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.

Geriatricians call for creative and wide-reaching solutions to end-of-life care for patients with dementia

Three University of Chicago geriatricians are calling for creative and wide-reaching solutions to the problem of sub-optimal end-of-life care for patients with dementia.

14 Oct 2004

Global effort to relieve chronic pain

The World Health Organization (WHO) co-sponsors the first Global Day Against Pain, which seeks to draw global attention to the urgent need for better pain relief for sufferers from diseases such as cancer and AIDS.

11 Oct 2004

Payments to rural hospices are projected to increase $23 million in 2005

For 2005 there is an overall projected increase of $60 million dollars to hospice providers, an increase of 1 percent for all hospices.

26 Aug 2004

Physical symptoms such as nausea and shortness of breath, may predict shorter survival for patients with terminal cancer

A new study published July 26, 2004 in the online edition of CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, finds a patient's symptoms and results of quality of life assessments may provide important clues to an individual patient's prognosis. Psychosocial factors, such as anxiety or spiritual distress, did not predict shorter survival.

26 Jul 2004

Chemotherapy and supportive care are a winning combination

Gastrointestinal cancer, including colorectal, is one of the most common groups of cancers to claim Western lives.

21 Jul 2004

Exposure-based treatment offers the best form of therapy for dealing with trauma caused by a tragic death

Fleming and his team of York researchers are investigating the relationship between bereavement and other psychological difficulties when grieving a significant loss. Such losses may include a spouse, child, parent, sibling, close relative or friend and may involve a horrific situation such as a murder, car accident or house fire.

9 Jul 2004

Carers' Week helps make the UK's six million carers aware that help is there for them

Feelings of isolation are commonly experienced by carers and Macmillan's Befriending schemes are set up to tackle this. They link carers with volunteers to provide one-to-one friendship and emotional support, information and advice.

15 Jun 2004

Accurately estimating the life expectancy of persons with advanced dementia

A model has been created that can help determine the risk of death within six months for nursing home patients with advanced dementia, according to a study in the June 9 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

10 Jun 2004

Elderly leukemia patients benefit from intensive treatment

Contrary to popular belief, patients over the age of 75 with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) do just as well as younger patients with similar chemotherapy regimens. A new study published June 7, 2004 in the online edition of CANCER

7 Jun 2004

Research seeks best mix of hope and care for leukaemia sufferers

Funding has been granted for research seeking the best care options for patients with leukaemia and other blood disorders and their families.

5 Jun 2004

New study aimed at improving medical services for the one million people in the UK with heart failure

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh will work closely with patients and their carers on a new study aimed at improving medical services for the one million people in the UK with heart failure. This figure set to increase by 700,000 by the year 2010.

2 Jun 2004

Quality of life for terminally ill hospital patients could be improved with better management

The final months and weeks for terminally ill hospital patients could be made better if hospitals simply instituted a systematic process to seek the thoughts of dying patients and families on how to improve the medical care provided, say experts at a leading international medical ethics think tank.

24 May 2004

End-of-life options for seriously ill patients have improved considerably, but still have a ways ago

End-of-life options for seriously ill patients have improved considerably, but still have a ways ago, says a national expert who drew upon the recent experience of his father’s death to take stock of the status of end-of-life care in the United States.

14 May 2004

$Trial of a drug derived from the puffer fish for treatment of refractory cancer pain$

Trial of a drug derived from the puffer fish for treatment of refractory cancer pain

Investigators involved in the pivotal clinical trial of TectinTM enrolled and dosed the first of up to 150 patients that will participate in the study. It is one of the largest Canadian clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a drug for treatment of medically refractory cancer pain, and will take place in up to 25 treatment centres across Canada.

11 May 2004

Palliative care improvements needed in Australia

While Australian expertise in palliative care to ease the suffering of dying people has developed rapidly over the past 20 years, there is still a long way to go, writes Professor Margaret O'Connor, who holds the inaugural Vivian Bullwinkel chair in palliative care nursing at Monash.

23 Apr 2004

Commons urged to support palliative care financially

Leading cancer care charity Macmillan Cancer Relief today gave evidence to the influential Commons Health Select Committee as part of its inquiry into palliative care provision.

22 Apr 2004

Tibetan yoga helps cancer and insomnia

The first study to look at the use of Tibetan yoga by cancer patients found the combination of movement and meditation led to a significant sleep benefit, say researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

16 Apr 2004

Alzheimer's live about half as long as those of similar age without dementia

Age, seriousness of impairment, and the severity of other medical conditions are important indicators of how long an individual might survive after an Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, Eric B. Larson, M.D., M.P.H. and colleagues report in the April 6 Annals of Internal Medicine. Study authors include Linda Teri, Ph.D., recipient of an Alzheimer's Association $1 million Pioneer research grant.

6 Apr 2004