This thesis focuses on the cultural construction of cancer experience in a modern clinical context. A French Canadian center, specializing in cancer treatment, was the main source of information for this study. Facts obtained from this setting served for the analysis. The first step in the proposed method, consisted of an ethnographic description of the clinical milieu observed. Next, five additional steps in the analysis indicated the principal elements of this cultural encounter with cancer. These steps included: (1) An analysis of the staff exchange; (2) An analysis of the patient's exchange; (3) An analysis of the documents on Terry Fox and Johnny Rougeau, heroic victims of cancer; (4) An exploration of the patients' lay knowledge on cancer; (5) A life story of a cancerous patient where by the dialectic trends between exchange, knowledge and experience are analysed. / The resultant three hypotheses deal with the emergence of a new exchange on cancer with an emphasis on hope and god morale, the homology of cancer exchanges in the clinical and social spheres, and finally concerning the nature of the layman's knowledge on cancer as making sense out of a troubling experience of liminality and alienation as well as the more open and dynamic character of the layperson's knowledge of cancer.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1978. / Bibliography: leaves 214-221. / Microfiche. / ix, 221 leaves, bound 29 cm

Thesis (M.F.A.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 66). / iv, 73 leaves, bound col. ill. 29 cm

Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 34-37).

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Thesis (MNutr (Human Nutrition))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Background: Cancer patients have been documented to use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) frequently, a subject that has been extensively researched. There is however a lack in the current literature of controlled studies that investigate the prevalence of CAM use among cancer patients compared to non-cancer controls. Aim: To assess and compare the prevalence of dietary related CAM use among adult cancer patients and non-cancer controls in the Norwich area, England. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were used to survey cancer patients attending a comprehensive cancer centre in Norwich, and non-cancer controls attending three dental surgeries also in the Norwich area. Questions addressed patient demographics, information relating to cancer diagnosis (cancer cases only) and information on CAM use. CAM users were asked about types and duration of CAM use, reasons for use, information sources used, disclosure to health professionals, reported side effects and benefits and satisfaction with CAM therapies. Results: Questionnaires were distributed to 132 cancer cases and 126 controls, with 98 and 96 assessable replies received from the cases and controls respectively. Overall, 47% of the cancer cases used CAM, in comparison to 53% of the control group, with no significant difference (p=0.673) between the two groups. Large quantities of juice, multivitamins, fish oils and glucosamine were the most popular CAM therapies among the two groups. Usage was significantly associated with the cancer site (p=0.036) and duration of cancer diagnosis (p=0.050). Only 54% of the cancer cases and 44% of the controls informed a health professional about their CAM use. The main reasons for using CAM were to boost the immune system and to improve quality of life. Reported benefits included increased optimism and hope. Conclusions: Although CAM was commonly used by British cancer patients, there was no significant difference in comparison to the non-cancer controls. Therefore, increased awareness and knowledge of CAM use should not be limited only to those working with oncology patients, but be extended to health professionals in all patient groups.

The aim of this thesis is to understand the experiences of eight American high school students who have been diagnosed with cancer. By increasing understanding of the challenges that adolescents in cancer survivorship experience, better support can be identified. The experience of cancer survivorship influences the physical, psychological, and social experiences of patients. As the survival rate of childhood cancers continues to increase, death becomes less likely making the need to maintain educational engagement during survivorship increasingly important. The research questions for this study were designed to address two main gaps in the current field of research. The first research question aims to address how the physical and psychological effects of cancer and treatment impact the participants' engagement with school. The second research question aims to understand the role that school plays for adolescents in cancer survivorship, including how participants experienced supplemental education during and after cancer treatment. This study uses a qualitative research methodology to address the research questions utilizing primarily semi-structured interviews and an adjusted version of the Adolescent Coping Scale. When used in combination with the interviews, the scale provides a picture of what the participants experienced and how they have been able to cope with the challenges they have faced. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was used to provide structure to the interview analysis. The results of this study show that fatigue and a compromised immune system have an impact on school attendance more than other physical effects during cancer treatment. As a result, adolescents are most at-risk of experiencing challenges in educational engagement during treatment. The results of this study also show that the feeling of uncertainty throughout cancer survivorship promotes fear and the feeling of a loss of control. Once treatment ends, fear of relapse is common. Physical and psychological effects were felt to improve as time passed. Another key result of this study is that the cancer experience results in a shift in perspective that becomes incorporated into the formation of identity. Participants feel different from peers as a result of the physical and psychological effects of the cancer experience. The results from the Adolescent Coping Scale indicate that school achievement, relapse and the worsening of physical side effects, and being treated different by peers were common concerns for the participants regarding their school, illness, and social concerns, respectively. Lastly, the participants view supplemental education as successful if it meets their personal academic and physical needs, is implemented consistently, and helps them to feel emotionally supported and socially connected. However, more research is needed that focuses on the implementation of policy at the state and district levels to discern whether this is a common challenge unique to this population of students with a physical or medical disability. The sample available for this research topic is not only limited to an extremely small population, but they are also a highly guarded population, making access for recruitment challenging. However, while generalization is difficult with a study of this size, the evidence collected on the participants' experiences during and after treatment provides valuable data on aspects of supplemental education implementation.

Bakgrund: Cancersmärta är både akut och långvarig vilket påverkar de drabbade fysiskt, psykiskt och existentiellt. Som sjuksköterska är det av stor vikt att identifiera och värdera smärta med olika smärtskattningsinstrument. Syfte: Att undersöka cancerdrabbade patienters upplevelse av att skatta sin smärta med smärtskattningsinstrument. Metod: En litteraturstudie med utvalda artiklar från databaserna Pubmed, Cinahl och Scopus. Elva kvalitativa originalartiklar som uppfyllde inklusions- och exklusionskriterierna inkluderades. Resultat: Patienter upplevde att smärtskattningsskalor till största del var lätta att använda och förstå sig på, dock upplevde patienterna vissa skattningsinstrument som förvirrande. Flertalet patienter upplevde att det är lättare att beskriva sin smärta med egna ord istället för att använda en skala. Många upplevde även att de inte blev tagna på allvar av vårdpersonal vid smärtskattning. Slutsats: Cancersmärta är komplext och en individuell typ av smärta. Patienter upplevde olika smärtskattningsskalor på olika sätt. Ansvarig sjuksköterska bör ha möjligheten att erbjuda flera typer av skalor för att kunna behandla smärtan på ett adekvat sätt. / Background: Cancer pain causes both acute and long-term pain and affects patients both physically, psychologically and existentially. As a nurse it's important to identify and assess pain with different pain measurements. Aim: To examine how cancer patients experience pain using pain measurement tools.   Method: A literature study was used with articles from the databases Pubmed, Cinahl and Scopus. Eleven qualitative original articles who met the studies inclusion- and exclusion criteria were included. Results: Patients mostly experienced the pain measurement tools to be easy to use and understand. Some patients experienced the measurement tool as confusing and preferred to describe their pain with own words instead of using a scale. Many patients felt that they were not being taken seriously by the staff when they measure their pain. Conclusion: Cancer pain is a complex and individual type of pain. Patients experienced various pain measurement tools differently. Therefore the nurse in charge should have the ability to offer different types of measurement tools to be able to treat the pain adequately

Thesis: The role of the nurse in the nutrition of cancer patients. Nutritional issues concerning cancer patients are often discussed in recent years and they are still a current theme of debates. The results from surveys of recent years show the seriousness of the situation and urge to its fast solution. The situation is not favourable: the nutritional care in oncology is still underestimated, even though it forms significant foundation for the general success of treatment

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree Masters of Nursing in the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences 2015 / Background: Oncology nursing continues to evolve in response to advances in cancer treatment. The role of the oncology nurse in the management of cancer in children is very significant as these children go through a lot of emotional trauma due to the disease. Aim and objectives: The aim of the study is to explore and examine the quality of nursing care given to children diagnosed with cancer in Ghana. Some of the objectives are to examine strategies nurses use in planning care; and to determine processes nurses use to evaluate care given. Methodology: A mixed-methods qualitative cross-sectional descriptive design was used. Population and samples: Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Ghana is selected as the research site. The population consists of all nurses working in the hospital and parents/carers looking after children diagnosed with cancer. The samples was nurses working on paediatric wards/clinics, parents/carers, and key informants. Selection of sample groups was opportunistic. Methods of data collection: three sources were used to collect data, i.e. questionnaires for nursing working on paediatric wards/clinics, interviews with nurses and carers, and key informant interviews. Analysis: descriptive statistical analysis of data was undertaken and the three data sources were triangulated to determine similarities and differences of responses. Benefits of the study: The results of the study will be submitted to the hospital management and articles will be submitted to peer-reviewed nursing journals. Key words: paediatric oncology, nurses, oncology nurses, Kumasi, Ghana, Komfo Anokye teaching hospital.