Dignity therapy for patients with brain tumours: qualitative reports from patients, caregivers and practitioners.

Background: Most individuals with brain tumours experience distress or cognitive impairment during the illness trajectory, potentially causing decreased quality of life, strain on interpersonal relationships and altered sense of self or of the world. Symptoms of brain tumour and treatment can cause increased reliance on others and decreased in sense of dignity. Dignity is an important consideration when caring for patients, as it can influence decisions at end-of-life.

Optimal Therapies for Newly Diagnosed Elderly Patients with Glioblastoma.

Newly diagnosed elderly patients (age > 65-70 years) with glioblastoma should be treated with a patient-centred approach by a multi-disciplinary team. Chronological age alone should not be considered as a contraindication to treatment with maximal safe surgical resection. A 3-week course of adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy is appropriate in selected elderly patients with favourable Karnofsky performance status (KPS) who cannot tolerate a longer 6-week course of fractionated radiotherapy.

Hospitalizations in elderly glioblastoma patients.

Background: Elderly glioblastoma (GB) patients are at risk of hospitalizations due to the morbidity of the disease and possible treatment toxicity.

Methods: In this observational cohort study, 255 newly diagnosed GB patients age 65 years and older were included. Survival, emergency room visits and admissions to an acute care hospital were determined.