Substance Abuse Issues in Palliative Care
Substance Abuse Issues in Palliative Care Steven D. Passik Megan Olden Kenneth L. Kirsh Russell K. Portenoy Introduction Chemical dependency in patients at the end of life raises complex clinical…
Depression and Anxiety
Depression and Anxiety Kimberly Miller Mary Jane Massie Emotional distress is a normal response to a catastrophic event such as the diagnosis of cancer or any other life-threatening medical disease….
Cognitive Disorders: Delirium and Dementia
Cognitive Disorders: Delirium and Dementia John L. Shuster Jr. Dementia and delirium are classified in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (1)…
Neuromuscular Dysfunction and Palliative Care
Neuromuscular Dysfunction and Palliative Care Dianna Quan James W. Teener John T. Farrar The neuromuscular disorders experienced by patients with cancer may cause weakness, fatigue, muscle cramps, sensory loss, pain,…
Management of Spinal Cord and Cauda Equina Compression
Management of Spinal Cord and Cauda Equina Compression Sharon M. Weinstein Epidemiology The spine is the most frequent site of bony involvement in patients with malignant metastases (1). The major…
Headache and Other Neurologic Complications
Headache and Other Neurologic Complications Wendy C. Ziai Intracranial pathology can result in a variety of distressing symptoms. Fortunately, the underlying cause can often be identified and treated, and the…
Metabolic Disorders in the Cancer Patient
Metabolic Disorders in the Cancer Patient Irene M. O’Shaughnessy Albert L. Jochen Endocrine disorders occur in individuals with advanced malignancy under various circumstances. Cancer may produce effects through the excess…
Hypercalcemia
Hypercalcemia Howard Su-Hau Yeh James R. Berenson Introduction Background and Epidemiology Hypercalcemia of malignancy (HCM), characterized by high serum levels of calcium, is the leading malignancy-related metabolic complication in hospital…
Management of Renal Failure
Management of Renal Failure W. Scott Long Renal failure (RF) is a multisystem disease that complicates the course of treatment of patients with cancer, both in the early and late…
Urologic Issues in Palliative Care
Urologic Issues in Palliative Care David A. Kunkle Steven J. Hirshberg Richard E. Greenberg The management of patients with a progressive medical disease should permit them to live the remainder…
