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Measurement of physical activity in clinical practice and research: advances in cancer and chronic respiratory disease
Purpose of review Physical activity has emerged as an important health outcome and its assessment, in particular with objective monitors, has proliferated in recent years. This review considers recent advances in physical activity measurement and clinical trials in cancer and chronic respiratory diseases where physical activity was a primary or key secondary outcome focusing on methodological learning points. Recent findings There is growing data on (i) the validity of commercial ‘consumer’ physical activity monitors, e.g. FitBit, and (ii) the role of hybrid physical activity assessments; combining objective and s...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: Edited by David C. Currow and Miriam J. Johnson Source Type: research

The burden of chronic breathlessness across the population
Purpose of review Chronic breathlessness is a common and distressing symptom globally. It is associated with major adverse health outcomes. This review provides an overview of new evidence about the prevalence of chronic breathlessness in the population. Recent findings A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE database including studies on prevalence of chronic breathlessness and its impact on the community published between 2016 and 2018. Identified studies were divided into four themes: breathlessness in relation to sex, BMI, quality of life and age (the elderly). In the general population, breathlessness was...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: Edited by David C. Currow and Miriam J. Johnson Source Type: research

Learning 30 years behind…
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care)
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: Edited by David C. Currow and Miriam J. Johnson Source Type: research

Editorial introductions
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care)
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - August 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: Editorial Introductions Source Type: research

Predicting mucositis risk associated with cytotoxic cancer treatment regimens: rationale, complexity, and challenges
Purpose of review The goals of this review are to describe the complexity of factors influencing the risk of cancer regimen-related mucosal injury (CRRMI), to evaluate the contribution of the innate immune response to CRRMI risk, to compare the concordance of genome analytics in describing mechanism and risk, and to determine if common biological pathways are noted when CRRMI is compared to a disease with a similar phenotype. Recent findings The pathogenesis of and risk for CRRMI are complex and influenced by multiple intrinsic and extrinsic factors. It is incumbent on analyses to recognize the likelihood that the int...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - May 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS: Edited by Joanne M. Bowen and Nicole Blijlevens Source Type: research

Prophylactic probiotics for cancer therapy-induced diarrhoea: a meta-analysis
Purpose of review Strong preclinical data support prophylactic probiotics as an effective preventive strategy for diarrhoea secondary to anticancer therapies. To determine the composite evidence that this approach translates to the clinic, we performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of prophylactic probiotics for the prevention of cancer therapy-induced diarrhoea. Recent findings A three-step search strategy was used to identify relevant studies (1 June 2000–1 June 2017) investigating probiotic intervention for diarrhoea secondary to any cancer therapy (cytotoxic, targeted and immunotherapies...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - May 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS: Edited by Joanne M. Bowen and Nicole Blijlevens Source Type: research

Trophic factors in the treatment and prevention of alimentary tract mucositis
Purpose of review Mucositis is a common adverse effect of cytotoxic anticancer treatment with serious implications for the quality of life, morbidity and mortality of cancers patients. Although, evidence supporting the use of certain treatments exists there is no gold standard for preventing or treating mucositis. Current management strategies are scarce with recommendations referring primarily to specific cytotoxic treatment regimens in certain clinical scenarios. Recent findings Trophic factors may contribute to preserve epithelial integrity, function, and accelerate regeneration after chemotherapeutic treatment. Ac...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - May 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS: Edited by Joanne M. Bowen and Nicole Blijlevens Source Type: research

Chinese herbal medicines in the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
Purpose of review Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) critically impact on cancer patients’ quality of life, causing various complications, and increasing the risk of chemotherapeutic failure. Current treatments addressing CINV are reasonably costly and have many side effects. Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) have been widely used in treating CINV in China. Clinical trials and modern experimental studies on CINV using CHMs are reviewed for clues that may help us to better prevent and treat CINV with CHMs, and develop safe and effective treatments. Recent findings Since 1985, 92 clinical trials on CINV wer...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - May 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS: Edited by Joanne M. Bowen and Nicole Blijlevens Source Type: research

How to feed patients with gastrointestinal mucositis
Purpose of review Gastrointestinal mucositis is a frequent side effect of systemic anticancer treatment and radiotherapy. The occurrence endangers body resources by decreasing food intake and absorption. This review highlights new developments in treatment and prevention. Recent findings Recent clinical practice guidelines recommend supplying adequate amounts of energy and nutrients to cancer patients undergoing anticancer treatments. This requires repeated screening for risk of malnutrition and in at-risk patients, assessment of food intake and nutritional status, followed by nutritional interventions targeted at ind...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - May 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS: Edited by Joanne M. Bowen and Nicole Blijlevens Source Type: research

Taste alterations and cancer treatment
Purpose of review In this review, we explore issues on the physiology of taste and smell and we critically review recent literature of taste and smell changes and the impact on food preferences throughout the cancer treatment trajectory. Recent findings Subjective measurements such as validated questionnaires can be valuable for the clinical setting and many studies describe taste and smell changes by self-report. Because both smell and taste are interrelated, these subjective results are difficult to interpret. Recent studies have looked more specifically at one type of malignancy with a consistent and homogeneous tr...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - May 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS: Edited by Joanne M. Bowen and Nicole Blijlevens Source Type: research

A role for pericytes in chronic pain?
Purpose of review The importance of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative conditions is becoming increasingly apparent, yet very little is known about these neurovascular functions in nonmalignant disease chronic pain. Neural tissue pericytes play critical roles in the formation and maintenance of the BBB. Herein, we review the important roles of neural pericytes and address their potential role in chronic pain. Recent findings Pericytes are implicated in the function of neural microvasculature, including BBB permeability, neuroimmune factor secretion and leukocyte transmigration. ...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - May 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: PAIN: NON-MALIGNANT DISEASES: Edited by Anthony H. Dickenson and Kirsty Bannister Source Type: research

Osteoarthritis pain. Recent advances and controversies
Purpose of review Osteoarthritis is one of the most frequent causes of chronic pain. Because there is no causal treatment of osteoarthritis, sufficient pain control is of uppermost importance but often not met. The review reports recent advances and controversies in our understanding of osteoarthritis pain and its treatment. Recent findings Osteoarthritis pain is determined by processes at different levels. An important local factor of pain generation in the joint is inflammation such as synovitis, and neuropathic components of osteoarthritis pain are being discussed. Neuroplastic changes in the nociceptive system suc...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - May 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: PAIN: NON-MALIGNANT DISEASES: Edited by Anthony H. Dickenson and Kirsty Bannister Source Type: research

Central and peripheral processes in headache
Purpose of review Migraine is an extremely incapacitating collection of neurological symptoms that usually includes a severe, throbbing, recurring pain on one side of the head. The World Health Organization ranks migraine as the third most prevalent disease and the seventh commonest primary pain condition in the world. Trigeminovascular-mediated central sensitization has been implicated in the development of migraine symptoms including pain following light touch. This review explores the activation and sensitization of the brain systems that have emerged from recent studies and that contribute to migraine. Recent findin...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - May 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: PAIN: NON-MALIGNANT DISEASES: Edited by Anthony H. Dickenson and Kirsty Bannister Source Type: research

Toxins in pain
Purpose of review Pain is a distressing protective sensory experience warning of actual or potential tissue damage. Natural toxins have evolved to exploit pain and related neuronal pathways to facilitate prey capture and for defence, often producing either numbness, paralysis or intense pain by selectively modulating ion channels and receptors in pain pathways. Understanding how toxins modulate pain pathways can enhance our understanding of the physiological and pathological basis of pain. Recent findings Toxins continue to provide a rich source of unique pharmacological tools and novel drug leads to treat severe neur...
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - May 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: PAIN: NON-MALIGNANT DISEASES: Edited by Anthony H. Dickenson and Kirsty Bannister Source Type: research

Editorial for Pain: Nonmalignant Diseases in 2018
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care)
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - May 2, 2018 Category: Palliative Care Tags: PAIN: NON-MALIGNANT DISEASES: Edited by Anthony H. Dickenson and Kirsty Bannister Source Type: research