Deaths from the majority of cancers are falling globally, but the incidence and mortality from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing in the United Kingdom and in other Western countries. HCC is a highly fatal cancer, often diagnosed late, with an incidence to mortality ratio that approaches 1. Despite there being a number of treatment options, including those associated with good medium to long-term survival, 5-year survival from HCC in the UK remains below 20%.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Hosp Palliat Care
February 2025
37.5% of deaths in our area occur in hospital. There are known high unmet needs of adult patients dying in hospital, this unmet need can be reduced by using an individualised care plan and specialist palliative care review.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To evaluate the care of patients dying in hospital without support from specialists in palliative care (SPC), better understand their needs and factors influencing their care.
Methods: Prospective UK-wide service evaluation including all dying adult inpatients unknown to SPC, excluding those in emergency departments/intensive care units. Holistic needs were assessed through a standardised proforma.
Context: A proportion of UK hospital inpatients have palliative care needs but do not access specialist services.
Objectives: To contemporaneously evaluate the significance of unmet specialist palliative care needs within the hospital inpatient population.
Methods: Prospective multi-centered service evaluation was conducted through 4 snapshots across 4 acute NHS hospital trusts.
The current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put significant strain on all aspects of health care delivery, including palliative care services. Given the high mortality from this disease, particularly in the more vulnerable members of society, it is important to examine how best to deliver a high standard of end-of-life care during this crisis. This case series collected data from two acute hospitals examining the management of patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who subsequently died (n = 36) and compared this with national and local end-of-life audit data for all other deaths.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccum assisted closure (VAC) therapy is a novel method of wound healing using topical negative pressure across the wound bed and containing all exudate within a sealed system. We report the use of VAC therapy to control pain and exudate of a malignant wound.
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