Disturbances In Cancer Survivors Research Articles

Trajectories of sleep disturbance in cancer survivors during the first 2 years post-treatment.

To examine the trajectories of sleep disturbance in cancer survivors during the first 2 years post-treatment and to investigate whether psychological, cognitive, and physical factors differentiate trajectories. A total of 623 Chinese cancer survivors of diverse cancer types participated in a 2-year-long prospective study after the completion of cancer treatment. Sleep disturbance was measured using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at 3 (T2), 6 (T3), 12 (T4), 18 (T5), and 24 (T6) months after baseline (within 6-months post-treatment; T1). Latent growth mixture modeling identified distinctive sleep disturbance trajectories and tested if these longitudinal patterns were predicted by baseline psychological distress, attentional control, attentional bias and physical symptom distress and T2 cancer-related distress. Fully adjusted multinomial logistic regression then identified whether these factors differentiated trajectories. Two distinct sleep disturbance trajectories were identified, namely stable good sleepers (69.7%) and persistent high sleep disturbance (30.3%). Compared to those in the stable good sleep group, patients in the persistent high sleep disturbance group were less likely to report avoidant (OR=0.49, 95% CI = 0.26-0.90), while more likely to report intrusive thoughts (OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.06-2.92) and cancer-related hyperarousal (OR = 3.37, 95% CI = 1.78-6.38). Higher depression scores also predicted persistent high sleep disturbance group membership (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.03-1.25). Attentional bias, attentional control, anxiety, and physical symptom distress did not predict sleep trajectory membership. One in three cancer survivors experienced persistent high sleep disturbance. Screening and managing depressive symptoms and cancer-related distress in early cancer rehabilitation may reduce risk of persistent sleep disturbance among cancer survivors.

Sleep disturbance in cancer survivors with lymphedema: a scoping review.

The purpose of this study is to identify the amount and scope of knowledge on sleep disturbance in cancer survivors who have lymphedema. The research question investigated was "what are the known sleep disturbances in cancer survivors with lymphedema?" A literature search was performed on February 15 to March 27, 2021, in four databases following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and structure recommended by Arksey and O'Malley. An iterative process of study selection was performed by two reviewers for abstract and full-text review. The Joanna Briggs Institute's critical appraisal tools were used to analyze study quality. One hundred twenty-one unique references were reviewed, and seven met the inclusion criteria. One article had the primary aim of assessing sleep and noted that the presence of lymphedema did increase the risk for sleep disturbance. Four cross-sectional studies compared sleep quality between cancer survivors with lymphedema and cancer survivors without lymphedema. These studies found that lymphedema is a significant predictor of insomnia and is a risk factor for insomnia. Two randomized control trials compared sleep among breast cancer survivors with lymphedema after an intervention. Sleep improved with a yoga intervention and was unchanged after adding a night-time compression garment. In this scoping review, breast and gynecological cancer survivors with lymphedema report increased sleep disturbance compared to survivors without lymphedema. Further research is needed to characterize the specific sleep disturbances in cancer survivors with lymphedema for improved screening and treatment.

Mental time travel in patients “cured” from primary central nervous system lymphoma

ABSTRACT Introduction: Significant advances in neuro-oncological treatment led to considering neurocognitive functioning and everyday functional needs in patients with long-term survival. Since a potentially lethal disease interrupts normal life and represents a threat to physical and psychological integrity, patients have to cope with the new challenges. Long-term survival and even “cure” is possible in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), however, suffering from a life-threatening disease may affect patients´ cognitive processing of past and future (i.e., the generation of personal past memories and generation of personal future events). Therefore, the present study aimed to assess how PCNSL long-term survivors remember their past and anticipate their future. Methods: Recall of past and anticipation of future events (i.e., mental time travel), both positive and negative, was assessed in 39 PCNSL patients with ongoing complete remission to therapy for at least 1 year in an adapted verbal fluency paradigm. A group of 39 healthy controls matched for age, gender and education was assessed with the same paradigm evaluating retrospective and prospective cognitions. Results: Concerning the generation of personal future events PCNSL patients anticipated significantly fewer negative events for the distant future as compared to healthy controls. At trend level, patients also reported fewer negative events regarding their recent past. Conclusions: The results provide support for an altered generation of personal future events (i.e., future-directed assumptions) in PCNSL patients with ongoing complete remission. Being “cured” after experiencing a threat to life might induce cognitive reappraisal processes and lead people to reexamine their priorities and principles in life, resulting in a less negative evaluation of (future) life (i.e., “optimism bias”) after facing death. Clinicians should be aware of these possible cognitive and affective processes and of chronic psychological disturbances in cancer survivors. Possible adaptive strategies ought to be promoted in supportive (neuro)psychological therapy.

Postdiagnosis Physical Activity: Association With Long-Term Fatigue and Sleep Disturbance in Older Adult Breast Cancer Survivors.

Physical activity is frequently proposed as an intervention to reduce fatigue and sleep disturbance in cancer survivors; however, the long-term effects of physical activity are often not reported, and older adults are typically excluded from these intervention studies. This article aimed to examine if postdiagnosis physical activity is associated with lower long-term fatigue and sleep disturbance in older adult breast cancer survivors. Data were analyzed of a prospective cohort of 440 breast cancer survivors aged 65 years or older from the Women's Health Initiative study. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were used to examine associations of physical activity with fatigue and sleep disturbance. Higher postdiagnosis physical activity was associated with lower long-term fatigue but was not associated with lower sleep disturbance after adjusting for demographics, cancer characteristics, and baseline measures.

DF2726A, a new IL-8 signalling inhibitor, is able to counteract chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common dose-limiting side effect of several anti-neoplastics and a main cause of sensory disturbances in cancer survivors, negatively impacting patients’ quality of life. Peripheral nerve degeneration or small fibre neuropathy is generally accepted as the underlying mechanism in the development of CIPN. Recent evidence has contributed to clarify the determinant role of cytokines and chemokines in the process leading to neuronal hyperexcitability. Exposure to oxaliplatin triggers alterations in peripheral neuropathic pathways previously linked to IL-8 pathway. We investigated a novel selective inhibitor of IL-8 receptors, DF2726A, and showed its effects in counteracting CINP pathways, extending the relevance of the activation of IL-8 pathway to the class of platinum chemotherapeutics. Based on our results, we suggest that DF2726A might be a promising candidate for clinical treatment of CIPN conditions due to its efficacy and optimized pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic profile.

Cancer treatment and behavioral symptoms: Links to aging biology

Cancer survivors are at risk of increased comorbidity after cancer treatments and often have poorer physical function than peers without cancer. Coupled with declines in physical health, many patients experience lasting behavioral symptoms after cessation of treatments including fatigue, worse cognitive function, and depressive symptoms. We tested the hypothesis that cancer treatments are related to aging pathways that promote inflammation, and that these markers may be associated with behavioral symptoms. We evaluated 94 women (80% White) who had completed treatment for early-stage breast cancer 3–7 years previously. Participants completed neuropsychological testing, questionnaires, and provided blood for assessment of circulating inflammatory cytokines, leukocyte DNA damage, and peripheral blood mononuclear cell telomerase enzymatic activity and telomere length. Women who had received chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy had higher DNA damage and lower telomerase than women with neither treatment (p’s < 0.05). Higher DNA damage and lower telomerase were each associated with higher levels of the inflammatory marker sTNF-RII (p’s < 0.05) and with worse cognitive functioning, fatigue, and depressive symptoms (p’s < 0.05). Years after treatment completion, patients who had received chemotherapy and/or radiation exhibited signs of cellular aging, which were in turn associated with elevated inflammatory markers and behavioral symptoms. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether treatment-induced accelerated aging may lead to inflammation and associated behavioral disturbances in cancer survivors.

Moving Toward Evidence-Based Complementary Care

79. Nakamura Y, Lipschitz DL, Kuhn R, Kinney AY, Donaldson GW. Investigating efficacy of two brief mind-body intervention programs for managing sleep disturbance in cancer survivors: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2013;7(2):165-182. 80. Omidi A, Mohammadkhani P, Mohammadi A, Zargar F. Comparing mindfulness based cognitive therapy and traditional cognitive behavior therapy with treatments as usual on reduction of major depressive disorder symptoms. Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2013;15(2):142-146.

Investigating efficacy of two brief mind–body intervention programs for managing sleep disturbance in cancer survivors: a pilot randomized controlled trial

PurposeAfter completing treatment, cancer survivors may suffer from a multitude of physical and mental health impairments, resulting in compromised quality of life. This exploratory study investigated whether two mind–body interventions, i.e., Mind–Body Bridging (MBB) and Mindfulness Meditation (MM), could improve posttreatment cancer survivors’ self-reported sleep disturbance and comorbid symptoms, as compared to sleep hygiene education (SHE) as an active control.MethodsThis randomized controlled trial examined 57 cancer survivors with clinically significant self-reported sleep disturbance, randomly assigned to receive MBB, MM, or SHE. All interventions were conducted in three sessions, once per week. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed via the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale and other indicators of psychosocial functioning relevant to quality of life, stress, depression, mindfulness, self-compassion, and well-being.ResultsMixed effects model analysis revealed that mean sleep disturbance symptoms in the MBB (p = .0029) and MM (p = .0499) groups were lower than in the SHE group, indicating that both mind–body interventions improved sleep. In addition, compared with the SHE group, the MBB group showed reductions in self-reported depression symptoms (p = .040) and improvements in overall levels of mindfulness (p = .018), self-compassion (p = .028), and well-being (p = .019) at postintervention.ConclusionsThis study provides preliminary evidence that brief sleep-focused MBB and MM are promising interventions for sleep disturbance in cancer survivors. Integrating MBB or MM into posttreatment supportive plans should enhance care of cancer survivors with sleep disturbance. Because MBB produced additional secondary benefits, MBB may serve as a promising multipurpose intervention for posttreatment cancer survivors suffering from sleep disturbance and other comorbid symptoms.Implications for Cancer SurvivorsTwo brief sleep-focused mind–body interventions investigated in the study were effective in reducing sleep disturbance and one of them further improved other psychosocial aspects of the cancer survivors’ life. Management of sleep problems in survivors is a high priority issue that demands more attention in cancer survivorship.