title: Cancer Care Burden among Primary Family Caregivers of Iranian Hematologic Cancer Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Providing care for hematologic cancer patients may lead to many negative complications in different aspects of life in their family caregivers. Based on a wide review of relevant literature, there are limited data about the burden of giving care for hematologic cancer patients on their primary family caregivers in Iran or other Middle Eastern countries. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the cancer care burden on primary family caregivers of hematologic cancer patients, in terms of physical, psychological, social, spiritual, and financial aspects.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this descriptive study, 151 primary family caregivers of hematologic cancer patients referred to two cancer care centers in East Azerbaijan Province in northwest of Iran participated. The Financial Distress/Financial Well-being Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Vaux Social Support Questionnaire, Spiritual Well-being Scale, and SF-36 were used for data collection. Data analysis was performed with SPSS software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings of this study indicated that the primary family caregivers experience a high level of financial distress and a significant percentage of them suffered from anxiety and depression. In addition, the physical quality of life in these caregivers was moderate. On the other hand, spiritual health and social support of participants was at an acceptable level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Iranian primary family caregivers of hematologic cancer patients experience many problems in physical, psychological, and financial aspects of their life. Therefore, developing care plans for reducing these problems appears necessary.
authors.affiliation: Medical and Surgical Department, Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran E-mail : azad.rahmani@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Masoomeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abbasnezhad
authors.forename: Azad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahmani
authors.forename: Akram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghahramanian
authors.forename: Fariborz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roshangar
authors.forename: Jamal
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eivazi
authors.forename: Arman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Azadi
authors.forename: Golshan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berahmany
mesh_terms: D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing*; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D010166:Palliative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires