ConquerFear-HK: a randomised controlled trial of a metacognition-based, manualised intervention for fear of cancer recurrence among Chinese cancer survivors.

Introduction: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a prominent clinical issue among cancer survivors. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the culturally adapted ConquerFear-HK intervention in reducing FCR among Chinese cancer survivors, compared to standard survivorship care.

Methods: This assessor-masked, two-arm parallel randomised controlled trial, was conducted from June 2021 to February 2024.

Comparing the experiences of cancer survivors living with sleep disturbances between differing levels of psychological distress: a qualitative study.

Background: Psychological distress often co-occurs with sleep disturbances; but the specific mechanisms linking the two remain unclear. A qualitative study explored perceptions and factors associated with sleep disturbances in cancer survivors between patients with varying levels of psychological distress.

Methods: Thirty-three Cantonese speaking mixed type cancer survivors were recruited from a community cancer care program.

Return to work, work productivity loss and activity impairment in Chinese breast cancer survivors 12-month post-surgery: a longitudinal study.

Introduction: Existing evidence of returning-to-work (RTW) after cancer comes predominately from Western settings, with none prospectively examined since the initial diagnostic phase. This study prospectively documents RTW-rate, time-to-RTW, work productivity loss, and activity impairment, within the first-year post-surgery among Chinese women with breast cancer (BCW) and identify potential causal co-variants.

Methods: This observational longitudinal study followed 371 Chinese BCW who were employed/self-employed at the time of diagnosis at 4-week post-surgery (baseline).

Implementing a nurse-led screening clinic for symptom distress with community-based referral for cancer survivors: A feasibility study.

Introduction: This prospective, single-arm, pragmatic implementation study evaluated the feasibility of a nurse-led symptom-screening program embedded in routine oncology post-treatment outpatient clinics by assessing (1) the acceptance rate for symptom distress screening (SDS), (2) the prevalence of SDS cases, (3) the acceptance rate for community-based psychosocial support services, and (4) the effect of referred psychosocial support services on reducing symptom distress.

Methods: Using the modified Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS-r), we screened patients who recently completed cancer treatment. Patients screening positive for moderate-to-severe symptom distress were referred to a nurse-led community-based symptom-management program involving stepped-care symptom/psychosocial management interventions using a pre-defined triage system.

Optimizing palliative care and support for pets -perspectives of the pet-parent and the veterinarian.

As animals benefit from improved chronic disease care, more pet-parents and veterinarians face issues of late life and terminal care. Management of life limiting disease commonly considers the timing of euthanasia, often overlooking the role of supportive palliative care. Necessary communications between vet and pet-parents are rarely emphasized.

Trajectories of sleep disturbance in cancer survivors during the first 2 years post-treatment.

Study Objectives: To examine the trajectories of sleep disturbance in cancer survivors during the first 2 years post-treatment and to investigate whether psychological, cognitive, and physical factors differentiate trajectories.

Methods: A total of 623 Chinese cancer survivors of diverse cancer types participated in a 2-year-long prospective study after the completion of cancer treatment. Sleep disturbance was measured using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at 3 (T2), 6 (T3), 12 (T4), 18 (T5), and 24 (T6) months after baseline (within 6-months post-treatment; T1).

Study protocol of ConquerFear-HK: a randomised controlled trial of a metacognition-based, manualised intervention for fear of cancer recurrence among Chinese cancer survivors.

Introduction: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a prevalent and frequently debilitating response to a cancer diagnosis, affecting a substantial proportion of cancer survivors. Approximately 30% of local Hong Kong Chinese cancer survivors in a recent survey reportedly experienced persistent high FCR over the first-year post-surgery. This was associated with lower levels of psychological well-being and quality of life.

Return to Work and Work Productivity During the First Year After Cancer Treatment.

Objectives: Working-age cancer patients face barriers to resuming work after treatment completion. Those resuming work contend with reduced productivity arising from persisting residual symptoms. Existing studies of return to work (RTW) after cancer diagnosis were done predominantly in Western countries.

Association between Type-D Personality and Affective (Anxiety, Depression, Post-traumatic Stress) Symptoms and Maladaptive Coping in Breast Cancer Patients: A Longitudinal Study.

Background: Type-D (distressed) personality has not been prospectively explored for its association with psychosocial distress symptoms in breast cancer patients.

Objective: The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that Type-D personality can be associated with psychosocial distress variables in cancer over a 2-point period (6 month-follow-up).

Aims: The aim of the study was to analyze the role of Type-D personality in relation to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, general distress, and maladaptive coping among cancer patients.

Priming with social benefit information of vaccination to increase acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines.

Vaccine hesitancy can be heightened due to increasing negative reports about vaccines. Emphasizing the social benefits of vaccination may shift individual attention from individual to social benefit of vaccination and hence promote prosocial vaccination. In six rounds of a population-based survey conducted over one major community epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hong Kong from June to November 2020, we manipulated the question asking about acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine with or without emphasizing the social benefit of vaccination against COVID-19 (prosocial priming) and monitored the changes of vaccine confidence by news media sentiment on vaccines.

Assessing Community Vulnerability over 3 Waves of COVID-19 Pandemic, Hong Kong, China.

We constructed a coronavirus disease community vulnerability index using micro district-level socioeconomic and demographic data and analyzed its correlations with case counts across the 3 pandemic waves in Hong Kong, China. We found that districts with greater vulnerability reported more cases in the third wave when widespread community outbreaks occurred.

Dietary decision-making in Chinese breast cancer survivors: A qualitative study.

Objective: To explore the dietary practices and decision-making process among Chinese breast cancer (BCA) survivors.

Methods: Using a grounded theory approach, this qualitative study involved individual semi-structured interviews with 30 BCA survivors. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis.

Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms and Serotonin Transporter (5-HTTLPR) Polymorphism in Breast Cancer Patients.

Post-traumatic Symptoms (PTSS) and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been reported to affect a quite significant proportion of cancer patients. No study has examined the relationship between serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) and cancer, including Gene-Environment interactions between this polymorphism and specific causes of distress, such as cancer related problems (CRP) or life stressful events (SLE). One hundred and forty five breast cancer outpatients participated in the study and were assessed using the Impact of Event Scale (IES), the Problem List (PL) developed by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Distress Management Guidelines and the Paykel's Life Events Interview to evaluate the exposure to SLE during the year before the cancer diagnosis.

The Generalization of Conscious Attentional Avoidance in Response to Threat Among Breast Cancer Women With Persistent Distress.

Objectives: A sample of women with persistent distress following breast cancer (BC) previously exhibited attentional bias (AB) away from supraliminally presented cancer-or threat-related information, responses consistent with avoidance coping, and showed negative interpretation bias. Here, we attempt to characterize the nature of supraliminal AB and interpretation bias in that sample of women by comparing against healthy controls.

Methods: Extending our previous work, we compared AB patterns for supraliminally presented negatively valenced words and cancer-related information (CRI) assessed by modified dot-probe tasks and negative interpretation bias assessed by an ambiguous cue task between 140 BC women previously identified as featuring low-stable or persistent high anxiety and 150 age-matched non-BC healthy controls having HADS-defined low or high anxiety (HADS-anxiety scores = 8).

Management of Cancer and Health After the Clinic Visit: A Call to Action for Self-Management in Cancer Care.

Individuals with cancer and their families assume responsibility for management of cancer as an acute and chronic disease. Yet, cancer lags other chronic diseases in its provision of proactive self-management support in routine, everyday care leaving this population vulnerable to worse health status, long-term disability, and poorer survival. Enabling cancer patients to manage the medical and emotional consequences and lifestyle and work changes due to cancer and treatment is essential to optimizing health and recovery across the continuum of cancer.

Public Engagement and Government Responsiveness in the Communications About COVID-19 During the Early Epidemic Stage in China: Infodemiology Study on Social Media Data.

Background: Effective risk communication about the outbreak of a newly emerging infectious disease in the early stage is critical for managing public anxiety and promoting behavioral compliance. China has experienced the unprecedented epidemic of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in an era when social media has fundamentally transformed information production and consumption patterns.

Objective: This study examined public engagement and government responsiveness in the communications about COVID-19 during the early epidemic stage based on an analysis of data from Sina Weibo, a major social media platform in China.

Patterns of Cancer-Related Risk Behaviors Among Construction Workers in Hong Kong: A Latent Class Analysis Approach.

Background: Hong Kong's construction industry currently faces a manpower crisis. Blue-collar workers are a disadvantaged group and suffer higher levels of chronic diseases, for example, cancer, than the wider population. Cancer risk factors are likely to cluster together.

Effectiveness and Parental Acceptability of Social Networking Interventions for Promoting Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Among Young Children: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) coverage among young children remains low worldwide. Mobile social networking apps such as WhatsApp Messenger are promising tools for health interventions.

Objective: This was a preliminary study to test the effectiveness and parental acceptability of a social networking intervention that sends weekly vaccination reminders and encourages exchange of SIV-related views and experiences among mothers via WhatsApp discussion groups for promoting childhood SIV.

Dietary changes adopted by Chinese colorectal cancer patients: A qualitative study.

Objective: To explore influences on post-diagnosis dietary decision-making in colorectal cancer survivors (CRC) for future intervention development.

Methods: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 CRC survivors. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim for grounded theory analysis.

Developing a preventive psycho-oncology for a global context. The International Psycho-Oncology Society 2018 Sutherland Award Lecture.

Objective: Growing rates of cancer and survivorship, in situations of severe resource constraints, force a rethink about managing cancer-related psychosocial distress (CRPD). Here, a prevention-oriented natural history of distress is proposed, derived from developments in our understanding of the evolution and decay of CRPD.

Methods: The literature indicates that at least four classes or natural histories of CRPD are identifiable.