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Biomedical subjects

A T Foltz

Publications and source records attributed to A T Foltz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Application of carcinogenesis theory to primary prevention.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To apply current cancer development theory to concepts of and interventions for cancer prevention. DATA SOURCES: Current medical and nursing literature. DATA SYNTHESIS: Carcinogenesis is a complex process that is only partially understood. The information that is available supports efforts to control the disease. However, the lack of detailed understanding limits attempts to alter the course of cancer. CONCLUSION: The understanding that cancer is the result of cumulative genetic errors can be used to direct oncology nursing interventions to prevent the disease. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Oncology nurses should be aware of the various factors that influence cancer development to prescribe primary prevention measures. Nurses also must be aware that efforts to understand carcinogenesis and exploit that knowledge are ongoing. Awareness of advances in the understanding of cancer development are keys to appropriate patient care.

Chemoprevention↗
PubMed2000

Issues in determining cancer screening recommendations: who, what, and when.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of the issues involved in evaluating and choosing cancer screening guidelines. DATA SOURCES: Current epidemiologic literature. DATA SYNTHESIS: Screening is universally accepted as being important for cancer control. A number of organizations have developed cancer screening guidelines. However, agreement on who should be screened, with what tests, and at what ages and intervals is far from universal. Choice of screening guidelines may be influenced by differences in populations of interest and considerations of screening effectiveness. CONCLUSION: Directing patients toward appropriate screening tests and intervals requires attention to information about screening tests and to individual and institutional characteristics. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Oncology nurses should be aware of the various issues that influence cancer screening recommendations. Nurses advising patients about or developing cancer screening services must consider identifying both the patient population to be screened and factors influencing screening test effectiveness. This information then can be used to choose the most appropriate guidelines from those available. Consideration of the issues also can be applied as advances in screening evolve.

Guidelines as Topic↗
PubMed2000

Doctorally-prepared nurses: different practice settings, different views.

Nurse researchers in academic and clinical settings have the ultimate goal of improving nursing care while balancing the demands of education, the institution, research, and nursing service. The setting shapes the focus of research, the choice of research models, and the parameters of the position. The setting also influences available resources and the services rendered to the institution and the community. The functions of doctorally-prepared nurses in academic and clinical settings are compared. A better understanding of the functions of nurses in each setting could lead to better informed employment choices and improved collaborative efforts.

Education, Nursing, Graduate↗
PubMed1997

Doctorally-prepared nurses: different practice settings, different views.

Nurse researchers in academic and clinical settings have the ultimate goal of improving nursing care while balancing the demands of education, their institution, research, and nursing service. The setting shapes the focus of research, the choice of research models, and the parameters of the position. The setting also influences available resources and the services rendered to the institution and the community. The functions of doctorally-prepared nurses in academic and clinical settings are compared. A better understanding of the functions of nurses in each setting could lead to better informed employment choices and improved collaborative efforts.

Education, Nursing, Graduate↗
PubMed1996

Recalled side effects and self-care actions of patients receiving inpatient chemotherapy.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To increase knowledge of the incidence and severity of chemotherapy side effects, identify self-care actions and their effectiveness, and determine patients' acceptance of and ability to complete Nail's Self-Care Diary (SCD) (Nail, Jones, Greene, Schipper, & Jensen, 1991). DESIGN: Descriptive, retrospective. SETTING: Single medical oncology unit in an urban, tertiary care, private institution. SAMPLE: 59 adult patients with cancer who had received at least one prior cycle of chemotherapy as inpatients were asked to complete the study forms and agreed to participate. METHODS: Eligible and consenting patients completed the SCD, recalling side effects and self-care since their last hospitalization for chemotherapy, as well as patient demographic forms and evaluations of the SCD. Descriptive statistics were used in analysis. FINDINGS: More than 50% of the patients reported having alopecia, fatigue, nausea, taste changes, appetite loss, sleeping difficulties, and constipation during the posthospitalization period. Self-care actions were employed with variable effect. Taking medication was among the most effective self-care actions. The majority of patients found the SCD easy to complete. CONCLUSIONS: Side effects noted by patients in this study were similar to those of other populations. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: This study adds to the literature evaluating specific self-care actions practiced by patients. Nail's SCD was found to be useful in collecting data retrospectively and may serve as a basis for proactive patient teaching regarding side-effect management.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Bleomycin, vincristine, lomustine, and DTIC chemotherapy for metastatic melanoma.

Forty-six consecutive, evaluable patients with a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma without prior chemotherapy were treated with bleomycin, vincristine, lomustine, and DTIC (BOLD). Treatment was repeated every 28 days for two cycles. Complete restaging then was performed, and response to treatment was determined. Of the 46 patients, five (11%) achieved a complete response, five (11%) achieved a partial response, nine (19%) obtained disease stabilization, and 27 (59%) had progressive disease. If four patients who died of rapidly progressive disease are included, the response rate drops to 20%. Overall median survival was 6 months. These results are inferior to the 40% and 46% response rates reported by other investigators. The modest response rate toxicity and expense of the regimen do not support its use in metastatic melanoma except, perhaps, in selected patients with soft tissue and/or lung metastasis.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1988

Resting energy expenditure in lung and colon cancer.

Elevated resting energy expenditure (REE) is a possible mechanism of cancer cachexia. We measured REE by whole-body direct calorimetry in patients with colon and non-small cell lung cancer and compared the results with REE in groups of healthy subjects and in patients with anorexia nervosa, with nonmalignant gastrointestinal (GI) disease, with miscellaneous reasons for weight loss, and with chronic lung disease. The mean REE of the cancer patients was not different from healthy subjects, those with GI disease, miscellaneous causes of cachexia, and chronic lung disease, and there was no significant difference in REE between those cancer patients with weight loss and controls with weight loss, except for the anorexia nervosa patients. The REE of the anorexia nervosa patients (female) was significantly lower than the REE of females with lung cancer. Weight loss correlated with REE in female lung cancer patients. Serial comparison of REE of ten cancer patients who lost 5% to 18% of their body weight during study showed no consistent change in REE. We conclude that patients with colon and non-small cell lung cancer, including those with weight loss, have REE similar to normal controls. Relative hypermetabolism may contribute to cancer cachexia, as may absolute hypermetabolism in some subsets of cancer patients.

Anorexia Nervosa↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Parental knowledge and practices of skin cancer prevention: a pilot study.

Skin cancer is a growing health threat in the United States; effective prevention logically begins with sun avoidance practices initiated early in childhood. However, little is known about the current level of skin cancer knowledge or skin cancer prevention practices among parents. A pilot survey of these levels was conducted among parents attending a single pediatric office in a nationally-affiliated health maintenance organization. This article reports the findings of that survey and identifies areas of knowledge and practice deficit. Implications and interventions are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Limited literacy revisited implications for patient education.

PURPOSE: It is important to determine whether teaching materials are understood and deemed accurate by the cancer patients being served. The authors used a series of patient participatory interviews to evaluate two brochures: Chemotherapy: What It Is and How It Helps by the American Cancer Society; and Helping Yourself During Chemotherapy: 4 Steps for Patients by the National Cancer Institute. The authors sought to determine whether 1) the brochures were clear; 2) differences in presentation were perceived by patients; and 3) differences influenced respondents' understanding and opinions of the brochures. DESCRIPTION OF STUDY: A qualitative, focus-group methodology was used. Twelve cancer patients, eight of whom were women and six of whom were African American, were recruited from three outpatient clinics. Participants ranged in age from 31 to 62 years of age, and in education from completion of ninth grade to graduate school. Patients participated in a series of five groups, with a series of semistructured questions about content and format being asked of each group. All sessions were audiotaped. The investigators reviewed data both independently and together to identify content and format evaluations. RESULTS: Findings showed that most participants were drawn first by the National Cancer Institute format; the American Cancer Society brochure was seen as having more information; the two brochures were seen as complementary; some confusion arose from the content of both brochures; and the discussions of emotional and sexual aspects were important. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: These findings support the need for simple, clearly written brochures rather than brochures of varying literacy levels. The confusion caused by differences in advice given by the two organizations indicates the need to address specific areas in which dissimilarities exist. Finally, the project demonstrates the utility of patient focus groups for evaluation of patient education material.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Focus groups. Giving voice to people.

The authors used focus groups to evaluate the effectiveness of specific patient teaching tools on patient education outcomes. In addition, data from the focus groups identified both deficiencies in the teaching-education process and ways to improve patient education and self-care outcomes. Negative and positive aspects of using focus groups in outcome measurement are included.

Focus Groups↗