Transitoriness in Cancer Patients, Psychosocial Issues in Cancer Care
NCT ID: NCT00364078
Last Updated: 2008-05-21
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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COMPLETED
193 participants
OBSERVATIONAL
2006-06-30
2007-08-31
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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GI cancer constitutes a disease with intensive medical research focused on the improvement of prevention, early detection and treatment. How patients with GI cancer deal with the diagnosis remains understudied to date. Lung cancer research has focused particularly on smoking and its impact on lung cancer epidemiology. Lung cancer patients' coping strategies have been studied. Issues related to the meaning of life, health and self-care, physical functioning, coping and support have been highlighted as being important in lung cancer patients' dealing with their disease situation (Maliski, Sarna, Evangelista, \& Padilla, 2003; Sharf, Stelljes, \& Gordon, 2005). Similarly, patients' dealing with a diagnosis of breast cancer has been investigated (Andritsch et al., 2004; Badger, Braden, Mishel, \& Longman, 2004; Northouse, Templin, Mood, \& Oberst, 1998). Constructs such as uncertainty and locus control are highly important in coping with the disease situation. Uncertainty has been linked with quality of life (Sammarco, 2001;2003). Evidence also exists that transitoriness, which is the confrontation with the finitude of human life, plays an important role in how individuals cope (Cohen et al., 2004; Shaha \& Cox, 2003). The interrelationship between and among transitoriness, uncertainty and locus of control has yet to be delineated. There is also a need to explore transitoriness more fully as it has mainly been subsumed in concepts such as 'finding meaning in illness' or 'anxiety' (Houldin, 2003). Transitoriness has been linked with patient outcomes such as quality of life (Houldin, 2003). It is necessary to explore the concept of transitoriness to establish its links with uncertainty and locus of control. It is equally important to explore the association of these three concepts together with patients' psycho-social well-being and quality of life. By exploring these associations, the individual's way of coping with the cancer diagnosis will be better understood and lead to the development of nursing interventions to support persons with cancer, especially those with lung and GI cancer.
It will then be possible a) to explore the concept of transitoriness by describing its interrelationship with uncertainty and locus of control, and b) to investigate the association among transitoriness, uncertainty, locus of control, psycho-social well-being and quality of life. The following research questions will be addressed in the study:
1. Is cancer patients' confrontation with life's finitude related to uncertainty and locus of control?
2. Are cancer patients' confrontation with life's finitude, uncertainty and locus of control associated with psychosocial well-being and quality of life?
3. Are there differences in these associations between patients with different forms of cancer?
Conditions
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Keywords
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Study Design
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CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
* Inpatient or outpatient of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Bayview Medical Center or Greensprings Station
* Ability to read and understand English
* 18 years or older
* Patients have been informed of the serious/terminal nature of their cancer diagnosis
* Physically and mentally fit
* Diverse ethnic background
Exclusion Criteria
* Patients who experience pain or other discomforting symptoms
* Receiving hospice care
21 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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Swiss Cancer League
OTHER
Johns Hopkins University
OTHER
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
Principal Investigators
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Anne E Belcher, PhD
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
Johns Hopkins School of Nursing
Locations
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Johns Hopkins Hospital
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Countries
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References
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Shaha M, Cox CL. The omnipresence of cancer. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2003 Sep;7(3):191-6. doi: 10.1016/s1462-3889(03)00026-7.
Shaha M. [Life with intestinal cancer. A phenomenologic-empirical study]. Pflege. 2003 Dec;16(6):323-30. doi: 10.1024/1012-5302.16.6.323. German.
Shaha M, Cox C, Porrett T, Hall A.The omnipresence of cancer and its practice implications for colorectal cancer. Cancer Nursing Practice, 5(4): 35 - 39, 2006
Shaha M, Cox CL, Talman K, Kelly D. Uncertainty in breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer: implications for supportive care. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2008;40(1):60-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1547-5069.2007.00207.x.
Other Identifiers
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BIL OCS 01532-03-2004
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: secondary_id
Dorothy Evans Lyne Fund
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: secondary_id
J0601
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id