Distress and quality of life concerns of family caregivers of patients undergoing palliative surgery.

There has been limited research in the field of palliative care and even far less focus on the area of palliative surgery. Although patient needs are paramount, family caregivers require information and support at the time surrounding surgery for advanced disease. The aim of this prospective cohort study of family caregivers of patients with advanced malignancies was to measure the impact of palliative surgery on dimensions of quality of life (QOL) for these family members.

Symptom concerns and resource utilization in patients with lung cancer.

Objective: Lung cancer remains a major source of death in the United States. With the aging of the population, health policy makers are challenged to develop systems of care for the complex needs of these patients. This study sought to determine quality of life and symptom concerns in lung cancer patients.

Surgical palliation of advanced gastrointestinal tumors.

Patients with advanced gastrointestinal tumors suffer a spectrum of progressive symptoms that reduce their quality of life (QOL). Operative palliative strategies seeking to improve QOL and decrease symptom burden are poorly studied. This study seeks to measure the effect of operations on symptoms and QOL in patients with advanced gastrointestinal malignancies.

Survival in patients with papillary thyroid cancer is not affected by the use of radioactive isotope.

Introduction: Papillary cancer is the most common neoplasm of the thyroid. The mainstay of treatment is thyroidectomy, but most patients are additionally treated with radioactive iodine (RAI). Its utility is controversial.