Psycho‐Oncology最新文献

{"title":"Referral and Utilization of Mental Health Services by Older Adults With Cancer and Factors Influencing Referral From Health Professionals.","authors":"Shuman Wang, Maria Ftanou, Lauren Pearson, Chloe Nicholas, Kylie King, Joshua F Wiley","doi":"10.1002/pon.70573","DOIUrl":"10.1002/pon.70573","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Older adults with cancer commonly experience psychological distress. However, the rate at which they receive mental health services is low, and reasons are inconsistently documented. This study aims to characterize adults with cancer referred to mental health services, explore how age influences referrals, and examine factors influencing healthcare professionals' referrals within the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior (COM-B) model.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We retrospectively collected data from 557 adults with cancer referred to the Clinical Psychology Department at Peter MacCallum Cancer Center in Melbourne, including demographics, clinical details, and referral information. Additionally, we surveyed 18 healthcare professionals using the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire, the Gatekeeper Behavior Scale, Mental Health Literacy Scale, and Attitude Questions, which assessed capability (e.g., knowledge), opportunity (e.g., resources), and motivation (e.g., beliefs) in the COM-B model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Adults < 65 were more likely to be referred to mental health services than those ≥ 65 (p < 0.001), but among those referred there was no significant difference in referral acceptance/uptake rates (p = 0.25). Adults < 65 are more likely to be referred for adjustment reasons compared to those ≥ 65 (p < 0.05). Healthcare professionals endorse opportunity and motivation factors more when referring adults ≥ 65, but capability factors are a bigger barrier, with fewer than 60% of professionals endorsing nearly half of the capability items.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Older adults with cancer may face inequities in mental health service referrals, but those referred were equally willing to engage. Capability factors present the greatest barrier for professionals referring for mental health, highlighting the need for training.</p>","PeriodicalId":20779,"journal":{"name":"Psycho‐Oncology","volume":"35 9","pages":"e70573"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13586635/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148991237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determinants of Interest-Holder Perspectives Toward Post-Mortem Tissue Donation in Oncology: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Kaatje Goossens, Anaïs Anthierens, Caro Monteny, Catherine Dilewyns, Christine Desmedt, Hans Wildiers, Pascal Borry","doi":"10.1002/pon.70571","DOIUrl":"10.1002/pon.70571","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Post-mortem tissue donation (PTD) is increasingly recognised as an important resource for advancing cancer research. Developing effective recruitment strategies for PTD programs requires a thorough understanding of interest-holder perspectives, which remain insufficiently explored. This systematic review examined factors influencing patients' willingness to participate in PTD, next-of-kin's willingness to support their relative's participation, and healthcare professionals willingness to recruit for PTD programs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic literature search was conducted on 19 February 2026 to identify original research studies exploring self-reported factors influencing perspectives toward PTD. Study selection, data extraction, and quality appraisal were performed independently by four reviewers. Identified factors were synthesised and categorised into five domains: ethical/existential, emotional, practical, socio-demographic/socio-economic, and disease-related.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fourteen studies were included from 11,986 records screened. Overall, attitudes toward PTD were generally favourable across interest-holders. Ethical, existential and emotional considerations, particularly altruism, reciprocity and the perceived impact on the patient-clinician relationship were associated with willingness to participate in, (support) consent to, or recruit for PTD. Reported barriers were predominantly practical, including logistical challenges, concerns regarding funeral arrangements, and limited knowledge of PTD procedures. Healthcare professionals additionally identified discomfort with end-of-life discussions and uncertainty about PTD processes as barriers to recruitment. Socio-demographic, socio-economic, and disease-related factors were reported inconsistently, with no clear pattern of association.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Interest-holder attitudes toward PTD are primarily shaped by ethical, emotional, and practical considerations. The consistency of findings across interest-holder groups and cancer types supports the development of patient-centred communication strategies to facilitate the implementation of PTD programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":20779,"journal":{"name":"Psycho‐Oncology","volume":"35 8","pages":"e70571"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13453286/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148702197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of the Distress Thermometer in Pelvic Exenteration: Responsiveness-To-Change, Convergent Validity, and Clinical Cutoff.","authors":"Nicholas Melander, Claudia Rutherford, Daniel Steffens, Judith Fethney, Sascha Karunaratne, Kate Alexander, Cherry Koh, Michael Solomon, Bora Kim","doi":"10.1002/pon.70565","DOIUrl":"10.1002/pon.70565","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pelvic exenteration (PE) is a radical surgery for advanced pelvic malignancies that carries substantial psychosocial impacts. Assessing distress is critical for timely support.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To evaluate the responsiveness-to-change and convergent validity of the distress thermometer (DT), and to determine an optimal cutoff score for detecting clinically significant distress in a PE cohort.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Secondary analyses of cohort study data involving adult patients who underwent PE at a quaternary referral hospital. Responsiveness was evaluated by determining whether the DT differentiated cases of decreased emotional well-being and health-related quality of life from pre- to post-surgery, using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G), FACT-Colorectal, and Emotional Well-Being (EWB) subscale as external criteria. Convergent validity was evaluated using the correlation between the DT and the EWB subscale scores. Cutoff scores were examined by reviewing the following indices, using an existing EWB cutoff as an external anchor: sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative predictive values, and clinical utility index (CUI).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analysis included 377 patients (mean age: 61 years, 56% male; 41% recurrent rectal cancer). The DT demonstrated responsiveness, with AUCs > 0.7 for detecting emotional and quality-of-life decline post-surgery. Convergent validity was demonstrated through a moderate correlation between the DT and the EWB subscale scores (r_s = -0.56, p < 0.001). The optimal DT cutoff score was 4: Sensitivity; 87.0%, Specificity; 52.7%, CUI- value; 0.49 (ruling out cases: satisfactory utility), CUI+ value; 0.33 (case finding: poor utility).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The DT is a valid and responsive tool for detecting psychological distress in PE patients. Its high sensitivity supports its use in routine screening.</p>","PeriodicalId":20779,"journal":{"name":"Psycho‐Oncology","volume":"35 8","pages":"e70565"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13474108/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148761374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Changes in Depressive Symptoms Following Mindfulness Training in Female Patients With Abdominal or Abdominopelvic Cancer: A Preliminary Non-Randomized Controlled Study.","authors":"Hui Kou, Qiye Li, Xiaomei Hu, Kunyan Yue, Qinhong Xie, Xue Li, Yuanmei Jin, Tiantian Lu, Wei Luo, Taiyong Bi","doi":"10.1002/pon.70585","DOIUrl":"10.1002/pon.70585","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To examine whether a brief mindfulness training program was associated with changes in depressive symptoms among female patients with cancer, to explore potential psychological processes related to symptom change, and to examine differences in pre-to post-training changes according to baseline psychological risk profiles.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This exploratory non-randomized controlled study included 60 female patients with cancer recruited from a single hospital, comprising 49 patients with cervical cancer (81.67%), six with colorectal cancer (10.00%), and five with ovarian cancer (8.33%). According to clinical scheduling feasibility and training-cohort availability, they were allocated to either a mindfulness training group (n = 30) or a minimal-contact waitlist control group (n = 30). The mindfulness group received a 4-week mindfulness training program, whereas the control group attended a single mindfulness lecture during the same period. Participants were assessed at baseline before the training (T1) and immediately after the 4-week intervention period (T2) using measures of trait mindfulness, cognitive emotion regulation strategies, positive and negative affect, and depressive symptoms.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Following the training, the mindfulness group demonstrated a reduction in depressive symptoms, negative affect, and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies in comparison to the control group. Concurrently, the mindfulness group experienced enhancements in mindfulness, positive affect, and adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Exploratory mediation analyses suggested that the training effects on depressive symptoms and negative affect were statistically accounted for by reductions in maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies. The highly exploratory latent profile analysis identified provisional baseline psychological profiles and profile-related patterns of observed change within the mindfulness group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study suggests that mindfulness training is an effective approach to relieve depressive symptoms in female patients with cancer. These preliminary findings require confirmation in adequately powered randomized controlled trials with active control conditions and longer-term follow-up.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>This study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), registration number: [ChiCTR2500110223], registered on 2025-10-10.</p>","PeriodicalId":20779,"journal":{"name":"Psycho‐Oncology","volume":"35 8","pages":"e70585"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13482317/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148797337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring Hmong Shamans' Beliefs on Cancer.","authors":"Ya Yambao Yang, Mandy Yang, Nancy Burke","doi":"10.1002/pon.70551","DOIUrl":"10.1002/pon.70551","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cancer incidence among Hmong Americans has increased significantly since the early 2000s. Familiarity with and understanding of the disease is low due to limited exposure in countries of origin, lack of terminology, reliance on shamanic healing practices, and restricted access to screening. Health and healing within Hmong culture have been the domain of shamans, whose practices focus on spiritual rather than physical ailments. To understand how Hmong shamans conceptualize cancer, this study explores their beliefs, experiences, and views on collaborating with allopathic practitioners to care for patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fifteen Hmong shamans in the United States, Thailand, and Laos participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted in person or by phone. Interviews were analyzed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis: beliefs about cancer's existence prior to resettlement, understandings of cancer causation, experiences with diagnosis and treating cancer patients, and perspectives on collaboration with allopathic health practitioners.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings show that Hmong shamans attribute cancer to both spiritual and physical causes. While their views differ on the historical presence of cancer, there is general receptiveness to collaboration with allopathic practitioners. Future research should examine how culturally grounded models of collaboration between shamans and allopathic practitioners can be developed to improve cancer care within Hmong communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":20779,"journal":{"name":"Psycho‐Oncology","volume":"35 8","pages":"e70551"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13505527/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148813963","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Psychological Impact of Caring for a Parent With Cancer on Adult Children of South Asian Heritage: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis.","authors":"Carey Fagan, Emma Chapman, Gary Latchford","doi":"10.1002/pon.70557","DOIUrl":"10.1002/pon.70557","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Caring for a parent with cancer is a common role taken on by adult children in the UK and has been linked to worsening mental health. Research has largely focused on White populations, however with an increase in people from minoritised backgrounds living in the UK, conducting research with populations that are representative of society is important. Therefore, this study aims to explore the psychological impact of caring for a parent with cancer on adult children of South Asian heritage.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Semi-structured, face to face, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight participants recruited from charity organisations in West Yorkshire. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The psychological impact described by participants was similar to research on other caregiving populations, but participants reported added challenges of managing community and familial expectations. In addition, participants reported difficult experiences with primary care potentially leading to later diagnosis. More positively, religion was mostly protective and helped participants cope.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Elements of South Asian culture for example, expectations around caregiving and family values, adds to the psychological impact of caring for a parent with cancer. Untimely care from GPs and difficulties accessing support contributes to this. The benefits of implementing community psychology practices and service user involvement are considered, and suggestions made for improving accessibility to NHS psychology services.</p>","PeriodicalId":20779,"journal":{"name":"Psycho‐Oncology","volume":"35 8","pages":"e70557"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13428616/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148654205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of a Psycho-Behavioural Intervention on Cancer-Related Fatigue Among Patients With Colorectal Cancer: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial.","authors":"Jinling Lu, Yuen Yu Chong","doi":"10.1002/pon.70570","DOIUrl":"10.1002/pon.70570","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Post-treatment colorectal cancer patients commonly experience cancer-related fatigue (CRF), yet few interventions address this concern.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a psycho-behavioural intervention on CRF and other health outcomes in this population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A single-blinded, parallel-group RCT was conducted with a pilot sample of 50 participants randomized to a 6-week psycho-behavioural intervention or usual care. Feasibility was assessed through recruitment, completion, attendance, attrition, and retention rates; acceptability via satisfaction surveys and semi-structured interviews. Outcomes included CRF, physical activity, dietary behaviours, sleep disturbance, anxiety and depressive symptoms, assessed at baseline and within 1-week post-intervention.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Feasibility benchmarks were met: recruitment 52.6%, completion 72.0%, attendance 74.7%, attrition 6.0%, and retention 94.0%. High satisfaction and positive qualitative feedback indicated good acceptability. Repeated Measures ANOVA revealed significant group-by-time interaction effects favouring the intervention for reducing CRF (F = 6.49, p = 0.014; Hedges' g = -0.71), enhancing physical activity (F = 19.76, p < 0.001; Hedges' g = 1.24), improving dietary behaviours (F = 4.74, p = 0.034; Hedges' g = 0.61), and alleviating sleep disturbance (F = 9.64, p = 0.003; Hedges' g = -0.86), but not for anxiety (F = 3.01, p = 0.089; Hedges' g = -0.48) or depressive symptoms (F = 3.77, p = 0.058; Hedges' g = -0.54).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The psycho-behavioural intervention demonstrated feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy in reducing CRF, enhancing physical activity, improving dietary behaviours, and alleviating sleep disturbance in this population. A definitive RCT is warranted to evaluate longer-term effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":20779,"journal":{"name":"Psycho‐Oncology","volume":"35 8","pages":"e70570"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13451782/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148689884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sleep Disturbance at Cancer Diagnosis and Its Associations With Depressive Symptoms and Systemic Inflammatory Burden.","authors":"Zeynep Gülsüm Güç, Hüseyin Döngelli, Hasan Güç, Ahmet Alacacıoğlu, Mustafa Oktay Tarhan","doi":"10.1002/pon.70576","DOIUrl":"10.1002/pon.70576","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sleep disturbance is highly prevalent among cancer patients and closely associated with depressive symptoms. However, it remains unclear whether sleep problems present at cancer diagnosis primarily reflect depression or also indicate an underlying biological susceptibility.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>This study aimed to examine the relationships between sleep disturbance, depressive symptoms, and systemic inflammatory-nutritional burden in newly diagnosed, treatment-naïve cancer patients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional study, sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in patients at diagnosis before oncological treatment. Poor sleep quality (PSQ) was defined as PSQI ≥ 5, and sleep disturbance severity was evaluated using the total PSQI score. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression subscale (HADS-D). Systemic inflammatory indices, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and lactate dehydrogenase-to-albumin ratio (LAR), were calculated from routine laboratory data. Multivariable logistic regression and generalized linear models assessed factors associated with PSQ and sleep disturbance severity, respectively. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analyses evaluated the discriminatory performance of depressive symptoms and inflammatory indices. Stratified analyses were conducted according to depression status (HADS-D < 8 vs. ≥ 8).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sleep disturbance was highly prevalent at diagnosis. Depressive symptom burden was independently associated with both PSQ and higher PSQI scores. Importantly, systemic inflammatory indices remained independently associated with sleep disturbance after adjustment for depressive symptoms and clinical variables. NLR showed moderate discriminatory ability for PSQ, while LAR was independently associated with sleep disturbance severity. ROC analyses indicated that depressive symptoms and inflammatory burden jointly improved discrimination of PSQ. In stratified analyses, LAR remained significantly associated with PSQI scores regardless of depression status.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Sleep disturbance at cancer diagnosis is independently associated with both depressive symptoms and systemic inflammatory-nutritional burden, suggesting that it may reflect not only psychological distress but also underlying biological processes. Routine sleep assessment alongside inflammatory markers may help identify vulnerable patients and support early supportive care planning.</p>","PeriodicalId":20779,"journal":{"name":"Psycho‐Oncology","volume":"35 8","pages":"e70576"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13459145/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148707485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cancer Care in the Gaza Strip Before and During War: Patient Experiences of Treatment Disruption, Unmet Support Needs, and Interdisciplinary Implications for Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work.","authors":"Baraka Abusafia, Yaser Snoubar, Zekiye Turan, Gürkan Sert, Feras Albess","doi":"10.1002/pon.70575","DOIUrl":"10.1002/pon.70575","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cancer patients in the Gaza Strip have long faced major barriers to timely diagnosis, treatment, and continuity of care. These barriers have become substantially more severe under war conditions, displacement, and the collapse of health services. This study aimed to explore the experiences of adults with cancer in the Gaza Strip before and during war, with a particular focus on access to healthcare, support mechanisms, and basic living conditions.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>This qualitative study was conducted with 12 adults diagnosed with cancer and living in shelters, displacement centres, or tents in the Gaza Strip. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews in Arabic and analysed using content analysis. The analysis identified six key themes describing cancer care in the Gaza Strip, organized within two temporal categories: three themes characterized the pre-war period and three themes characterized the wartime period. The pre-war themes were problems in access to healthcare services, support mechanisms, and positive aspects related to diagnosis and treatment. The wartime themes were problems in access to healthcare services, insufficiency of support mechanisms, and inadequacy of basic living conditions. Participants reported that even before the war, they experienced delayed diagnosis, fragmented treatment pathways, financial hardship, and limited psychosocial support, although some described positive experiences with functioning hospitals and treatment availability. During the war, participants described severe disruption of medical follow-up, hospital inaccessibility, medication shortages, inability to travel for treatment, irregular or insufficient support, displacement, food insecurity, and worsening physical and psychological burden.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings show that cancer care in the Gaza Strip was already fragile before the war and became profoundly disrupted during it. The experiences of patients highlight the need for integrated responses that address not only treatment continuity, but also psychosocial support, nutrition, and basic survival needs. The study also underscores the interdisciplinary relevance of cancer care in conflict settings for medicine, nursing, and social work. By showing how treatment uncertainty, disrupted support, and unmet survival needs interact, the study identifies patient-level psycho-oncological priorities for cancer care in conflict and crisis settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":20779,"journal":{"name":"Psycho‐Oncology","volume":"35 8","pages":"e70575"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13459516/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148707509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Physical Activity and Nutritional Supportive Care Needs Following a Sarcoma Diagnosis: Barriers and Opportunities for Rare Cancer Survivorship Care.","authors":"Georgia K B Halkett, Jenny Davies, Chloe Maxwell-Smith, Mandy Basson, Tania Rice-Brading, Mariana S Sousa, Janene Sproul, Helen De Jong, Haryana M Dhillon, Connor Farnell, William Lorimer, Joanna Fardell, Joanne Shaw, Moira O'Connor","doi":"10.1002/pon.70567","DOIUrl":"10.1002/pon.70567","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>People with primary bone and soft tissue sarcoma are a unique and vulnerable population at high risk of physical dysfunction and disability. Treatment often leads to complex challenges, including pain, limited mobility, and loss of function. Exercise has the potential to improve strength and function, reduce disability, and improve quality of life. Nutrition plays a crucial role in supporting recovery and immune function, and enhancing treatment outcomes. Yet, limited research has explored physical activity and nutritional needs of people with sarcoma.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>To explore the physical activity and nutritional supportive care needs of people living with sarcoma from the perspectives of people with sarcoma, their carers, and HCPs.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A phenomenological approach was employed to understand lived experiences of people with sarcoma and their carers focusing on what physical activity and nutritional supportive care people received. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with people with sarcoma, carers, and healthcare professionals. Multiple perspectives were included to understand the current clinical landscape for people experiencing sarcoma and healthcare professionals. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to draw meaning from the data and information power informed sample size.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We interviewed 46 participants (people with sarcoma n = 18, current carers n = 10, bereaved carers n = 3, and healthcare professionals n = 15) who emphasised the need for more information and support for physical activity and nutrition. Five themes were identified: Physical impact of sarcoma; Uncertainty about looking after the person with sarcoma; Needing rehabilitation support; Creating a new normal; and, Physical activity and healthy diet promote psychosocial well-being.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>As sarcoma substantially impacts physical functioning, it is essential that sarcoma-specific physical activity and nutrition information and supports are available and tailored to individuals. Multidisciplinary teams should provide ongoing physical activity and nutritional supportive care from diagnosis and throughout survivorship to improve health outcomes and QoL for people with sarcoma.</p>","PeriodicalId":20779,"journal":{"name":"Psycho‐Oncology","volume":"35 8","pages":"e70567"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13479038/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148762312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}