Literature Review

The clinical relevance of sleep disturbance ("insomnia") in patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative care: A scoping reviewSupportive Care in Cancer; by Shauna Munir, Eva Jones, Faith Precious Omeokwe, Andrew Neil Davies; 5/26Sleep disturbance ("insomnia") is common in patients with advanced cancer receiving specialist palliative care. The studies highlight that sleep disturbance is associated with a range of physical symptoms (e.g. fatigue, drowsiness), a variety of psychological problems (e.g. anxiety, depression), impaired quality of life, and reduced overall survival. Sleep disturbance is an "orphan" symptom, and the results of this scoping review suggest that it deserves much greater attention. Indeed, healthcare professionals should screen all palliative care patients for the problem and, when identified, perform a thorough assessment and initiate an appropriate treatment.

[Italy] Understanding the evolving role of early palliative care in myelodysplastic syndromes: A 2026 narrative reviewAnnals of Hematology; by Pasquale Niscola, Valentina Gianfelici, Marco Giovannini, Carla Mazzone, Maria Ilaria Del Principe; 5/26Myelodysplastic Syndromes/Neoplasms (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of blood cancers characterized by a broad spectrum of symptoms and varying impacts on quality of life (QoL). Although the integration of early PC care has long been recognized as an essential part of comprehensive management for patients with solid tumors, experience in the context of MDS is still limited. However, symptom control, QoL, advanced care planning goals, the reduction of aggressive therapies, intensive care use, including intubation before death, and resource use in the end-of-life (EOL) phase are critical issues that are enhanced through early PC in MDS management. Additionally, integrating standard hematological measures with early PC leads to fewer visits and hospital admissions near the EOL, particularly during the last 30 days. Moreover, patients with early PC die at home or in hospice care at a rate nearly in line with their preferences.

Early palliative integration for heart failure Medscape; by Karel De Pourcq, PhD; 5/27/26 ... Chronic conditions such as heart failure often bring relentless symptoms, repeated hospital admissions, and deep emotional and social effects for patients and their families. Bringing a palliative perspective into care widens the focus beyond disease-directed treatments to include ongoing symptom relief, emotional support, and help for overburdened caregivers. It also promotes early, shared planning about treatment intensity — deciding when worsening episodes can be managed at home vs when hospitalization is needed — and clarifying care goals as the illness progresses.

Palliative care intervention for patients with end-stage liver disease-A cluster randomized clinical trialJAMA Internal Medicine; by Manisha Verma, Victor Navarro, Andrzej Kosinski, Tamar Taddei, Richard Kalman, A. Sidney Barritt, Simona Jakab, Marina Serper, Eric Orman, Maya Balakrishnan, Mina Rakoski, Don Rockey, Kristel Hunt, Roniel Cabrera, Ayse Aytaman, Binu John, Gyorgy Baffy, Rohit Nathan, Elliot Tapper, Marina Roytman, Brendan McGuire, Nicholas Hoppmann, Christopher Woodrell, Marie Bakitas, Yang Yue, Bryce Reeve, Li Lin, Rebecca Tantala, Michael Volk; 4/26Palliative care improves quality of life (QoL) in advanced illnesses, but data in end-stage liver disease (ESLD) are limited. It is unknown whether palliative care delivered by hepatologists is effective when compared with palliative care specialists. This cluster trial found that palliative care delivered by trained hepatologists was comparable with palliative care delivered by palliative care specialists in improving QoL in patients with ESLD and was associated with greater improvement in patient satisfaction, demonstrating the effectiveness among enrolled patients.Assistant Editor's note: That's the beauty of palliative care. It can be layered upon many other specialties and sub-specialties and utilized by a variety of health care disciplines. The science of palliative care, the skill and knowledge base involved, is adaptable and valuable for almost anyone working in direct patient care in many different health care settings.

[Canada] Palliative care in multiple sclerosisContinuum; by Penelope Smyth, Janis M. Miyasaki; 4/26This article reviews palliative care concepts valuable to neurologists caring for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), describes the three stages of palliative principles in care delivery, and suggests triggers to refer for specialized palliative care interventions. Advances in disease-modifying therapies have extended life expectancy and reduced disability progression in patients with multiple sclerosis. However, palliative care remains underutilized in addressing persistent symptoms, care partner burden, and psychosocial challenges. Palliative care strategies in MS can be divided into three stages: early-stage palliative care needs and screening after diagnosis; midstage palliative care needs, including symptom management and quality-of-life optimization; and late-stage palliative care needs, including managing severe MS and end-of-life care. Additional foci of specialist palliative care may include end-of-life care, advance care planning, care partner support, and patient consideration of medically assisted death.