ONS Connect - February 2008 - (Page 8) JuSTiN [By Deborah McBride, RN, MSN, CPON ®, Contributing Editor] DNa Test Could predict Cervical Cancer DNA test for the virus that causes cervical cancer detects potentially dangerous lesions earlier than the com monly used Pap tests, according to a pair of largescale studies. The studies were conducted by sepa rate research groups in Canada and Sweden. Both compared conventional Pap tests to DNA testing for human papillomavirus (HPV). With the DNA test, DNA is extracted from the tissue and measured for the presence of HPV. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the DNA tests in 2003 for women older than 30, but use of the tests isn’t widespread because of their higher cost and doctors’ lack of famil iarity with the method. The Canadian study involved more than 10,000 women, aged 30–69, who received both tests. The DNA tests pre dicted precancerous lesions 95% of the time, whereas the Pap tests had a 55% accuracy rate. In the Swedish group, 12,500 women aged 32–38 were divided into two groups. One group received only Pap tests, and the other received both tests. At the start of the study, precancerous lesions were found in 51% more women in the second group. In followup screenings, women who received both tests were more than 40% less likely to show signs of the dis ease that weren’t detected initially. According to experts, DNA is a promis ing technology that would allow women who test negative to go longer between screenings. However, the bigger chal lenge is bringing any kind of screening to the parts of the world where cervical cancer is most prevalent. Mayrand, M., DuarteFranco, E., Rodrigues, I., Walter, S.D., Hanley, J., Ferenczy, A., et al. (2007). Human papillomavirus DNA versus A Papanicolaou screening tests of cervical can cer. New England Journal of Medicine, 357(16), 1579–1588. Cancer Care providers Should recognize patients’ mental health National Cancer Institute. (2007). Patientcen tered communication in cancer care: Promot ing healing and reducing suffering. Retrieved November 29, 2007, from http://outcomes .cancer.gov/areas/pcc/communication/mono graph.html tify and help patients cope with psycho logical and social problems following cancer diagnosis that could cause anxi ety and delays in treatment. According to the report, oncologists and other cancer care providers typi cally focus on cancer treatments and overlook problems such as depression, lack of health insurance, and difficulty with transportation to and from ap pointments. The panel of cancer care experts found that if people become depressed after being diagnosed, they may delay care, which could allow a tumor to grow and become more deadly. The report calls on oncologists to routinely screen patients for mental health problems and then refer them to specialists or provide appropriate services. A Smell of Freshly baked recent Institute of Medicine report Cookies may reduce calls for cancer specialists to iden Chemotherapy Stress P atients receiving chemotherapy frequently have to spend several hours a week in treatment, often while feeling sick and tired. Researchers in a pilot program at Ohio State University’s James Cancer Hospital are trying to ease the stress of receiving chemotherapy by adding freshly baked cookies to patients’ can cer treatment. Instead of prepackaged food, the snack cart offers cookies that have just been baked in portable ovens outside patients’ rooms. Knowing that chemotherapy can af fect a patient’s sense of taste and smell, nutritionists met with doctors and nurses to find out which foods would be best. Because the sense of smell is tied to memory and the smell of freshly baked cookies often sparks 8 ONS CONNECT February 2008 http://outcomes.cancer.gov/areas/pcc/communication/monograph.html http://outcomes.cancer.gov/areas/pcc/communication/monograph.html http://outcomes.cancer.gov/areas/pcc/communication/monograph.html
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