BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care最新文献

Introduction: Geriatric oncology underscores the significance of assessing functional age in guiding medical decisions, endeavouring to delineate practical and efficacious methodologies for evaluating functionality, adapting therapeutic regimens and attenuating the risks of treatment-related deterioration.

Objectives and methods: In this prospective study, we aimed to delineate the characteristics of older patients presenting for their initial oncology appointment by using geriatric screening (G8 score) and comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA), while also assessing the feasibility of these evaluations. Secondary objectives included comparing the initial Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status and any deviations from standard therapeutic strategies against the identified frailty in geriatric assessment.

Results: Most patients exhibited a G8 score ≤14 and underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment. While oncologists typically perceive patients' general conditions, CGA enables a systematic assessment, providing a comprehensive characterisation of elderly patients to inform therapeutic decisions and address identified fragilities. The CGA highlighted vulnerabilities across all primary domains. Notably, even among patients with ECOG scores of 0 and 1, the application of G8 score and CGA revealed numerous fragilities. Consistent with existing literature, these scales offered additional insights beyond ECOG evaluation alone, suggesting their potential to guide therapeutic adaptations for this demographic.

Conclusion: Ongoing research and continuous evaluation are imperative to refine and broaden the implementation of geriatric-focused interventions.

As we approach 2034, we anticipate significant advancements in digital technologies and their impact across various domains, including palliative and end-of-life care and perhaps higher education more generally. Predicting technological breakthroughs, especially in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), is notoriously difficult. In a sense, you might need an AI to do this effectively. While some digital challenges can surprise us, others prove more elusive than expected. For example, AI's ability to be creative with language and comprehension has been genuinely remarkable and will likely be of interest to those whose 'bread and butter' at work is communication. Similarly, those who teach skills required of clinicians in palliative and end-of-life care, including breaking bad news and nuanced conversations around holistic complexity and treatment preferences are likely to see significant changes and shifts in their practice.

Objectives: To identify end-of-life preferences of people with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to compare characteristics between those who wish to discuss the end-of-life and those who do not.

Methods: An analysis of the baseline data of a randomised controlled trial was performed including people with COPD GOLD stages III-IV or former quadrant D with modified Medical Research Council questionnaire grade ≥2, after hospital discharge following an exacerbation. Participants were interviewed using the End-of-Life Preferences Interview.

Results: A total of 165 individuals (53% men; 68±9 years old; 55% care dependent) were included. Most participants wished to take part in shared decision-making (78%), to be informed about a short life expectancy (82%), to discuss the end-of-life (82%), to have loved ones around at death (87%) and to choose when to die (70%). They also reported accepting opioids (74%). Preferences for who to provide physical care, the place, consciousness and atmosphere at death as well as life-sustaining treatments were heterogeneous. Participants who wanted to discuss the end-of-life had a significantly higher educational level (p=0.030) and worse health status than participants who did not (p=0.007).

Conclusions: End-of-life preferences of people with advanced COPD were heterogeneous, however, most wished to discuss it, especially those with higher educational level and worse health status.

Trial registration number: NTR3940.

Objectives: This study examined the effects of virtual reality (VR) among palliative care patients at an acute ward. Objectives included evaluating VR therapy benefits across three sessions, assessing its differential impact on emotional versus physical symptoms and determining the proportion of patients experiencing clinically meaningful improvements after each session.

Methods: A mixed-methods design was employed. Sixteen palliative inpatients completed three personalised 20 min VR sessions. Symptom burden was assessed using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale-Revised and quality of life with the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT-Pal-14). Standardised criteria assessed clinically meaningful changes. Quantitative data were analysed using linear mixed models.

Results: Quality of life improved significantly pre-VR to post-VR with a large effect size (Cohen's d: 0.98). Total symptom burden decreased after 20 min VR sessions (Cohen's d: 0.75), with similar effect sizes for emotional (Cohen's d: 0.67) and physical symptoms (Cohen's d: 0.63). Over 50% of patients experienced clinically meaningful improvements per session, though substantial individual variability occurred.

Conclusions: This study reveals the nuanced efficacy of personalised VR therapy in palliative care, with over half of the patients experiencing meaningful benefits in emotional and physical symptoms. The marked variability in responses underscores the need for realistic expectations when implementing VR therapy.

Although randomised controlled trials are considered the gold standard in clinical research, they are not always feasible due to limitations in the study population, challenges in obtaining evidence, high costs and ethical considerations. As a result, single-arm trial designs have emerged as one of the methods to address these issues. Single-arm trials are commonly applied to study advanced-stage cancer, rare diseases, emerging infectious diseases, new treatment methods and medical devices. Single-arm trials have certain ethical advantages over randomised controlled trials, such as providing equitable treatment, respecting patient preferences, addressing rare diseases and timely management of adverse events. While single-arm trials do not adhere to the principles of randomisation and blinding in terms of scientific rigour, they still incorporate principles of control, balance and replication, making the design scientifically reasonable. Compared with randomised controlled trials, single-arm trials require fewer sample sizes and have shorter trial durations, which can help save costs. Compared with cohort studies, single-arm trials involve intervention measures and reduce external interference, resulting in higher levels of evidence. However, single-arm trials also have limitations. Without a parallel control group, there may be biases in interpreting the results. In addition, single-arm trials cannot meet the requirements of randomisation and blinding, thereby limiting their evidence capacity compared with randomised controlled trials. Therefore, researchers consider using single-arm trials as a trial design method only when randomised controlled trials are not feasible.

Objectives: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) symptom is one of the side effects of paclitaxel in breast cancer patients. This randomised controlled study was conducted to investigate the effect of topical menthol applied on the hands and feet of breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy on CIPN symptoms.

Methods: 60 breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n=30), which received topical menthol treatment, or a control group (n=30), which received standard care. Both groups continued their routine pharmacological treatments throughout the study. The intervention group applied 1% menthol topically to their hands and feet two times a day. The effect of the intervention on CIPN symptoms was evaluated 3 weeks and 6 weeks after the intervention.

Results: The intervention group showed a significantly greater improvement in CIPN symptoms over time compared with the control group, with an effect size of η²=0.214 for the group×time interaction. Additionally, the intervention group exhibited a notable positive change in the exposure subscale of the CIPN rating scale, with an effect size of η²=0.114.

Conclusions: Topical application of menthol significantly mitigates the symptoms of CIPN in breast cancer patients. This study supports the use of menthol as an effective adjunctive treatment for CIPN.

Trial registration number: NCT05429814.

Objectives: This study aims to provide an in-depth exploration of everyday spiritual concerns of patients with advanced cancer seeking palliative care in Bangladesh, and assess their spiritual well-being (SWB).

Methods: This study was conducted among 163 patients with advanced cancer from three tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh. It was divided into two parts: a quantitative segment that assessed the SWB of the participants using the EORTC QLQ SWB32, and a qualitative segment that explored their spiritual history.

Result: Spirituality was commonly interpreted and understood synonymously with religion by all participants, and their sense of life's meaning centred on their families and friends. The lack of support from religious organisations led to feelings of isolation and disconnection from spiritual communities. Highest scores in SWB were observed in Relationships with God and Someone/Something Greater Scales. The lowest score was observed for Existential fulfilment. Patients expressed a desire for their palliative care team to address their spiritual concerns, regardless of their training in this area.

Conclusion: Spirituality is a deeply personal aspect of the human experience. Understanding and respecting these beliefs can empower palliative care professionals to deliver culturally sensitive care to their patients, irrespective of their level of training.

A wide range of adjuvant treatments have been studied to treat osteonecrosis. Photobiomodulation and photodynamic therapy are commonly used. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses systematic review was conducted to evaluate photobiomodulation and photodynamic therapy for the treatment of osteonecrosis related to the use of medications or related to ionising radiation. After searching PubMed, EMBASE, LILACS and Livivo Database, 2 systematic reviews, 4 prospective comparative studies, 10 comparative studies and 23 retrospective case reports were selected. Photobiomodulation-positive outcomes were observed in pain management and healing linked to osteonecrosis of the jaw due to antiresorptive drugs. Limited studies exist on photodynamic therapy and osteoradionecrosis. No adverse effects were reported. Despite the low quality of evidence, findings suggest that photobiomodulation may serve as an adjuvant therapy for osteoporotic patients, particularly those ineligible for surgery. Similar benefits were noted for oncological patients, but controlled trials evaluating cancer-related outcomes are lacking, emphasising the need for further research.