Fereshteh Manouchehri-Monazah; Khalil Kimiafar; Mojtaba Esmaeili; Masoumeh Sarbaz
Abstract
Introduction: Among the different types of cancers, breast cancer is the most common and the second leading cause of death in women aged 35-55 years. Patients' knowledge has a critical role in cancer management and control of treatment-related adverse events. Therefore, the purpose of the present study ...
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Introduction: Among the different types of cancers, breast cancer is the most common and the second leading cause of death in women aged 35-55 years. Patients' knowledge has a critical role in cancer management and control of treatment-related adverse events. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the knowledge, awareness, and information sources of patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy.Methods: This survey study was performed in 2019. The study population consisted of 190 women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy referred to two specialized cancer centers in Mashhad, Iran, within two months. The research tool was a valid and reliable questionnaire. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics.Results: Approximately half of the patients in the study (54.2%) considered the goal of chemotherapy to be the cure for the disease, which was used as adjunctive therapy after other treatments. Most patients knew about the cause of the blood test before chemotherapy. Most of them could meet their information needs through the information brochure. The most important source of information for patients to meet their information needs were physicians and nurses, respectively. Observance of public health (82.1%) and avoidance of sick people and crowded places (62.1%) were the most and least prevalent action done by patients during the treatment, respectively. Among the side effects of treatment, patients had the most attitudes about hair loss (91.6%) and fatigue (82.1%), and the least attitudes about the effect on fertility (9.5%) and reduced kidney function (8.4%).Conclusion: Even though in many cases the knowledge of patients is at a good level, but in some cases, some training and empowerment of patients is required. Performing these interventions can improve the quality of life of this group of patients.
Mitra Momenzade; Elham Moazam; Mehri Sirous; Asghar Bakrani
Abstract
Introduction: Mammography is the cornerstone of breast cancer screening and early detection. This study was conducted to investigate the status of digital mammography facilities in Isfahan City, Iran, in terms of equipment and physical-quality requirements, to offer solutions to improve the current situation.Methods: ...
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Introduction: Mammography is the cornerstone of breast cancer screening and early detection. This study was conducted to investigate the status of digital mammography facilities in Isfahan City, Iran, in terms of equipment and physical-quality requirements, to offer solutions to improve the current situation.Methods: In this descriptive study, all 15 active digital mammography facilities (DMF) in Isfahan City were visited by a medical physicist. Data were collected using a researcher-made checklist including 40 items and topics of calibration, general condition of equipment, dosimetry, quality of images, and printers. Instructions and quality control reports of devices were evaluated and compared with the guidelines of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI).Results: All the DMFs passed the standards of AEOI. The most important problem was that in majority of DMFs, the diagnosis room was not equipped with standard medical monitors or these monitors were not utilized. The differences between evaluated resolution measures of the device with results reported by quality control companies, lack of attention to expiration dates of received films by operator, lack of phantom for periodic calibration by operator, lack of attention to mean glandular dose and surface dose indicator, and printing four images on one film were the other observed problems.Conclusion: It is recommended to pay more attention to installation and operational standards of the equipment and conduct periodic surveys of DMFs. Moreover, equipping the centers with the diagnostic rooms is essential. Although all the medical imaging centers are obliged to conduct annual quality control tests on their equipment by qualified companies, investigating DMFs revealed that these quality control tests are not sufficient.
Masoumeh Latifi; Nilofar Barahmand; Fatemeh Fahimnia
Volume 13, Issue 5 , October 2016, , Pages 326-332
Abstract
Introduction: Women experience many challenges post mastectomy. Information seeking plays a key role in empowering them to do self-care, improving their quality of life and improving their health. However, individual and contextual barriers hinder their access to needed information. This research aimed ...
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Introduction: Women experience many challenges post mastectomy. Information seeking plays a key role in empowering them to do self-care, improving their quality of life and improving their health. However, individual and contextual barriers hinder their access to needed information. This research aimed to identify those barriers.Methods: This was a qualitative research using conventional content analysis. 17 women were recruited through purposive sampling in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan Province, Iran, and semi-structured interviews were conducted among them.Results: Seven central themes were emerged to explain women's experiences of barriers in information seeking post mastectomy among which fear, shame, and inadequate literacy were individual; and economic status, physicians and healthcare personnel, lack of access to information resources and others’ behavior were contextual barriers.Conclusion: Despite the necessity of access to health information for women post mastectomy, results showed individual and contextual information seeking barriers. Hence, necessary actions should be taken by health authorities especially institutions for women health to reform and revise heath system in order to tackle information seeking barriers for women post mastectomy.
