Ecancermedicalscience is the peer-reviewed open access cancer journal founded by the European Institute of Oncology in Milan. We consider articles on all aspects of research relating to cancer, including molecular biology, genetics, pathophysiology, epide

Psychological interventions are proposed to cancer survivors to support their quality of life against the emotional trauma of cancer and the side effects of treatment. Psychological interventions often require patient engagement and commitment to activities that could be more or less demanding in terms of lifestyle change (e.g., psychotherapy, sports). Analyzing participant motivations (personal aims, expectations, needs) prior to participation is useful to predict their adherence to the intervention as well as final outcomes. Yet, participant motivations may evolve during the intervention because the intervention experience turns out to be meaningful and positively challenging. The present study aimed to obtain a preliminary understanding of the process of motivation change in female cancer survivors who participated in a sport-based intervention to promote quality of life by employing a grounded theory approach. Data analysis took place alongside data collection and according to the procedure of grounded theory (“open coding”, “axial coding”, and “selective coding”) in order to describe the process of motivation change during women’s participation in psychological intervention for quality of life. On 14 women interviewed, 13 reported changing their motivation to participate during the first months of involvement, mostly changing from individualistic to group-related motivations (i.e., from self-care to friendship with other participants and enriching group membership), and from physical to psychological growth (i.e., pursuing not only physical health but also self-fulfillment). The discussion explains the preliminary aspects of the motivation change process and highlights the importance to monitor motivation dynamics within psychological interventions.

(1) Objective: the purpose of this study was to evaluate and quantify the stress to which a surgeon is subjected during his/her surgical activity; we compared the individual clinical and psychological responses to stress of two surgeons during their surgical activities via robotic and open approaches. (2) Materials and methods: This was a prospective observational study in which we progressively collected data concerning the surgical performances of two different thoracic surgeons (October 2021–June 2022). We evaluated 20 lung resections performed via robot-assisted surgery and 20 lung resections performed via an open approach by each surgeon; in particular, we evaluated a panel of pre-, peri-, and postoperative data concerning the interventions, the patients, and other outcomes concerning the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and psychological responses to stress of the surgeons during their surgical activities. (3) Results: When analyzing data concerning the ANS activity of two surgeons, during robotic activity we found lower maximum, minimum, and mean heart rates; lower mean respiratory frequencies; lower body temperatures; and lower mean desaturations compared to the open approach activity for both surgeons. The psychological monitoring showed that the open approach created more physical fatigue and frustration but higher levels of satisfaction and performance evaluation. The robot-assisted surgeries showed higher levels of anxiety. (4) Conclusions: for different reasons, the robotic approach stimulated the ANS to a lesser degree, causing less stress for surgeons and ensuring greater comfort.

The clinical-care focused psychological interview (CLiC): a structured tool for the assessment of cancer patients’ needs Paola Arnaboldi1,2, Serena