Self-Management Activities Benefit Mesothelioma Patients

Self-management activities are a proven way to fight fatigue and anxiety. They also improve poor sleep quality.

A recent report showed that self-management activities are improving lung cancer patient outcomes.

Results ask mesothelioma patients to use self-management activities. They are a proven way to improve a patient’s quality of life.

What are Self-Management Activities?

Self-management activities allow patients to manage their disease. These activities include managing symptoms, medications, physical activity, and dietary behaviors.

Results say grab a partner! Early-stage disease patients with a partner have the most benefit. Dr. Rachel Anne Rowntree from the University of Wollongong in Australia stated, “This review supports evidence that there are improved outcomes in cancer among those with a partner.”

The Studies and the Patients Included

The study canvased over 587 studies in their first search. They used 10 studies that looked at the benefits of self-management activities. The total patient pool was 1,089 patients.

The mean age was 61.86 years. This is almost one decade younger than the median age of lung cancer diagnosis.

Participant gender was evenly split. Female patients equated to 50.1% (n = 546). When taken together, studies showed that females had a larger benefit.

Most patient patients were either married or not living alone. No studies focused on the involvement of family caregivers in self-management activities.

Best Activities for the Best Results

There were four activity types. Exercise was the activity of choice in 60% of the studies. Two studies utilized self-management education. One study used a telephone-based symptom reporting tool. And the last study adopted a patient quality of life diary.

Fatigue, exercise capacity, and other various activities were included in the pooled analysis. One study demonstrated positive outcomes for anxiety/depression and sleep quality.

Home-based exercise is a cost-effective alternative to hospital-based programs. Hospital-based exercise has shown significant improvement in exercise capacity and quality of life. But it has not shown improvement for fatigue, depression, and anxiety.

The results of this study show that physical exercise brings improved patient outcomes. Exercise in early-stage lung cancer also has positive effects.

Self-Management Activities Work in Mesothelioma

Early-stage lung cancer is diagnosed in approximately 40% of patients. Treatment goals include a surgical and curative intent approach to a palliative approach.

Mesothelioma has a poor prognosis. The aim of treatment is often palliative care. Patients with mesothelioma often have several other issues which may impact function.

The benefits of self-management activities in mesothelioma patients are immense. Positive outcomes include decreased fatigue and anxiety/depression. There was an increase in sleep quality and quality of life.

Future research will focus on the benefits of family caregivers with mesothelioma patients.

Sources:

Rowntree, R. A., & Hosseinzadeh, H. (2022). Lung Cancer and Self-Management Interventions: A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(1), 536. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/536