The Meaning and Experience of Patients Undergoing Rectal High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy

Cancer Nursing
Samara PerezTé Vuong

Abstract

High-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy is a precise form of radiation therapy that targets cancerous tumors by directly applying the radiation source at the site or directly next to the tumor. Patients often experience but underreport pain and anxiety related to cancer treatments. At present, there is no research available concerning the pervasiveness and intensity of patients' pain and anxiety during rectal brachytherapy. The aim of this study was to examine patients' thoughts, emotions, coping strategies, physical sensations, and needs during rectal HDR brachytherapy treatment. Twenty-five patients with rectal cancer were interviewed using a semi-structured qualitative interview following the completion of their brachytherapy treatment delivered at a Montreal-based hospital in Quebec, Canada. The experiences of pain and discomfort varied greatly between patients and were linked to the meaning patients attributed to the treatment itself, sense of time, the body's lithotomic position, insertion of the treatment applicator, and the patients' sense of agency and empowerment during the procedure. Patients drew upon a variety of internal and external resources to help them cope with discomfort. Staff need to know about the variation in...Continue Reading

References

Dec 22, 2005·International Journal of Clinical Oncology·Akira TsunodaMitsuo Kusano
Jan 1, 2009·Frontiers in Evolutionary Neuroscience·Benjamin C Campbell, Justin R Garcia

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