Greek Traditional Dance as a Practice for Managing Stress and Anxiety in Cancer Patients

Stress and anxiety levels in cancer patients tend to decrease by performing bodily-kinesthetic and musical activities. The hypothesis of the present study is that attending lessons in Greek traditional dance is an effective method for managing anxiety and stress in patients diagnosed with cancer of any type both during and after treatment. The study was conducted on 300 cancer patients (150 experimental subjects, 150 controls) selected by Attica hospitals and nonprofit cancer patients’ organizations. Each patient in the experimental group attended an 8-week Greek traditional dance lesson program. Lessons were held twice per week, lasting 60 min each. A similar group of cancer patients not participating in any organized physical activity during the same time period served as a control group. Data were collected using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (Dass-21) questionnaire and subjected to reliability analysis (Cronbach’s alpha) and deviation-dependent analysis (one-way repeated). Both stress and anxiety values decreased significantly in the experimental group (stress value: initial mean = 16.27, second mean = 2.58, final mean = 6.77, p < 0.001; anxiety value: initial mean = 15.59, second mean = 2.81, final mean = 5.35, p < 0.001). In contrast, no significant fluctuation was observed in the control group. Thus, there was a significant decrease in stress and anxiety values in cancer patients who attended Greek traditional dances lessons with important psychotherapeutic significance. © 2020, American Association for Cancer Education

A new concept in the treatment of extravasation injury: controlled drug delivery systems

WOS: 000282621800027PubMed ID: 20941833Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of the intralesionally injected controlled granulocyte-monocyte colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) releasing system in widening refractory extravasation wounds. Methods: The determination of in vitro GM-CSF release from chitosan gel was the first, and in vivo effect of the molecule was the second step of the study. Thirty-five Wistar-Albino rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: 1) control group (adriamycin group) (n=7); 2) adriamycin + normal saline group (n=7); 3) adriamycin + chitosan group (n=7); 4) adriamycin + 1 mu g/mL GM-CSF-loaded chitosan group (n=7); and 5) adriamycin + 10 mu g/mL GMCSF loaded chitosan group (n=7). The wound area was measured macroscopically and histological examination was carried out for wound healing and tissue response to the polymer Results: The best healing process was observed with the controlled released GM-CSF groups (groups 4 and 5). The 1 mu g/mL GM-CSF loaded group showed superior wound healing than that of 10 mu g/mL GM-CSF loaded gels. This result was correlated with the in vitro study which also showed increased drug release in the 1 mu g/mL GM-CSF loaded group than the 10 mu g/mL GM-CSF loaded gels. Conclusion: This study suggests that GM-CSF, applied with controlled drug delivery system, can supply dynamic treatment options with long-lasting activity in single-dose administration

A new concept in treatment of burn injury: Controlled slow-release granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor chitosan gel system

PubMed ID: 22123539Objective: The aim of the study is to investigate the effectiveness of the controlled slow-release granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) system in burn wound healing. Material and methods: In vivo effect of controlled slow-release GM-CSF from chitosan gel on burn wound healing was evaluated on 18 Wistar-Albino rats, weighing between 250 and 300 g. They were randomly divided into 3 groups; (1) burned only group (n = 6), (2) burned + chitosan group (n = 6), (3) burned + chitosan + GM-CSF group (n = 6). Wound area was measured macroscopically. Hematoxylin and eosin and Masson's trichrome stained sections were evaluated for wound healing and tissue response to the polymer. Results: The best healing process was observed with the controlled slow-release GM-CSF-applied group (group 3) in which the wound area was significantly narrowed. Conclusion: The study demonstrated the positive contribution of the single-dose controlled slow-release GM-CSF from chitosan gel on burn wound healing. © 2011 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins