Family therapists offer a valuable but underutilized resource for families affected by cancer. This article reviews a number of clinical interventions directed toward the following four core strategies: (a) enhancing communication and emotional contact, (b) accommodating structural changes within the family, (c) facilitating a sense of meaning,…

Compared the sun protection behaviors (SPBs) of physicians and patients from a Rhode Island teaching hospital. Survey data indicated that physicians and patients did not differ in their overall use of SPBs, though they differed in their regular use of specific SPBs (physicians were more likely to use sunscreen, while patients were more likely to…

Investigated the effect of aerobic exercise on physiological and psychological function in people rehabilitating from cancer treatment. Data on people participating in control, moderate-intensity exercise, and low-intensity exercise groups indicated that both exercise programs were equally effective in improving physiological function,…

Used phenomenological method to investigate the lived-experiences of cancer patients (N=5) who participated in a group therapy program called "forgiveness therapy" which focused on relief and dissipation of negative feelings and the resolution of painful psychological issues associated with cancer. Findings suggest that forgiveness…

Art work produced by geriatric patient on psychiatric ward illustrated metaphors of loss. After three months, patient was diagnosed with liver cancer; she died three weeks later. All work was produced before cancer diagnosis, yet it showed similarities to work by cancer patients, suggesting that client unconsciously knew she was dying and worked…

Reports on abandoned study examining potential benefits of psychotherapy to terminal cancer patients. Preliminary feasibility study found physicians' attitudes toward their dying patients as reformed and progressive. Interest shown by physicians did not translate into tangible research effort in spite of active pursuit by investigator over period…

Empirically examined counselors' (n=2) work behaviors with cancer patients and families in hospital setting. Results indicated most of work behaviors performed by the counselors were specialized to a hospital setting, and within this domain, most common work behavior observed was in clinical supervision of volunteers, the second-most in the…

Assessed association of young age at treatment, cranial irradiation, and time since treatment with intellectual deterioration among 49 long-term survivors of childhood leukemia. Found no significant effects of treatment group (low-dose cranial irradiation versus high-dose chemotherapy) or age at treatment. Small but statistically significant…

Compares a technical publication department riding out a recession to an individual discovering she has cancer and recovering from surgery and chemotherapy. Outlines how to assist publication departments to recovery from the economic recession. (SR)

Sixty cancer chemotherapy patients were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: relaxation training with guided relaxation imagery (RT), general coping preparation (PREP), both RT and PREP, or routine clinic treatment only. Found that PREP intervention increased patients' knowledge of disease and treatment, reduced anticipatory side effects,…

Synthesizes past studies of illness, stress, coping, and social support and offers a model of communicative support, based on problematic integration theory, that emphasizes two major dimensions of meaning in the breast cancer experience. Suggests that supportive messages are designed to help the breast cancer patient manage both perceptions of…

Research on the impact of cancer on the family is reviewed with regard to both the clinical course of cancer and the developmental stages of the family system. Combining these two dimensions provides insight into the current literature regarding cancer's impact on the family, intervention strategies, and future directions. (Author/EMK)

This review will describe the neurocognitive outcomes associated with pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and its treatment. The literature is reviewed with the aim of addressing methodological issues, treatment factors, risks and moderators, special populations, relationship to neuroimaging findings, and directions for future research.…

Low levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and psychosocial distress have been reported in pediatric cancer survivors. One explanation is the relatively high prevalence of the repressive adaptive style (low distress, high restraint) in this population. We investigated the relationship between this…

Context: Research is limited regarding the potential of genetic testing for cancer risk in rural Appalachia. Purpose: This study examined perceptions of genetic testing in a population sample of Kentuckians, with a focus on Appalachian and rural differences. The goals were to examine cultural and psychosocial factors that may predict intentions to…