Introduction and Scope of the Problem Dementia is a clinical syndrome associated with significant changes in cognition, behavior, and functional status. It is characterized by the development of multiple cognitive and behavioral impairments involving at least two of the following…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Children rarely develop the cancers that predominate in high-income countries in adulthood, including breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer. Instead, children develop leukemias, lymphomas, brain tumors, and extracranial solid tumors arising…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Children with cancer and their families face sudden and profound life changes brought on by the diagnosis of a serious illness. Cancer remains one of the most life-threatening childhood illnesses. Children with cancer and…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem The hematologic malignancies consist of a broad group of disorders comprising approximately 10% of new cancer diagnoses each year in the United States. Patients with hematological malignancies experience widely varying clinical trajectories, prognoses, and…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Approximately 178,000 people are diagnosed with hematologic malignancies every year in the United States. These patients face highly unpredictable illness trajectories and intense treatment plans, resulting in complex psychological and physical symptoms. The high…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Although the National Cancer Institute (NCI) defines advanced cancer as “unlikely to be cured or controlled by treatment,” recent advances in therapy have favorably altered the illness trajectory for patients with many types of…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Cancer has become one of the leading causes of premature death globally. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2040 there will be 27 million new cancer diagnoses annually. As the global burden of…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Differences in Pediatric and Adult Decision Making One important difference when communicating with seriously ill pediatric patients compared to seriously ill adult patients is that the pediatric patient, in most circumstances, does not have…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem Patients and families facing a serious illness are confronted with multiple decisions about medical care. These decisions are high-stakes, are stressful for all involved, and have numerous downstream effects for patients, families, providers, and…
Introduction and Scope of the Problem The two most common communication tasks faced by palliative care clinicians are communicating serious news and discussing transitions in goals of care. Although these skills are often taught as part of general medical, nursing,…