Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · Aug 2011
Multicenter StudyPalonosetron plus 3-day aprepitant and dexamethasone to prevent nausea and vomiting in patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy.
The combination of a neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, dexamethasone, and a 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist is currently the standard antiemetic treatment in patients receiving cisplatin-based high emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a combination of palonosetron, a unique second-generation 5-HT(3) receptor antagonist, aprepitant, the only approved neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, and dexamethasone as antiemetic prophylaxis in patients receiving HEC (cisplatin ≥50 mg/mq). ⋯ This study shows that palonosetron in combination with aprepitant and dexamethasone is effective to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients treated with cisplatin-based HEC.
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Support Care Cancer · Aug 2011
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyPalonosetron in combination with 1-day versus 3-day dexamethasone for prevention of nausea and vomiting following moderately emetogenic chemotherapy: a randomized, multicenter, phase III trial.
A phase III trial assessed the efficacy of palonosetron plus dexamethasone given once in preventing acute and delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) following a broad range of moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) regimens. ⋯ Palonosetron plus single-dose dexamethasone administered before common MEC regimens provide protection against acute and delayed CINV which is non-inferior to that of palonosetron plus dexamethasone for 3 days. However, the major benefit of the single-day regimen occurs in patients receiving non-AC MEC regimens.
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Support Care Cancer · Aug 2011
ReviewFacilitating the implementation of empirically valid interventions in psychosocial oncology and supportive care.
Over the past two decades, the fields of psychosocial oncology and supportive care have seen clinically effective tools as underutilized despite proven benefits to cancer patients and their families. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the reasons for the failure of psychosocial and supportive care interventions in oncology to realize broad clinical implementation and to demonstrate how a knowledge management framework offers several advantages for increasing the probability of successful implementation. ⋯ The successful implementation of empirically promising interventions requires research networks and practice groups to work together in a concerted, theory-guided effort to identify and address the contextual factors most relevant to any particular intervention. The growing support of knowledge implementation activities by research funders, policy-makers, opinion leaders, and advocates of psychosocial and supportive care interventions is a positive move in this direction.
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Support Care Cancer · Aug 2011
ReviewImproving the availability and accessibility of opioids for the treatment of pain: the International Pain Policy Fellowship.
Opioid analgesics are simultaneously indispensable medicines for the treatment of moderate to severe pain and are harmful when abused. The challenge for governments is to balance the obligation to prevent diversion, trafficking, and abuse of opioids with the equally important obligation to ensure their availability and accessibility for the relief of pain and suffering. Over the last 30 years, significant progress has been made toward improving access to opioids as measured by increasing global medical opioid consumption. ⋯ The fellows from each country were successful at initiating collaboration with relevant governmental bodies, national authorities, and professional societies, which resulted in a new supply of oral opioids in Sierra Leone and Serbia, and improvements in the distribution of already available opioids in Colombia. All fellows were instrumental in facilitating evaluation of national policy. The IPPF program empowers fellows with the necessary knowledge, skills, and guidance to improve the availability and accessibility of opioids for the treatment of pain.
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Support Care Cancer · Aug 2011
Comparative StudyPredictive factors of poor prognosis in cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia.
We intended to determine the predictive factors of poor prognosis in cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (FN). ⋯ MASCC risk-index score <21, tachypnea, thrombocytopenia, increased CRP, and prolonged neutropenia may be strongly associated with poor outcomes in cancer patients with FN.