Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2021
Review Meta AnalysisPrevalence of Fatigue in Patients with Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Fatigue is a particularly common and troubling symptom that has a negative impact on quality of life throughout all phases of treatment and stages of the illness among patients with cancer. ⋯ This meta-analysis highlights the importance of developing optimal monitoring strategies to reduce fatigue and improve the quality of life of patients with cancer.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2021
Meta AnalysisEfficacy and safety of opioids in treating cancer-related dyspnea: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials.
Dyspnea is one of the most distressing symptoms encountered by advanced cancer patients. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the role of opioids in the management of cancer-related dyspnea. ⋯ Our systematic review and meta-analysis indicated low quality evidence for a small positive effect of opioids in cancer-related dyspnea. Evidence for safety is insufficient as comprehensive adverse events were not adequately reported in studies.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2021
Higher Levels of Stress Are Associated with a Significant Symptom Burden in Oncology Outpatients Receiving Chemotherapy.
A cancer diagnosis and associated treatments, as well as the uncertainty of the disease course, are stressful experiences for most patients. However, little information is available on the relationship between stress and symptom burden. ⋯ Consistent with our a priori hypothesis, patients in the stressed class had the highest symptom severity scores for all four symptoms and all these scores were above the clinically meaningful cutoffs for the various instruments.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2021
Randomized Controlled TrialHealth Information Preferences and Curability Beliefs Among Patients with Advanced Cancer.
Accurate prognostic understanding is associated with increased advance care planning, symptom control, and patient autonomy in oncology. The impact of prognostic understanding on patients' health information preferences (HIPs) and prognostic information preferences is unknown and has important implications for health care communication. ⋯ In the present study, prognostic understanding (i.e., curability beliefs) was not associated with HIPs. Therefore, oncology clinicians must individually and interatively evaluate patients' interest and preferences for receiving information. Future research should further clarify preferences for the framing and content of prognostic information from providers and improve the measurement of prognostic understanding to facilitate patient-centered end-of-life care.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Jan 2021
Randomized Controlled TrialA Population-based Mortality Follow-Back Survey Evaluating Good Death for Cancer and Non-cancer Patients: A Randomized Feasibility Study.
Evaluation of end-of-life care is a key element in quality improvement, and population-based mortality follow-back designs have been used in several countries. This design was adapted to evaluate a good death in Japan. ⋯ This study demonstrated the feasibility of conducting a population-based mortality follow-back survey using a randomized design. An attached pen with the questionnaire was effective in improving the response rate.