The therapeutic approaches to cancer remain a considerable target for all scientists around the world. Although new cancer treatments are an everyday phenomenon, cancer still remains one of the leading mortality causes. Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains in this category, although patients with CRC may have better survival compared with other malignancies. Not only the tumor but also its environment, what we call the tumor microenvironment (TME), seem to contribute to cancer progression and resistance to therapy. TME consists of different molecules and cells. Cancer-associated fibroblasts are a major component. They arise from normal fibroblasts and other normal cells through various pathways. Their role seems to contribute to cancer promotion, participating in tumorigenesis, proliferation, growth, invasion, metastasis and resistance to treatment. Different markers, such as a-SMA, FAP, PDGFR-β, periostin, have been used for the detection of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Their detection is important for two main reasons; research has shown that their existence is correlated with prognosis, and they are already under evaluation as a possible target for treatment. However, extensive research is warranted.

Diabetes is known as a “silent epidemic” and is a public health problem that accounts for 9% of all deaths worldwide. The prevention of diabetes is a significant challenge, as its prevalence and incidence are both increasing rapidly. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), education is the cornerstone of diabetes treatment. Since the severity of oral diseases is significantly higher in diabetic patients, this systematic review aims to highlight the oral care of diabetic patients as a priority for glycemic control and the importance of education for diabetic patients’ oral health. We evaluated 20 clinical studies and 15 meta-analyses from PubMed and Google Scholar over the last five years. Their main themes are the direct relationship between diabetes and oral health, especially periodontitis, and the necessity of education and behaviors that can lead to a better quality of life. Our analysis indicated that good oral health is a critical factor of glycemic control in diabetic patients and can be enhanced by targeted educational programs, backed by long-term medical and dental follow-up. Healthcare personnel should be encouraged to develop their knowledge of oral health in relation to the disease so that behaviors can be adopted to improve patients’ quality of life. Telemedicine could also contribute to patient education and self-management of the disease.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing students have had a key role in supporting the healthcare sector. They can join healthcare professionals in clinical practice or provide information to increase citizens’ levels of knowledge and their compliance with the restriction measures. The study aimed to develop and validate a tool to measure knowledge of and attitudes toward COVID-19 among nursing students in Greece. Methods: A questionnaire was developed through theoretical research and expert consultation. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 348 undergraduate nursing students of the Department of Nursing, Hellenic Mediterranean University, recruited by convenient sampling. Validity and reliability were analyzed. Results: The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure was 0.84, indicating that the sample size was adequate for factor analysis. In addition, the p-value for Bartlett’s test of sphericity was <0.001, denoting that the correlation matrix was suitable for factor analysis. The construct validity of the questionnaire was determined through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), which revealed that 16 items lead to four factors: knowledge, attitude toward restriction measures, compliance with them, and volunteering. One of the key findings of this study was that participants preferred to receive information from valid sources rather than social media during the crucial period of the “infodemic”. Conclusions: The questionnaire was shown to have satisfying psychometric properties and, therefore, can be used as a tool in future research in the area of nursing students’ knowledge, attitudes, compliance, and volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Patients with hematological malignancies undergo intensive treatment and prolonged hospitalization, thus having a variety of physical and psychosocial symptoms and worse quality of life (QOL). This study aimed to assess the QOL and investigate the symptoms of hospitalized hematological cancer patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the hematology clinics and day units of two general hospitals of Heraklion, Crete. Adult patients with hematological malignancy and an adequate understanding of the Greek language participated. A demographic questionnaire, the European Organization for Research and Treatment for Cancer quality assessment questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), and the MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) were used. The sample consisted of 120 patients—42.5% were women, with a mean age of 65.6 years. The mean time from diagnosis was 33 months. The global health status of QoL had an average value of 47.1. The highest levels of QOL were found in the subscale of cognitive function (72.8) and the lowest in the role function (46.1). For the EORTC QLQ-C30 symptoms scale, the lowest score was found in nausea-vomiting (11.0) and the highest in fatigue (59.1). In the MDASI, in part I (core symptoms), higher levels but also medium intensities were reported at fatigue (78.3%, mean 3.5), drowsiness (65.0, mean 3.3), and distress (65.8%, mean 2.8). In part II, enjoyment of life (85.8%, mean 5.1) had the highest, and relation with other people (67.5%, mean 3.7) had the lowest scores. The increase in the severity of the core symptoms (part I) was related to females (rho = 0.193, p <0.05) and comorbidities (rho = 0.220, p < 0.05). It was also associated with a significant decrease in all functional domains and increased fatigue (rho = 0.571, p < 0.05) in the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. The increased global health status was related to males (rho = −0.185, p < 0.05) and physical functioning with younger age (rho = −0.331, p < 0.05), higher education (rho = 0.239, p < 0.05), fewer months from diagnosis (rho = −0.199, p < 0.05), and low comorbidity (rho = −0.209, p < 0.05). Finally, multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the total average symptom score of the MDASI was the most significant factor influencing the global health status of the EORTC QLQ-C30 (β = −4.91, p < 0.001). The increased global health status of the EORTC QLQ C30 was not significantly related (p > 0.05) to the social characteristics of the patients, such as education or employment, which requires further validation. The QoL of hematological cancer patients significantly decreases during treatments due to a considerable number of symptoms that must be taken into consideration for high-quality, individualized care.

A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the sexual function of women survivors of hematologic malignancy after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT), and to compare it with that of healthy women controls. Fifty-six sexually active women survivors of hematologic malignancy who underwent AHSCT were recruited through convenience sampling, as well as 60 healthy women. Demographic and clinical data questionnaires and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) were completed. Survivors had a median age of 44 years and a median time since transplant of 3 years, while 48.2% had Hodgkin Lymphoma. Survivors reported an average level of sexual dysfunction, with a total score mean ± SD = 22.51 ± 8.95. The best sexual functioning domain was “pain” and the most affected was “orgasm”. There was a statistically significant association between survivors’ sexual function and age (p < 0.0005) in both the unifactorial and the multifactorial analysis. In addition, there was a statistically significant association between survivors’ sexual function and functional status (p < 0.0005), menopausal status (p < 0.0005), the presence of children (p = 0.002), education (p < 0.0005), and diagnosis (p < 0.0005). Healthy women had statistically significantly higher scores in all FSFI subscales (p < 0.0005). Women survivors of hematologic malignancy, treated by AHSCT, had impaired sexual function, implying the need to implement regular sexual health assessment in survivorship care.

Background and Objectives: The burdened symptomatology accompanying advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is associated with poor prognosis and lower quality of life (QoL). Although both chemotherapy and immunotherapy increase survival, they are still associated with reduced functionality due to their toxicity. This study aimed to estimate the QoL and symptom burden of NSCLC patients receiving second-line chemotherapy compared to patients receiving second-line immunotherapy. Materials and Methods: This comparative, prospective study, conducted from January 2020 to December 2021, included 111 NSCLC patients who were divided into two groups: 61 patients receiving second-line chemotherapy and 50 patients receiving second-line immunotherapy. Patients’ QoL and symptom burden were estimated using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ C-30) (value range 0–100) from treatment cycle 1 to 6. Results: The QoL (mean score > 50) and functionality dimensions (mean score > 50) were moderate to good in both treatment groups, while the symptom burden did not appear to be a serious problem (mean score < 50). From cycle 3 to cycle 5, QoL was significantly better in the immunotherapy group. From cycle 3, the role and social functioning scores were higher in the immunotherapy group, while emotional and cognitive functioning were higher from cycle 2 (p <0.05). The chemotherapy group experienced higher levels of nausea/vomiting, constipation and financial difficulties in all the cycles (p < 0.05). Fatigue and appetite loss were significantly greater from cycle 2 and insomnia was significantly greater from cycle 3. On the contrary, the immunotherapy group experienced higher levels of diarrhea in cycles 5 and 6 (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Although both therapy groups did not report significantly impaired QoL and severe symptoms, it seems that QoL improved in the immunotherapy group, which reported a lower symptom burden compared to the chemotherapy group.