Advanced Cancer Research

Black and Hispanic patients nearing the end of life are less likely than White patients to get opioids needed to control their cancer pain, a new study shows. Black patients were also more likely than White patients to undergo urine tests that screen for drugs.

Results from a large NCI-funded clinical trial show that steroids were no more effective than a placebo for treating breathing problems in people with advanced cancer. And people treated with steroids were more likely to have serious side effects.

Regular visits and calls from community health workers showed many benefits for those with advanced cancers, from greater use of palliative care to improved quality of life, a new study has shown.

Financial hardship caused by cancer care was common and occurred early in treatment, even for patients with insurance, a recent study found. The investigators believe financial hardship should be addressed like any other complication of cancer care.

For older adults with advanced cancer, a geriatric assessment can help direct their treatment, a new study shows. In the study, patients whose care was guided by a geriatric assessment experienced fewer serious side effects and falls in their homes.

According to a new study, among people with cancer in the last month of their lives, filled prescriptions for opioids to control pain have dropped and emergency room visits for pain have increased dramatically.

Many advanced cancer patients suffer from chronic nausea and vomiting and there aren’t many good treatments available. But a small study suggests that the drug olanzapine (Zyprexa) may fill that gap.

A physical rehabilitation program delivered by telephone improved function and reduced pain for people with advanced cancer, a clinical trial shows. The program also reduced the time patients spent in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Just three to six sessions of a tailored psychotherapy approach called CALM helped to lessen symptoms of depression in people recently diagnosed with advanced cancer, results from a clinical trial show. The approach also may help prevent depression, researchers found.

A randomized clinical trial has found that patients who received palliative care along with standard treatment for advanced cancer reported having a better quality of life and mood than patients who did not receive early palliative care.

Many patients with advanced, incurable cancer have a poor understanding of their prognosis or life expectancy, a new study shows. Patients who discussed their prognosis with their doctors were more likely to understand the serious nature of their illness.

Patients with advanced cancer may benefit from having discussions about their prognoses with their physicians.

Many patients with cancer and their physicians are not communicating about the patients’ preferences for end-of-life medical care, a new study suggests.