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Biomedical subjects

William Breitbart

Publications and source records attributed to William Breitbart.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Olanzapine in the management of cancer pain.

In cancer patients, cognitive impairment, psychological distress, and anxiety may accompany and aggravate pain. Neuroleptics are frequently used to control these symptoms and may be used to treat pain that has been unresponsive to more conventional approaches. Because of prominent side effects of traditional neuroleptics and conflicting data regarding their analgesic efficacy, their use in the treatment of pain remains controversial. Olanzapine, an atypical neuroleptic, might offer advantages because of its safer side effect profile. It has also been shown to have an independent antinociceptive activity in animals. The use of olanzapine in the management of cancer pain has not been previously described. We prospectively collected the data on 8 cancer patients with severe pain, uncontrolled in spite of aggressive opioid titration, who received olanzapine to treat severe anxiety and mild cognitive impairment. Patients did not meet criteria for delirium and their cognitive impairment was defined as cognitive disorder not otherwise specified (NOS) according to DSM-IV. Patients received 2.5 to 7.5 mg of olanzapine daily. In all patients, opioid requirements had escalated rapidly prior to starting olanzapine. Levels of pain, sedation, and opioid use were measured 2 days before and 2 days after olanzapine was started. Cognitive state was assessed daily. All 8 patients had marked reduction of the daily pain scores. The average daily opioid use decreased significantly in all patients. Cognitive impairment and anxiety resolved within 24 hours of initiating olanzapine. In these 8 patients, decreased pain scores and opioid requirements may have resulted from improvement in cognitive function and the known anxiolytic effect of olanzapine. Other mechanisms may include independent or adjuvant analgesic effects of olanzapine. We conclude that olanzapine may be useful in the treatment of patients with uncontrolled cancer pain associated with cognitive impairment or anxiety. Further studies to evaluate possible analgesic effect of olanzapine are needed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Patient-related barriers to fatigue communication: initial validation of the fatigue management barriers questionnaire.

Fatigue is a highly prevalent and distressing symptom of cancer and its treatment. However, cancer patients often fail to communicate with their oncologists about fatigue. In this study, we attempted to identify the patient-related barriers to communication about fatigue, as cited by patients. Two hundred patients were sampled across the Community Cancer Care, Inc. (CCC) network of Indiana using the Cancer Behavior Inventory-Brief scale (CBI-B), the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS), the Functional Assessment of Cancer Inventory-Fatigue scale (FACT-F), and the Fatigue Management Barriers Questionnaire (FMBQ), a questionnaire devised by experts in the field of cancer-related fatigue. There were no significant correlations between the instrument scores and demographic variables. Scores on the instruments did not differ significantly based on whether the patient was from a rural or urban site. One hundred thirty-two patients (66%) reported that they had never spoken to their doctor about fatigue. The most frequently reported reasons for this lack of patient communication about fatigue included the doctor's failure to offer interventions (47%), patients' lack of awareness of effective treatments for fatigue (43%), a desire on the patient's part to treat fatigue without medications (40%), and not wanting to complain to the doctor (28%). Patients reported that medical staff offered a mean of 11.63 recommendations for dealing with fatigue. The FMBQ was found to correlate significantly with self-efficacy (CBI-B, r = -0.20, P < 0.01) and correlate weakly with the number of recommendations made (r = -0.15, P < 0.05). The FMBQ was noted to have acceptable internal consistency (alpha = 0.88) and validity and may prove to be a useful instrument for understanding why patients do not communicate about fatigue. Multiple barriers contribute to why cancer patients do not comment about fatigue but may be overcome if physicians screen and assess for this symptom.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Affective disorders in advanced cancer.

Depression is a common complication of advanced cancer. Methods of accurate assessment and recognition are available. Risk factors for the development of depression have been identified. Pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments for depression are often effective even in patients with advanced cancer.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2002

Current perspectives on pain in AIDS.

As active participants in the care of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), oncologists need to be aware of the many facets of pain management in this population. This two-part article, which will conclude in the July 2002 issue, describes the prevalence and types of pain syndromes encountered in patients with AIDS, and reviews the psychological and functional impact of pain as well as the barriers to adequate pain treatment in this group and others with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related disease. Finally, principles of pain management, with particular emphasis on controlling pain in HIV-infected patients with a history of substance abuse, are outlined.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2002

Current perspectives on pain in AIDS.

As active participants in the care of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), oncologists need to be aware of the many facets of pain management in this population. This two-part article, which began in the June 2002 issue, describes the prevalence and types of pain syndromes encountered in patients with AIDS, and reviews the psychological and functional impact of pain as well as the barriers to adequate pain treatment in this group and others with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-related disease. Finally, principles of pain management, with particular emphasis on controlling pain in HIV-infected patients with a history of substance abuse, are outlined.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed2001

Spirituality and meaning in supportive care: spirituality- and meaning-centered group psychotherapy interventions in advanced cancer.

Existential and spiritual issues are at the frontier of new clinical and research focus in palliative and supportive care of cancer patients. As concepts of adequate supportive care expand beyond a focus on pain and physical symptom control, existential and spiritual issues such as meaning, hope and spirituality in general have received increased attention from supportive care clinicians and clinical researchers. This paper reviews the topics of spirituality and end-of-life care, defines spirituality, and suggests measures of spirituality that deal with two of its main components: faith/religious beliefs and meaning/spiritual well-being. These two constructs of spirituality are reviewed in terms of their role in supportive care. Finally, a review of existing psychotherapeutic interventions for spiritual suffering are reviewed and a novel meaning-centered group psychotherapy for advanced cancer patients is described.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Belief in an afterlife, spiritual well-being and end-of-life despair in patients with advanced cancer.

Despite the plethora of research linking spirituality, religiosity and psychological well-being among people living with medical illnesses, the role of afterlife beliefs on psychological functioning has been virtually ignored. The present investigation assessed afterlife beliefs, spiritual well-being and psychological functioning at the end of life among 276 terminally ill cancer patients. Results indicated that belief in an afterlife was associated with lower levels of end-of-life despair (desire for death, hopelessness and suicidal ideation) but was not associated with levels of depression or anxiety. Further analyses indicated that when spirituality levels were controlled for, the effect of afterlife beliefs disappeared. The authors concluded that spirituality has a much more powerful effect on psychological functioning than beliefs held about an afterlife. Treatment implications are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The role of cognitive impairment in desire for hastened death: a study of patients with advanced AIDS.

To examine the relationship between cognitive impairment and desire for death in patients with advanced AIDS we evaluated 128 patients with advanced AIDS consecutively admitted to three long-term care facilities. Participants completed a clinical assessment that included a self-report measure of desire for hastened death in the medically ill (Schedule of Attitudes toward Hastened Death), three measures of cognitive functioning designed to screen for cognitive impairment (Dementia Rating Scale, Mini-Mental State Exam, HIV Dementia Scale), and other measures of physical and psychological functioning. Participants who were classified as cognitively impaired obtained significantly higher scores on the measure of desire for death than did patients without cognitive impairment. This modest association between cognitive impairment and desire for death remained significant even after controlling for the impact of depression on desire for death. Specific aspect of cognitive functioning such as memory and psychomotor coordination appeared to be more salient than executive functioning or abstract reasoning. Cognitive impairment appears to have a modest, but significant impact on patients' desire for hastened death. Aggressive treatment of cognitive symptoms in the terminally ill is necessary in order to disentangle the various factors that may drive end-of-life treatment decisions.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

An open trial of olanzapine for the treatment of delirium in hospitalized cancer patients.

We conducted an open, prospective trial of olanzapine for the treatment of delirium in a sample of 79 hospitalized cancer patients. Patients all met DSM-IV criteria for a diagnosis of delirium and were rated systematically with the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS) as a measure of delirium severity, phenomenology, and resolution, over the course of a 7-day treatment period. Sociodemographic and medical variables and measures of physical performance status and drug-related side effects were collected. Fifty-seven patients (76%) had complete resolution of their delirium on olanzapine therapy. No patients experienced extrapyramidal side effects; however, 30% experienced sedation (usually not severe enough to interrupt treatment). Several factors were found to be significantly associated with poorer response to olanzapine treatment for delirium, including age >70 years, history of dementia, central nervous system spread of cancer and hypoxia as delirium etiologies, "hypoactive" delirium, and delirium of "severe" intensity (i.e., MDAS >23). A logistic-regression model suggests that age >70 years is the most powerful predictor of poorer response to olanzapine treatment for delirium (odds ratio, 171.5). Olanzapine appears to be a clinically efficacious and safe drug for the treatment of the symptoms of delirium in the hospitalized medically ill.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The delirium experience: delirium recall and delirium-related distress in hospitalized patients with cancer, their spouses/caregivers, and their nurses.

We conducted a systematic examination of the experience of delirium in a sample of 154 hospitalized patients with cancer. Patients all met DSM-IV criteria for delirium and were rated with the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale as a measure of delirium severity, phenomenology, and resolution. Of the 154 patients assessed, 101 had complete resolution of their delirium and were administered the Delirium Experience Questionnaire (DEQ-a face-valid measure that assesses delirium recall and distress related to the delirium episode). Spouse/caregivers and primary nurses were also administered the DEQ to assess distress related to caring for a delirious patient. Fifty-four (53.5%) patients recalled their delirium experience. Logistic-regression analysis demonstrated that short-term memory impairment (odds ratio [OR] = 38.4), delirium severity (OR = 11.3), and the presence of perceptual disturbances (OR = 6.9) were significant predictors of delirium recall. Mean delirium-related distress levels (on a 0-4 numerical rating scale of the DEQ) were 3.2 for patients who recalled delirium, 3.75 for spouses/caregivers, and 3.09 for nurses. Logistic-regression analysis demonstrated that the presence of delusions (OR = 7.9) was the most significant predictor of patient distress. Patients with "hypoactive" delirium were just as distressed as patients with "hyperactive" delirium. Karnofsky Performance Status (OR = 9.1) was the most significant predictor of spouse/caregiver distress. Delirium severity (OR =5.2) and the presence of perceptual disturbances (OR =3.6) were the most significant predictors of nurse distress. In conclusion, a majority of patients with delirium recall their delirium as highly distressing. Delirium is also a highly distressing experience for spouses/caregivers and nurses who are caring for delirious patients. Prompt recognition and treatment of delirium is critically important to reduce suffering and distress.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Spirituality, religion, and depression in the terminally ill.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the impact of spirituality and religiosity on depressive symptom severity in a sample of terminally ill patients with cancer and AIDS. METHODS: One hundred sixty-two patients were recruited from palliative-care facilities (hospitals and specialized nursing facilities), all of whom had a life expectancy <6 months. The primary variables used in this study were the FACIT Spiritual Well-Being Scale, a religiosity index similar to those used in previous research, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Karnofsky Performance Rating Scale, the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale, and the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire. RESULTS: A strong negative association was observed between the FACIT Spiritual Well-Being scale and the HDRS, but no such relationship was found for religiosity, because more religious individuals had somewhat higher scores on the HDRS. Similar patterns were observed for the FACIT subscales, finding a strong negative association between the meaning and peace subscale (which corresponds to the more existential aspects of spirituality) and HDRS scores, whereas a positive, albeit nonsignificant, association was observed for the faith subscale (which corresponds more closely to religiosity). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the beneficial aspects of religion may be primarily those that relate to spiritual well-being rather than to religious practices per se. Implications for clinical interventions and palliative-care practice are discussed.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Assessing anxiety in men with prostate cancer: further data on the reliability and validity of the Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer (MAX-PC).

Identifying which men with prostate cancer might benefit from mental health treatment has proven to be a challenging task. The authors developed the Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer (MAX-PC) in order to facilitate the identification of prostate cancer-related anxiety. A revised version of this scale was tested in a more clinically varied population. Ambulatory men with prostate cancer (N=367) completed a baseline assessment packet that included the MAX-PC and other psychosocial questionnaires. The MAX-PC showed high internal consistency and concurrent and discriminant validity. Factor analysis identified three distinct factors for the MAX-PC that corresponded to the intended subscales (General Prostate Cancer Anxiety, PSA (prostate-specific antigen) Anxiety, and Fear of Recurrence). PSA levels were not correlated with anxiety overall; however, anxiety was significantly higher among patients whose PSA levels were changing (i.e., rising, falling, and unstable), versus those with stable PSA levels. Also, in a multivariate analysis, the change in PSA levels was a significant predictor of MAX-PC scores, but not Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores. These results indicate that the MAX-PC is a valid and reliable measure of anxiety that assesses aspects of anxiety unique to men with prostate cancer, and it may provide a more sensitive measure of anxiety than the HADS for this population.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Desire for hastened death among patients with advanced AIDS.

The recent debate over legalization of physician-assisted suicide has fueled interest in understanding factors that lead medically ill patients to seek a hastened death. The authors investigated the prevalence and predictors of desire for hastened death in 372 patients with advanced AIDS who were newly admitted to a palliative-care facility. Clinician-rated and self-report measures of desire for hastened death, depression, hopelessness, spiritual well-being, social support, pain, and physical symptom burden were administered to assess the factors that correspond to a high desire for death. The prevalence ranged from 4.6% to 8.3%, significantly lower than in previous studies of patients with advanced or terminal cancer. Multivariate models revealed significant and unique effects for both hopelessness and depression, with these variables accounting for a large proportion of the variance in each model. Authors discuss the implications of these findings for palliative care practice and the assisted-suicide debate.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗