Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
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Support Care Cancer · Jul 2014
Hospice shared-care saved medical expenditure and reduced the likelihood of intensive medical utilization among advanced cancer patients in Taiwan--a nationwide survey.
Hospice shared care (HSC) is a new care model that has been adopted to treat inpatient advanced cancer patients in Taiwan since 2005. Our aim was to assess the effect of HSC on medical expenditure and the likelihood of intensive medical utilization by advanced cancer patients. ⋯ HSC is associated with significant medical expenditure savings and reduced likelihood of intensive medical utilization. All types of HPC are associated with medical expenditure savings.
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The quality of dying and death refers to the evaluation of the final days of life and the moment of death with respect to how it is prepared for, faced and experienced by those with a terminal illness. It includes experience in multiple domains: physical, psychological, social, spiritual or existential, the nature of health care, life closure and death preparation, and the circumstances of death. ⋯ This retrospective study in Israel demonstrated that the overall quality of dying and death was regarded as poor by almost half of the caregivers. These findings may reflect the relative lack of specialized palliative care and advance care planning in Israel at the time of this study, which took place between 2006 and 2009. Further research and enhancement of palliative care resources may be needed in Israel and several encouraging recent developments (e.g. staff training and legislation) suggest that such changes are now underway.
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Support Care Cancer · Jul 2014
Safety and pharmacokinetic evaluation of repeated intravenous administration of palonosetron 0.75 mg in patients receiving highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy.
The aims of this study were to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of repeated doses of palonosetron 0.75 mg on days 1 and 3 in Japanese patients who received highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy. ⋯ This is the first study to report the pharmacokinetics of multiple doses of palonosetron 0.75 mg, given on days 1 and 3, in Japanese patients. Repeated treatment with palonosetron was safe and well tolerated by patients who received highly or moderately emetogenic anticancer chemotherapy.
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Support Care Cancer · Jul 2014
Quality of life and symptoms in patients with malignant diseases admitted to a comprehensive cancer centre.
Quality of life and symptomatology in patients with malignancies admitted to comprehensive cancer centres are rarely investigated. Thus, this study aimed to investigate symptomatology and health-related quality of life of inpatients with cancer. ⋯ Patients in the wards of haematology and oncology had pronounced symptomatology and low quality of life. A more systematic focus on the amelioration of problems with functioning and symptoms among inpatients with malignant diseases is warranted.
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Support Care Cancer · Jul 2014
A cross-sectional study on prevalence of pain and breakthrough pain among an unselected group of outpatients in a tertiary cancer clinic.
Systematic knowledge about the prevalence and the treatment effects of cancer pain in patients attending a general oncology outpatient department is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of pain in a large representative cohort of patients attending a general oncology outpatient department in order to guide further screening, classification, and treatment of pain. ⋯ Of the patients at an oncology outpatient clinic, 22% reported clinically significant pain. These findings indicate that all patients are candidates to be screened for pain and, if present, a more detailed pain diagnosis should be established before any interventions can be recommended.