Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2024
Utilization of Palliative Radiation in Pediatric Oncology Patients During the End-of-life (EOL).
Suffering at the end-of-life (EOL) can impact the perception of a "good death" and ultimately affect bereavement for families of children with cancer. Palliative radiation (pXRT) is a tool that can address pain, mitigate suffering and improve quality of life. ⋯ There is underutilization and significant variability in the use of pXRT during EOL in pediatric oncology. Barriers to this tool may include physician perceptions, family/patient preferences, and logistical hardships. Guidelines to standardize pXRT, alongside earlier PPC integration, may guide clinician decision making and increase pXRT utilization.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2024
Review Meta AnalysisEffects of aromatherapy on quality of life and pain in patients with cancer: A meta-analysis.
Cancer has become a chronic disease to which new therapeutic approaches are being applied and many patients are interested in the long-term consequences of these approaches. Aromatherapy is one approach that has been used as a safe and comfortable method to alleviate symptoms in patients with cancer, and its effects on various aspects of life have been reported. ⋯ The findings indicate statistically significant improvements in QoL when combining aromatherapy and massage, but it was not possible to disentangle the individual effects of each. Considering the characteristics of cancer patients, aromatherapy has beneficial effects as a non-pharmacological method. Further research is needed to investigate the effect of aromatherapy on symptom management, considering factors such as the duration of cancer development and type of cancer.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2024
ReviewArtificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Cancer Pain: A Systematic Review.
Pain is a challenging multifaceted symptom reported by most cancer patients. This systematic review aims to explore applications of artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) in predicting pain-related outcomes and pain management in cancer. ⋯ Implementation of AI/ML tools promises significant advances in the classification, risk stratification, and management decisions for cancer pain. Further research focusing on quality improvement, model calibration, rigorous external clinical validation in real healthcare settings is imperative for ensuring its practical and reliable application in clinical practice.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2024
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyPredictors of Specialty Outpatient Palliative Care Utilization Among Persons with Serious Illness.
Outpatient Palliative Care (OPC) benefits persons living with serious illness, yet barriers exist in utilization. ⋯ Efforts to improve OPC utilization should focus on those with lower education, more functional limitations, older age, female sex, and those with less social support. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03325985.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Dec 2024
Randomized Controlled TrialCulturally Adapted RN-MD Collaborative SICP-Based ACP: Feasibility RCT in Advanced Cancer Patients.
Cultural adaptation is essential for optimizing programs centered around autonomy, such as the Serious Illness Care Program (SICP), especially for populations valuing family-involved decision-making. ⋯ Despite not meeting the targeted completion rate, the intervention group demonstrated enhanced spiritual well-being, QOL, and ACP progress. Our findings suggest revisions to the intervention manual to improve feasibility and to progress to an efficacy-focused randomized controlled trial.