Psycho-oncology
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A pathway linking patient participation in cancer consultations to pain control.
To test a pathway through which a tailored, pain management education-coaching intervention could contribute to better cancer pain control through the effects of patients' communication about pain on physician prescribing of pain medication. ⋯ Cancer patients who ask questions, express concerns, and state preferences about pain-related matters can prompt physicians to change their pain management regimen, which in turn may lead to better pain control. Future research should model pathways through which clinician-patient communication can lead to better cancer outcomes.
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Qualitative research suggests that the wish to hasten death (WTHD) in the advanced stages of disease is mainly related to overall suffering. This quantitative study explores the relationship between the WTHD and psychological and physical factors, including survival, in patients with advanced cancer. ⋯ Both psychological and physical impairment (as well as poorer prognosis) are associated with higher scores on SAHD, supporting the idea that WTHD emerges in response to overall suffering. Although we observed a direct relationship between physical status and survival, the latter was not related to any of the psychological factors or WTHD.