Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2016
Comparative StudyFatigue in Advanced Cancer Patients: Congruence Between Patients and Their Informal Caregivers About Patients' Fatigue Severity During Cancer Treatment with Palliative Intent and Predictors of Agreement.
Informal caregivers (ICs) are increasingly involved in the monitoring of symptoms during advanced cancer patients' treatment with palliative intent. A common but subjective symptom during this extended treatment phase is fatigue. ⋯ Most ICs accurately predict presence or absence of clinically relevant levels of patients' fatigue. ICs' own fatigue severity and strain should be taken into account as they influence agreement.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Sep 2016
Symptom Burden and End-of-Life Treatment Preferences in the Very Old.
End-of-life (EOL) treatment preferences among the very old (age 85+) may differ from preferences in younger aged populations because of high levels of symptom burden and disability and high risk of mortality. It is unclear if symptom burden or level of disability is more important for such preferences. ⋯ Preferences for more aggressive EOL treatment were not related to daily symptom distress but were significantly more likely to be endorsed among those with better mobility, suggesting that disability is an independent predictor of EOL treatment preferences in the very old.