Palliative Care

Palliative Care Use Dismal Among Patients with Hematologic Malignancies

ASH 2017, Multiple Myeloma, Palliative Care

Atlanta, GA—The largest-ever analysis of palliative care trends has found the use of palliative care services to be sporadic at best among patients with hematologic malignancies. According to the review of approximately 300,000 patients by Sikander Ailawadhi, MD, Oncologist, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, and colleagues, there was also significant heterogeneity in practice patterns across all characteristics studied. [ Read More ]

Trajectory of Illness and Distress in Patients Undergoing Stem-Cell Transplantation

Chase Doyle

November 2016, Vol 7, No 10 - Palliative Care

San Francisco, CA—As a result of recent advances in therapy, indications for stem-cell transplant are expanding, along with the number of patients eligible for the procedure. However, the intense and cure-oriented nature of transplants can lead to various forms of distress in patients who undergo this treatment, said Christina K. Ullrich, MD, MPH, Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, at the 2016 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium. [ Read More ]

Disparities in Rehospitalization Rates Among Patients with Advanced Cancer

Chase Doyle

November 2016, Vol 7, No 10 - Palliative Care

San Francisco, CA—In addition to being costly for public and private payers, hospital readmissions can lead to increased risk for complications, hospital-acquired infections, and psychological distress in patients with advanced cancer. Although preventing readmissions would improve patient outcomes and decrease healthcare costs, the underlying causes of rehospitalization are not completely understood, suggested Robin L. Whitney, RN, PhD, Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, University of California, Davis, and colleagues in a poster presentation at the 2016 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium. [ Read More ]

Patient-Reported Outcomes Should Be Used Routinely in Cancer Care

Chase Doyle

October 2016, Vol 7, No 9 - Palliative Care

San Francisco, CA—Although symptom management is the cornerstone of high-quality cancer care, clinicians often miss the patients’ symptoms or underestimate their magnitude. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs), about their symptoms, physical functioning, or health state, can remedy this situation, but PROs have [ Read More ]

Palliative Care for Caregivers: Implementing Caregiver Support Programs

Chase Doyle

October 2016, Vol 7, No 9 - Palliative Care

San Francisco, CA—At the 2016 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium, the message was clear and emphatic: caregivers should be viewed as both co-deliverers and co-recipients of healthcare services. “Despite providing essential home and healthcare services, cancer caregivers are underserved and [ Read More ]

Palliative Care Requires a Team Approach

Wayne Kuznar

July 2016, Vol 7, No 6 - Palliative Care

Early intervention utilizing a team approach is important to successful palliative care, agreed a multidisciplinary panel convened at the 2016 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) annual conference. [ Read More ]

Teamwork Improves End-of-Life Care, Saves Money

Phoebe Starr

December 2015, Vol 6, No 11 - Palliative Care

San Antonio, TX—An innovative care model program for end-of-life care for patients with cancer improved symptom management, reduced hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths, and increased the use of hospice care. [ Read More ]

Family Patient-Related Factors Main Barriers to End-of-Life Discussions

Meg Barbor, MPH

December 2015, Vol 6, No 11 - Palliative Care

Boston, MA—Family- and patient-related factors were identified as the most significant barriers to early end-of-life discussions, as well as to the timely discontinuation of cancer-directed therapies in the palliative setting, according to the results of a multicenter survey of oncologists in Ontario, Canada. [ Read More ]

Adding Ibrutinib to Standard Therapy Reduces Disease Progression by 80% in Previously Treated Patients with CLL

Phoebe Starr

June 2015, Vol 6, No 5 - Palliative Care

Chicago, IL—The combination of ibrutinib (Imbruvica) plus standard therapy with bendamustine (Treanda) and rituximab (Rituxan) significantly reduced the risk for disease progression or death by 80% compared with bendamustine plus rituximab alone in previously treated patients with chronic ­lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic leukemia (SLL), according to lead investigator Asher A. Chanan-Khan, MD, Chair, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL. [ Read More ]

Early Initiation of Palliative Care Improves Survival in Patients with Advanced Cancer

Laura Morgan

June 2015, Vol 6, No 5 - Palliative Care

Palliative care offers symptom relief, comfort, and peaceful death to patients with advanced cancer. Historically, palliative care was provided to patients who were near death. Based on recent research, however, the American Society of Clinical Oncology now recommends combining palliative care with curative treatment early in the disease course. Nevertheless, an important question remains: How early in the disease trajectory should patients with advanced cancer begin receiving palliative care? [ Read More ]