{"id":1156,"date":"2024-08-05T20:24:58","date_gmt":"2024-08-05T10:54:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/?p=1156"},"modified":"2024-08-05T20:24:58","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T10:54:58","slug":"shedding-light-on-not-so-hidden-issues-affecting-cancer-patients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/2024\/08\/05\/shedding-light-on-not-so-hidden-issues-affecting-cancer-patients\/","title":{"rendered":"Shedding light on not-so-hidden issues affecting cancer patients"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Cancer-related fatigue is a distressing symptom experienced by individuals with a cancer diagnosis \u2013 and can persist far longer than expected, making it widely misunderstood by the general public and many health professionals.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flinders.edu.au\/people\/andi.agbejule\">Dr Andi Agbejule<\/a> from Flinders University\u2019s Caring Futures Institute is leading work to examine cancer-related fatigue more thoroughly, thanks to her recently receiving a prestigious Fatigue Fellowship though MASCC (the Multinational Association of Supportive Care In Cancer). This also complements her ongoing research around discrimination that affects cancer survivorship.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1158\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1158\" style=\"width: 150px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1158 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/95\/2024\/07\/Andi-Agbejule-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1158\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dr Andi Agbejule<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cCancer-related fatigue can progress long after cancer treatment, and unlike normal fatigue, it cannot be relieved simply by sleep,\u201d explains Dr Agbejule. \u201cIt can affect such things as cognition, memory, the ability to work and many other aspects of daily life.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While there are effective ways to manage cancer-related fatigue, this problematic condition remains severely under-treated and under-managed in people who have had cancer.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWe have found that while there are many clinicians, hospitals and organisations wanting to help their patients who are experiencing cancer-related fatigue, they don\u2019t readily know how to provide the necessary support.\u201d\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Dr Agbejule, who completed a Bachelor in Radiation Therapy before her PhD at Flinders University in cancer-related fatigue self-management support, aims to help organisations and clinics implement fatigue management programs, through providing clear insights into effective and innovative approaches for fatigue support.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">During her PhD, Dr Agbejule created a MASCC-endorsed clinical practice framework for healthcare professionals to support cancer survivors\u2019 self-management of their cancer-related fatigue, and she has also completed conversation analysis of telehealth cancer-related fatigue clinics.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Her project will develop further assistance for patients, focusing on how fatigue programs can be structured, implemented, and maintained with adequate staffing, facilities, administrative processes and manageable costs.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cOur plan is to speak with several fatigue clinics worldwide to understand their methods and approaches,\u201d she says. \u201cWe hope to compile this information into a toolkit that organisations can adapt to their specific contexts, thereby improving the implementation of fatigue management programs.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This information could also serve as a valuable resource for healthcare professionals and program developers, to help them refine their practices and elevate the quality of care provided to individuals experiencing fatigue.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Dr Agbejule\u2019s other important research project into cancer-related discrimination examines the many difficulties facing people affected by cancer (including those who care for someone with a cancer diagnosis) as a result of their diagnosis. These challenges include issues relating to ongoing employment, accessing support payments through Centrelink, accessing superannuation, and applying for different types of insurances.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cCancer-related discrimination involves direct and recurring experiences of stigmatisation or unfair conduct based on an individual\u2019s history of cancer, current diagnosis, or perceived risk of developing cancer in the future,\u201d says Dr Agbejule.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">She is investigating the forms and impact of cancer-related discrimination reported in international literature, with the findings of her review to shine a brighter light on the experiences of individuals affected by cancer in Australia \u2013 so that more people in the community and health professions can better understand the specific challenges they face.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWe believe this research will shed light on the prevalence and impact of cancer-related discrimination, ultimately contributing to more equitable and supportive environments for those affected by cancer,\u201d says Dr Agbejule.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Cancer-related fatigue is a distressing symptom experienced by individuals with a cancer diagnosis \u2013 and can persist far longer than expected, making it widely misunderstood [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2623,"featured_media":1169,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5155],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1156","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cancer-care"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1156","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2623"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1156"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1156\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1156"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1156"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.flinders.edu.au\/caring-futures-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1156"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}