Long-term Changes in Pain, Depression, Function and Informal Caregiving after Major Elective Surgeries Among Seriously Ill Older Adults.

Objective: To compare differences in pain, depression, function, and informal caregiving pre-and-post major elective surgery among older adults with and without serious illness; and determine if serious illness was independently associated with increasing pain, depression, assistance in activities of daily living (ADLs) and informal caregiving post-surgery.

Background: The American College of Surgeons has endorsed the integration of palliative care (PC) into surgical care in adults with serious illness but targets for PC during surgical episodes such as pain, depression, function, and informal caregiving are understudied.

Methods: We used Health and Retirement Study-linked Medicare data (2008-2018) to identify older (≥66 y) adults with and without serious illness who had major elective surgery.

Definition of Palliative Surgery in Cancer Care: A Systematic Review.

Palliative surgery is commonly performed in cancer centers worldwide. Yet, there is little agreement on the definition of palliative surgery or its relevant outcomes. This systematic review sought to characterize the definitions of palliative surgery and outcomes for patients with cancer undergoing thoraco-abdominal procedures.

Electromotive Enhanced Drug Administration in Oncology: Principles, Evidence, Current and Emerging Applications.

Local-regional administration of cytotoxic drugs is an important adjunct to systemic chemotherapy amongst cancer patients. It allows for targeted delivery of agents at high concentration to target sites while minimizing systemic side effects. Despite the pharmacokinetic advantages of the local-regional approach, drug transport into tumor nodules remains limited due to the biophysical properties of these tissues.