Information
To assist patients in managing the cancer treatment
experience, there has been a general belief
that the patient needs comprehensive information
on the specifics of his disease and treatment,
associated symptoms, and approaches to symptom
management. Frequently, the latter two areas
(ie, symptoms and their management) were not
addressed until the patients were actually experiencing
symptoms. Initially, this approach wasused in the PRO-SELF Program. The first test of
the PRO-SELF Program (described later) was a
clinical trial that focused on reducing four side
effects associated with chemotherapy (nausea,
vomiting, mucositis, and infection). The written
materials provided to patients contained both general
information about cancer and its treatment
and self-care strategies that patients could use to
deal with these four side effects. The written materials
were supplemented with individualized
treatment-related information. 17 The findings
from this first clinical trial revealed nonsignificant
differences between the intervention group and
the eontrol group on the designated outcomes.
Patient feedback indicated that they were overwhelmed
with too much information.
Subsequently, the research team members decided
to focus on only one cancer treatment
symptom. The development and testing (randomized
clinical trials [RCTs]) of the PRO-SELF Program
using symptom-specific self-care strategies
would provide the scientific evidence for the most
effective management strategies that could be
used with some of the most problematic symptoms
associated with cancer and its treatment.