Literature Review

Alzheimer’s definitions, biomarkers, and antibodies: Halima Amjad, Barak Gaster, and Heather WhitsonGeriPAL podcast; by Alex Smith, Eric Widera, Halima Amjad, Barak Gaster, Heather Whitson; 3/12/26It’s an era of breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s research, yet for many clinicians, it’s also a time of profound uncertainty. We are currently navigating competing definitions of the disease, multiple new biomarkers coming on market seemingly every week, and the clinical rollout of new amyloid antibodies. How do we translate this rapid-fire science into daily practice? On this week’s GeriPal podcast... we dive deep into:

Corticosteroid use and risk of adverse events in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancerThe Prostate; by Umang Swami, Qiujun Shao, Tamuno Alfred, Maelys Touya, Frank Cao, Pinal Kamdar, Jasmina Ivanova, Johanna Celli, David Nimke; 2/26Among the approved therapies for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC), abiraterone and docetaxel are administered concomitantly with corticosteroids. This study evaluated the association between corticosteroid use and risk of adverse events among patients with mHSPC. Our findings suggest that patients exposed to corticosteroids are at increased risk of adverse events, hospitalization, and death. As not all mHSPC treatments require concomitant use of corticosteroids, these findings may help to inform treatment decision-making.

Palliative care physician explains living and dying with ALS Forbes; by Adaira Landry, MD, MEd; 2/26/26 Actor Eric Dane’s recent death from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has drawn national attention. ... Beyond the headlines lies a deeper and more urgent discussion: what life—and death—look like for patients living with ALS. To better understand both the clinical and scientific landscape, I spoke with Dr. Maria “Marissa” Mapa, an internal medicine and palliative care physician who treats patients with ALS, and Dr. Melanie Leitner, chief scientific officer of the ALS Investment Fund, about current and future research directions.

Trends and disparities in left ventricular failure mortality in The United States: A 1999-2020 analysisJournal of Cardiac Failure; by Abdalhakim Shubietah, Hasan Munshi, Emmanuel Olumuyide, Muath Baniowda, Abdallah Hussein, Mohammad Alqadi, Qutaiba Qafisheh, Majd Oweidat, Omar Hamadi, Mohammad O Abdelhafez; 1/26 Left ventricular failure (LVF) is a significant cause of cardiovascular mortality in the United States. Despite advances in heart failure management, mortality rates have shown a notable increase over time, particularly in recent years. This study examines trends and disparities in LVF-related mortality using data from the CDC WONDER database from 1999 to 2020. LVF-related mortality has increased significantly over the past two decades, particularly after 2010, highlighting a growing public health concern. Disparities persist across sex, race, age groups, urbanization, and geographic regions. The high burden of deaths outside medical facilities suggests a need for enhanced outpatient and palliative care strategies.

[Colombia] Early palliative care integration in end-stage liver disease: A narrative review of clinical strategies for symptom control and quality of lifeJournal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy; by Daniela Sarria-Gómez, Cristhian Camilo Martínez Torres, Diana Estrada-Bermúdez, Liliana Saavedra; 1/26End-stage liver disease (ESLD) is associated with a high symptom burden, poor prognosis, and limited access to curative disease. Despite growing evidence supporting the role of palliative care (PC), its integration into the routine management of ESLD remains limited and inconsistent. Key barriers to PC implementation include misconceptions about its use being limited to terminal phases, lack of referral criteria, and insufficient coordination between specialties. Evidence shows that early PC involvement improves symptom control (pain, dyspnea, pruritus, encephalopathy), decreases avoidable hospitalizations, and facilitates shared decision-making.

A nationwide retrospective analysis of trends in palliative care consultation and do-not-resuscitate status in heart failure hospitalizations Palliative Medicine; by Nikitha Murthy, Ramy Sedhom, Purvi Parwani, Megan Pelter, Liset Stoletniy, Tanya Doctorian, Diane Tran, Antoine Sakr, Dmitry Abramov; 2/21/26 Conclusions: While palliative care and do-not-resuscitate use among heart failure hospitalizations have increased, they remain low. Over half of those who die during a heart failure admission do not receive palliative care consultation, underscoring missed opportunities to optimize end-of-life care. 

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.

Too late to help? Disparities in palliative and hospice care among veterans with pancreatic cancer—A 10-year retrospective study at a VA medical centerJournal of Clinical Oncology; by Jonathan Blackmon, Mirza Mashaal Khan, Rahul Reddy Tirumalareddy, Zohair  Siddiqui, Saurin Chokshi, Alva Bowen Weir III; 1/26Pancreatic cancer is characterized by high symptom burden, rapid progression, and poor prognosis. ASCO [American Society of Clinical Oncology] guidelines recommend palliative care consultation at diagnosis or within 8–12 weeks. Despite guideline recommendations, many patients with pancreatic cancer did not receive timely palliative or hospice care. Delays were more pronounced among rural and Black patients, highlighting persistent disparities in access. These findings support the implementation of a quality improvement initiative at the Memphis VA to standardize early palliative care referrals for high-risk populations.

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.

Cognitive decline is often linked to hearing loss: This may be whyMedicalNewsToday; by James McIntosh; 2/16/26

Sociodemographic disparities and impact of palliative care utilization during end-of-life hospitalizations in patients with gastric cancerJournal of Palliative Medicine; by James Lee, Jasmine Lee, Rahul Tripathi, David Stein, Ballakur Rao, Daniel Jamorabo, Lisa Fisher; 1/26Gastric cancer is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage and is associated with high symptom burden. Among 13,435 weighted hospitalizations [among gastric cancer patients who died during hospitalization] ..., 57.6% received palliative care. Black patients had 32% lower odds of receiving palliative care than White patients ... Higher palliative care use was associated with greater income, large hospitals, urban teaching hospitals, and private/other insurance. In adjusted analyses, palliative care was linked to a $36,240 reduction in hospital charges ..., with no significant difference in LOS [length of stay]. Palliative care was associated with higher odds of DNR status ... and lower odds of CPR, mechanical ventilation, transfusion, and vasopressor use.