Literature Review

[Australia] Cancer and dementia incidence are strongly correlated worldwide: Evidence from cross-national regression analysesFuture Science OA; by Wenpeng You, Brendon J Coventry, Maciej Henneberg; 12/25Cancer and dementia are two major health problems affecting millions of people around the world. Countries with higher cancer rates almost always have higher dementia rates. Even after we accounted for income, life expectancy, and other social factors, cancer remained one of the strongest predictors of dementia. These findings suggest that cancer and dementia share many of the same underlying causes, such as aging, chronic inflammation, lifestyle habits, and changes that come with economic development. Understanding these shared patterns can help countries plan for future healthcare needs.

Sanofi Collective - Foundation S stands behind transformative children's palliative care project in Kenya Global Treehouse Foundation; Press Release; 1/27/26 A significant grant from the Foundation S - the Sanofi Collective will enable a transformative three-year project delivering comprehensive grief and bereavement care to families affected by childhood cancer in Kenya. This is about more than funding: it’s about ensuring families are seen, supported and not left to navigate their most challenging moments alone. Foundation S’s investment is a significant milestone in integrating grief and social-emotional support into healthcare systems - an area too often overlooked, yet essential to the dignity and well-being of children and those who love them.

[United Kingdom] Hospice to support additional 1,000 patients BBC News; by Greig Watson; 1/25/26 A service to look after terminally ill people is to be expanded across much of Nottinghamshire after a new contract was awarded. Newark-based Beaumond House Hospice Care will lead on the creation of a new End of Life Referral Hub and make its Hospice at Home service available across Newark, Sherwood, Mansfield, Ashfield and Bassetlaw. The service is currently provided to about 200 patients across Newark and Sherwood but from April 2026 it will care for an additional 1,000 patients a year in their place of choice. ... Macmillan Cancer Support's End-of-Life Care Fund is providing the £1.8m of funding to support the expansion.Editor's Note: Recent hospice coverage from the United Kingdom has largely focused on service reductions. This announcement offers welcome news, signaling expanded access to end-of-life care for more patients. We hope this growth is accompanied by continued commitment to high-quality, person-centered care for patients and families.

[Italy] End of life with psylocibin: Research, data and experienceEmerging Trends in Drugs, Addictions, and Health; by T. Re, A. Metastasio; 12/25Throughout history, mushrooms have served as a bridge for ancient populations, guiding human beings from earthly life to the "Beyond" and allowing them to "taste" this passage during their lifetime, thereby alleviating the fear of death. Recent scientific research has revealed that these ancient practices are supported by research done by leading world universities showing the effectiveness of psilocybin mushrooms in addressing fear of death, anxiety, and existential stress. The experience of guiding a person across the bridge between life and death raises intriguing questions about the nature of consciousness, the potential for communication in "non-ordinary states of consciousness" between different realms of nature, and the possibility of transcending space and time, thereby creating a new experience and continuity between life and death. Although we advocate for a wider and more accessible of use of psylocibin in the end of life we believe that more studies are necessary to identify the subjects that would benefit the most from this practice.

[Uganda] This hospice has a bold new mission: saving lives Alabama Public Radio / NPR; by Joanne Cavanaugh Simpson, Brian Simpson; 1/16/26 Deborah Nantenza learned about cervical cancer screening at a hospital in eastern Uganda, a rural region where early diagnosis is rare. ... The cancer screening, education and treatment were led by a hospice — an institution traditionally limited to easing the pain of the dying. The team at Rays of Hope Hospice Jinja in Uganda had long wanted to do more. Even with liquid morphine and other pain medications the hospice provided to ease symptoms, women with cervical cancer "didn't just die a normal death. They died after suffering, suffering," says Sylvia Nakami, executive director of the 20-year-old nonprofit.

[United Kingdom] One in five hospice beds closed, report warns in end of life care crisis Express - Health and Social Affairs; by Lucy Johnston; 1/10/26 Almost one in five hospice beds in England is now closed or standing empty, despite growing demand for end-of-life care, a study by Oxford University researchers has found. The analysis exposes a deepening funding crisis in the hospice sector - which its authors have described as “a national scandal.” ... [Oxford University professors describe that] ... increasing numbers of frail and elderly patients are dying “in pain, alone, often hungry and dehydrated,” while others are being admitted to hospital in emergency situations, adding pressure to already stretched NHS services.

[UK] "The system doesn't really cater for the trauma that Black people have experienced" - Experiences of grief and bereavement in Black British and Black Caribbean heritage communities in England: A qualitative studyDeath Studies; by Lucy E Selman, Oliver Clabburn, Yansie Rolston, Karl Murray, Tracey Stone, Lesel Dawson, Michelle Farr, Sabi Redwood, Debi Lewinson-Roberts; 12/25People from Black and other minoritized ethnic communities are known to experience health and social care inequities, including barriers to accessing bereavement support. This qualitative, co-produced study aimed to explore experiences of grief and bereavement among people of Black British and Black Caribbean heritage in England. Through community conversations and interviews with 35 participants, the study illuminates how structural inequities, cultural norms, and systemic racism intersect to shape grief experiences. Participants highlighted the importance of extended family and community in grief, which often clashed with the individualistic norms of white British society. Cultural customs that discouraged emotional expression made grieving harder, while rituals like Nine-Night and storytelling provided crucial communal support. 

'I want to carry on mum's legacy after her death' BBC News; by Lynette Horsburgh; 1/3/26 A man whose mother spent her final days in a hospice has described how it has inspired a decade of fundraising challenges with the latest his "toughest yet" - to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. David Clarke's mother, Margaret, of Blackburn, died aged 69 in East Lancashire Hospice in 2014. The next year he started challenges to raise funds for the hospice which provided "incredible" care to his mother who was known for her charity work and "carry on her legacy". ... "It costs £10,000 a day to run the hospice and that was my original target. "But my mum spent three days there so now I really want to raise £30,000."

[Saudi Arabia] Comparison of end-of-life care between patients with hematological malignancies versus solid tumors: A retrospective analysisJournal of Palliative Care; by Salma Almusaed, Kim Sadler, Walaa Abdulmutaali, Gassan Abudari, Steven Callaghan, Mahmoud Sroor, Muneerah Almutairi, Mohammed AlGhamdi, Muruf Zaid Alshalwah, Sameer Desai, Nessreen Abu Alsalhm, Khloud Alzain; 11/25While specialized palliative care (PC) is well-established for managing STs [solid tumors], its integration into HMs’ [hematological malignancies] care remains less common despite evidence of its benefits. The cohort consisted of 350 adult patients, of whom 86 (24.6%) had HMs and 264 (75.4%) had STs. Overall, HMs patients received more aggressive end-of-life care, including higher rates of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions (81.4% vs 17.8%), intubation (36% vs 8.3%), disease-modifying treatments (23% vs 3.8%), as well as more enteral feeding, dialysis, blood transfusions, and antimicrobial use. Their resuscitation discussions occurred closer to death (3 vs 16 days ... ). Additionally, HMs patients had fewer referrals to PC services (43% vs 79.2% ... ), and most of them died in the ICU (59.3% vs 18.2% ... ).

[South Korea] Factors influencing burnout among hospice and palliative care ward nursesJournal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing; by Young-Mi Kim, Chieun Song, Jeoungmin Park; 11/25This study aimed to identify the factors influencing burnout among nurses in hospice and palliative care units. This descriptive correlational study investigated the effects of nursing practice environment, resilience, and nurses' character on burnout among hospice and palliative care ward nurses. The participants were 217 nurses working in hospice wards of 20 institutions selected from the 88 inpatient hospice and palliative care institutions designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare in South Korea, as of 2021. The results showed that a better nursing practice environment and higher resilience were positively associated with lower burnout. Among hospice and palliative care nurses, being in their 30s and having fewer than 5 years of total clinical experience were associated with higher burnout.

IAHPC photo contest: We have our winners! International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care (IAHPC); 12/18/25 Our members submitted an incredible array of images that expressed moving moments, illustrated challenges, and showed the beauty of palliative care in their daily work. It required four rounds of judging by our five-member panel, plus a Zoom meeting at the end, to narrow the selection of 186 photos sent in and settle on the winners. [View]

[Europe] Muslims often don’t trust palliative care. A new charity aims to change that  Hyphen; by Weronika Stryzyzynska; 12/15/25 Al-Amal, founded by a doctor and a chaplain, is informed by the Muslim view of a good death — something they say is lacking in mainstream care. A new charity to support Muslims navigating palliative care is preparing to launch after Ramadan. As well as providing an emotional support telephone line, Al-Amal will also offer practical advice on accessing culturally and religiously appropriate care.  The Muslim view of what a good death looks like is informed by values beyond the medical. … This can affect the way Muslim patients include their families in the decision-making process or their approach to pain management.