Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2013
Evaluation of treatment- and disease-related symptoms in advanced head and neck cancer: validation of the national comprehensive cancer network-functional assessment of cancer therapy-head and neck cancer symptom index-22 (NFHNSI-22).
The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck is a well-validated assessment of quality of life used with patients diagnosed with head and neck cancers (HCNs). The present study is an attempt to evaluate and modify this instrument as necessary in light of the recent regulatory guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration on the use of patient-reported outcomes in clinical trials. ⋯ The National Comprehensive Cancer Network-Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck Cancer Symptom Index-22 adequately reflects symptom and side effect concerns of advanced HCN patients as well as oncology physicians. This instrument can be used to evaluate the most important disease-related symptoms, treatment side effects, and function/well-being in patients with advanced HCNs in clinical practice and research.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2013
Use of opioid analgesics among older persons with colorectal cancer in two health districts with palliative care programs.
Prescription of opioid analgesics is a key component of pain management among persons with cancer at the end of life. ⋯ PCPs may play an important role in enabling access to end-of-life care within the community.
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The HIV/AIDS epidemic in boys and men with hemophilia began in the early 1980s with the puzzling occurrence of systemic illness and fatal opportunistic infections in patients who had received plasma-derived clotting factor concentrates. This brief narrative describes one physician's experience in caring for patients with hemophilia and HIV infection early in the epidemic.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jul 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialLife-sustaining treatment preferences: matches and mismatches between patients' preferences and clinicians' perceptions.
Better clinician understanding of patients' end-of-life treatment preferences has the potential for reducing unwanted treatment, decreasing health care costs, and improving end-of-life care. ⋯ Clinicians erred more often about patients' wishes when patients did not want treatment than when they wanted it. Treatment decisions based on clinicians' perceptions could result in costly and unwanted treatments. End-of-life care could benefit from increased clinician-patient discussion about end-of-life care, particularly if discussions included patient education about risks of treatment and allowed clinicians to form and maintain accurate impressions of patients' preferences.