Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Assessment of current practice with a valid set of indicators is the key to successfully improving the quality of patient-centred care. For improvement purposes, we developed indicators of patient-centred cancer care and tested them on a population of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ⋯ Developing a valid set of patient-centred indicators is a first step towards improving the patient centredness of cancer care. Indicators can be based on recommendations from guidelines, but adding patient opinions leads to a more complete picture of patient centredness. The practice test on patients with NSCLC showed that the patient centredness of cancer care can be improved. Our set of indicators may also be useful for future quality assessments for other patients with cancers or chronic diseases.
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Support Care Cancer · Jan 2010
Efficacy and safety of deep, continuous palliative sedation at home: a retrospective, single-institution study.
The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of palliative sedation at home (PSH) to approach refractory symptoms in dying cancer patients. ⋯ A midazolam-based protocol for PSH is feasible and effective. Our results need to be confirmed by prospective, multicentric, controlled studies.
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Support Care Cancer · Dec 2009
Components of the anorexia-cachexia syndrome: gastrointestinal symptom correlates of cancer anorexia.
Cancer-related anorexia is traditionally considered part of a complex but ill-defined anorexia-cachexia syndrome in which anorexia is intimately associated with other gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and weight loss. We surveyed cancer patients with anorexia to learn more about the relationship between anorexia and these symptoms. ⋯ Evaluation of multiple other GI symptoms is important in understanding the total experience of cancer anorexia. Early satiety, taste changes, food aversions, and altered sense of smell are important accompanying GI symptoms. Most validated anorexia tools do not assess these commonly associated GI symptoms. Future research should develop a comprehensive anorexia symptom questionnaire.
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Support Care Cancer · Dec 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyFeasibility and validity of the Patient Neurotoxicity Questionnaire during taxane chemotherapy in a phase III randomized trial in patients with breast cancer: N-SAS BC 02.
The aim of the study was to determine the feasibility and validity of a newly developed patient-based instrument--the Patient Neurotoxicity Questionnaire (PNQ)--for grading chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). ⋯ The PNQ has an applicable degree of feasibility and validity, useful for the diagnosis of CIPN as well as for clinical treatment decision-making, where the development of CIPN is a potential treatment-limiting consideration. Physicians underreport and underestimate the severity of CIPN symptoms compared with patients, thereby supporting the importance of assessing patient-reported outcomes using the PNQ.
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Support Care Cancer · Dec 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyReduction of chemotherapy-induced anorexia, nausea, and emesis through a structured nursing intervention: a cluster-randomized multicenter trial.
The purpose of this present study was to evaluate Self-care Improvement through Oncology Nursing (SCION) program to reduce distressing anorexia, nausea, and emesis (ANE) in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. ⋯ Contrary to our expectations, the groups did not differ in ANE intensity caused by the overall low acute or delayed symptom intensity. Symptom hierarchy in cancer patients alters and challenges nursing interventions targeting the patients' self-care strategies.