Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Treating advanced penile cancer: where do we stand in 2019?
Purpose of review Penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) remains a challenging malignancy to treat and there is an urgent need of significant improvements at all levels of medical care. In the current review, we summarized the significant obstacles encountered during management of PSCC and discussed the clinical relevance of novel findings and their potential to address these obstacles. Recent findings The recent genetic and immunological advances suggest that patients with PSCC can benefit from available targeted therapy and immunotherapy options. Moreover, evidence has accumulated over time suggesting that majority o...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: RENAL AND UROLOGICAL PROBLEMS: Edited by Fred Saad Source Type: research

Treating the primary in metastatic prostate cancer: where do we stand?
Purpose of review Traditionally, local treatment was reserved for palliative control of symptoms in men with metastatic prostate cancer. In the past few years there have been many advances in the systemic options available. The aim of this review is to explore the evidence in support of treating the primary tumor despite the presence of metastatic disease. Recent findings There is a wealth of retrospective studies demonstrating advantages of local treatment [radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy (RT)] in metastatic disease. As these studies are prone to bias, treatment of the primary in the metastatic setting has...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: RENAL AND UROLOGICAL PROBLEMS: Edited by Fred Saad Source Type: research

Caring for the informal cancer caregiver
Purpose of review Informal cancer caregivers play a vital role in the physical, functional, and emotional well being of cancer patients. However, the majority of informal caregivers are not prepared for their caregiving role. We reviewed and synthesized the recent literature (last 18 months) and focused on research in the following understudied areas: technology-driven interventions for informal caregivers; informal caregivers of older adults with cancer; interrelationship between informal caregiver and dyadic outcomes; and research priorities and guidelines to improve informal caregiver support. Recent findings Studi...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: LIVING WITH CANCER AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF TREATMENT: Edited by Lynn Calman and Natasha Campling Source Type: research

Recent research on the social network concept and cancer
Purpose of review This review covers articles in 2018 and early 2019 that employed the concept of networks and social interactions in research on how patients with cancer cope, receive and respond to medical treatment and allied support. The use of social aspects, and more formally the method of social network analysis for research on social aspects of cancer is quite new. Although we paid special attention to articles that used formal social network analysis, we noted that those articles cover just over a quarter of the material we reviewed. Most articles that incorporated social aspects of cancer did not intend to form...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: LIVING WITH CANCER AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF TREATMENT: Edited by Lynn Calman and Natasha Campling Source Type: research

Multimorbidity in older adults living with and beyond cancer
Purpose of review The current review draws attention to the need for longer term management of multiple conditions in older adults with cancer. Recent findings Older people living with and beyond cancer are more likely than younger people to have higher prevalence of multimorbidity leading to an overall increase in illness and treatment burdens, limiting health-related quality of life (QoL), and capacity to self-manage. Older age presents a higher risk of cancer treatment side-effects and development or progression of other conditions, leading to worsening health, long-lasting functional problems, and social isolation...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: LIVING WITH CANCER AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF TREATMENT: Edited by Lynn Calman and Natasha Campling Source Type: research

Living with cancer and multimorbidity: the role of primary care
Purpose of review As more people live longer with cancer, the number of patients with cancer and multiple other chronic conditions (multimorbidity) has increased. The presence of multimorbidity impacts on all stages of cancer care, from prevention and early detection through to end of life care, but research into cancer and multimorbidity is in its infancy. This review explores the impact of multimorbidity on adults living with (and beyond) cancer, with particular attention paid to the role of primary care in supporting patients in this situation. Recent findings Patterns of multimorbidity vary depending on cancer typ...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: LIVING WITH CANCER AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF TREATMENT: Edited by Lynn Calman and Natasha Campling Source Type: research

Editorial: Complexity when living with cancer
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care)
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: LIVING WITH CANCER AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF TREATMENT: Edited by Lynn Calman and Natasha Campling Source Type: research

Breathlessness and the brain: the role of expectation
Purpose of review Breathlessness debilitates countless people with a wide range of common diseases. For some people, the experience of breathlessness is poorly explained by the findings of medical tests. This disparity complicates diagnostic and treatment options and means that disease-modifying treatments do not always have the expected effect upon symptoms. These observations suggest that brain processing of respiratory perceptions may be somewhat independent of disease processes. This may help to explain the dissonance observed in some patients between physical disease markers and the lived experience of breathlessnes...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: Edited by Sam H. Ahmedzai and Magnus Ekström Source Type: research

Interdisciplinary management of chronic breathlessness
Purpose of review Breathlessness is a common yet complex symptom of advanced disease. Effective management will most likely draw upon the skills of multiple disciplines and professions. This review considers recent advances in the management of chronic breathlessness with regards to interdisciplinary working. Recent findings There are growing data on interventions for chronic breathlessness that incorporate psychosocial mechanisms of action, for example, active mind–body treatments; and holistic breathlessness services that exemplify interprofessional working with professionals sharing skills and practice for user b...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: Edited by Sam H. Ahmedzai and Magnus Ekström Source Type: research

Multidimensional measurement of breathlessness: recent advances
Purpose of review Breathlessness is a multidimensional sensation for which a range of instruments exists for children, youth and adults, capable or unable to self-report distress with breathing. This review presents developments and applications of multidimensional assessments of breathlessness. Recent findings Excluding unidimensional measures and instruments assessing the impact of breathlessness, at least eight psychometrically robust instruments exist, which comprehensively assess one or more specific domains of the sensation of breathlessness (intensity, sensory quality, affective distress). These instruments hav...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: Edited by Sam H. Ahmedzai and Magnus Ekström Source Type: research

Why treatment efficacy on breathlessness in laboratory but not daily life trials? The importance of standardized exertion
Purpose of review Treatments for chronic breathlessness, including opioids and oxygen, have shown efficacy in the controlled laboratory setting, whereas effects have been inconsistent or absent in trials in daily life. This review discusses the lack of standardized exertion as a potential cause of false negative findings for breathlessness in daily life. Recent findings The level of breathlessness can be modified by patients by changing their level of physical activity. Effects of opioids and oxygen have been shown at standardized level of exertion (iso-time) but not at the end of symptom-limited (peak) exertion. Tria...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: Edited by Sam H. Ahmedzai and Magnus Ekström Source Type: research

Supplemental oxygen for the management of dyspnea in interstitial lung disease
This article presents a summary of the evidence relating to supplemental oxygen use for the management of dyspnea in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Recent findings In contrast to the majority of the available literature, recent findings suggest that supplemental oxygen can significantly reduce exertional dyspnea in ILD. ILD patients’ need for supplemental oxygen often surpasses the levels that the most commonly used oxygen delivery systems provide. More effective delivery of supplemental oxygen has the potential for greater relief of dyspnea. There is also evidence suggesting that indications for suppl...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: Edited by Sam H. Ahmedzai and Magnus Ekström Source Type: research

Updates in opioid and nonopioid treatment for chronic breathlessness
Purpose of review Chronic breathlessness is a troublesome symptom experienced by people with advanced malignant and nonmalignant disease. Disease-directed therapies are often insufficient in the management of chronic breathlessness. Therefore, pharmacological and nonpharmacological breathlessness-specific interventions should be considered for select patients. Recent findings There is some evidence to support the use of low-dose opioids (≤30 mg morphine equivalents per day) for the relief of breathlessness in the short term. However, additional studies are needed to understand the efficacy of opioids for chronic b...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: Edited by Sam H. Ahmedzai and Magnus Ekström Source Type: research

Differences between experienced and recalled breathlessness: a review
Purpose of review Experienced breathlessness and recalled breathlessness are two different entities, which may be associated with different factors and might have different impacts on function for the individual. The aim was to review the knowledge from the last 2 years concerning experienced breathlessness and recalled breathlessness and related factors. Recent findings Experienced breathlessness was most often induced or measured during exercise testing in a lab environment using a modified Borg scale. It was associated with both psychological factors, such as social rejection, presence of others, psychosocial stres...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: Edited by Sam H. Ahmedzai and Magnus Ekström Source Type: research

Standardized measurement of breathlessness during exercise
Purpose of review Exertional breathlessness is common and pervasive across various chronic disease populations. To accurately assess response to intervention and optimize clinical (symptom) management, detailed assessment of exertional breathlessness is imperative. This review provides an update on current approaches to assess exertional breathlessness and presents the need for individualized assessment of breathlessness standardized for the level of exertion. Recent findings Breathlessness assessment tools commonly invite people to recall their breathlessness while at rest with reference to activities of daily living...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2019 Category: Palliative Care Tags: RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: Edited by Sam H. Ahmedzai and Magnus Ekström Source Type: research