Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · May 2013
Treatment of acute and chronic focal neuropathic pain in cancer patients with lidocaine 5 % patches. A radiation and oncology department experience.
This study aims to evaluate the utility of a new technology, Lidocaine 5 % patch (L5%P), for providing analgesia without other sensory deficit in cancer patients with focal neuropathic pain (NP) related or not with cancer. ⋯ The results indicate that there are patients with NP within a cancer setting who are suitable for treatment and successfully managed with topical L5%P, alone or in combination with other drugs.
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Support Care Cancer · Apr 2013
Multicenter StudyPattern and characteristics of advanced cancer patients admitted to hospices in Italy.
The aim of this multicenter study was to assess the pattern and the characteristics of advanced cancer patients admitted to hospices. A consecutive sample of patients admitted in a period of 6 months was taken into consideration. Two hundred thirty-six patients admitted to hospices were consecutively assessed. ⋯ The short survival and the number of patients dying in hospice were the principal finding, as it appears that hospice admission is only one way for end of life treatments. Patients receive specialized palliative care only for 2-3 weeks before death, implying an inacceptable timing for patients with several problems presumed to be present early during the course of disease. Data from hospice activities in Italy strongly suggest to spread palliative care in other settings, other than home care and hospice, to intercept oncologic patients in their disease trajectory early.
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Support Care Cancer · Apr 2013
Phase II study of glucosamine with chondroitin on aromatase inhibitor-associated joint symptoms in women with breast cancer.
Many women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer discontinue effective aromatase inhibitor (AI) treatment due to joint symptoms. ⋯ In this single-arm study, 24 weeks of glucosamine/chondroitin resulted in moderate improvements in AI-induced arthralgias, with minimal side effects, and no changes in estradiol levels. These results suggest a need to evaluate efficacy in a placebo-controlled trial.