Targeted palliative care enhances outcomes in advanced cancer

Targeted palliative care enhances outcomes in advanced cancer 
Physician's Weekly; 7/15/24 
... Excessive polypharmacy is common in patients with cancer, especially older adults. According to a 2023 study published in Cancer, up to 80% of older patients take five or more medications, and up to 40% take 10 or more. Patients who receive numerous medications as part of supportive care may be at increased risk for potentially inappropriate medications and drug-drug interactions, which could impact their QOL. The study authors emphasized the importance of meaningful screening and interventional tools to optimize the use of medications for palliative care in these patients. In a more recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, Giusti Raffaele, MD, and colleagues aimed to streamline pharmacotherapy by targeting the most impactful symptom.