Literature Review

Cancer statistics, 2024American Cancer Society, by Rebecca L. Siegel MPH, Angela N. Giaquinto MSPH, and Ahmedin Jemal DVM, PhD; 1/17/2024In this article, we provide the estimated numbers of new cancer cases and deaths in 2024 in the United States nationally and for each state, as well as a comprehensive overview of cancer occurrence based on up-to-date population-based data for cancer incidence and mortality through 2020 and 2021, respectively.

The Long Decline: Health care access grows difficult in shrinking rural communitiesAlabama Reflector, by Alanda Rocha; 1/18/24The lack of health care providers in rural Alabama is stark. Most of Alabama’s rural counties have significantly more people per primary care physician than urban counties. Butler County ... has just one primary care physician per 4,900 residents ... As rural Alabama continues a decades-long population collapse, residents who remain — many of them older people — face increasing barriers to health care, a trend seen around the nation.

Race, ethnicity, and cancer type influence which patients access hospice careOncology Nurse Advisor, by Jennifer Larson; 1/19/24... [A] researcher from a comprehensive cancer center in North Carolina conducted a clinical literature review to investigate research outcomes of hospice use in the United States. ... A total of 17 quantitative studies, published between 2017 and 2023, was included in this review. Notable differences by cancer type were found. ... The analysis also showed disparities in hospice use by race and ethnicity.

Cervical cancer increasing in women in their 30s and 40s, new report finds NBC News, by Liz Szabo; 1/20/24Among women in their 30s and early 40s, incidence has been edging upward. Diagnosis of cervical cancer among women ages 30 to 44 rose almost 2% a year from 2012 to 2019.

Advance care planning reaches underserved across U.S. recruitment continues for National Institutes of Health (NIH) ResearchHospice Foundation of America; 1/18/24Community outreach leaders and liaisons are urged to apply to serve as hosts for the Project Talk Trial, a national, 5-year research project funded by National Institutes of Health that seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of advance care planning conversations and whether those discussions result in advance care planning actions. ... The project is specifically focused on underserved communities of people who historically have the poorest access to healthcare services and the lowest engagement in advance care planning, which include racial and ethnic minorities, low-income individuals, and rural populations.

Moving beyond death anxiety to reflections on mortalityPsychology Today, by Shoba Sreenivasan and Linda E. Weinberger, reviewed by Lybi Ma; 1/15/24For the healthy, it may be considered macabre to contemplate their mortality; it may seem fatalistic, negative, and something that pulls one away from the present joy of living today. Yet, it can also remind us of the inevitable and consider how we want to spend today as well as whatever time we have left.

How history has shaped racial and ethnic health disparities: A timeline of policies and eventsKFF, with thanks to Daniel Dawes, Gilbert Gee, Michelle Tong; ongoing reference for health policy research, polling and journalismThis timeline offers a historical view of significant U.S. federal policies and events spanning the early 1800s to today that have influenced present-day health disparities. It covers policies that directly impacted health coverage and access to care, relevant events in medicine, social and economic policies and developments that influence health, and efforts to tackle inequalities. ... While not exhaustive, the timeline aims to provide context for addressing disparities, acknowledging the complex history that shapes racial and ethnic health and health care disparities that persist today.

Black ownership provides a different perspective on hospice careMichigan Chronicle, by Ebony JJ Curry; 10/10/23... In essence, Black-owned hospices stand as beacons of trust, understanding, and respect within the African-American community. They have the power to transform end-of-life care for African Americans, ensuring it is a time of peace, dignity, and compassion, surrounded by providers who understand and honor their cultural context, values, and wishes.

Finding a voice for the terminally illHealth Affairs, by Richey Piiparinen, 1/9/24A patient with terminal illness reflects on the reluctance in health care to discuss death. Access to the full-text article requires either an online subscription or purchase of 24-hour access to this article.

Local experts say number of people using hospices has decreased despite benefits Virginia News, by Emaryi Williams; 1/8/24According to a recent report by American Health Rankings, Virginia placed 30th nationally in deceased medicare patients who used hospice care, even though it was 17th nationally for senior health care. Local experts say they are seeing fewer opting for hospice care and are concerned about what it means for members of our community and their families who may need it.

Oncology hospitalist impact on hospice utilizationCancer, by Elizabeth Prsic, Jensa C. Morris, Kerin B. Adelson, Nathaniel A. Parker, Erin A. Gombos, Mathew J. Kottarathara, Madison Novosel, Lawrence Castillo, Bonnie E. Gould Rothberg; 12/23Patients with advanced cancer are often admitted to the hospital near the end of life. These patients generally have a poor chance of long‐term survival and may prefer comfort‐focused care with hospice. In this study, oncology hospitalists discharged a higher proportion of patients to inpatient hospice with less time spent in the hospital before discharge.

Gentle endings: Lessons learned in a hospice for those without a homeDeseretNews, by Eliza Anderson; 1/3/24 Jillian Olmsted was intrigued by a news story in 2015 about attempts to open a small residential hospice for the homeless in Salt Lake City, where she lives. The INN Between would offer a home for people who were unsheltered and dying so they could be fed and cared for, in beds and out of the cold. But she was also floored by the hue and cry of neighbors who didn’t want them around — even though they were terribly medically frail. Her dad was fighting cancer, and she had just helped care for her mom and stepfather, who died a month apart. Both “had insurance and a nice home and family to take care of them.” Why begrudge someone shelter, care and comfort in such dire circumstances?