Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2005
ReviewEffectiveness of whole brain radiotherapy in the treatment of brain metastases: a systematic review.
Brain metastases are the most common intracranial tumour in adults, estimated to occur in up to 40% of patients with cancer. Despite being used in clinical practice for 50 years, the effectiveness of whole brain radiotherapy for the treatment of brain metastases remains uncertain. ⋯ The heterogeneity of study designs, quality and outcomes necessitates caution in interpreting the review findings. WBRT appears to be of benefit in higher performance status patients but not in low performance status patients. This suggests a basis for current practice, however further robust trial evidence is required.
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Palliative medicine · Jun 2005
Why are bereaved family members dissatisfied with specialised inpatient palliative care service? A nationwide qualitative study.
In order to improve the quality of palliative care, we can learn from bereaved families who were dissatisfied with the care they received. The primary aim of this study was to explore why bereaved families were dissatisfied with specialized inpatient palliative care. ⋯ This study identified the multiple sources of dissatisfaction with specialized inpatient palliative care for bereaved families. These findings could be useful in developing a more desirable system of specialised inpatient palliative care.