Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · May 2008
Comparative StudyLevel and direction of hope in cancer patients: an exploratory longitudinal study.
Hope is an important factor to consider when caring for cancer patients as a key component of coping with adversity. The aim of our study was to address the following questions: Is there a difference in level of hope between those patients being curatively and those palliatively treated, and how does this change over time? What are patients' most important hopes? Better understanding of patients' hopes may promote more effective patient-centered care. ⋯ Our study indicates that patients receiving palliative therapy have a HHI score not significantly different from patients being treated for cure. The hope deemed most important is also similar between groups. Over time, overall hope was maintained or increased even in the presence of a trend towards fewer patients hoping for a cure. These results remind oncologists to explore the experience of hope with all patients to ensure that the subjective needs and goals of the patients are met by the proposed therapies.
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Support Care Cancer · Apr 2008
Review Practice GuidelineThe management of dyspnea in cancer patients: a systematic review.
The goal of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of four drug classes (opioids, phenothiazines, benzodiazepines, and systemic corticosteroids) for relieving dyspnea experienced by advanced cancer patients. ⋯ Systemic opioids, administered orally or parenterally, can be used to manage dyspnea in cancer patients. Oral promethazine may also be used, as a second-line agent if systemic opioids cannot be used or in addition to systemic opioids. Nebulized morphine, prochlorperazine, and benzodiazepines are not recommended for the treatment of dyspnea, and promethazine must not be used parenterally.
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Support Care Cancer · Apr 2008
Use of chemotherapy at the end of life in a Portuguese oncology center.
Chemotherapy plays a major role in the treatment of cancer. However, it is sometimes thought of as being taken too far, being used in many cases close to death. The purpose of this study is to determine the proximity of chemotherapy use to the patient's death in our hospital. ⋯ It was concluded that in this hospital, chemotherapy is not used as close to death as often as most professionals feel and the literature reports. There are various possible explanations for this discrepancy; one of them may be the influence of health care systems. It would be useful to see what is happening in other countries with different health care systems.
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Support Care Cancer · Apr 2008
The palliative prognostic score and survival in patients with advanced solid tumors receiving chemotherapy.
To evaluate the accuracy of the Palliative Prognostic Score (PaP score) in selecting metastatic gastrointestinal or nonsmall-cell lung cancer patients candidate to palliative chemotherapy. ⋯ The PaP score seems to discriminate patients who could benefit by palliative chemotherapy from those who could better benefit by supportive and palliative approach. However, the data are insufficient to validate the use of the PaP score in patients to be treated with palliative chemotherapy, and further trials should be planned to assess its ability to improve the quality of care in oncology and the appropriateness in the choice of palliative chemotherapy.
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Support Care Cancer · Mar 2008
Multicenter StudyBarriers to referral to inpatient palliative care units in Japan: a qualitative survey with content analysis.
We investigated the barriers to referral to inpatient palliative care units (PCUs) through a qualitative study across various sources of information, including terminal cancer patients, their families, physicians, and nurses. ⋯ To correct these unfavorable images and misconceptions of PCUs, it is important to eliminate the negative image of PCUs from the general population, patients, families, and medical staffs. In addition, early introduction of palliative care options to patients and communication skills training regarding breaking bad news are relevant issues for a smooth transition from anti-cancer treatment to palliative care.