The journal of supportive oncology
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The admission of cancer patients into intensive care units (ICUs) is on the rise. These patients are at high risk for physical and psychosocial suffering. ⋯ When utilized in the ICU, palliative care has the potential to improve a patient's symptoms, enhance the communication between care teams and families, and improve family-centered decision making. Within the context of this article, we will discuss how palliative care can be integrated into the care of ICU patients and how to enhance family-centered communication; we will also highlight the care of ICU patients at the end of life.
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The American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) established guidelines for fertility preservation for cancer patients. In a national study of US oncologists, we examined attitudes toward the use of fertility preservation among patients with a poor prognosis, focusing on attitudes toward posthumous reproduction. ⋯ Physician attitudes may conflict with the recommended guidelines and may reduce the likelihood that some patients will receive information about fertility preservation. Further education may raise physicians' awareness of poor-prognostic patients' interest in pursuing this technology.
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Breast cancer survivors receive routine medical follow-up but are screened less frequently to detect symptom severity and interference with function in daily life. ⋯ Symptoms often coexisted and contributed to interference with daily function. Pain was most consistently associated with interference with function and severity of other symptoms.
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Multicenter Study
The role of spirituality and religious coping in the quality of life of patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative radiation therapy.
National palliative care guidelines outline spiritual care as a domain of palliative care, yet patients' religiousness and/or spirituality (R/S) are underappreciated in the palliative oncology setting. Among patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative radiation therapy (RT), this study aims to characterize patient spirituality, religiousness, and religious coping; examine the relationships of these variables to quality of life (QOL); and assess patients' perceptions of spiritual care in the cancer care setting. ⋯ Patients receiving palliative RT rely on R/S beliefs to cope with advanced cancer. Furthermore, spirituality and religious coping are contributors to better QOL. These findings highlight the importance of spiritual care in advanced cancer care.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Palonosetron plus 1-day dexamethasone for the prevention of nausea and vomiting due to moderately emetogenic chemotherapy: effect of established risk factors on treatment outcome in a phase III trial.
The non-inferiority of palonosetron plus 1-day versus 3-day dexamethasone in preventing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) due to moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) has been previously demonstrated. ⋯ This analysis confirmed that the 1-day regimen provides a valid treatment option for prevention of CINV in delayed, non-AC-based MEC.