Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent diseases in women. Prevention and treatments have lowered mortality; nevertheless, the impact of the diagnosis and treatment continue to impact all aspects ...of patients' lives (physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and spiritual). This study seeks to explore the experiences of the different stages women with breast cancer go through by means of a patient journey. This is a qualitative study in which 21 women with breast cancer or survivors were interviewed. Participants were recruited at 9 large hospitals in Spain and intentional sampling methods were applied. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview that was elaborated with the help of medical oncologists, nurses, and psycho-oncologists. Data were processed by adopting a thematic analysis approach. The diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer entails a radical change in patients' day-to-day that linger in the mid-term. Seven stages have been defined that correspond to the different medical processes: diagnosis/unmasking stage, surgery/cleaning out, chemotherapy/loss of identity, radiotherapy/transition to normality, follow-up care/the "new" day-to-day, relapse/starting over, and metastatic/time-limited chronic breast cancer. The most relevant aspects of each are highlighted, as are the various cross-sectional aspects that manifest throughout the entire patient journey. Comprehending patients' experiences in depth facilitates the detection of situations of risk and helps to identify key moments when more precise information should be offered. Similarly, preparing the women for the process they must confront and for the sequelae of medical treatments would contribute to decreasing their uncertainty and concern, and to improving their quality-of-life.
The current cancer care system must be improved if we are to have in-depth knowledge about breast cancer patients' experiences throughout all the stages of their disease.
This study seeks to describe ...breast cancer patients' experience over the course of the various stages of illness by means of a journey model.
This is a qualitative descriptive study. Individual, semi-structured interviews will be administered to women with breast cancer and breast cancer survivors. Patients will be recruited from nine large hospitals in Spain and intentional sampling will be used. Data will be collected by means of a semi-structured interview that was elaborated with the help of medical oncologists, nurses, and psycho-oncologists. Data will be processed adopting a thematic analysis approach.
The outcomes of this study will afford new insights into breast cancer patients' experiences, providing guidance to improve the care given to these individuals. This protocol aims to describe the journey of patients with breast cancer through the healthcare system to establish baseline data that will serve as the basis for the development and implementation of a patient-centered, evidence-based clinical pathway.
El objetivo de este trabajo es indagar en la percepción de un grupo de estudiantes universitarios sobre hechos relacionados con la cancelación cultural. ANTECEDENTES. El concepto de censura ha sido ...analizado desde perspectivas como la de Bourdieu (1990) o Foucault (1999), considerando su evolución hacia la corrección política (Manfredi, 201 8) y la cancelación cultural (Fourest, 2021; Ochieng, 2022). MÉTODO. Se diseñó un cuestionario que fue respondido por 298 sujetos para conocer su posicionamiento sobre estos hechos: (1) supresión de cuentos en una biblioteca al atribuirles contenidos sexistas (2019); (2) intento de eliminar la película Lo que el viento se llevó de plataformas de difusión, y supresión de la novela Matar un ruiseñor, por connotaciones racistas (2020); (3) retirada de estatuas de espacios públicos por apología del racismo (2020). RESULTADOS. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto que la mayoría se muestran contrarios a la cancelación, aunque en distinta medida si los hechos están relacionados con ficción o con representación histórica. Asimismo, los contrarios a la cancelación demuestran tener mayor conocimiento cultural, aunque existe un elevado porcentaje de indecisión. DISCUSIÓN. Los hallazgos son la existencia de una panoplia de percepciones sobre la cancelación cultural y una significativa influencia del conocimiento cultural en su percepción.
Relacionar comunicación y liderazgo implica analizar la relación de las funciones informativas básicas y la influencia del líder para ver la relación entre la estructura de su discurso (Tema/Foco) y ...la acción dinamizadora de este a través de sus roles. El discurso destaca expresiones dinámicas que orientan la influencia del líder hacia sus seguidores. Ver esta relación es el eje central de la aportación de este trabajo donde el Foco (función informática básica) engrana la dirección de la acción del líder a través de roles concretos que van definiendo el estilo de liderazgo e influencia. El Cine nos ha proporcionado herramientas comunicativas que nos permiten analizar las particularidades discursivas de emisores de perfil lingüístico específico. En este sentido, determinados roles, como el de líder, organizan y sitúan las funciones informativas básicas de Tema y Foco de manera que el carácter de esta última determine el estilo ´dinamizador´ de dicho rol
The pursuit of convergence and the social behavioral adjustment of conformity are fundamental cooperative behaviors that help people adjust their mental frameworks to reach a common goal. However, ...while social psychology has extensively studied conformity by its influence context, there is still plenty to investigate about the neural cognitive mechanisms involved in this behavior.
We proposed a paradigm with two phases, a pre-activation phase to enhance cooperative tendencies and, later, a social decision-making phase in which dyads had to make a perceptual estimation in three consecutive trials and could converge in their decisions without an explicit request or reward to do so. In Study 1, 80 participants were divided in two conditions. In one condition participants did the pre-activation phase alone, while in the other condition the two participants did it with their partners and could interact freely. In Study 2, we registered the electroencephalographical (EEG) activity of 36 participants in the social decision-making phase.
Study 1 showed behavioral evidence of higher spontaneous convergence in participants who interacted in the pre-activation phase. Event related Potentials (ERP) recorded in Study 2 revealed signal differences in response divergence in different time intervals. Time-frequency analysis showed theta, alpha, and beta evidence related to cognitive control, attention, and reward processing associated with social convergence.
Current results support the spontaneous convergence of behavior in dyads, with increased behavioral adjustment in those participants who have previously cooperated. In addition, neurophysiological components were associated with discrepancy levels between participants, and supported the validity of the experimental paradigm to study spontaneous social behavioral adaptation in experimental settings.
As cancer progresses, patients may experience physical decline, which can impair their ability to carry out essential daily tasks. The aim of this study was to analyze the levels of physical activity ...in patients with advanced cancer undergoing systemic treatment and its relationship with sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological factors. A prospective, cross-sectional, multicenter study was carried out in 15 oncology departments in Spain. Patients with locally advanced, unresectable, or metastatic cancer who were candidates for systemic treatment were included. Participants completed demographic information and psychological scales. In total, 508 patients were included in the study, the majority of whom were male, over the age of 65, and diagnosed with bronchopulmonary tumors (36%) and metastatic disease. Based on their physical activity levels, participants were categorized as sedentary (20%, n = 190), engaging in light physical activity (43%, n = 412), or demonstrating moderate physical activity (37%, n = 351). Patients who were over 65 years old; had a worse baseline status (ECOG ≥ 1); lacked a partner; had a lower educational level; or were retired or unemployed were found to have lower levels of physical activity. Those with sedentary physical activity reported higher levels of psychological distress, anxiety, depression, somatization, and physical symptoms, as well as worse functional status, global health status, and well-being. Understanding the complex interplay between physical activity and sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological factors can help neuroscientists develop tailored exercise interventions that address the unique needs of advanced cancer patients.
The purpose of the study was to compare curability expectations between clinicians and patients and examine the influence of sociodemographic and clinical variables on these expectations and ...satisfaction within the clinician-patient relationship. This prospective study, conducted from February 2020 to May 2023, involved 986 advanced cancer patients. The patients completed questionnaires assessing treatment efficacy and toxicity predictions and the Scale to Assess the Therapeutic Relationship (STAR). Seventy-four percent of advanced cancer patients had an inaccurate perception of treatment curability. Clinicians perceived male patients with lung or digestive cancer without adenocarcinoma at locally advanced stages, with fewer comorbidities and better functional status (ECOG), as having higher curability expectations. Clinicians tended to have more realistic expectations than patients, since they had to consider the presence of treatment's side effects, while patients underestimated the possibility of experiencing these adverse effects. Patients who had more favorable expectations regarding survival and quality of life were found to be more satisfied with the care provided by their oncologists. It is crucial for patients to understand the treatment goals and establish realistic expectations in order to actively participate in decision-making and achieve a better quality of life at the end of life.
Background/objective
The impact a cancer diagnosis and its treatment are affected by psychosocial factors and how these factors interrelate among themselves. The objective of this study was to ...analyze the relationship between optimism and social support in spiritual wellbeing in cancer patients initiating chemotherapy.
Methods
A cross-sectional, multi-center (15 sites), prospective study was conducted with 912 cancer patients who had undergone curative surgery for a stage I–III cancer and were to receive adjuvant chemotherapy. They completed the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness-Spiritual Well-being Scale (FACIT-Sp), Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS).
Results
Significant differences on spirituality scales (meaning/peace and faith) were detected depending on age (≤ 65 vs > 65), sex, marital status, employment, and cancer treatment. Married or partnered participants had significantly higher meaning/peace scores compared to their non-partnered counterparts (
p
= 0.001). Women, > 65 years, unemployed, and patients treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy had significantly higher faith scores versus men, ≤ 65 years, employed, and subjects only receiving adjuvant chemotherapy (all
p
< 0.030). Multivariate analyses indicated that meaning/peace and faith correlated positively with optimism and social support.
Conclusion
During oncological treatment, the positive effects of optimism and social support exhibit a positive correlation with spiritual coping. A brief assessment evaluation of these factors can aid in identifying at risk for a worse adaptation to the disease.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties, convergent validity, and factorial invariance of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) in cancer patients.
...Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to explore the scale's dimensionality and test for strong measurement invariance across sex and age in a cross-sectional, multicenter, prospective study. Patients completed the MSPSS and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS).
A total of 925 consecutive patients were recruited in 13 hospitals between July 2015 and December 2018. The CFA indicated that the original three-factor model was replicated in patients with cancer. The results of the multi-group CFA revealed a strong invariance according to sex and age. The Spanish version of the MSPSS had high estimated reliability with values exceeding .90. The simple sum of the items of each scale was a good indicator of oncology patients' perceived social support. The three MSPSS subscales correlated significantly with the SWLS. Women scored higher on social support by friends than men.
The Spanish version of the MSPSS proved to be a valid, reliable instrument to assess perceived social support in cancer patients.
El presente estudio relaciona los aspectos pragmáticos de los enunciados realizativos con las competencias requeridas por el líder para la gestión del liderazgo. Así, se analizan ambas dimensiones a ...partir de una muestra de interacción comunicativa oral en la que se determinan los usos realizativos desde la “visibilidad” o el “encubrimiento”, tomando como referencia estructuras convencionalizadas que puedan alternan con enunciados de ilocución modalizada. Dicha comparación permite establecer tendencias en el comportamiento lingüístico de un líder. Los enunciados realizativos se relacionan con competencias de liderazgo interpersonales centrados en la acción, mientras los enunciados constatativos se vinculan con un estilo reflexivo-valorativo, en un nivel de interacción intrapersonal.
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