Patients with locally advanced disease can have significant local symptoms. The most common symptoms from local extension are pain, bleeding (hematemesis, melena) and obstruction (dysphagia, vomiting). These can cause a significant impact on a patient's quality of life. Radiation therapy is used to control these symptoms with modern 3-dimensional conformal techniques or brachytherapy. The aim o...

Affiliations 1 Department of Palliative Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne 2 Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Cologne 3 Cognitive Neurosciences, Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Jülich 4 Department of Palliative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of RWTH Aachen University 5 Institute of Nursing Science and Practice, Paracelsus Medical University, ...

BACKGROUND Patients with metastatic gastric cancer are usually not good operative candidates. Recent improvements in surgical techniques allowed palliative gastric resection and other surgical procedures. METHOD We have examined the place of palliative gastrectomy and its impact on survival in stage IV gastric cancer patients admitted in 2003-2008 period. RESULTS From a total of 295 patient...

BACKGROUND The urokinase plasminogen activation system is associated with metastatic potential of cancer in several tumors. Its specific membrane receptor (uPAR) is released from cancer cells and can be detected as the soluble fraction of the plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR). Ferritin (FRT) is a poor prognostic factor in various neoplasms. OBJECTIVES We analyzed the serum concentrations...

Palliative care is a series of actions aiming to offer support to parents and their infants in order to improve their quality of life. Despite optimal outcomes, the provision of palliative care for infants and achieving these outcomes may be hardly feasible. The present study aimed to investigate the barriers to palliative care and gain insight into the solutions. Accordingly, the obstacles wer...

OBJECTIVE To prospectively evaluate surgical procedures performed with palliative intent. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA There is a paucity of outcomes data necessary to allow sound surgical decision-making and informed consent for palliative procedures. METHODS Procedures to palliate symptoms of advanced cancer were identified prospectively from all operations performed. Patients were observed fo...

Background The use of virtual reality (VR) is increasing in palliative care. However, despite interest VR, there little evidence how this technology can be implemented into practice. Aims This paper aims to: (1) explore the feasibility implementing VR therapy, for patients and caregivers, a hospital specialist inpatient care unit hospice, (2) to identify questions organisations, support adoptio...

BACKGROUND This is a review of endoscopic therapy in the setting of palliative management of patients suffering from esophageal cancer (EC). Unfortunately, many cases of EC present in a stage of disease in which curative therapy is not possible. The maintenance of quality of life includes the ability to swallow and of oral feeding, pain control, and the prevention of bleeding. METHODS A revie...

Treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been challenging as most patients present with late, advanced disease, where curative options are limited. For years, locoregional therapy (LRT) the first-line intermediate-stage HCC and sorafenib HCC. However, these treatments often palliative since they plagued by tumor recurrence or progression. Therefore, there is growing interest in combined...