Articles: palliative-care.
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The Palliative Radiation Therapy Rapid Response Clinic now receives referrals from community oncologists and family physicians who regularly send palliative patients to the clinic, as well as direct calls from patients and their families. Patients who responded well to radiotherapy treatment may seek further treatment if they develop other painful metastatic sites. The team receives positive feedback from patients, particularly those who responded to treatment in a very short period of time. ⋯ The gap in cancer care has been filled. Patients with advanced cancer, together with their families, are being served in a prompt and convenient manner. Pain relief is just a phone call away.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Palliation of pain associated with metastatic bone cancer using samarium-153 lexidronam: a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial.
To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of samarium-153 (153Sm) lexidronam (EDTMP) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. ⋯ A single dose of 1.0 mCi/kg of 153Sm-EDTMP provided relief from pain associated with bone metastases. Pain relief was observed within 1 week of administration and persisted until at least week 16 in the majority of patients who responded.
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In the final stage of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) the majority of patients develop chronic respiratory failure due to respiratory muscle weakness. The interaction between the patient with ALS and the physician should be characterized by continuous communication, especially with respect to the prospect of ventilatory failure and for support. The patient and his family must be informed thoroughly about the natural history and the prognosis of ALS, depending on the individual disease process. ⋯ Mechanical ventilation should only be initiated in the exceptional case. However, if dyspnea occurs in the early stage of the disease, when there is no bulbar paralysis and peripheral muscle function is intact, then noninvasive mechanical ventilation via mask may improve the quality of life substantially. Nevertheless, invasive mechanical ventilation via a tracheostomy should be avoided.