Palliative Care News and Research

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Palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening illness, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and impeccable assessment and treatment of pain and other problems, physical, psychosocial and spiritual.

Global report highlights inequities in pediatric palliative care

Nearly all the world's 10.6 million children experiencing serious health-related suffering (SHS) live in low- and middle-income countries with little to no access to palliative care specialized care for their illness, according to a comprehensive new report published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

10 Feb 2026

Specialized palliative care shows potential to enhance well-being in pediatric cancer patients

How to reduce suffering in children with advanced cancer remains an ongoing but urgent question. A Mass General Brigham-led study examined whether systematically surveying children with advanced cancer and their parents about their symptoms and quality of life, providing feedback to children, families, and clinicians-and acting on that information by implementing personalized palliative care-could improve patients' experiences.

4 Feb 2026

Global analysis reveals up to four in ten cancer cases could be prevented

Up to four in ten cancer cases worldwide could be prevented, according to a new global analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

4 Feb 2026

Psychotic disorders increasingly diagnosed in younger Canadians

A new study suggests that people born more recently are being diagnosed with psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia) more often and at younger ages compared with people born earlier.

3 Feb 2026

HHCM awards $566K to advance psychedelic end-of-life care research

Healing Hearts, Changing Minds (HHCM) today announced the seven awardees of Walking Each Other Home: A Fund to Promote Psychedelic Compassion for End-of-Life Care, a $566,260 philanthropic initiative supporting innovation, compassion, and dignity for people at life's end.

27 Jan 2026

New prognostic model improves survival prediction for spinal metastasis patients

Spinal metastasis, the spread of cancer to the spine, is a frequent complication in advanced cancer. It often causes severe pain and paralysis, significantly impacting quality of life.

27 Jan 2026

FDA-cleared ADHD device not effective in reducing symptoms

A large multicenter clinical trial led by King's College London with 150 children and adolescents has shown that a device cleared by the US FDA to treat ADHD is not effective in reducing symptoms.

16 Jan 2026

Cervical cancer association with unsafe sex and smoking

The study reveals deep inequalities in cervical cancer mortality linked to smoking and unsafe sex, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies.

15 Jan 2026

Social, family and health factors contribute to bullying among adolescents

Bullying in the United States remains a serious public health issue with consequences that extend far beyond the school grounds.

12 Jan 2026

Frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption influence cancer risk

As Americans gear up for the holiday season, new research offers a timely reminder to reflect on the long-term health effects of raising a celebratory glass – or two.

11 Dec 2025

Genome-edited immune cell therapy shows promise for treating aggressive blood cancer

A groundbreaking new treatment using genome-edited immune cells, developed by scientists at UCL (University College London) and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), has shown promising results in helping children and adults fight a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer called T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL).

8 Dec 2025

A new generation of AML treatments brings hope for better survival

A new generation of targeted treatments and gentler chemotherapy options for older adults with a new diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is driving better survival and cure rates.

1 Dec 2025

Challenges in providing palliative care for adolescents and young adults with cancer

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer have unique needs compared with other age groups. Access to palliative care among this age group remains challenging.

1 Dec 2025

Muscle-driven gene therapy shows promise for protecting memory in Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating cause of memory loss and cognitive decline, for which no curative treatment is available.

18 Nov 2025

Study reveals widespread use of burdensome interventions for older dementia patients in Singapore

A new study by researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School has revealed that almost all community-dwelling older adults with advanced dementia in Singapore experience at least one potentially burdensome intervention in their last year of life.

17 Nov 2025

Study finds large regional gaps in end-of-life care across Sweden

Researchers have studied developments since the introduction of 'National knowledge support for good palliative care at the end of life' in 2013.

17 Nov 2025

Understanding how biological sex and gender inequities contribute to suboptimal sepsis treatment

Sepsis continues to be a leading cause of mortality in ICUs worldwide. Despite advances in early detection and treatment, standardized antibiotic dosing frequently ignores patient-level variability-especially that associated with sex-related physiology and gender-influenced care disparities.

31 Oct 2025

Palliative Care News and Research

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