Journal of palliative medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Characteristics of Participants Enrolled onto a Randomized Controlled Trial of Palliative Care for Patients on Phase I Studies.
Advanced cancer patients participating in phase 1 clinical trials experience considerable symptom burden. Palliative care (PC) may benefit these individuals by providing supportive care during clinical research participation. This study investigates integration of a PC intervention among phase 1 trial participants with advanced cancer. ⋯ Phase 1 clinical trial participants experience unmet QOL needs at baseline and levels of distress that merit clinical intervention. Although this study is in progress, initial findings support the potential benefits of PC among this population.
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The improvement of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is one of the main treatment goals in end-of-life care. Although definitions and conceptualizations remain heterogeneous, many researchers proposed HRQOL to be considered as subjective patient well-being. However, research on its determinants in palliative care is rare, and little is known about the interplay between psychological and biological variables. ⋯ Both autonomic dysfunction and sleep disturbances independently explained differences in patient's AWB among terminally ill patients. Their role within the concept of quality of life needs to be further addressed in future studies.