Publication Language: English

Objective: An examination of whether oxycodone/naloxone prolonged-release tablets (OXN PR) can improve constipation and maintain analgesia, compared with oxycodone prolonged-release tablets (OxyPR) in patients with moderate/severe cancer pain. Methods: Randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, double-dummy, parallel-group study in which 185 patients were randomized to receive up to 120 mg/day of OXN PR or OxyPR over 4 weeks. Efficacy assessments …

A randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, double-dummy, parallel-group study to determine the safety and efficacy of oxycodone/naloxone prolonged-release tablets in patients with moderate/severe, chronic cancer pain. Read More »

Objective: The Community Meeting (CM) is a unique form of group therapy applied from Psychiatry to an Oncology in-patient department. It is designed to answer the needs of in-patients and family members for open communication and empathic interaction and to serve as a model for effective coping. Methods: A weekly staff-patient-family open group was held, with facilitation …

A preliminary report on innovative group therapy in an oncology in-patient department: a patient-family-staff community meeting. Read More »

Curcumin has a potent antiproliferative activity and can also potentiate the antitumor effect of gemcitabine. This study was undertaken to evaluate the activity and feasibility of gemcitabine in combination with curcumin in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Seventeen patients were enrolled in the study and received 8,000 mg of curcumin by mouth daily, concurrently with …

Crcumin and gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Read More »

Background: Lower extremity edema is a problem in patients with advanced cancer, causing decreased physical function and reduced movement. Methods: Eight patients with advanced cancer were treated by subcutaneous needles inserted in the inner and outer sides of the ankles and attached to an enclosed drainage bag, or by creating subcutaneous tracts in both ankles. Results: All patients …

Treatment of lower extremities edema by subcutaneous drainage in palliative care of advanced cancer patients. Read More »

Background: The increased use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by patients with cancer is a significant phenomenon in cancer care and suggests the need for increased knowledge by clinicians of these therapies. Methods: Aiming at bridging the gap in knowledge of the philosophy and practice of major CAM modalities in cancer care, an elective course was …

Teaching complementary medicine at an academic oncology department. Read More »

Myelotoxicity induced by chemotherapy may become life-threatening. Neutropenia may be prevented by granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (GCSF), and epoetin may prevent anemia, but both cause substantial side effects and increased costs. According to non-established data, wheat grass juice (WGJ) may prevent myelotoxicity when applied with chemotherapy. In this prospective matched control study, 60 patients with breast …

Wheat grass juice may improve hematological toxicity related to chemotherapy in breast cancer patients. Read More »

Introduction: Cancer patients are particularly vulnerable to depression and anxiety, with fatigue as the most prevalent symptom of those undergoing treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine whether improvement in depression, anxiety or fatigue during chemotherapy following anthroposophy art therapy intervention is substantial enough to warrant a controlled trial. Material and methods: Sixty cancer patients …

Art therapy intervention improved depression with influence on fatigue level in cancer patients during chemotherapy treatment; a phase II study. Read More »

Background: Malignant ascites is a major problem in the management of advanced stages of certain malignancies. The possibility of reducing the accumulation of ascites by intraperitoneal injections of a Viscum album extract (Iscador M) was evaluated. Patients and methods: Twenty-three patients, with end-stage malignancies of varying histology, requiring repeated peritoneal punctures, were eligible for analysis. The time-interval …

Reducing the accumulation of malignant ascites by repeated administration of a Viscum album extract into the peritoneal cavity. Read More »