Publication Date

1988

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Frank-Stromborg, Marilyn

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

School of Nursing

LCSH

Cancer--Diagnosis; Nausea; Vomiting; Cancer--Psychological aspects

Abstract

The diagnosis of cancer can elicit a positive or negative psychological reaction from the patient. Researchers have studied the different psychological reactions and have expanded their research to assess the impact of the reaction on the patient's prognosis. Cancer nursing researchers have also studied the varied side effects from the current therapies: chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. The relationship between an individual's psychological reaction to the diagnosis of cancer and the side effects experienced by the individual receiving chemotherapy has not been established or documented. It was the purpose of this study to assess the relationship between the reaction to the diagnosis of cancer and anticipatory nausea and vomiting. Secondary purposes of this study were to determine if any relationship existed between: the psychological reaction to the diagnosis of cancer and posttreatment nausea and vomiting, and anticipatory and posttreatment nausea and vomiting. The conceptual framework used for this study was the cognitive emotional theory which provided the foundation to compare the impact of a psychological reaction on a physiological event. This study used an exploratory descriptive design. A convenience sample of 30 female patients with breast cancer between 25 and 52 years of age was studied. Each subject received cytoxan, methotrexate, and 5-FU for two to six treatments at two suburban Chicago oncologists' offices. Each subject completed the Reaction to the Diagnosis of Cancer Questionnaire and the Morrow Assessment of Nausea and Emesis. A non-parametric statistic, the Kendall rank correlation coefficient, was used to evaluate the relationships because the sample was not normally distributed. This study did not establish any significant correlation between the reaction to the diagnosis of cancer and anticipatory or posttreatment nausea and vomiting. However, a significant correlation (p < 0.01) was established between anticipatory and posttreatment nausea and vomiting which corresponds with findings from previous research.

Comments

Bibliography: pages [69]-74.

Extent

v, 91 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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