Published online Feb 26, 2022. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i6.1826
Peer-review started: November 21, 2021
First decision: December 9, 2021
Revised: December 23, 2021
Accepted: January 11, 2022
Article in press: January 11, 2022
Published online: February 26, 2022
Leukemia is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. Treatment may involve some combination of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and bone marrow transplant. Among these, chemotherapy is a standard treatment and beneficial for most patients. However, patients may experience many different chemotherapy-related side effects, such as discomfort, anxiety, and fatigue, significantly affecting comfort and well-being during and after cancer treatment. Empathetic nursing with mindfulness cognitive therapy (ENMCT) is a mild form of therapy that can reconcile the body and spirit through the mindfulness-based method. Numerous studies have shown that ENMCT enormously empowers patients with chronic pain, hypertension, heart disease, and psychological problems, such as depression and anxiety, and improves the well-being of cancer patients. However, these methods have rarely been used in China. Thus, we performed this randomized controlled trial to explore the effect of ENMCT on cancer-induced fatigue, hope level, and negative emotions in patients with long-term leukemia chemotherapy.
This article aims to explore the effect of ENMCT on cancer-induced fatigue, hope level, and negative emotions in patients with long-term leukemia chemotherapy.
A randomized control study was designed and performed to assess whether ENMCT can improve the health outcomes of Chinese leukemia patients. This research proved that ENMCT is an inexpensive, non-invasive, effective complementary therapy for leukemia associated with relaxation and pain reduction.
In this study, a total of 103 patients with long-term leukemia chemotherapy diagnosed and treated were enrolled and randomly assigned to the observation and control groups using the random number table approach. After three months of nursing care, cancer-induced fatigue was measured with the PFS, hope level with the HHI, and negative emotion with the HAMA Scale/HAMD Scale. In addition, self-management ability was also recorded.
After the intervention, the observation group’s total scores in behavior, cognition, emotion, feeling, and Piper Fatigue Scale were lower than the control group. Moreover, keeping close contact with others, the attitude of taking positive actions, the attitude toward reality and the future, and the total Herth Hope Index score were higher in the observation group than the control group. The observation group’s Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Hamilton Depression Scale scores were lower than the control group. The observation group’s positive attitude, self-decision, and self-relief scores were greater than the control group.
Empathetic nursing with cognitive mindfulness therapy is beneficial in improving cancer-related fatigue, negative emotions, expectation level, and self-management ability in patients with long-term leukemia chemotherapy.
This research proved ENMCT is a mild and effective intervention that benefits leukemia patients receiving chemotherapy. It can be carried out in a nursing environment and is easily acceptable by leukemia patients, which might improve leukemia treatment schemes.