Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2017
Association of inflammatory cytokines with the symptom cluster of pain, fatigue, depression, and sleep disturbance in Chinese patients with cancer.
Pain, fatigue, depression, and sleep disturbance are common in patients with cancer and usually co-occur as a symptom cluster. However, the mechanism underlying this symptom cluster is unclear. ⋯ Our findings suggest that IL-6 levels are associated with cluster symptoms in cancer patients. Clinicians should identify patients at risk for more severe symptoms and formulate novel target interventions to improve symptom management.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2017
Talking about death with terminally-ill cancer patients: What contributes to the regret of bereaved family members?
Talking about death is an important issue for terminally-ill cancer patients and their families. Little is known about how often and which bereaved families regret not having talked about death with their deceased loved one. ⋯ A third of bereaved families of adult cancer patients regretted not having talked about death sufficiently. Clinicians may minimize this regret by facilitating a shared understanding of the disease and prognosis, advising families explicitly when to talk based on terminal awareness, providing continuous emotional support, and validating their decision on talking about death.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2017
Review Meta AnalysisCancer Treatment Side Effects: A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship between Response Expectancies and Experience.
Although previous research has, overall, suggested a moderate relationship between response expectancies (REs) and cancer treatment-related side effects, empirical results have been mixed. ⋯ Findings support a relationship between REs and a wide range of subsequent side effects, yet differences between individual RE-toxicity associations emerged. These findings provide direction for the measurement of side effects and REs and support REs as potential targets for intervention during the informed consent process.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2017
"Let's bring her home first." Patient Characteristics and Place of Death in Specialized Pediatric Palliative Home Care.
Specialized pediatric palliative home care (SPPHC) is the main pediatric palliative care structure in Germany. Detailed data on patient characteristics and care are sparse. Describing this population in terms of diagnoses and care needs is essential for further development of palliative care services for these patients. ⋯ Our data on SPPHC show 1) significant differences between Association for Children with Terminal Conditions/Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health groups in terms of care needs and survival; 2) a high prevalence of children with neurological problems; and 3) a large majority of children dying at home.