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Biomedical subjects

M Fitch

Publications and source records attributed to M Fitch.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Complementary health practitioners' attitudes, practices and knowledge related to women's cancers.

OBJECTIVE: To document the attitudes, practices and knowledge of 3 groups of complementary practitioners (naturopathic doctors, chiropractors and massage therapists) regarding women's cancers in general and ovarian cancer specifically. DESIGN: A mailed survey questionnaire was followed by a reminder card and a second mailing of the questionnaire. SETTINGS: National samples were obtained for naturopathic doctors and chiropractors. The massage therapist sample was drawn from Ontario only because of the absence of a national listing of massage therapists. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Practitioners reported response to patients' suspicious symptoms. Practitioners' perceptions of patients' motivations for seeking treatment. Practitioners' satisfaction with interactions with conventional practitioners. Practitioners' perceptions of their role in the care of women at risk of, or diagnosed with, cancer. Practitioners' perceptions of their knowledge regarding women's cancers. Practitioners' knowledge specific to ovarian cancer. RESULTS: A total of 894 completed questionnaires were returned, providing a response rate of 56%. The vast majority of practitioners who saw women with symptoms possibly related to cancer referred them to a family physician or a cancer specialist. Motivations that practitioners most frequently heard expressed by women seeking complementary treatments were "maximizing quality of life," "seeking natural approaches to healing" and "looking to stay well when disease is in remission." Most respondents were dissatisfied with patient-related communication with both family physicians and cancer specialists. The majority of complementary practitioners indicated that they have an important role to play in the postdiagnostic care of women with cancer. Considerable interest was expressed in further education concerning ovarian cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Whereas the professions reached through this survey differ in important ways from each other, they share an interest in being involved in the care of women with cancer, as well as an enthusiasm for the development of continuing professional education programs to help them better serve their clients.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The information needs of well, longer-term survivors of breast cancer.

Nine focus groups for well, longer-term survivors of breast cancer were held in Ontario, Canada. Prevalent themes identified through analysis of focus group transcripts fell into two broad categories, one reflecting the context within which women seek information and the other reflecting the content of information desired and sought. Themes related to context included: the ongoing impact on women of their initial disease experience and continued uncertainty about possible recurrence; womens' lack of information and understanding about processes involved in developing medical knowledge; prevailing mistrust about the impact of cost curtailment policies; and, concerns related to how professional communication can aid or hinder the goal of obtaining information. Themes related to content issues included: follow-up protocols, tamoxifen, detecting signs of possible recurrence, prevention for daughters, neglected side effects of treatment, insurance, lifestyle, and unconventional therapies.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

One-on-one peer support and quality of life for breast cancer patients.

The Canadian Cancer Society's Reach to Recovery program provides one-on-one support for breast cancer patients that is delivered by breast cancer survivors. Professionally-led social support programs have generally been found to influence positively the quality of life of cancer patients. However, there is a lack of evidence on the benefits of one-on-one peer support programs. An evaluation of the Reach to Recovery program was completed in 1995 to determine if cancer patients who received the program were satisfied with the program and to determine if participation in Reach to Recovery affected the quality of life of program participants compared to patients who did not receive the program. We found that Reach to Recovery program participants were generally satisfied with the program they received and that the program has incremental benefits to the quality of life of patients with breast cancer. Peer-led, volunteer breast cancer support programs can be effective in enhancing the quality of life of breast cancer patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

A strategy for informing patients and health professionals about unconventional cancer therapies.

BACKGROUND: A Guide to Unconventional Cancer Therapies was produced by the Ontario Breast Cancer Information Exchange Project with the intention of meeting needs of patients, family members, and health professionals for information about unconventional therapies. Concerns raised by health professionals during the development of the guide serve as a focus for considering its impact on cancer patients who purchased it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Purchasers of the guide were sent a survey questionnaire inquiring about their access to, use of, and attitudes toward it. RESULTS: A total of 634 individuals responded to the survey, including cancer patients, health professionals, and family members. The guide was rated moderately helpful overall, and health professionals found it significantly more helpful than did cancer patients. A minority of patients were influenced to try an unconventional therapy as a result of reading the guide. Those who did try a new therapy typically chose ones that are most popular and have few potential negative effects. CONCLUSIONS: As an informational strategy, the Guide to Unconventional Cancer Therapies has been successful. Concerns expressed by some health professionals about potential harm through implementing the strategy have been shown to be largely unwarranted, at least for study respondents.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed1998

Information needs of women with metastatic breast cancer.

Eight focus groups involving women with metastatic breast cancer were held across Ontario over approximately 6 months in 1996-97. Prevalent themes identified during the sessions are reported under 2 broad dimensions: the women's expressed desire for information in specific content areas, and issues related to whether information can be either beneficial or harmful, depending on how it is provided. The women reported high needs for information, especially that which would relate to their situation. Perceived adequacy of information is closely linked to health professional engagement and care. Although the provision of information is important, the needs of these women for maintenance of hope and provision of interpersonal support and comfort are also critical.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Self-help groups.

OBJECTIVE: To assess Ontario family physicians' attitudes toward, awareness of, and practices related to self-help groups in general and cancer self-help groups specifically. DESIGN: Mailed survey using a modified Dillman method. SETTING: Ontario family practices. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of 1500 Ontario members of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, of whom 949 responded. A total of 911 completed questionnaires were received, for an eligible response rate of 64%. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Physician demographics, practice characteristics; extent of awareness of self-help groups and their perceived value; attitudes toward self-help groups; practices related to interactions with patients about self-help groups. RESULTS: Only 40.2% of respondents were aware of six or more self-help groups in their region; 56.8% were aware of at least one cancer self-help group. Discussions with patients about groups were reported as occurring "frequently" by 12% of respondents, who indicated they made referrals to an array of groups. Ratings of group helpfulness were relatively high (83.8% scoring 3, 4, or 5 on a 5-point scale, where 5 is "very helpful"). There were low ratings of potential harm (1% scoring 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale, where 5 is "very harmful"). Confidence intervals for proportions reported on in this paper were all within 4%. CONCLUSIONS: Family physicians have predominantly positive attitudes about the potential benefits of self-help groups, and many are recommending groups to their patients.

Female↗
PubMed1997

A qualitative study of breast cancer self-help groups.

This study reports on the experience of women in four community breast cancer self-help groups in Ontario, Canada. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 women, asking them about benefits and limitations of their group involvement, and about their perspectives on group processes and structures. Overall, participants reported their group involvement to be extremely helpful for navigating the short and long-term impact of breast cancer. Emotional support benefits included connecting with other breast cancer survivors, feeling understood and sharing experiences, providing hope, and sharing healing laughter. Informational and practical support benefits included sharing of important information and learning how to get what you want. Even where there were concerns about limitations or tensions of group experience, these occurred against a backdrop of appreciation and commitment. From the discussion of group processes and structures, a number of issues were identified as problematic. Most notable were how to deal with deaths of group members and how to balance the group's primary purpose of providing mutual support with secondary goals of dealing with group business and engaging in meaningful advocacy.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1997

Towards an inclusive cervical cancer screening strategy: approaches for reaching socioeconomically disadvantaged women.

Barriers to prevention and early detection of cancer among the socioeconomically disadvantaged are important areas for public health focus. A community coalition was established in North York, Ontario, to identify a suitable primary prevention initiative, cervical screening among young women of lower economic status. Two pilot communities were selected for the project. Community members, key informants and service providers participated in a series of individual and focus group meetings to identify barriers that impede cervical screening. The benefits and challenges of such a project will be importance to practitioners eager to work collaboratively on primary prevention initiatives. This article will be of interest to nurses wanting to foster a community coalition approach to program design, planning, implementation and evaluation. It will also assist nurses with utilizing needs-based assessment in their work. Although the findings relate to a population of women in a large urban centre, the results will be useful for nurses and other health professionals planning to engage in work related to cervical screening.

Female↗
PubMed1997

Health promotion and early detection of cancer in older adults: a practical approach.

Little is known about the cancer-related knowledge, attitudes and health behaviours of older adults (> 55 years), or about designing health promotion and early detection interventions responsive to their learning needs. A collaborative project was established with the intent of designing an appropriate program for older adults. The initial work included a community needs assessment using focus groups, one-on-one interviews and self-report surveys. The use of key community contacts was effective in locating older adult subjects (> 55 years) through pre-established linkages with agencies. Various ethnocultural groups, low income communities and isolated individuals, as well as other pre-established groups, were included in this study. The needs assessment found that: age is not perceived as a cancer risk factor; transportation is a barrier to screening; fear inhibits people from being screened; physicians are viewed as both the main source of expert cancer knowledge and as the gatekeepers to screening; family and peers are the main source of support, ethnospecific groups have different information needs; and finally, that lifestyle suggestions can reduce the risk of cancer. The findings indicated that community health promotion programs for older adults will require multiple approaches with a combination of strategies in order to meet their learning needs.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

The relationship between perceived social support and mood of testicular cancer patients.

A descriptive correlational study was conducted to investigate the relationship between perceived social support and mood of testicular cancer patients two to three months post-diagnosis. The conceptualization for the study was based on the cognitive-phenomenological theory of psychological stress (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984). A convenience sample of 30 young adult males with testicular cancer was interviewed. Data were collected using the Demographic Data Sheet, MOS Social Support Survey. Importance of Social Support Questionnaire, Profile of Mood States and two open-ended interview questions. Data indicated subjects felt well-supported, especially in areas that they thought were important. No significant relationship was found between perceived social support and mood in this sample. The findings suggest the need for the nurse's individualized assessment regarding the testicular cancer patient's number of close friends/relatives and the importance placed on different types of support.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Interviews with men with prostate cancer about their self-help group experience.

This study reports on the results of semi-structured interviews with 12 men involved in prostate cancer self-help groups in three Canadian cities. Overall, participants reported their group involvement to be helpful, especially in terms of accessing information. Additional benefits included finding commonality with others, being able to talk about difficult issues, being productive and accomplishing tasks, advocating to make a difference, and engaging with family members around health issues. We conclude that the recent growth of self-help groups speaks to the challenge inherent for men in dealing with prostate cancer and counteracts tendencies to minimize the suffering which they experience.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1997

Physician perspectives on unconventional cancer therapies.

The popularity of unconventional therapies has grown dramatically in recent years. This paper reports on the results of a pilot study investigating the perspectives of physicians involved with cancer care regarding their reactions to this trend and their ways of trying to meet associated challenges. Nine oncologists, nine general practitioners, and one surgeon were interviewed over the telephone, employing open-ended questions. The physicians were unanimously interested in having information available about unconventional therapies. They also expressed a desire to be supportive of patient choices in this area, provided conventional therapy was not compromised. However, there was little interest in initiating communication about unconventional therapies, with most seeing such discussions as a poor use of their time. Suggestions for future research, as well as educational and policy strategies, are addressed.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1995

Classification and expression of a family of cyclin gene homologues in Brassica napus.

In order to investigate the role of cell division in plant development, we isolated several plant genes which encode homologues of animal and yeast cell cycle regulators known as cyclins. Through the use of degenerate primers and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) we isolated a Brassica sequence which showed homology to the 'cyclin box' functional domain found within cyclin proteins. Southern blot analysis indicated that Brassica napus has a large number of genes containing cyclin box-related sequences. This was further supported by the isolation of cyclin box sequences from six different genomic clones. In addition, we have isolated two different cyclin cDNA clones, BnCYC1 and BnCYC2, from a Brassica napus shoot apical cDNA library. Both of the cDNA clones contain a 'destruction box' regulatory domain similar to animal mitotic cyclins. Northern blot analysis using BnCYC2 shows mRNA levels which correlate well with the level of cell division in various tissues. Messenger RNA abundance was highest in 1-3 mm leaves, root tips and shoot apices. The mRNA detected using BnCYC1 was restricted to young leaves and the shoot apex, suggesting divergent, organ-specific roles for cyclin family members. The results demonstrate that the plant cyclin gene family is more extensive than previously demonstrated and consists of genes expressed in all dividing tissues as well as a subset of developmentally specific members.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1995

Occupational portrayals on television: children's role schemata, career aspirations, and perceptions of reality.

UNLABELLED: Do children's schemata for occupations they observe in real life differ from those they see on TV? 177 second- and fifth-graders were assigned to conditions in a 2 (real-life or on TV) x 2 (police officer or nurse) design. They answered open-ended questions about what police officers or nurses do (in real life or on TV) and rated the typicality of various job activities. Their schematic knowledge about TV and real occupations was clearly differentiated. TV versions entailed more glamour, higher income, more stereotypes, and more dramatic events without negative consequences. Real-life occupations entailed more effort, status, and excitement. Older children differentiated slightly more clearly than younger ones. Children who perceived television as factual and realistic had real-world schemata similar to TV images. Children who were heavy viewers and perceived television as realistic were most likely to aspire to jobs shown on TV. CONCLUSION: children form separate schemata for social information acquired from TV and from real-world experience, but those who perceive television as socially realistic are apt to incorporate TV messages in their schemata and their aspirations.

Aspirations, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

YTRF is the conserved internalization signal of the transferrin receptor, and a second YTRF signal at position 31-34 enhances endocytosis.

By functional analysis of mutant human transferrin receptors (TR) expressed in chicken embryo fibroblasts, we previously identified a tetrapeptide sequence, Y20TRF23, within the 61-residue cytoplasmic tail as the signal for high-efficiency endocytosis (Collawn, J. F., Stangel, M., Kuhn, L. A., Esekogwu, V., Jing, S., Trowbridge, I.S., and Tainer, J.A. (1990) Cell 63, 1061-1072). It has been inferred from other studies, however, that the TR internalization signal was localized to a much larger region, residues 7 through 26 (Girones, N., Alvarez, E., Seth, A., Lin, I-M., Latour, D.A., and Davis, R.J. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 19006-19012). Additionally, Tyr20 was reported to not be conserved in the Chinese hamster cytoplasmic tail sequence (Alvarez, E., Girones, N., and Davis, R.J. (1990) Biochem. J. 267, 31-35). In the studies reported here, we examined the effect of insertion of an extra copy of a YTRF sequence at three different locations within the human TR cytoplasmic domain and show that the insertion of another YTRF signal at position 31-34 in the wild-type TR, but not the other two locations, increases the rate of endocytosis 2-fold. Furthermore, introduction of YTRF at position 31-34 in an internalization-defective mutant receptor restores endocytosis to wild-type levels, indicating that YTRF signals at either positions 20-23 or 31-34 are necessary and sufficient to promote TR internalization and function in an independent and additive manner. We also report the complete primary structure of the Chinese hamster TR deduced from its cDNA sequence and show that the Tyr20 as well as the complete YTRF motif is conserved.

Amino Acid Sequence↗