Palliative & supportive care
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Palliat Support Care · Jun 2007
ReviewA review of methylnaltrexone, a peripheral opioid receptor antagonist, and its role in opioid-induced constipation.
Opioid medications are frequently used in pain and palliative care patients with malignancy to manage symptoms such as pain and dyspnea. However, opiates are associated with various side effects. Constipation is a particularly problematic and common side effect of opioid pharmacology. Opioid antagonists have been studied in the management of opioid-induced constipation. Methylnaltrexone (MNTX) is a peripheral opioid antagonist currently under clinical investigation. It offers the potential to reverse undesirable side effects without reversing analgesia. ⋯ Larger clinical trials of MNTX are still necessary to support its use as a standard for treatment of opioid-induced constipation.
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Palliat Support Care · Jun 2007
Randomized Controlled TrialImproving the quality of life of geriatric cancer patients with a structured multidisciplinary intervention: a randomized controlled trial.
To examine the potential impact of elderly age on response to participation in a structured, multidisciplinary quality-of-life (QOL) intervention for patients with advanced cancer undergoing radiation therapy. ⋯ Our results demonstrate that geriatric patients with advanced cancer undergoing radiation therapy will benefit from participation in a structured multidisciplinary QOL intervention. Therefore, geriatric individuals should not be excluded from participating in a cancer QOL intervention, and, in fact, elderly age may be an indicator of strong response to a QOL intervention. Future research should further explore this finding.