Literature Review

Palliative external beam radiation therapy for dysphagia in a 101-year-old man with esophageal adenocarcinomaCureus; by Pericles J. Ioannides, Jester M. Odrunia, Gina N. Perez, Morgan Butow, Georg A. Weidlich; 1/26Esophageal adenocarcinoma in centenarians is rare, and treatment options in this age group are limited. We present the case of a 101-year-old male patient with symptomatic distal gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma who presented with progressive dysphagia, aspiration, and weight loss. The patient underwent palliative external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) ... targeting the obstructive esophageal mass with a margin using volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) technique. The treatment was well tolerated by the patient with no significant acute toxicity. After treatment, the patient reported clinically meaningful improvement in functional status, with improved swallowing, advancing from liquids to a soft diet, weight gain, and improved QoL. Moderate-dose palliative radiation can be a safe and effective treatment in a centenarian with obstructive GEJ adenocarcinoma, particularly when endoscopic interventions are not successful or durable.

Choice Health at Home acquires Alliant Home Health, Palliative Care, Hospice Hospice News; by Holly Vossel; 2/17/26 Choice Health at Home has acquired Alliant Home Health, as well as Alliant Palliative Care and Hospice. Financial terms of the deal were undisclosed. The two acquired businesses were part of Colorado-based Alliant Living, which provides hospice, home health and palliative care. Alliant Home Health’s services include occupational and physical therapy, as well as skilled nursing care for patients post-acute and chronic conditions. The acquisition expands Choice Health at Home’s existing geographic presence in the state. The transaction was recently completed following its closure on November 12, 2025.

Is your ladder leaning against the wrong wall? Richard Mobley on leadership and calling | part one Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); hosted by Chris Comeaux with Richard Mobley; 2/18/26 What if you spend decades building a successful career—only to realize you were climbing the wrong ladder?  In this episode of TCNtalks / Anatomy of Leadership, executive leadership coach Richard Mobley, Founder and Principal of the Seven Four Group, Inc. and the Be Far More! System, joins Chris Comeaux to explore one of the most important questions leaders face: What comes after success? For CEOs, healthcare executives, and Hospice leaders approaching retirement or transition, this conversation centers on the critical shift from achievement to lasting significance—and what it truly means to finish well. 

Oregon considers bill to stop hospice scammers from entering state Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/13/26 State lawmakers in Oregon are mulling a bill designed to combat hospice fraud. Senate Bill 1575 would prevent hospices that have committed fraud or provided substandard care in other states from setting up shop in Oregon. If enacted, the Oregon Health Authority, a state agency, would examine the history of companies seeking to open hospices before approving a license, including Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey results, among other information. 

Aveanna CEO: Hospice multiples still too high Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 2/13/26 As Aveanna Healthcare Holdings considers potential acquisitions, hospices are not on the menu due to their high price tags. Hospice multiples skyrocketed during the boom M&A years of 2019 through 2022, reaching as high a 26x, sometimes more. As transactions slowed down between 2023 and 2025, one contributing factor was a disconnect between sellers’ and buyers’ expectations regarding valuations. Now hospice deals are picking up steam. The fourth quarter of 2025 saw the industry’s highest deal volume since 2021, and one reason is that sellers’ and buyers’ expectations are becoming more aligned. However, this trend hasn’t yet gone far enough, according to Aveanna CEO Jeff Shaner. “[Hospice multiples] are all north of 10x. ..."

Sunday newsletters focus on headlines and top read stories of the last week (in order) - enjoy!

Cancer support camps and the measurement of quality of life among children of parents with cancerSupportive Care in Cancer; by Mia K. Price, Marcelo M. Sleiman Jr., Muriel R. Statman, Duye Liu, Rachel Adams, Matthew G. Biel, Alexandra L. Baldwin, Joseph M. Stilwell, Kenneth P. Tercyak; 1/26Children of parents with cancer face elevated risks of anxiety, depression, and impaired social-emotional functioning. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the Kids’ Experience of Summer Enrichment Measure (KESEM), a parent-report tool assessing psychosocial well-being among children attending a cancer support camp due to a parent’s cancer [and] ... the majority of parents (78%) strongly agreed that camp was favorably impactful and would recommend it to others.

GOComm: A team-based communication intervention to improve clinicians' skills and distress tolerance in family meetingsJournal of Hospital Medicine; by Kimberly Bloom-Feshbach, Evgenia Litrivis, Elizabeth Brondolo, Alexandra Spinelli, Thomas Bozzo, Melissa Patterson, Robert Crupi, Cynthia X Pan; 1/26Medical training often omits systematic approaches to prognostication and goals of care (GOC) communication, leading to end-of-life (EOL) hospital care misaligned with patients' values, lower clinician self-efficacy, and greater clinician distress. We developed and implemented GOComm, a 4-h serious illness communication training program across eight campuses of a large health system.  Clinicians had statistically significant gains in GOC knowledge, self-efficacy, and distress tolerance. GOComm had high clinician acceptability: 96.2% indicated they would recommend GOComm to a colleague, and 83.2% credited it with changing how they will manage patients.

Connected care for older adults: A pilot intervention engaging community health workers to advance age-friendly care in rural OregonJournal of the American Geriatrics Society; by Bryanna De Lima, Lindsay Miller, Elizabeth Foster, Jodi Ready, Elizabeth Eckstrom; 1/26Aging in a rural setting presents unique challenges including limited access to in-home care, lack of social support, language and cultural barriers, and the lack of transportation. We conducted a pilot study embedding community health workers (CHWs) into rural primary care teams to assist with implementation of the 4Ms of the Age-Friendly Health System: What Matters, Mentation, Medication, and Mobility. The program made a positive difference for 95% of responding patients (n = 120) and 100% of responding providers (n = 19) were "very satisfied" with the program. Clinicians cited the CHWs' ability to support resource connections, address social isolation and social needs, provide regular check-ins, and help to get patients and families engaged in care as positive components of the model.

[UK] Parental experiences of perinatal loss, with a focus on hospice provision: A thematic analysisPalliative & Supportive Care; Rhiannon Latham, Katrina Williams, Keeley Guest, Fauzia Paize, Robyn Lotto; 1/26Perinatal palliative care (PPC) offers holistic support to families of babies with life-limiting conditions, addressing emotional, psychological, and practical needs alongside ensuring dignity for the baby. Five key themes were identified [in this study]: the significance of language used by healthcare professionals when discussing the baby's condition; the importance of timely introduction to hospice care; recognition that grief is a personal and evolving process; the role of shared experiences in building relationships; and the importance of creating lasting memories. Findings highlight the importance of improving healthcare professionals' communication skills and integrating multidisciplinary palliative care services early in the care pathway. Parents expressed gratitude for the hospice support, particularly the opportunity to spend quality time with their baby and make lasting memories.

Acupuncture and acupressure for cancer symptom management: An opinion statement based on preliminary evidence mappingCurrent Treatment Options in Oncology; by Nada Lukkahatai, Jingyu Zhang, Chitchanok Benjasirisan, Sutthida Phongphanngam, Aomei Shen, Phakjira Jaiman, Jennifer Kawi, Thomas J. Smith, Leorey N. Saligan; 1/26 Symptom management remains a critical priority in oncology, particularly as many survivors continue to experience fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, neuropathy, and psychological distress despite advances in treatment. Conventional pharmacologic options often provide only partial relief and may be limited by side effects. Acupuncture and acupressure have emerged as promising non-pharmacologic approaches, but the supporting evidence is drawn from a broad and heterogeneous literature. In this opinion paper, we provide a preliminary overview of the current review-level evidence to highlight general trends and evolving areas of promise, while emphasizing the need for further sham-controlled studies to clarify effectiveness and guide integration of acupuncture and acupressure into supportive oncology.

Saturday newsletters focus on headlines and research - enjoy!