Palliative Care News

Early integration of palliative care for patients with newly diagnosed incurable gastrointestinal and lung cancers improved quality of life, reduced depression symptoms, and enhanced coping with prognosis and communication about end-of-life preferences, according to a randomized clinical trial published in Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The Center to Advance Palliative Care announced the launch of three new Palliative Care Leadership Centers that will focus on home- and office-based care.

Medtronic plc announced it has received FDA clearance for an expanded indication for the OsteoCool radiofrequency ablation system to be used as palliative treatment for metastases in all bony anatomy. The device was originally cleared by the FDA for use in the spine, according to a company press release.

Patients with one or two painful bone metastases reported pain reduction after treatment with a single 8-Gy dose of radiotherapy, according to a secondary analysis of the NCIC Clinical Trials Group Symptom Clinical Trial SC.23.

Jeff Vacirca, MD, FACP, CEO and managing director of clinical research at New York Cancer Specialists in Long Island, N.Y., has been elected president of Community Oncology Alliance for the 2017-2018 term.

Physicians’ willingness to communicate with patients about the cost of cancer care appeared associated with improved patient satisfaction and lower out-of-pocket expenses.

Families of patients with lung cancer or colorectal cancer reported that their family member had improved end-of-life care and better symptom relief before death while in hospice care, according to published findings in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Caregivers of patients with advanced cancers demonstrated higher satisfaction with care after early palliative care referrals, according to a cluster-randomized trial.

A 12-week treatment interval of zoledronic acid for bone metastases from breast cancer, prostate cancer or multiple myeloma did not increase the number of skeletal events over 2 years compared with standard dosing every 4 weeks, according to results of a noninferior open-label clinical trial.

Ninety-five percent of patients with advanced cancer have an insufficient understanding of their prognosis and are ill-equipped to make informed end-of-life care decisions, according to results of a prospective, multi-institutional cohort study published in Journal of Clinical Oncology.