Advanced Cancer Research

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.