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Nausea and vomiting are common and very unpleasant symptoms that are often experienced by people receiving palliative care. There are several different drug therapies which are available to treat these symptoms. Levomepromazine was originally used to treat schizophrenia but is also used to control nausea and vomiting. It can be given orally or as an ...

Anorexia-cachexia syndrome (ACS) is a common clinical problem characterised by loss of appetite and weight loss. It is common in patients who suffer from advanced cancer, AIDS and some other conditions. At present, there is no cure for ACS. Megestrol acetate (MA) is classified as a female hormone and is taken by mouth. It is currently used to improve ...

Due to improvements in detection, treatment and care an increasing number of patients are living with or surviving cancer. However, patients who survive cancer may experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms which impact on their health and quality of life. Physical symptoms may include fatigue, reduced muscle strength and weight gain, while ...

Blood for transfusion is collected from donors and then processed and stored as bags of different blood components. One of these components is platelets. Platelets are cells which help the body form clots and prevent bleeding. As for all transfusions, there are risks related to giving platelets to patients, including a small risk of transfusion-transmitted ...

Cancer-related pain is an emerging heavy burden on public health. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a minimally invasive and potentially effective tool against chronic pain.This systematic review intended to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of SCS for cancer-related pain compared with standard care using conventional analgesic medication. No randomised ...

Cancer patients who do not obtain pain relief from treatment with opioids administered by mouth, rectally or by injection may do so if the drugs are administered in other ways. This review compared three alternative routes: intracerebroventricular (where opioids are injected through a small hole bored into the skull); epidural (where opioids are introduced ...

Hiccups involve repeated, involuntary contractions of the muscles used for breathing. They usually stop of their own accord; rarely, however, they may last for more than 48 hours. When they do persist, hiccups can cause a patient considerable upset, interfere with sleeping and eating, and can lead to other complications. Many different drugs and non-drug ...

Individual studies suggest that the use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation, or NMES, may help improve muscle weakness which occurs as a consequence of a progressive disease. NMES uses a lightweight stimulator unit and skin electrodes to produce a muscle contraction. Being a passive form of exercise, it allows patients to exercise their leg muscles ...

People with brain tumours may experience a range of symptoms and disabilities such as psychological problems, difficulties with mobility or self-care, and relationship and work issues, which can have a substantial impact on their quality of life.  These symptoms and disabilities may be addressed through “multidisciplinary rehabilitation” delivered by ...

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. The majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer undergo treatment involving surgery and radiotherapy or chemotherapy, or both. With these major advances in breast cancer management, many patients still have to deal with short or long-term side effects and psychological distress related to ...