Recent Research Publications and Funding

 Prostate cancer disproportionately affects African-American men. Family, friends, and trust in health care providers are factors that influence the decision making of African-American men when determining whether or not to get a prostate cancer screening done.

Introduction: African-American men are approximately 2.4 times more likely to die of prostate cancer when compared to Caucasian men. Since prostate cancer screening is controversial, there lies a greater need to understand the decision-making factors for screening. Purpose: Cancer patients and patients at high risk for cancer face difficult decisions in choosing what is most appropriate for them and how to access resources. The purpose of this study was to examine how rural African-American men decide whether or not to have a prostate cancer screening. Methods: A qualitative research design was used to examine rural African-American men's experiences in decision making as it relates to prostate cancer screening. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to analyze data. This approach focuses on the lived experiences of participants, as well as the meanings of their experiences. Findings: Seventeen rural African-American men were interviewed about whether or not to have a prostate cancer screening. Three themes emerged from the findings: 1) family and friend involvement is important, 2) trust in the doctor is necessary, and 3) knowing a friend or family member with prostate cancer impacts decision making. The involvement of family and friends in the decision-making process for prostate cancer screening became prominent among the participants. Conclusions: Opinions of family and friends were highly valued and had a great impact on the participants' decision-making process. A combination of informal and formal support resources influenced the men's decision for prostate cancer screening.

 PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore cancer support and financial issues related to cancer care experienced by African-American men with prostate cancer and to understand whom they relied on for resource issues during diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS: This is a descriptive qualitative study of 23 rural and urban 65 years old and older African-American prostate cancer survivors. Five focus groups were conducted containing African-American prostate cancer survivors who were recruited from community-based centers (e.g., churches, barbershops, diners, and primary care clinics) in central Virginia and Maryland. Focus group discussions were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded. Data were organized and managed using a qualitative analysis software program. Emerging themes uncovered specific problems for older rural African-American men with cancer, and focus group data were examined for potential solutions to these problems.

RESULTS: Two common themes emerged: (1) family and physician support are important, and (2) insurance is a necessity for appropriate health care. A difference between rural and urban African-American prostate cancer survivors emerged as well: difference in spirituality during diagnosis and treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Rural and urban African-American prostate cancer survivors' major support resource was their wives. Health insurance played a critical role as a support source by decreasing anxiety and financial hardships. Understanding rural and urban African-American prostate cancer survivors' support needs and challenges in relation to cancer diagnosis and treatment will allow nurses and other health-care providers to tailor cancer health plans more effectively for this population.

 Family caregivers of cancer patients receive little preparation, information, or support to perform their caregiving role. However, their psychosocial needs must be addressed so they can maintain their own health and provide the best possible care to the patient. The purpose of this article is to analyze the types of interventions offered to family caregivers of cancer patients, and to determine the effect of these interventions on various caregiver outcomes. Meta-analysis was used to analyze data obtained from 29 randomizedclinical trials published from 1983 through March 2009. Three types of interventions were offered to caregivers: psychoeducational, skills training, and therapeutic counseling. Most interventions were delivered jointly to patients and caregivers, but they varied considerably with regard to dose and duration. The majority of caregivers were female (64%) and Caucasian (84%), and ranged in age from 18 to 92 years (mean age, 55 years). Meta-analysis indicated that although these interventions had small to medium effects, they significantly reduced caregiver burden, improved caregivers' ability to cope, increased their self-efficacy, and improved aspects of their quality of life. Various intervention characteristics were also examined as potential moderators. Clinicians need to deliver research-tested interventions to help caregivers and patients cope effectively and maintain their quality of life. CA Cancer J Clin 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society, Inc.

 Anemia is often an unrecognized and/or undertreated diagnosis in older adults. Failure to diagnose anemia leads to delayed treatment and thus delayed relief of symptoms. Given the potentially significant impact of anemia on cardiovascular disease and physical performance among older nursing home (NH) residents, it is important to evaluate current clinical practice related to anemia.The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to evaluate the frequency of laboratory evaluation and medication treatment for anemia among older NH residents. Results indicated that more than half of NH residents were anemic at baseline, and of those, less than 20% had additional testing done to further evaluate for an underlying cause of their anemia and only 45.3% received any pharmacologic treatment. Future research is needed to clarify the potential benefits of timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment for anemic older adults in long-term-care settings and establish evidence-based guidelines to direct care in this area.