Journal of palliative medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The role of thalidomide and placebo for the treatment of cancer-related anorexia-cachexia symptoms: results of a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized study.
To determine the effects of thalidomide and placebo on anorexia-cachexia and its related symptoms, body composition, resting metabolic rate, and serum cytokines and their receptors in patients with advanced cancer. ⋯ Based on the poor accrual rate and attrition observed in this study, it is important that future research on thalidomide as a treatment for cancer-related anorexia-cachexia symptoms (ACS) in patients with advanced cancer use less stringent entry criteria and less exhaustive outcome measures.
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Treatment decision-making may be hindered by a lack of knowledge about the care options of curative, palliative, and hospice care. Our purpose was to create and validate an instrument to measure knowledge of these care options, the Knowledge of Care Options (KOCO) instrument. ⋯ KOCO is a brief, acceptable instrument capable of assessing knowledge of curative, palliative, and hospice care. Additional testing is needed with larger samples to assess the utility of KOCO for use with various patient populations, family caregivers, and clinicians.
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Forgiveness has begun to receive empirical attention in end-of-life contexts, but primarily among patients. This study examined forgiveness issues and communication priorities among family members of hospice patients. ⋯ Although not as commonly endorsed as expressions of love and gratitude, forgiveness-related communications are seen as extremely important by many family members of hospice patients. If family members see forgiveness (granting or seeking) as important but have not completed the process, these unresolved issues are associated with depressive symptoms. This study suggests that unresolved offenses and forgiveness issues warrant assessment and clinical attention within families receiving hospice care.