Psychological support for patients with cancer: evidence review and suggestions for future directions

Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care, 2018 12(3) p.276-292

Hulbert-Williams, Nicholas J; Beatty, Lisa; Dhillon, Haryana M.

This article reviews contributions to the psychological literature published since January 2017. The majority of new psychological intervention research in cancer has used cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or mindfulness-based interventions. CBT has been considered a gold-standard intervention and recent evidence justifies continuation of this. Recent reviews call into question the validity of evidence for mindfulness-based interventions. A smaller number of trials using acceptance and commitment therapy, meta-cognitive therapy, dignity therapy and coaching have emerged, and whereas findings are promising, additional fully powered trials are required. Weaker evidence exists for counselling, support-based and narrative therapy interventions.

Supporting self-management in palliative care throughout the cancer care trajectory

Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care, 2018 12(3) p.299-307

Schulman-Green, Dena; Brody, Abraham; Gilbertson-White, Stephanie; Whittemore, Robin; McCorkle, Ruth

In this review, the authors consider the complementary relationship of self-management and palliative care and how they support living with cancer as a chronic illness. Recent studies provide evidence of support among patients, family caregivers and healthcare professionals for integration of self-management interventions into palliative cancer care across the care trajectory, including the phases of curative care, palliative care, end-of-life care and bereavement.

Managing medicines for patients dying at home: a review of family caregivers' experiences

Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, September 2018
Wilson, Eleanor; Caswell, Glenys; Turner, Nicola; Pollock, Kristian

The aim of the article is to explore the literature focused on family caregivers' experiences of medications management for patients being cared for and dying at home.  The authors concluded that as increasing demands are placed on family caregivers, there remains limited acknowledgement or understanding of the challenges they face, how they cope, or could be best supported. Alongside training, family caregivers need access to 24hrs support and medication reviews to rationalise unnecessary medications.  The ethical challenges arising from administering medicines at the end of life also need to be acknowledged and discussed.

Fulltext available in Journal of Pain and Symptom Management

Is cancer fundraising fuelling quackery?

BMJ 2018 September 12
Melanie Newman

Crowdfunding sites are helping people with advanced cancer spend thousands of pounds on unproved and alternative treatments. Melanie Newman examines calls to help ensure patients and their donors are not being exploited.

Fulltext available in the BMJ

Top ten tips palliative care clinicians should know about interventional symptom management options when caring for patients with gastrointestinal malignancies.

Journal of Palliative |Medicine, 2018 21(9):1339-1343
Johnson AM, Spaete JP, Jowell PS, Kamal AH, Fisher DA.

Patients diagnosed with advanced stages of gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies are often quite symptomatic, with symptoms primarily related to anatomic sites of obstruction. Issues that may help palliative care physicians recognize common presentations of advanced GI malignancies, address interventional approaches to improve symptom burden, and improve the quality of shared decision making and goals-of-care discussions are highlighted.

Mu‐opioid antagonists for opioid‐induced bowel dysfunction in people with cancer and people receiving palliative care

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2018 June 5
Candy B, Jones L, Vickerstaff V, Larkin PJ, Stone P.

Update of 2 Cochrane reviews identified 4 new trials. Conclusions for naldemedine are new, suggesting that taken orally, it improves bowel function over 2 weeks but increases risk of adverse events. Conclusions on naloxone and methylnaltrexone have not changed.

Fulltext available from the Cochrane Library