Article
Oncology
Stine Gerhardt, Bonna Leerhoy, Lene Jarlbaek, Suzanne Herling
Summary: The study shows that palliative care case management interventions have the potential to improve the quality of life for patients in hospital departments, but further development of content and personalized approaches is needed.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY NURSING
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Sarah K. Bublitz, Christiane Weck, Andrea Egger-Rainer, Katharina Lex, Piret Paal, Stefan Lorenzl
Summary: The study explores the challenges in palliative care for patients with Progressive Bulbar Palsy, emphasizing the importance of early and regular discussions on oral secretion management. It shows that rapid physical decline at the end of life in these patients is associated with bronchopulmonary infection and excessive oral secretion, highlighting the need for proactive care planning.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Astrid Schnabel, Florian Lordick, Paula Oberth, Markus Neuschulz, Antje Lehmann-Laue, Anja Mehnert-Theuerkauf, Andreas Hinz
Summary: This study analyzed the relationship between supportive care needs (SCNs), satisfaction with quality of life (QoL) dimensions, and the perceived importance of these dimensions among 152 cancer patients receiving palliative care. The results showed that the greatest SCNs were observed for absence of pain, while the patients were least satisfied with their physical functioning and the dimension social relationships received the highest perceived importance ratings.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Eran Ben-Arye, Yonatan Yakubov, Noah Samuels, Orit Gressel, Alexander Yosipovich, Elad Schiff, Mattan Ophir, Walid Saliba, Jamal Dagash
Summary: The study examined the impact of an integrative oncology-palliative patient-tailored program on quality of life in advanced cancer patients. Patients with high adherence to integrative care showed significant improvements in fatigue, depression, and sleep, as well as lower rates of hospitalizations.
Article
Oncology
Emily J. Labudde, Nicholas P. DeGroote, Susie Smith, Jonathan Ebelhar, Kristen E. Allen, Sharon M. Castellino, Karen Wasilewski-Masker, Katharine E. Brock
Summary: This study found that pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies have many opportunities that warrant palliative care support, but often do not receive timely assistance. The identification of these opportunities could benefit patients with blood cancers and their families.
Article
Oncology
Katherine Hicks-Courant, Genevieve P. Kanter, Marilyn M. Schapira, Colleen M. Brensinger, Qing Liu, Emily Meichun Ko
Summary: This study examines the impact of primary oncologist specialty, gynecologic oncology versus medical oncology, on the intensity of care at the end of life for elderly patients with gynecologic cancer. The results show that there are differences between the two specialties in the provision of high-intensity end-of-life care, as well as in the rates of invasive procedures and Medicare spending.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Alexandra S. Bercow, Roni Nitecki, Hilary Haber, Allison A. Gockley, Emily Hinchcliff, Kaitlyn James, Alexander Melamed, Elisabeth Diver, Mihir M. Kamdar, Sarah Feldman, Whitfield B. Growdon
Summary: The study investigated the impact of palliative care referral on women who died from cervical cancer in two tertiary care centers. Less than half of cervical cancer decedents received palliative care consultations, and those referred to palliative care were often evaluated late in their disease course. Palliative care utilization was associated with a lower incidence of poor-quality end-of-life care.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER
(2021)
Review
Critical Care Medicine
Victoria Metaxa, Despina Anagnostou, Savvas Vlachos, Nishkantha Arulkumaran, Sherihane Bensemmane, Ingeborg van Dusseldorp, Rebecca A. Aslakson, Judy E. Davidson, Rik T. Gerritsen, Christiane Hartog, J. Randall Curtis
Summary: The study evaluated various types of palliative care interventions implemented in ICUs and their impact on practice, finding that strategies to enhance palliative care involvement were associated with beneficial effects on common outcomes for ICU patients. However, the majority of studies were from North America, limiting the generalisability to other healthcare systems.
INTENSIVE CARE MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Cara Robertson, Sharon M. Watanabe, Aynharan Sinnarajah, Alexei Potapov, Viane Faily, Yoko Tarumi, Vickie E. Baracos
Summary: This study found that palliative care consultation can reduce aggressive end-of-life care for patients with advanced cancer.
Article
Oncology
Isabeau S. L. van Brakel, Martijn M. Stuiver, Sjoerd M. Euser, Gerty J. de Klerk, Karlijn J. van Stralen
Summary: The study found that patients with metastasized colon or BL cancer receive a large amount of in-hospital medical care, despite the incurable disease status. Specialized palliative care was initiated relatively late. Factors associated with more procedures included BL neoplasms, age between 50 and 70, and male gender.
SUPPORTIVE CARE IN CANCER
(2021)
Review
Biology
Christel Hedman, Gabriella Frisk, Linda Bjorkhem-Bergman
Summary: The aim of palliative care is to maintain a high quality of life despite a life-threatening illness. However, knowing how and when to deprescribe medications can be difficult. It is important to consider the patient's condition and the risks and benefits of the medications.
Article
Oncology
Sarah M. M. Belcher, Haerim Lee, Janet Nguyen, Kimberly Curseen, Ashima Lal, Ali John Zarrabi, Lindsay Gantz, Margaret Q. Q. Rosenzweig, Jennifer L. L. Hill, Katherine A. A. Yeager
Summary: This study describes the financial hardship (FH) experienced by patients with advanced cancer and explores its relationship to quality of life (QOL). The results demonstrate that FH negatively affects various dimensions of QOL, including physical health, pain, and emotional well-being.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Jen-Hsuan Liu, Chih-Yuan Shih, Hsien-Liang Huang, Jen-Kuei Peng, Shao-Yi Cheng, Jaw-Shiun Tsai, Feipei Lai
Summary: This study investigated the potential of using wearable devices and artificial intelligence to predict death events among patients with cancer at the end of life. By continuously monitoring patients' physiological data through smartwatches, the study successfully predicted changes in their condition and offered personalized care. Machine learning and deep neural network techniques were used to predict patient deaths within the next 7 days.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2023)
Letter
Oncology
Ricardo Pedrini Cruz
Summary: Fortunately, evidence-based medicine has improved cancer treatment and decreased unnecessary procedures. However, there is a growing trend towards avoiding procedures or invasive treatments under the name of 'Death with Dignity'.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Masoud Bahrami, Masoumeh Masoumy, Alireza Sadeghi, Rohallah Mosavizadeh
Summary: This study aims to develop and evaluate a holistic palliative care program for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients to improve their quality of life. The program will be developed through qualitative research, literature review, and expert panel opinions. It will be implemented as an intervention to evaluate its impact on quality of life. The results of this study are important for CRC patients and their families in Iran and can contribute to care, education, and policy-making.
Article
Oncology
Charlene Rae, Andrew Costa, Hsien Seow, Ronald D. Barr
Summary: This study aims to investigate the factors associated with men attending a fertility consultation within 30 days of cancer diagnosis. The results show that younger age, urban residence, receiving radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and reproductive organ-related cancer surgery are associated with a higher likelihood of attending a consultation. On the other hand, older age, living in a northern region, having a cancer with low or moderate risk to fertility, and residing in a neighborhood with lower income or residential instability are associated with a lower likelihood of attending a consultation.
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Hsien Seow, Daryl Bainbridge, Kelli Stajduhar, Denise Marshall, Michelle Howard, Melissa Brouwers, Doris Barwich, Fred Burge, Mary Lou Kelley
Summary: CAPACITI is a virtual training program aimed at helping primary care providers offer early palliative care. An evaluation study found that CAPACITI can improve provider confidence in core competencies and potentially enhance palliative care capacity in primary care teams.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HOSPICE & PALLIATIVE MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Cal Robinson, Megan Schlorff, Rahul Chanchlani, Anastasia Gayowsky, Elizabeth Darling, Tapas Mondal, Hsien Seow, Michelle Batthish
Summary: This study investigated cardiovascular events during acute Kawasaki disease hospitalizations in children. The study found that older children, those with coronary artery aneurysms (CAA), and those admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) were at higher risk of experiencing cardiovascular complications. The frequency of non-CAA cardiovascular events during acute Kawasaki disease hospitalizations did not change significantly over the study period.
PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
E. K. Donovan, G. R. Pond, H. Seow, P. M. Ellis, A. Swaminath
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the risk of cardiac toxicity in advanced lung cancer patients after radical radiotherapy. Patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving chemoradiotherapy were included from a population-based cohort in Ontario, Canada. The primary outcome was cardiac toxicity, assessed as cardiac events or congestive heart failure, at 1 and 5 years post-chemoradiotherapy. Secondary outcomes included overall survival, survival in relation to post-treatment cardiac events, and the impact of radiotherapy technique on cardiac toxicity. The results showed that the cumulative incidence of cardiac toxicity at 5 years was 20.3% (18.4-22.3) in the NSCLC patients. Median survival was shorter in NSCLC patients who experienced a cardiac event post-chemoradiotherapy compared to those who did not. There was a trend towards increased cumulative cardiac toxicity with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy compared to other techniques. In conclusion, there is a high risk of cardiac events and congestive heart failure 5 years after radical thoracic radiotherapy, and survival is inferior in patients who experience a cardiac event post-treatment. More conformal radiotherapy techniques may help reduce cardiac toxicity. Further studies should explore adaptive treatment planning and close monitoring and intervention in this high-risk group after chemoradiotherapy.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Steve Cygu, Hsien Seow, Jonathan Dushoff, Benjamin M. Bolker
Summary: This study applied machine learning-based time-to-event prediction methods to evaluate cancer survival data and found that incorporating time-dependent covariates can improve predictive performance. The gradient boosting machine showed the best performance in both time-invariant and time-varying covariates analysis.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Hsien Seow, Daryl Bainbridge, Samantha Winemaker, Kelli Stajduhar, Gregory Pond, Kathy Kortes-Miller, Denise Marshall, Frances Kilbertus, Jeff Myers, Leah Steinberg, Nadia Incardona, Oren Levine, Jose Pereira
Summary: This study presents the protocol for evaluating the effectiveness of the CAPACITI program in improving primary care providers' ability to provide early palliative care. The program consists of 12 sessions divided into three modules, and it will be evaluated through a cluster randomized controlled trial.
BMC PALLIATIVE CARE
(2023)
Letter
Hematology
Alissa Visram, Hsien Seow, Mark A. Fiala, Anastasia Gayowsky, Matthew Cheung, Gwynivere Davies, Gregory R. Pond, Hira Mian
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Charlene S. S. Rae, Andrew Costa, Hsien Seow, Ronald D. D. Barr
Summary: The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with females attending fertility consultations within 30 days of cancer diagnosis. The results showed that the factors associated with higher attendance rates included not currently having children, later years of diagnosis, having undergone chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and less marginalization within dependency quintiles. On the other hand, factors associated with lower attendance rates included cancer with lower risk to fertility, death within a year of diagnosis, and residing in a northern region of Ontario. Lower levels of income and marginalization with residential instability were also associated with lower attendance rates for fertility consultations.
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Charlene S. Rae, Ronald D. Barr, Hsien Seow, Andrew Costa
Summary: This study examined the proportion of cases attending a fertility consult visit within 30 days of cancer diagnosis using the National Quality Forum criteria. The data from administrative records in Ontario, Canada were used, and the validity and reliability of the indicator were evaluated. The findings showed differences in the proportion of cases receiving their first fertility consult within 30 days of diagnosis for various demographic and clinical factors, but no correlation was found between the time from diagnosis to fertility consult and time from diagnosis to the first visit to a fertility-related specialty.
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Kimberley Widger, Sarah Brennenstuhl, Katherine E. Nelson, Hsien Seow, Adam Rapoport, Harold Siden, Christina Vadeboncoeur, Sumit Gupta, Peter Tanuseputro
Summary: Research shows that children with life-threatening conditions, especially those with non-cancer diagnoses, often receive high intensity end-of-life care. Age, disease type, socioeconomic status, and distance to a tertiary hospital can affect the care provided. Additionally, children with non-cancer diagnoses and those living far from a tertiary hospital are more likely to have multiple hospitalizations in the last 30 days of life.
Article
Oncology
Sarah J. Mah, Daniel M. Carter Ramirez, Lua R. Eiriksson, Kara Schnarr, Anastasia Gayowsky, Hsien Seow
Summary: This study evaluated the delivery patterns of palliative care in gynecologic oncology and found that most palliative care is initiated and delivered during hospital admission, and a significant proportion starts late. By increasing access to anticipatory and integrated palliative care, the quality of the disease course and the end of life can be improved.
GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Sarah Mah, Daniel Carter Ramirez, Lua Eiriksson, Kara Schnarr, Hsien Seow
GYNECOLOGIC ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Justin M. McGinnis, Gregory R. Pond, Clare J. Reade, Kara L. Schnarr, Marko Simunovic, Lorraine M. Elit, Hsien-Yeang Seow, Limor Helpman
Summary: This study aimed to assess the uptake of minimally invasive hysterectomy among patients with endometrial and cervical cancer in Ontario, Canada, and evaluate the associations with various factors. The study found that the uptake of minimally invasive surgery increased over time, but its receipt was influenced by social determinants, provider variables, and systems factors.
JOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Melissa Lavecchia, Jeff Myers, Daryl Bainbridge, Nadia Incardona, Oren Levine, Leah Steinberg, Daniel Schep, Joanna Vautour, Shilpa Jyothi Kumar, Hsien Seow
Summary: This scoping review examines the education modalities used in serious illness communication training and their impact on clinician behaviors and patient outcomes. The review found heterogeneity among education modalities used and limited evidence supporting their effectiveness in impacting patient-centered outcomes and long-term clinician skill acquisition.
PALLIATIVE MEDICINE
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Hira Mian, Rinku Sutradhar, Matthew Cheung, Anastasia Gayowsky, Jason Tay, Amaris Balitsky, Tanya Wildes, Arleigh McCurdy, Alissa Visram, Irwindeep Sandhu, Hsien Seow
CLINICAL LYMPHOMA MYELOMA & LEUKEMIA
(2023)