Referrals to Palliative Care Services for Hospitalised COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Literature Review.

Background: The increase in the incidence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to more hospital admissions and deaths, and coincided with an increased need for palliative care. The new circumstances required palliative care services to be flexible and to develop response strategies.

Aim: To synthesise studies including COVID-19 patients to gain insight into how many patients were referred to hospital-based palliative care services, the characteristics and palliative care needs of these patients and the reasons for referral.

Caregivers' burden and fatigue during and after patients' treatment with concomitant chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer: a prospective, observational pilot study.

Purpose: Knowledge of caregivers' burden and fatigue before and after patients' treatment for locally advanced head and neck cancer is scarce. Therefore, we aimed to explore caregivers' fatigue and burden in relation to patients' fatigue, distress, and quality of life.

Methods: For caregivers, burden and fatigue were assessed.

Fear of cancer recurrence: a significant concern among partners of prostate cancer survivors.

Objectives: The aims of the study were to (1) describe the prevalence of fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in partners of prostate cancer (PCa) survivors; (2) to compare the proportions of high FCR in partners with high FCR in PCa survivors; (3) to explore partners' demographic and survivors' clinical characteristics associated with high FCR in partners; and (4) to identify the relationship between high FCR and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in partners.

Methods: Questionnaires were sent to partners of disease-free PCa survivors. Outcomes included FCR severity (Cancer Worry Scale [CWS]) and HRQoL (RAND-36).

How did partners experience cancer patients' participation in a phase I study? An observational study after a patient's death.

Objective: It can be assumed that patients' participation in a phase I study will have an important impact on their partners' life. However, evaluation of partners' experiences while patients are undergoing experimental treatment and of their well-being after the patient's death is lacking. We aimed to explore partners' experience of patients' participation in phase I studies and to investigate their well-being after a patient's death.