Being diagnosed with and treated for cancer is a traumatic experience. Many cancer patients undergoing treatment manifest psychological distress and physical impairment. But this experience may also serve as a stimulus for positive growth. A growing body of literature addresses the possibility of positive growth through difficult events, a concept…

Context: Although epidemiologic studies have identified elevated cancer risk in farmworkers for some cancer types, little is known about cancer survival in this population. Purpose: To determine if cancer survival differs between a Hispanic farmworker population and the general Hispanic population in California. Methods: Hispanic United Farm…

As people with learning disabilities live longer, and the incidence of cancer is rising, it is of increasing importance to understand the lived cancer experience of this group. Consideration of the viewpoints of people with learning disabilities themselves will facilitate the development of cancer support services that are appropriate and…

Reviews research concerning the nature of the relationship between cancer and suicide and considers its implications on the rational suicide movement. Findings do not indicate a higher incidence of suicide among cancer patients, questioning the rational suicide position. (JAC)

Studied 47 women treated for early gynecologic cancer, 18 women treated for benign gynecologic disease, and 57 gynecologically healthy women. Found that frequency of intercourse declined for women treated for disease, whether malignant or benign. Diminution of sexual excitement was pronounced for women with disease; more severe and distressing for…

Explored effects of mastectomy for breast cancer on individual and marital adjustment among 20 spouse pairs in which wife had single mastectomy. Results indicated that both husbands and wives had adapted to mastectomy and were functioning well as individuals. Measures of marital adjustment, however, indicated serious problems with extremes of…

Discusses three pathographies as models for the "good death." In each, the author organizes the phenomena associated with the illness and death of a spouse from cancer into a coherent pattern. The result is three different paradigms of the experience of dying: "ritual death,""victorious death," and "one's own death." (Author/LLL)

Composed of all or a portion of 13 states, Appalachia is a heterogeneous, economically disadvantaged region of the eastern United States. While mortality from cancer in Appalachia has previously been reported to be elevated, rates of cancer incidence in Appalachia remain unreported. Purpose:To estimate Appalachian cancer incidence by stage and…

Background: Surgical treatment for advanced laryngeal cancer involves complete removal of the larynx ("laryngectomy") and initial total loss of voice. Post-laryngectomy rehabilitation involves implementation of different means of "voicing" for these patients wherever possible. There is little information about laryngectomees'…

Context: Challenges to the identification of hereditary cancer in primary care may be more pronounced in rural Appalachia, a medically underserved region. Purpose: To examine primary care physicians' identification of hereditary cancers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was mailed to family physicians in the midwestern and southeastern United…

To understand young people's low levels of sun protection behaviour, 145 young people (aged 12 to 20 years) were recruited from Queensland, to participate in a one-hour focus group where they discussed issues related to sun protection and images of tanned and non-tanned people. Responses were content analysed to identify common sun protection…

Context: Cancer care requires specialty surgical and medical resources that are less likely to be found in rural areas. Purpose: To examine the travel patterns and distances of rural and urban colorectal cancer (CRC) patients to 3 types of specialty cancer care services--surgery, medical oncology consultation, and radiation oncology consultation.…

Objective and Participants: In 2006, the authors examined intention to receive an HPV vaccine among 340 college students. Methods: A total of 138 men and 202 women completed questionnaires. The authors measured intention by asking participants how likely they would be to accept an HPV vaccine that prevented against (1) all HPV, (2) cervical cancer…

Purpose: Remembering medical treatment information may be particularly taxing for older cancer patients, but to our knowledge this ability has never been assessed in this specific age group only. Our purpose in this study was to investigate older cancer patients' recall of information after patient education preceding chemotherapy. Design and…

Accurately detecting emotional expression in women with primary breast cancer participating in support groups may be important for therapists and researchers. In 2 small studies (N = 20 and N = 16), the authors examined whether video coding, human text coding, and automated text analysis provided consistent estimates of the level of emotional…