Background: Early integration of palliative care into oncology treatment is widely recommended. Palliative rehabilitation has been suggested as a paradigm which integrates enablement, self-management, and self-care into the holistic model of palliative care.
Aim: We hypothesized that early integration of palliative rehabilitation could improve quality of life.
Design: The Pal-Rehab study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02332317) was a randomized controlled trial. The 12-week intervention offered by a specialized palliative care team was two mandatory consultations and the opportunity of participating in an interdisciplinary group program. Supplementary individual consultations were offered, if needed.
Setting/participants: At Vejle University Hospital, Denmark, adults diagnosed with advanced cancer within the last 8 weeks were randomized 1:1 to standard oncology care or standard care plus intervention. Assessments at baseline and after six and 12 weeks were based on the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). At baseline participants were asked to choose a "primary problem" from a list of QLQ-C30 domains. The primary endpoint was the change in that "primary problem" measured as area under the curve across 12 weeks (-scores, European mean value = 50, SD = 10).
Results: In all, 288 were randomized of whom 279 were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis (146 in the standard care group and 133 in the intervention group). The between-group difference for the primary outcome was 3.0 (95% CI [0.0-6.0]; = 0.047) favoring the intervention.
Conclusion: Early integration of palliative rehabilitation into standard oncology treatment improved quality of life for newly diagnosed advanced cancer patients.
Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02332317, registered on December 30, 2014.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/02692163211015574 | DOI Listing |
Acta Oncol
January 2025
Department of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Purpose: This study aims to identify and summarize evidence on the effectiveness of exercise-based interventions on muscle mass, muscle strength, functional performance, aerobic capacity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), feasibility of the interventions, in patients with malignant lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy.
Methods: A systematic search was conducted in six electronic databases and trials registers on November 15, 2023. Peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing exercise intervention with controls/usual care in adults (≥18 years) diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma undergoing chemotherapy were considered for inclusion.
BMJ Case Rep
January 2025
Maxillofacial Surgery, Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, New Zealand.
A man in his late 50s was referred by a speech and language therapist for consideration of a palatal lift prosthesis (PLP) to improve his speech intelligibility. He presented with hypokinetic dysarthria characterised by reduced loudness, breathy voice and hypernasality. The patient had a diagnosis of progressive muscular dystrophy and mobilised in a motorised wheelchair.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMenopause
January 2025
Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Objective: Although dysregulated inflammation has been postulated as a biological mechanism associated with post-acute sequelae of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (PASC) and shown to be a correlate and an outcome of PASC, it is unclear whether inflammatory markers can prospectively predict PASC risk. We examined the association of leukocyte count and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) concentrations, measured ~25 years prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with PASC, PASC severity, and PASC-associated cognitive outcomes at follow-up among postmenopausal women.
Methods: Using biomarker data from blood specimens collected during pre-pandemic enrollment (1993-1998) and data on 1,237 Women's Health Initiative participants who completed a COVID-19 survey between June 2021 and February 2022, we constructed multivariable regression models that controlled for pertinent characteristics.
Lymphology
January 2025
Palliative Care, Ege University Hospital Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
This study examined the effect of lymphedema self-care patient school education on patient functionality, quality of life, body value, and lymphedema volume in patients with lower extremity lymphedema. The study utilized a single-group quasi-experimental design. The study sample included 21 patients with primary and secondary lower extremity lymphedema.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSupport Care Cancer
January 2025
Department of Supportive and Palliative Care, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire de Grenoble, Grenoble, France.
Purpose: Improvements in the treatment of advanced cancer have increased life expectancy but have also increased the costs to healthcare systems, patients and their families. A systematic review is needed to summarize research work on the cost of cancer. The primary objective was to describe the characteristics and methodology of studies investigating the cost of cancer during the palliative phase.
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