Methods Mol Biol
January 2025
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common form of head and neck cancer. The current standard for treating primary OSCC is surgical resection combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Despite improved therapeutic strategies, OSCC has high rates of metastasis and mortality, with one in two patients dying of the disease.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe oral cavity is a critical barrier with immunosurveillance capabilities. A detailed understanding of its cellular, molecular, and spatial architecture is essential for advancing precision medicine across aerodigestive tissues. Here, we present the first integrated atlas of human adult oral and craniofacial tissues, derived from single-cell RNA sequencing of ~250,000 cells from 70 samples across 13 niches, including salivary glands and oral mucosae.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Early and open communication of palliative care (PC) and end-of-life (EoL)-related issues in advanced cancer care is not only recommended by guidelines, but also preferred by the majority of patients. However, oncologists tend to avoid timely addressing these issues. We investigated the role of oncologists' personal death anxiety in the rare occurrence of PC/EoL conversations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: In advanced cancer care, early communication about palliative care (PC) and end-of-life (EoL)-related issues is recommended, but is often impeded by physicians' communication insecurities. We investigated the effect of a newly developed compact communication skills training 'PALLI-COM' on oncologists' competencies to early address PC/EoL-related issues.
Materials And Methods: We conducted a randomized, controlled trial (RCT) with an intervention group (IG; 2 × 90 min training) and a wait list control group (CG) at five sites.
Objective: To identify and summarise evaluated interventions aiming to improve the communication of palliative care (PC) and end-of-life (EoL) issues in physicians caring for cancer patients. Such interventions are needed with regard to the aim of an earlier communication of those issues in oncology daily practice, which is associated with a range of benefits for patients and caregivers but is often impeded by physicians' communication insecurities.
Design: Systematic review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.
Background: Early integration of palliative care concurrently to standard cancer care is associated with several benefits for patients and their caregivers. However, communication barriers on part of the caring physicians often impede a timely referral to palliative care. This study describes the protocol of the evaluation of a communication skills training aiming to strengthen the ability of physicians to address palliative care related topics adequately and early during disease trajectory.
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