients. Methods: Between August 2013- April 2014, 90 technically unresectable H&N cancer patients who were underwent NACT at our centre were selected for this analysis. EORTC QLQ-C30 and HN35 version 3.0 was used for quality of life assessment at baseline and after 02 cycles of NACT. PFS and OS was estimated by Kaplan Meier method. The mean change in QOL at various domains was calculated with 95% CI. The relationship between change in QOL domain and OS was analysed. Results: The median age of the cohort was 45 years (Range 21-65 years). The predominant subsite was oral cavity, in 62 patients (68.9%).The median PFS and OS was 10.53 months (95%CI 8.1-13.0) and 20.8 months (95%CI 15.1-26.5). The mean scores for all domains of QOL are shown in table 1. Conclusions: NACT leads to improvement in QOL in patients treated with head and neck cancers and its has impact on OS.[Table: see text]


2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 284-293
Author(s):  
Stephen F. Tomicich

Prostate cancer is an epidemic among aging men. It is essential that research be conducted with the purpose of determining the outcomes of various treatment options. For this study, a sample of radical prostatectomy patients completed a written questionnaire for the purpose of evaluating whether the radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer has an effect on quality of life. In addition, demographic factors were examined to determine if they had an effect on quality of life after this surgical procedure. Data appeared to show that urinary, bowel, and sexual function are determinants of quality of life that are affected by having the radical prostatectomy procedure. Due to the numerous treatment options available for prostate cancer, more research regarding quality of life should be undertaken to determine the best possible treatment option for the patient.


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