Palliative Surgery
Palliative Surgery Alexandra M. Easson Palliative surgery may be an important part of the management of patients with advanced cancer. Appropriate and timely surgical referral can alleviate or prevent significant…
Palliative Chemotherapy
Palliative Chemotherapy Eric M. Chevlen Introduction—what is Palliative Chemotherapy? In the early days of medical oncology, the term palliative chemotherapy would have been considered by many to be an oxymoron…
Palliative Radiation Therapy
Palliative Radiation Therapy Andrea Bezjak Peter Kirkbride Rebecca Wong Introduction Palliative radiotherapy (RT) is radiation treatment administered to improve symptoms and relieve suffering. Half the patients who are diagnosed with…
Communication During Transitions of Care
Communication During Transitions of Care James A. Tulsky Robert M. Arnold Palliative care aims to meet the disparate needs of patients and families during a time of life-limiting illness. Good…
Cross-Cultural Issues
Cross-Cultural Issues James L. Hallenbeck People experience both health and illness in cultural contexts. A better understanding of culture helps the clinician avoid certain common pitfalls, thereby improving the chances…
Multidimensional Patient Assessment
Multidimensional Patient Assessment Cameron J. Muir Mary Wheeler Jennifer Carlson Nancy W. Littlefield Introduction/Background From the earliest times in medicine, there has been a significant emphasis on the relief of…
Definitions and Models of Palliative Care
Definitions and Models of Palliative Care J. Andrew Billings In the past decade, palliative care has emerged as a recognized entity in American medicine, although its definition, scope, structure, clinical…
Epidemiology and Prognostication in Noncancer Diagnoses
Epidemiology and Prognostication in Noncancer Diagnoses Daniel L. Handel Joyson Karakunnel Prognostication of illness is an important part of helping health care providers in guiding treatment. Yet, the ability of…
Epidemiology and Prognostication in Advanced Cancer
Epidemiology and Prognostication in Advanced Cancer Elizabeth B. Lamont Nicholas A. Christakis One meaning of prognosis is a physician’s estimate of the future course of a patient’s disease and especially…
