A pilot study of palliative medicine fellows' hospice home visits.

This was a prospective descriptive study of hospice physician home visits (HVs) conducted by Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellows. Our objectives were 1) to improve our knowledge of hospice care at home by describing physician HVs 2) to identify the indications for physician HVs and the problems addressed during the HV. Data was collected on 58 consecutive patients using a standardized form completed before and after the home visit.

Symptom management: an important part of cancer care.

Physicians can do a better job of palliating symptoms and improving the quality of life of cancer patients if they understand the principles of symptom management. We review the general principles of symptom management for fatigue, anorexia, constipation, dyspnea, nausea, and vomiting.

Nausea and vomiting in advanced cancer.

Nausea and vomiting are relatively common in advanced cancer and is dreaded more than pain by patients. The history, pattern of nausea and vomiting, associated symptoms, and physical examination provides clues as to etiology and may guide therapy. Continuous severe nausea unrelieved by vomiting is usually caused by medications or metabolic abnormalities, while nausea relieved by vomiting or induced by eating is usually due to gastroparesis, gastric outlet obstruction, or small bowel obstruction.

5-fluorouracil-induced coronary vasospasm.

Background: Cardiotoxicity is a rare but well-documented adverse effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The underlying cause of this side effect of 5-FU is uncertain.

Methods: We present a case report of a 63-year-old man treated for metastatic colon cancer who experienced chest pain while being treated with the FOLFIRI regimen.