Perspectives on Self-Reported Sexual Dysfunction by Palliative Care Patients with Cancer.

The aim of this study was to investigate from the perspective of palliative care (PC) patients with cancer, the frequency of sexual dysfunction (SD) and their views regarding the communication with their physicians. Adult PC patients with cancer seen at a Supportive Care Clinic in the United States were invited to participate in a survey about SD. A total of 100 patients completed the survey.

Psychological Interventions for Insomnia in Patients with Cancer: A Scoping Review.

Background/objectives: Insomnia is a frequent and distressing symptom with limited treatment in patients with cancer. Among the available treatments for insomnia, psychological interventions are some of the most assessed. While studies and reviews show promise of interventions improving insomnia in patients with cancer, inconsistent approaches to operationalizing and measuring insomnia combined with the heterogeneity of available treatments render comparisons and synthetization difficult.

Perceptions Toward Naloxone Among Patients With Cancer Receiving Opioids.

Context: Naloxone nasal spray is recommended for patients with risk factors for opioid overdose. However, cancer patients' perceptions and beliefs regarding naloxone prescriptions and their self-perceived risks for overdose are understudied.

Objective: To determine the proportion of cancer patients at risk for overdose who perceived naloxone as beneficial.

Conducting Physician Engagement Research in a Pandemic: Persevering when Burnout Mitigation Is Needed Most.

We planned a pilot study on a physician engagement intervention, termed ECHO-MDA, using the Project ECHO framework. The study was approved and launched just as the COVID pandemic reached Texas. We pivoted to accommodate the realities of research in pandemic times.

Cancer-related fatigue among patients with advanced cancer receiving immune-checkpoint inhibitors: a prospective study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and factors associated with severity of cancer related fatigue (CRF) as assessed by Functional Assessment of Cancer Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F), prior to, and during 12 weeks of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). We also explored the effects of ICIs on fatigue dimensions and interference with daily activities (Multidimensional Functional Symptom Inventory, MFSI-SF, Patient-Related Outcome Symptom Measurement Information System Short form Fatigue 7a, PROMIS F-SF), QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General, FACT-G), and cancer symptoms (Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, ESAS).

Methods: In this prospective, longitudinal observational study, patients with a diagnosis of advanced cancer receiving ICIs were evaluated.

Scheduled and Breakthrough Opioid Use for Cancer Pain in an Inpatient Setting at a Tertiary Cancer Hospital.

: Our aim was to examine the frequency and prescription pattern of breakthrough (BTO) and scheduled (SCH) opioids and their ratio (BTO/SCH ratio) of use, prior to and after referral to an inpatient supportive care consult (SCC) for cancer pain management (CPM). : Patients admitted at the MD Anderson Cancer Center and referred to a SCC were retrospectively reviewed. Cancer patients receiving SCH and BTO opioids for ≥24 h were eligible for inclusion.

Telehealth Preferences Among Patients With Advanced Cancer in the Post COVID-19 Vaccine Era.

Background: Few studies have examined patient preferences for telehealth in palliative care after the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. We examined patient preferences for video versus in-person visits and factors contributing to preferences in the postvaccine era.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey of patients who were seen at our palliative care clinic between April 2021 and March 2022.

Characterization of patients with brain metastases referred to palliative care.

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to assess the clinical characteristics, reasons for referral, and outcomes of patients with brain metastases (BM) referred to the supportive care center.

Methods: Equal numbers of patients with melanoma, breast cancer, and lung cancer with (N = 90) and without (N = 90) BM were retrospectively identified from the supportive care database for study. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze demographic, disease, and clinical data.

Changes in Patterns of Referral for Inpatient Rehabilitation Cancer Patients Due to COVID-19: A Retrospective Study.

There is a paucity of literature on the effect of COVID-19 on hospital processes. We hypothesized that COVID-19 was associated with decreased cancer physiatry referrals in 2020. This is a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients from April to July 2019 and 2020 admitted at an academic quaternary cancer center.

Postvaccine Era COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Distress in Palliative Care Patients With Advanced Cancer.

Context: The COVID-19 pandemic represents a source of distress in patients with advanced cancer; however, few studies have examined the extent of pandemic-related distress in the postvaccine era.

Objectives: We conducted a cross-sectional survey to examine pandemic-related distress among patients seen by palliative care after vaccine availability.

Methods: Patients at our palliative care clinic were surveyed from April 2021 to March 2022 regarding 1) pandemic-related distress level, 2) potential contributors to pandemic-related distress, 3) coping strategies, 4) demographic factors and symptom burden.

Frequency, Characteristics, and Risk Factors for Falls at an Inpatient Cancer Rehabilitation Unit.

Purpose: Falls in the hospital can lead to adverse events, including injuries. Studies have shown that patients with cancer and those undergoing inpatient rehabilitation (IPR) are at higher risk for falls. Therefore, we measured the frequency, degree of harm, and characteristics of patients who fell in an inpatient cancer rehabilitation unit.

Efforts to Improve Naloxone Co-Prescription for Patients With Cancer Pain at Risk of Opioid Overdose.

Naloxone can be lifesaving in an opioid-related overdose (OD). However, the co-prescription of take-home naloxone (THN) is not widely adopted in routine clinical practice. We implemented a pilot program focused on increasing clinicians' awareness of THN and observed if this impacts THN prescriptions for our patients with cancer pain receiving opioids.

Levorphanol as a Second Line Opioid in Cancer Patients Presenting to an Outpatient Supportive Care Center: An Open-label Study.

Context: Levorphanol is a potent opioid agonist and NMDA receptor blocker with minimal drug interactions, and there are few reports of its use in cancer patients.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the frequency of successful opioid rotation (OR) to levorphanol and the median opioid rotation ratio (ORR) from Morphine Equivalent Daily Dose (MEDD).

Methods: This is a prospective, single-group, interventional study.

Meta-Analysis of Pharmacological, Nutraceutical and Phytopharmaceutical Interventions for the Treatment of Cancer Related Fatigue.

Purpose: In this study we aimed to estimate the effectiveness of pharmacological, nutraceutical, and phytopharmaceutical treatments on CRF. Methods: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Ovid Psych info, CINHAHL and Cochrane Library databases were searched up to 30 September 2021. Randomized controlled trials of pharmacological, nutraceutical and phytopharmaceutical interventions for treatment of CRF for at least one week duration and have used valid tool to assess severity of CRF as a primary or secondary outcome were considered.

Evaluation of a Daily Nine-Item "Handbook for Self-Care at Work" for Palliative Care Clinicians.

A daily nine-item "Handbook for Self-Care at Work" was created to increase the well-being and satisfaction of the staff at the department of palliative care of a tertiary oncological center in the United States. To evaluate the perceived usefulness of and adherence to the Handbook. An anonymous survey was conducted among the palliative care staff asking for the frequency of utilization and the perception of usefulness of the Handbook.

Inhalation of Isopropyl Alcohol for the Management of Nausea and Vomiting: A Systematic Review.

The use of inhaled isopropyl alcohol (IPA) has been proposed as a therapeutic intervention for the relief of nausea in various settings. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the existing evidence for the use of inhaled IPA in the management of nausea and vomiting. We performed a literature search on Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Library databases before November 2021.

Hybrid Work from Home Clinical Academic Environment: A One-Year Follow-Up Survey of Attitudes and Beliefs of Members of a Department of Palliative Care, Rehabilitation, and Integrative Medicine.

Palliative, Rehabilitation, and Integrative Medicine (PRIM) department members anonymously reported a positive experience with work from home (WFH) two months after its rapid pandemic transition in March 2020. Data are limited on the stability of such preferences and experiences over time. The objectives of this study were to survey the attitudes and beliefs of PRIM employees toward remote work 16 months after the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic since vaccines and to determine changes in perceptions of WFH.

Rapid Transition to Virtual Care during the COVID-19 Epidemic: Experience of a Supportive Care Clinic at a Tertiary Care Cancer Center.

COVID-19 pandemic necessitated rapid adoption of telemedicine at our supportive care center (SCC) to ensure continuity of care while maintaining social distancing. To document the process of transition from in-person to virtual care. The charts of 1744 consecutive patients in our SCC located in the United States were retrospectively reviewed during the four weeks before transition (February 14-March 12), four weeks after transition (March 20-April 16), and transition week (March 13-March 19).

Frequency of and Factors Associated With Nonmedical Opioid Use Behavior Among Patients With Cancer Receiving Opioids for Cancer Pain.

Importance: One of the main aims of research on nonmedical opioid use (NMOU) is to reduce the frequency of NMOU behaviors through interventions such as universal screening, reduced opioid exposure, and more intense follow-up of patients with elevated risk. The absence of data on the frequency of NMOU behavior is the major barrier to conducting research on NMOU.

Objective: To determine the overall frequency of and the independent predictors for NMOU behavior.

Frequency of Concomitant Use of Gabapentinoids and Opioids among Patients with Cancer-Related Pain at an Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic.

Patients with cancer-related pain use opioids for nociceptive pain, while gabapentinoids are common to treat neuropathic pain. The simultaneous use of opioids with gabapentinoids has been associated with an increased risk of opioid-related death. Determine the frequency of combined use of gabapentinoids among patients receiving opioids for cancer-related pain.

Fan Therapy for the Treatment of Dyspnea in Adults: A Systematic Review.

Context: The use of a handheld or electric fan has been proposed as one component of the complex clinical interventions used in the relief of dyspnea; however, there is a lack of consensus regarding its efficacy.

Objectives: We performed a systematic review to determine the effectiveness of fan therapy for the treatment of dyspnea.

Methods: We searched the Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Library databases to identify all fan therapy studies published from January 1, 1946 to September 31, 2018.