Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology
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Review Comparative Study
Palliative sedation in end-of-life care and survival: a systematic review.
Palliative sedation is a clinical procedure aimed at relieving refractory symptoms in patients with advanced cancer. It has been suggested that sedative drugs may shorten life, but few studies exist comparing the survival of sedated and nonsedated patients. We present a systematic review of literature on the clinical practice of palliative sedation to assess the effect, if any, on survival. ⋯ Even if there is no direct evidence from randomized clinical trials, palliative sedation, when appropriately indicated and correctly used to relieve unbearable suffering, does not seem to have any detrimental effect on survival of patients with terminal cancer. In this setting, palliative sedation is a medical intervention that must be considered as part of a continuum of palliative care.
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Comparative Study
Patient-reported outcomes after hepatic resection of colorectal cancer metastases.
Hepatic resection of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) liver metastases is increasing, but evidence for the impact of surgery on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) is limited. This study aimed to describe comprehensively the impact of liver surgery for CRC hepatic metastases on PROs. ⋯ These findings provide new evidence regarding outcomes of liver resection for CRC metastases. It is recommended that patients be reassured that surgery has a minimal and short-lived detrimental impact on health.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Pilot randomized controlled trial of individual meaning-centered psychotherapy for patients with advanced cancer.
Spiritual well-being and sense of meaning are important concerns for clinicians who care for patients with cancer. We developed Individual Meaning-Centered Psychotherapy (IMCP) to address the need for brief interventions targeting spiritual well-being and meaning for patients with advanced cancer. ⋯ IMCP has clear short-term benefits for spiritual suffering and quality of life in patients with advanced cancer. Clinicians working with patients who have advanced cancer should consider IMCP as an approach to enhance quality of life and spiritual well-being.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Depression and survival in metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer: effects of early palliative care.
In a randomized trial, early palliative care (EPC) in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was observed to improve survival. In a secondary analysis, we explored the hypothesis that the survival benefit resulted from improving depression. ⋯ Depression predicted worse survival in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic NSCLC. Although EPC was associated with greater improvement in depression at 12 weeks, the data do not support the hypothesis that treatment of depression mediated the observed survival benefit from EPC.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction in mood, breast- and endocrine-related quality of life, and well-being in stage 0 to III breast cancer: a randomized, controlled trial.
To assess the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for mood, breast- and endocrine-specific quality of life, and well-being after hospital treatment in women with stage 0 to III breast cancer. ⋯ MSBR improved mood, breast- and endocrine-related quality of life, and well-being more effectively than standard care in women with stage 0 to III breast cancer, and these results persisted at three months. To our knowledge, this study provided novel evidence that MBSR can help alleviate long-term emotional and physical adverse effects of medical treatments, including endocrine treatments. MBSR is recommended to support survivors of breast cancer.