Updates in palliative care of gynecologic oncology patients.
Teresa Khoo, Daniel R Karlin, Christopher Pietras
Current Opinion in Obstetrics & Gynecology February 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1097/GCO.0000000000001000 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients with gynecologic malignancies |
| Topics | End-of-life distress |
| Key findings | Despite progress, barriers to early palliative care integration remain, including late hospice referrals and aggressive end-of-life care, while financial toxicity and psychedelic-assisted therapy are emerging areas of interest. |
Abstract
This review assesses the impact of early integration of palliative care and the disparities that exist among patients with gynecologic malignancies. It also highlights the recent advances in symptom management, goals of care communication, and end of life care. Although palliative care has been utilized earlier, there are still barriers to its integration both nationally and worldwide, manifesting as predominantly late hospice referrals and aggressive care at the end of life. However, there are increasing efforts to promote earlier integration and discussion around goals of care through multidisciplinary approaches. Apart from symptom burdens, patients with gynecologic malignancies experience financial toxicity that impact various aspects of their lives, leading to potentially harmful choices to mitigate costs. A growing area of interest in palliative care is the realm of psychedelic-assisted therapy, which has shown benefits in treating advanced cancer patients with depression. While significant strides have been made in incorporating palliative care earlier, continued research in palliative care is needed to address symptomatic and psychosocial suffering worldwide.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on end-of-life distress, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Context of Serious Illness. Palliative care clinicians and patients | 2022 | Review | |
| The Potential of Psychedelics for End of Life and Palliative Care. Patients with life-threatening diagnoses | 2022 | Review | |
| Psilocybin in Palliative Care: An Update. Palliative care patients | 2023 | Review | |
| Psychedelic medicines for end-of-life care: Pipeline clinical trial review 2022. People with terminal illnesses experiencing depression, anxiety, or existential distress | 2023 | Scoping review | n = 25 |
| Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for existential distress: practical considerations for therapeutic application—a review | 2024 | Narrative review |
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer Archives of General Psychiatry September 7, 2010
- Acute and Sustained Reductions in Loss of Meaning and Suicidal Ideation Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy for Psychiatric and Existential Distress in Life-Threatening Cancer ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science March 18, 2021
- Psilocybin‐assisted group therapy in patients with cancer diagnosed with a major depressive disorder Cancer December 18, 2023