Monthly Archives: March 2018

Do single people want to date a cancer survivor? A vignette study.

Posted on March 26, 2018 by






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Do single people want to date a cancer survivor? A vignette study.

PLoS One. 2018;13(3):e0194277

Authors: Tuinman MA, Lehmann V, Hagedoorn M

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Qualitative studies indicated that cancer survivors may be worried about finding a partner in the future, but whether this concern is warranted is unknown. We examined single people´s interest in dating a cancer survivor, how they perceive survivors’ traits, and their preferences about the timing of disclosing a cancer history.
METHODS: In three experimental vignette studies, dating website members (n = 324) and college students (n = 138 and n = 131) were randomly assigned to a vignette of a person with or without a history of cancer (experiment 1 & 2), or a cancer survivor beyond or during active follow-up (experiment 3). Respondents rated their interest in dating this fictive person, this person’s traits, and indicated their preferences about the timing of disclosure. ANOVAs with main and interaction effects of condition, gender, and relationship history were conducted, partial eta squared and Cohen’s d were used to estimate the magnitude of effects. Correlations were used to investigate relationships between interest in a date and assessment of traits.
RESULTS: Cancer survivors’ traits were assessed more positively, but interest to date them did not differ from healthy vignettes for both men and women. However, widowed respondents were much less interested in a date with a cancer survivor, and women showed less interest in a cancer survivor during active follow-up relative to survivors beyond follow-up. Most respondents wanted to hear about the cancer diagnosis after a few dates, hardly anyone wanted to hear about this before the first date (2% – 5%).
CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Cancer survivors do not have to expect any more problems in finding a date than people without a cancer history, and can wait a few dates before disclosing. Survivors dating widowed people and survivors in active follow-up could expect more hesitant reactions and should disclose earlier.

PMID: 29566002 [PubMed – in process]

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Do single people want to date a cancer survivor? A vignette study

Posted on March 23, 2018 by






CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Cancer survivors do not have to expect any more problems in finding a date than people without a cancer history, and can wait a few dates before disclosing. Survivors dating widowed people and survivors in active follow-up could expect more hesitant reactions and should disclose earlier. Continue reading →

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Do single people want to date a cancer survivor? A vignette study

Posted on March 23, 2018 by






CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Cancer survivors do not have to expect any more problems in finding a date than people without a cancer history, and can wait a few dates before disclosing. Survivors dating widowed people and survivors in active follow-up could expect more hesitant reactions and should disclose earlier. Continue reading →

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Mindfulness, cognitive behavioural and behaviour-based therapy for natural and treatment-induced menopausal symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Posted on March 20, 2018 by






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Mindfulness, cognitive behavioural and behaviour-based therapy for natural and treatment-induced menopausal symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BJOG. 2018 Mar 15;:

Authors: van Driel C, Stuursma AS, Schroevers MJ, Mourits M, de Bock GH

Abstract
BACKGROUND: During menopause women experience vasomotor and psychosexual symptoms that cannot entirely be alleviated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Besides, HRT is contraindicated after breast cancer.
OBJECTIVES: To review the evidence on the effectiveness of psychological interventions in reducing symptoms associated with menopause in natural or treatment-induced menopausal women.
SEARCH STRATEGY: Medline/Pubmed, PsycINFO, EMBASE and AMED were searched until June 2017.
SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) concerning natural or treatment-induced menopause, investigating mindfulness or (cognitive-)behaviour-based therapy were selected. Main outcomes were frequency of hot flushes, hot flush bother experienced, other menopausal symptoms and sexual functioning.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Study selection and data extraction were performed by two independent researchers. A meta-analysis was performed to calculate the standardised mean difference (SMD).
MAIN RESULTS: Twelve RCTs were included. Short-term (<20 weeks) effects of psychological interventions in comparison to no treatment or control were observed for hot flush bother (SMD -0.63, 95% CI -0.80 to -0.46, P < 0.001, I2  = 0%) and menopausal symptoms (SMD -0.34, 95% CI -0.52 to -0.15, P < 0.001, I2  = 0%). Medium-term (≥20 weeks) effects were observed for hot flush bother (SMD -0.49, 95% CI -0.80 to -0.19, P = 0.002, I2  = 63%). In the subgroup treatment-induced menopause, consisting of exclusively breast cancer populations, as well as in the subgroup natural menopause, hot flush bother was reduced by psychological interventions. Too few studies reported on sexual functioning to perform a meta-analysis.
CONCLUSIONS: Psychological interventions reduced hot flush bother in the short and medium-term and menopausal symptoms in the short-term. These results are especially relevant for breast cancer survivors in whom HRT is contraindicated. There was a lack of studies reporting on the influence on sexual functioning.
TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Systematic review: psychological interventions reduce bother by hot flushes in the short- and medium-term.

PMID: 29542222 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]

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Mindfulness, cognitive behavioural and behaviour-based therapy for natural and treatment-induced menopausal symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Posted on March 16, 2018 by






CONCLUSIONS: Psychological interventions reduced hot flush bother in the short and medium-term and menopausal symptoms in the short-term. These results are especially relevant for breast cancer survivors in whom HRT is contraindicated. There was a lack of studies reporting on the influence on sexual functioning. Continue reading →

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Mindfulness, cognitive behavioural and behaviour-based therapy for natural and treatment-induced menopausal symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Posted on March 16, 2018 by






CONCLUSIONS: Psychological interventions reduced hot flush bother in the short and medium-term and menopausal symptoms in the short-term. These results are especially relevant for breast cancer survivors in whom HRT is contraindicated. There was a lack of studies reporting on the influence on sexual functioning. Continue reading →

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Visual complaints of patients with glaucoma and controls under optimal and extreme luminance conditions.

Posted on March 12, 2018 by






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Visual complaints of patients with glaucoma and controls under optimal and extreme luminance conditions.

Acta Ophthalmol. 2018 Mar 09;:

Authors: Bierings RAJM, van Sonderen FLP, Jansonius NM

Abstract
PURPOSE: To determine (i) whether, compared to controls, visual complaints of glaucoma patients are more pronounced under extreme luminance conditions than in the optimal luminance condition and (ii) whether complaints belonging to different extreme luminance conditions are associated.
METHODS: We developed a luminance-specific questionnaire and sent it to 221 glaucoma patients (response rate 81%); controls (182) were primarily their spouses. Median (interquartile range) mean deviation of the visual field of the patients’ better eye was -4.5 (-10.7 to -1.9) dB. Questions were addressing visual performance under five luminance conditions: presumed optimal (outdoor on a cloudy day), low, high, sudden decrease and sudden increase. We compared percentages of patients and controls who reported visual complaints while performing activities under different luminance conditions.
RESULTS: Percentages of patients and controls with visual complaints were 4 versus 0% (p = 0.02) for optimal luminance and 48 versus 6% (p < 0.001), 22 versus 1% (p < 0.001), 32 versus 1% (p < 0.001) and 25 versus 3% (p < 0.001) for low, high, sudden decrease and sudden increase in luminance. Within the group of glaucoma patients, the frequency of complaints increased significantly with increasing disease severity at a Bonferroni-corrected p value of 0.003 for all but one (p = 0.005) luminance-specific questions that addressed extreme luminance conditions.
CONCLUSION: The concept of (early stage) glaucoma as an asymptomatic disease is only valid with optimal luminance. Differences in visual complaints between glaucoma patients and controls are greater under extreme luminance conditions, especially in the dark. The fact that the cases were aware of their diagnosis could have induced bias.

PMID: 29520960 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]

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Visual complaints of patients with glaucoma and controls under optimal and extreme luminance conditions

Posted on March 10, 2018 by






CONCLUSION: The concept of (early stage) glaucoma as an asymptomatic disease is only valid with optimal luminance. Differences in visual complaints between glaucoma patients and controls are greater under extreme luminance conditions, especially in the dark. The fact that the cases were aware of their diagnosis could have induced bias. Continue reading →

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Visual complaints of patients with glaucoma and controls under optimal and extreme luminance conditions

Posted on March 10, 2018 by






CONCLUSION: The concept of (early stage) glaucoma as an asymptomatic disease is only valid with optimal luminance. Differences in visual complaints between glaucoma patients and controls are greater under extreme luminance conditions, especially in the dark. The fact that the cases were aware of their diagnosis could have induced bias. Continue reading →

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Use of the nominal group technique to identify stakeholder priorities and inform survey development: an example with informal caregivers of people with scleroderma

Posted on March 4, 2018 by






CONCLUSIONS: The NGT was an efficient method for obtaining survey items directly from SSc caregivers on important challenges and preferences for support services. Continue reading →

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