Psychosocial Correlates of Death Anxiety in Advanced Cancer: A Scoping Review.

Objectives: Individuals living with advanced cancer commonly experience death anxiety, which refers to the distressing thoughts or feelings associated with awareness of one's mortality. Deriving an overview of existing literature on the psychological and social factors linked to death anxiety may inform conceptual models, clinical screening, and intervention strategies in oncology and palliative care. Therefore, the present scoping review was conducted to summarize the current literature on the psychosocial correlates of death anxiety among individuals with advanced cancer.

Two-Step Screening for Depression and Anxiety in Patients with Cancer: A Retrospective Validation Study Using Real-World Data.

Although screening for distress is recommended by many cancer care guidelines, the uptake of such screening in cancer centers remains limited. Improving the acceptability of screening programs in cancer centers requires a reduction in clinical burden and an improved detection of distress. The purpose of this study was to validate the performance of the two-step screening algorithm used in the Distress Assessment and Response Tool (DART) for identifying cases of anxiety and depression.

"Walk me through the final day": A thematic analysis study on the family caregiver experience of the Medical Assistance in Dying procedure day.

Background: Legalization of assisted dying is progressively expanding worldwide. In Canada, the Medical Assistance in Dying Act became law in 2016. As assisted dying regulations evolve worldwide, comprehending its subjective impact and broader consequences, especially on family members, becomes pivotal for shaping practice, policy, and training.

Decision-making and autonomy among participants in early-phase cancer immunotherapy trials: a qualitative study.

Background: Participants considering early-phase cancer clinical trials (CTs) need to understand the unique risks and benefits prior to providing informed consent. This qualitative study explored the factors that influence patients' decisions about participating in early-phase cancer immunotherapy CTs through the ethical lens of relational autonomy.

Methods: Using an interpretive descriptive design, interviews were conducted with 21 adult patients with advanced cancer who had enrolled in an early-phase CT.

Perspectives of Canadian health leaders on the relationship between medical assistance in dying and palliative and end-of-life care services: a qualitative study.

Background: Medical assistance in dying (MAiD) was legalized in Canada in 2016, but coordination of MAiD and palliative and end-of-life care (PEOLC) services remains underdeveloped. We sought to understand the perspectives of health leaders across Canada on the relationship between MAiD and PEOLC services and to identify opportunities for improved coordination.

Methods: In this quantitative study, we purposively sampled health leaders across Canada with expertise in MAiD, PEOLC, or both.

Managing cancer and living meaningfully (CALM): Implementation in Dutch cancer care.

Objective: Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) is a brief, evidence-based psychotherapy tailored for patients with advanced cancer that has not yet been implemented routinely in Dutch cancer care. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility, acceptability, sustainability and effectiveness of CALM in different clinical settings in the Netherlands.

Methods: In 2019 and 2020 a multi-center, intervention-only study was performed in three Dutch cancer care settings.

Insomnia in adult patients with cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline.

• Insomnia is common in patients with cancer, with a higher prevalence than observed in the general population. • Insomnia is often under-recognised and inadequately treated in patients with cancer. • Brief validated screening tools are available for the evaluation of insomnia in clinical practice.

Measuring double awareness in patients with advanced cancer: A preliminary scale development study.

Background: Individuals with advanced cancer face the challenge of living meaningfully while also preparing for end of life. The ability to sustain this duality, called "double awareness," may reflect optimal psychological adaptation, but no psychometric scale exists to measure this construct.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to develop a novel scale to measure double awareness in patients living with advanced cancer.

The quality of death and dying of patients with advanced cancer in hospice care in Uganda and Kenya.

Objectives: Minimal information is available about the quality of dying and death in Uganda and Kenya, which are African leaders in palliative care. We investigated the quality of dying and death in patients with advanced cancer who had received hospice care in Uganda or Kenya.

Methods: Observational study with bereaved caregivers of decedents (Uganda:  = 202; Kenya:  = 127) with advanced cancer who had received care from participating hospices in Uganda or Kenya.

Palliative care in Malawi: a scoping review.

Background: Universal access to palliative care remains a distant goal in many low resource settings, despite the growing evidence of its benefits. The unmet need for palliative care is evident in Africa, but great strides in palliative care development have occurred in several African countries. Located in sub-Saharan Africa, Malawi has been regarded as an exemplar of progress in this area that is achievable in a low resource region.

Teaching Oncology Nurses a Psychosocial Intervention for Advanced Cancer: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study.

Objectives: Psychological interventions for advanced cancer patients are effective in decreasing distress but are not well integrated into cancer care. Oncology nurses are well positioned to deliver such interventions, and their participation may enhance professional satisfaction and wellbeing. Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) is an evidence-based psychotherapy supporting advanced cancer patients.

Experience of Care Among Adults With Acute Leukemia Near the End of Life: A Scoping Review.

Acute leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow with a high symptom burden and a high mortality rate in adults. The quality of end-of-life care among this patient population is deemed to be low based on health care administrative data, though the patient experience is not included in this evaluation. This scoping review aims at exploring and mapping the current research literature on the experience of care among adults with incurable acute leukemia near the end of life.

Evaluation of Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) in people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with immunotherapies or targeted therapies: protocol for a single-arm, mixed-methods pilot study.

Introduction: People with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immunotherapies (IT) or targeted therapies (TT) may have improved outcomes in a subset of people who respond, raising unique psychological concerns requiring specific attention. These include the need for people with prolonged survival to reframe their life plans and tolerate uncertainty related to treatment duration and prognosis. A brief intervention for people with advanced cancer, Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM), could help people treated with IT or TT address these concerns.

Strategies Used by Outpatient Oncology Nurses to Introduce Early Palliative Care: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Although early palliative care is linked to improved health-related quality of life, satisfaction with care, and symptom management, the clinical strategies that nurses use to actively initiate this care are unknown.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to conceptualize the clinical strategies that outpatient oncology nurses use to introduce early palliative care and to determine how these strategies align with the framework of practice.

Methods: A constructivist-informed grounded theory study was conducted in a tertiary cancer care center in Toronto, Canada.

The impact of COVID-19 on the experiences of patients and their family caregivers with medical assistance in dying in hospital.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and its containment measures have drastically impacted end-of-life and grief experiences globally, including those related to medical assistance in dying (MAiD). No known qualitative studies to date have examined the MAiD experience during the pandemic. This qualitative study aimed to understand how the pandemic impacted the MAiD experience in hospital of persons requesting MAiD (patients) and their loved ones (caregivers) in Canada.

Interventions to improve outcomes for caregivers of patients with advanced cancer: a meta-analysis.

Background: Family caregivers of patients with advanced cancer often have poor quality of life (QOL) and mental health. We examined the effectiveness of interventions offering support for caregivers of patients with advanced cancer on caregiver QOL and mental health outcomes.

Methods: We searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases from inception through June 2021.

Development of a Japanese Version of the Quality of Life at the End of Life-Cancer Scale.

Context: The Quality of Life at the End of Life-Cancer Scale (QUAL-EC) is a self-reported instrument to assesses the quality of life of patients with cancer near the end of life.

Objective: To test the reliability and validity of the QUAL-EC-J, a Japanese translated version of the QUAL-EC.

Methods: A total of 179 Japanese patients with advanced cancer completed the QUAL-EC-J, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General Scale, and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual questionnaires.

Anxiety and depression in adult cancer patients: ESMO Clinical Practice Guideline.

• Anxiety and depressive disorders are common in patients with cancer. • A higher prevalence seen in patients with cancer than the general population is often underrecognised. • Psychotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness-based therapies are effective treatments.