Aims: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the factors influencing nurse-patient communication in cancer care in Iran. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with a qualitative conventional content analysis approach in oncology wards of hospitals in Tabriz. Data was collected through purposive sampling by semi-structured deep interviews with nine patients, three family members and five nurses and analyzed simultaneously. Robustness of data analysis was evaluated by the participants and external control. Results: The main theme of the research emerged as "three-factor effects" that demonstrates all the factors related to the patient, nurse, and the organization and includes three categories of "Patient as the center of communication", "Nurse as a human factor", and "Organizational structures". The first category consists of two sub-categories of "Imposed changes by the disease" and "the patient's particular characteristics". The second category includes sub-categories of "sense of vulnerability" and "perception of professional self: Pre-requisite of patient-centered communication". The third category consists of the sub-categories of "workload and time imbalance", "lack of supervision", and "impose duties in context of neglecting nurse and patient needs". Characteristics of the patients, nurses, and care environment seemed to be the influential factors on the communication. Conclusions: In order to communicate with cancer patients effectively, changes in philosophy and culture of the care environment are essential. Nurses must receive proper trainings which meet their needs and which focus on holistic and patient-centered approach.

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Aims: The aim of the present study is to assess the level and areas of stress among care givers nursing their loved ones suffering from cancer. Setting and Design: An assessment of care givers' stress providing care to cancer patients at Cipla Palliative Care Center was conducted. The study involves data collection using a questionnaire and subsequent analysis. Materials and Methods: A close-ended questionnaire that had seven sections on different aspects of caregivers' stress was developed and administered to 137 participants and purpose of conducting the survey was explained to their understanding. Caregivers who were willing to participate were asked to read and/or explained the questions and requested to reply as per the scales given. Data was collected in the questionnaires and was quantitatively analyzed. Results: The study results showed that overall stress level among caregivers is 5.18 ± 0.26 (on a scale of 0-10); of the total, nearly 62% of caregivers were ready to ask for professional help from nurses, medical social workers and counselors to cope up with their stress. Conclusion: Stress among caregivers ultimately affects quality of care that is being provided to the patient. This is also because they are unprepared to provide care, have inadequate knowledge about care giving along with financial burden, physical and emotional stress. Thus interventions are needed to help caregivers to strengthen their confidence in giving care and come out with better quality of care.

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Background: Do not resuscitate (DNR) orders are one of many challenging issues in end of life care. Previous research has not investigated Muslim nurses' attitudes towards DNR orders. Aims: This study aims to investigate the attitude of Iranian nurses towards DNR orders and determine the role of religious sects in forming attitudes. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-comparative study, 306 nurses from five hospitals affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (TUOMS) in East Azerbaijan Province and three hospitals in Kurdistan province participated. Data were gathered by a survey design on attitudes on DNR orders. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) software examining descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Participants showed their willingness to learn more about DNR orders and highlights the importance of respecting patients and their families in DNR orders. In contrast, in many key items participants reported their negative attitude towards DNR orders. There were statistical differences in two items between the attitude of Shiite and Sunni nurses. Conclusions: Iranian nurses, regardless of their religious sects, reported negative attitude towards many aspects of DNR orders. It may be possible to change the attitude of Iranian nurses towards DNR through education.

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Background: Palliative care is an emerging area of medicine with potential to affect positively many chronically ill patients. This study investigated the knowledge and attitude of healthcare workers in a tertiary level hospital in Nigeria where a palliative care unit is being established. Material and Methods: The study was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study carried out among healthcare workers in Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, south-west Nigeria. The questionnaire had sections about definition of palliative care, its philosophy, communication issues, medications, and contexts about its practice. The information obtained from the questionnaire was coded, entered, and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 19. Results: A total of 170 questionnaires were returned within the stipulated time frame with response rate of 66.7%. Majority, (135, 86%) respondents felt palliative care was about the active management of the dying while 70.5% of respondents equated palliative care to pain management. Regarding the philosophy of palliative care, 70 (57.9%) thought that it affirms life while 116 (78.4%) felt palliative care recognizes dying as a normal process. One hundred and twenty-two (78.7%) respondents were of the opinion that all dying patients would require palliative care. The patient should be told about the prognosis according to 122 (83%) respondents and not doing so could lead to lack of trust (85%). Regarding the area of opioid use in palliative care, 76% of respondents agreed that morphine improves the quality of life of patients. Conclusion: There are plausible gaps in the knowledge of the healthcare workers in the area of palliative care. Interventions are needed to improve their capacity.

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Penile metastasis secondary to primary bladder cancer is a rare entity and represents a challenging problem. The common mode of spread to the penis is by retrograde venous route. The overall outcome is dismal and most patients will die within 1 year even after optimum treatment. Here, we report two such cases.

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Context: Palliative care in Thailand was not well developed in the past. Previous studies showed that the actual prescription of opioids was underutilized in palliative care by physicians compared with the estimated opioid need of patients. However, there were no studies regarding the regulation of opioids in Thailand. Aims: To provide an up-to-date overview of the role of multidisciplinary teams in the regulation of opioids in Thai government hospitals. Settings and Design: A questionnaire survey study was conducted from January to April 2012. Materials and Methods: The questionnaire was distributed to entire population of government hospitals in Thailand and all private hospitals in Bangkok. There were 975 hospitals, including 93 private hospitals in Bangkok and 882 government hospitals. Statistical analysis used: Results are presented as a frequency and percentage. Results: Special opioid prescription forms must be signed by doctors for all opioid prescriptions. Three-fourths of hospitals totally prohibited prescribing oral opioids by palliative care Advance Practice Nurses. Pharmacists were permitted to correct the technical errors on a prescription of oral morphine only after notifying the prescribing doctor in nearly 60% of hospitals. In terminal patients who could not go to the hospitals, caregivers were permitted to collect the opioids on behalf of patients in nearly 80% of hospitals. Conclusion: Our results illustrate that the regulation of opioids in government hospitals is mainly dependent on physician judgment. Patients can only receive oral morphine at a hospital pharmacy.

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Aims: The purposes of this study were to assess the symptoms of hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients after hospital discharge, and to determine the needs of transplant patients for symptom management. Materials and Methods: The study adopted a descriptive design. The study sample comprised of 66 hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. The study was conducted in Istanbul. Data were collected using Patient Information Form and Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS). Results: The frequency of psychological symptoms in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients after discharge period (PSYCH subscale score 2.11 (standard deviation (SD) = 0.69, range: 0.93-3.80)) was higher in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients than frequency of physical symptoms (PHYS subscale score: 1.59 (SD = 0.49, range: 1.00-3.38)). Symptom distress caused by psychological and physical symptoms were at moderate level (Mean = 1.91, SD = 0.60, range: 0.95-3.63) and most distressing symptoms were problems with sexual interest or activity, difficulty sleeping, and diarrhea. Patients who did not have an additional chronic disease obtained higher MSAS scores. University graduates obtained higher Global Distress Index (GDI) subscale and total MSAS scores with comparison to primary school graduates. Total MSAS, MSAS-PHYS subscale, and MSAS-PSYCH subscale scores were higher in patients with low level of income (P < 0.05). The patients (98.5%) reported to receive education about symptom management after hospital discharge. Conclusions: Hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients continue to experience many distressing physical or psychological symptoms after discharge and need to be supported and educated for the symptom management.

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Aim: Transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the oral cavity is a rare event, despite detectable virus in saliva and oropharyngeal tissues of infected persons, unlike other mucosal sites. Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) has been suggested as the main soluble factor responsible for the HIV inhibitory effect of saliva. The study was designed to estimate and compare the salivary SLPI levels in HIV patients and healthy controls. Furthermore, the relationship between salivary SLPI levels and disease severity was also investigated. Materials and Methods: Unstimulated whole saliva specimens were collected from 60 HIV-infected and 20 healthy subjects. Disease severity was determined by CD4 count in HIV subjects, who were divided into two groups: ≥200 cells/μL (n = 30) and < 200 cells/μL n = 30. Salivary SLPI levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Numerically higher SLPI levels were observed in HIV subjects 193.342 ng/mL vs. 190.587 ng/mL; P = 0.517. A nonsignificant negative correlation was noted between CD4 counts and SLPI levels r = −0.037, P = 0.781. Conclusion: The salivary anti-HIV factor, SLPI, is not only preserved in HIV infection but its concentration may even get enhanced in the infection. However, the clinical significance of SLPI levels and disease severity should be investigated further with a larger sample of patients.

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Synchronous double malignancies involving different organs are relatively rare and uncommon finding. We report an interesting case of double malignancy in which a patient exhibited synchronous two separate carcinomas, pancreatic and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patient was a 64-year-old male who presented primarily with symptoms pertaining to the biliary obstruction and ultrasound of abdomen revealing pancreatic head mass. HCC was detected incidentally during the investigations for carcinoma pancreas.

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Anaplastic carcinoma (AC) or undifferentiated carcinoma of the pancreas is a rare variant among the malignant pancreatic neoplasms. These tumors have a poor prognosis with survival measured in months. The role of surgical palliation to improve the quality of life is not well defined in these patients. We report a case of AC of pancreas in a 65-year-old male patient. Patient had upper abdominal pain with frequent bilious vomiting. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen showed a mass in the body of pancreas with possible infiltration of duodenojejunal flexure (DJF). Laparotomy revealed an inoperable mass with posterior fixity and involvement of the DJF. Patient underwent a palliative duodenojejunostomy. Tissue biopsy from the tumor showed pleomorphic type AC with giant cells. Patient had good symptomatic relief from profuse vomiting and progressed well at follow up. AC of pancreas is a rare and aggressive malignancy with dismal outlook. If obstructive symptoms are present due to duodenal involvement, a palliative bypass may be a worthwhile surgical option in selected cases.

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