Palliative care addresses the symptoms of cancer throughout the course of the disease. Moreover, rather than just improving end-of-life care, palliative care also improves survival. It has long been established that a patient’s survival is dependent on the palliation of symptoms caused by cancer therapy, such as neutropenia and chemotherapy-induced nausea. However, the relief of other symptoms,...

Healthcare has undergone many transformations over the past several decades including increased diagnostic sophistication, shorter in-hospital stays and day surgeries as well as greater home-based treatments such as intravenous therapy, dialysis and palliation. Despite their rigorous evidence-based underpinnings and the demonstrated benefits of these advances, the sustainability of new clinical...

In order to define the evolution of airway invasion by esophageal cancer, we reviewed 53 patients presenting with (group A) or without (group B) tracheoesophageal fistulae. Patients in group A were treated by esophageal bypass (4), esophageal diversion (4), expectant therapy (4), or esophageal prosthesis (1). The median survival was 4 months. Group B patients were treated by esophageal resectio...

complementary and alternative medicine is popular among cancer patients worldwide. among these, herbal medicines have a substantial place in cancer treatment and palliation. cancer patients in the western world use complementary and alternative medicine in conjunction with conventional care. however, the situation in a developing country such as india that has some highest cancer rates worldwid...

BACKGROUND: Cure of patients with esophageal cancer has remained rare over the past four decades. The overall five-year survival rate for squamous cell and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus currently is reported as 12% in whites and 8% in blacks. The five-year survival rate for localized disease at initial staging is only 26% for whites and 13% for blacks. With regional involvement, these rates a...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Endobronchial photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive technique for the palliation of major airway obstruction from lung cancer, and for the treatment of endobronchial microinvasive lung cancer. STUDY DESIGN Results of reported clinical trials were compared, and the author's preliminary results with second generation photosensitizers were also reviewed. R...