Cultural Competency Models at the End of Life.

This chapter examines the need and importance of cultural competency in providing End of Life care. The United States is diverse in culture. As we evolve into a multiethnic society, our healthcare providers must be able to manage this shift in establishing and providing care that is culturally appropriate and effective. Americans have the rights to provide autonomy and independent decision-making related to their healthcare; however, these core values may not align with ethnic and culturally diverse groups in the United States. Conflicts often lead to health disparities and resulting in care that is fragmented and inadequate. The difference in values result in improper management and miscommunication with patients and families that significantly affect care, especially during end-of-life.

Adult Cancer Pain, Version 3.2019, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

In recent years, the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines) for Adult Cancer Pain have undergone substantial revisions focusing on the appropriate and safe prescription of opioid analgesics, optimization of nonopioid analgesics and adjuvant medications, and integration of nonpharmacologic methods of cancer pain management. This selection highlights some of these changes, covering topics on management of adult cancer pain including pharmacologic interventions, nonpharmacologic interventions, and treatment of specific cancer pain syndromes. The complete version of the NCCN Guidelines for Adult Cancer Pain addresses additional aspects of this topic, including pathophysiologic classification of cancer pain syndromes, comprehensive pain assessment, management of pain crisis, ongoing care for cancer pain, pain in cancer survivors, and specialty consultations.

Supportive Care for the Head and Neck Cancer Patient.

Patients with head and neck cancers (HNC) face multiple psychosocial and physical challenges that require multidisciplinary attention and care throughout their disease process. The psychoemotional symptoms may be triggered by cosmetic disfigurement and/or functional deficits related to the cancer itself or cancer-directed treatments. These physical and emotional symptoms can be demoralizing and require acute and long-term professional assistance throughout a patient's lifespan. HNC remains one of the most challenging cancers to treat due to disfigurement, emotional suffering, social isolation, and loss of self-esteem. The emotional and physical symptoms a supportive care team can address are discussed in this chapter.

Biopsychosocial problem-related distress in cancer: examining the role of sex and age.

BACKGROUND: The current study explores how sex and age relate to biopsychosocial distress by applying a large-scale analysis among individuals diagnosed with a variety of cancers. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted involving 6462 patients treated for cancer at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center between 2009 and 2014. Patients were asked to complete the biopsychosocial problem-related distress touchscreen instrument prior to starting treatment as part of their routine clinical care. RESULTS: There was a significant interaction of age and sex on the total number of problems rated as high distress and the total number of problems that prompted a request to talk with a member of the team. Male patients between 18 and 39 reported significantly more problems as high distress than female patients in the same age group (mean = 5.34 and mean = 4.92, respectively; p = 0.005). A similar trend was found where male patients between 18-39 and 40-64 requested to talk with a member of the team significantly more often than female patients in these same age groups (mean = 3.25 and mean = 3.22 vs. mean = 2.70 and mean = 3.07, respectively; p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study serve to refute generalizations regarding age or gender demographics and support preferences and thus reinforce the need to offer services in the context of cancer in flexible and varied ways. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Rapid Review on the Management of Constipation for Hospice and Palliative Care Patients.

Constipation is a distressing symptom that has a high prevalence in patients receiving hospice and palliative care services, particularly in cases of opioid use. A thorough assessment, root cause analysis, monitoring, and prophylactic approach are essential for symptom management and quality of life. This rapid review assessed studies published between 2018 and 2023 to identify strategies implemented by health care professionals to prevent and/or mitigate this distressing symptom. We identified 12 articles that addressed constipation in palliative and end-of-life settings and reported on the need for multifactorial management approaches with a focus on patient-centered care that includes the caregiver(s). Bedside nurses play a key role in assessing, identifying, and managing constipation. Proper documentation and communication with the interdisciplinary team help direct earlier intervention and ongoing awareness of constipation issues. Additional research is needed on specific tools and enhanced guidelines to ensure constipation is frequently addressed and preemptively managed.

Adult cancer pain.

Pain is a common symptom associated with cancer and its treatment. Pain management is an important aspect of oncologic care, and unrelieved pain significantly comprises overall quality of life. These NCCN Guidelines list the principles of management and acknowledge the range of complex decisions faced in the management oncologic pain. In addition to pain assessment techniques, these guidelines provide principles of use, dosing, management of adverse effects, and safe handling procedures of pharmacologic therapies and discuss a multidisciplinary approach for the management of cancer pain.

Comparing the safety and efficacy of intravenous naloxone administration in opioid-naive and opioid-tolerant hospitalized oncology patients.

OBJECTIVE: To compare naloxone doses and clinical outcomes after emergency opioid reversal in opioid-naïve and opi-oid-tolerant inpatients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, retrospective chart review. SETTING: Comprehensive cancer center. PATIENTS: In-patients who received ≥1 dose of intravenous naloxone for emergency opioid reversal between 2014 and 2018. METHODS: Patients were classified as opioid-tolerant based on opioid dosing history ≥60 morphine milligram equivalents/day for ≥7 consecutive days prior to naloxone administration. Response to naloxone was based on documentation of improvement in respiratory rate to >10 breaths/min or improved response to stimuli. OUTCOMES: Naloxone doses and clinical outcomes after naloxone administration. RESULTS: Ninety-three naloxone episodes (58 opioid-naive and 35 opioid-tolerant) in 80 unique patients were included. No differences between opioid-naïve and opioid-tolerant groups were found for naloxone mean starting doses (0.14 mg vs 0.19 mg, p = 0.35), total doses (0.50 mg vs 0.32 mg, p = 0.07), and response rates (74.1 percent vs 77.1 percent, p = 0.81). Naloxone adverse reactions were more frequent in the opioid-tolerant group than the opioid-naïve group (opioid withdrawal symptoms (OWSs): 14.3 percent vs 0 percent; increase in pain: 20 percent vs 8.6 percent, p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: In opioid-tolerant patients, naloxone total doses required and response rates were similar to opioid-naïve patients. Use of opioid dosing history to identify potentially opioid-dependent patients should be considered prior to naloxone administration to guide dosing and reduce the risk for precipitating OWSs.

Advancements in the management of urologic chronic pelvic pain: what is new and what do we know?

Prostatitis is one of the most common urologic diagnoses in men of all ages. The etiology of this problem remains poorly understood. No uniform solitary treatment is known for chronic prostatitis. As a result, a multimodal approach is most likely to demonstrate benefit for this disease. Various treatment modalities have included the use of both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments. In addition, multiple interventional techniques including the injection of botulinum toxin, transurethral needle ablation of the prostate, microwave thermotherapy, neuromodulation, and, most recently, extracorporeal shockwave therapy have been utilized with varying degrees of benefit.

Integration of Next-generation Sequencing and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Targeted Symptom Control and Palliative Care in Solid Tumor Malignancies: A Multidisciplinary Clinician Perspective.

The molecular characterization of solid tumor malignancies with respect to tumorgenesis, risk stratification, and prognostication of chemotherapeutic side effects is multi-faceted. Characterizing these mechanisms requires a detailed understanding of cytogenetics and pharmacology. In addition to the standard palliative care interventions that address issues such as fatigue, neuropathy, performance status, depression, nutrition, cachexia, anxiety, and medical ethics, we must also delve into individual chemotherapy side effects. Comprehending these symptoms is more complex with the advent of broader targeted therapies. With the advent and initiation of Foundation Medicine (FMI) testing, we have been able to tailor regimens to the individual genetics of the patient. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a bioinformatic analysis used in order to create a targeted effort to understand the complex genetics of a vast array of malignancies. Through the process known as high-throughput sequencing we, as clinicians, can obtain more real-time genetic data and incorporate the information into our reasoning process. The process involves a broad manner in which deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence data is obtained including genome sequencing and resequencing, protein-DNA or proteinomics, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-sequencing, ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing, and epigenomic analysis. High-throughput sequencing techniques including single molecule real-time sequencing, ion semiconductor sequencing, pyrose sequencing, sequencing by synthesis, sequencing by ligation, nanopore sequencing, and chain termination (otherwise known as Sanger sequencing) have expanded the realm of NGS and clinicians options.

Support for Patients and Family Caregivers in Lung Cancer: Educational Components of an Interdisciplinary Palliative Care Intervention.

Consistent with the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine Report on quality cancer care, attention to symptom management and quality of life concerns of patients with lung cancer should be addressed throughout the disease trajectory. As part of a NCI-funded Program Project grant, this paper reports on the patient and family caregiver education component of a nurse-lead, tailored palliative care intervention for patients with early (I-III, n=130) and late (IV, n=142) stage lung cancer. Patients and family caregivers received 4 separate educational sessions organized around the Quality of Life model domains (physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being). Each patient and caregiver was presented at a weekly interdisciplinary case conference which also informed the educational sessions. Based on needs and team suggestions, an individualized palliative care plan was created and a tailored educational intervention was designed based on topics chosen by each participant. The most common topics chosen by patients in each domain were fatigue, worry and fear, social support/isolation, and hope. Family caregivers most commonly chose fatigue, worry and fear, communication, and purpose and meaning in life. The mean time spent in each teaching session ranged from 31 to 44 minutes for patients and 25 to 35 minutes for family caregivers. There is a vital need for interdisciplinary palliative care interventions for patients across all stages and across the disease trajectory. Nurses are vital to integrating palliative care into routine care. Providing a tailored educational intervention is an important aspect of palliative care for patients and family caregivers. This paper focuses on the process of the tailored educational intervention.