To understand how the Go Wish Cards Game (GWCG) can support the expression of values, wishes, and preferences at the end of life among women living with advanced breast and/or gynecological cancer.

This descriptive qualitative study was conducted as part of a larger randomized clinical trial. Participants were recruited from a leading cancer center in Brazil and invited to sort the GWCG cards into three categories: “very important,” “somewhat important,” and “not important.” The 10 cards rated as “very important” were discussed individually to explore their meanings. At the end of the session, participants were asked: “What did it mean for you to play the cards?” Narratives associated with the “very important” cards were analyzed using content analysis based on Bardin’s methodological framework.

Thirty-three women completed the GWCG. Participants described the game as a meaningful opportunity for reflection, communication, and expression of personal values and end-of-life wishes. Discussions of the “very important” cards elicited narratives focused on trust-based relationships, emotional and spiritual support, dignity, and relief from suffering. The most frequently selected cards included wishes such as “to have a doctor I trust and nurses who care about me” and “to have my family and friends with me,” reflecting shared priorities across narratives. Values and wishes were organized into three overarching dimensions: emotional and existential connections; dignity and autonomy; and care and comfort at the end of life. The GWCG was perceived as a valuable tool for facilitating the expression of biopsychosocial and spiritual values.

The findings indicate that the GWCG supports reflection and the articulation of end-of-life values, wishes, and priorities, particularly those related to dignity, autonomy, comfort, and emotional connection. The tool shows potential to promote meaningful conversations and care aligned with what gives purpose and meaning to women living with advanced cancer.

To describe and assess the overall results of the La Caixa Foundation and the ICO/UVIC Chair of Palliative Care (Former WHO Collaborating Centre) Program “Comprehensive Care of People with Advanced Chronic Conditions” at 15 years (2008–2023).

We used qualitative and quantitative methods, such as prospective, quasi-experimental, and pre-post test designs, to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions led by psychosocial teams providing support to existing healthcare services. Data were collected from the Program’s unique shared online information system, retrieving output and outcomes information, including data obtained from validated psychosocial evaluation instruments and semi-structured interviews with patients, relatives, professionals and other stakeholders, focusing on effectiveness, satisfaction, and perceived quality of different aspects of the Program, as well as outputs.

From 2008 to 2022, the Program implemented 65 teams in Spain and 11 in Portugal across all the provinces, with 379 full-time professionals. They saw 286,644 patients and 371,023 relatives, with a median intervention duration of 2.3 weeks. Patients’ mean (SD) age was 73.2 (14.9) years; 52.3% were women, and most had a cancer diagnosis (60.1%). After 3 consecutive interventions, patients showed significantly improved psychosocial parameters, according to the Assessment of PSS Needs (ENP-E) and Existential Loneliness Detection Scale (EDSOL). Patients, relatives, and stakeholders were highly satisfied. The Program has developed a Master’s degree that has trained over 250 professionals and conducted 371 courses/workshops and 302 lectures. The Program developed tools, manuals, and protocols that were published, available, and common to all professionals involved. It also developed innovative approaches responding to special settings and needs.

A care program within a collaborative framework between public health services and non-profit foundations is an effective, efficient, and feasible model for organizing the psychosocial and spiritual dimension of care for patients with advanced chronic conditions and their relatives.

This study aimed to explore the end-of-life decision-making experiences of bereaved family caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, focusing on do-not-resuscitate orders. Given the high emotional and ethical burden on caregivers, understanding their challenges and needs is crucial to enhancing palliative care for AD patients.

A qualitative, exploratory study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 22 family caregivers recruited through purposive sampling in central Taiwan. Participants were primary caregivers for AD patients who had been bedridden for at least a year before death. Analysis employed inductive thematic coding to identify key themes, with rigor ensured through multiple coding, member checking, and reflective journaling.

Three major themes emerged: (1) Decision-making difficulties, where caregivers felt pressure and conflict when making urgent decisions; (2) Willingness to let go, which involved accepting the inevitability of death when recovery was no longer possible; and (3) Embracing the consequences of the decision, reflecting caregivers’ sense of relief and acceptance post-decision. Cultural factors, such as filial piety, were found to influence decision-making processes, often intensifying emotional conflicts.

Findings underscore the importance of early, culturally sensitive discussions around end-of-life care in palliative settings for AD patients. Healthcare providers are encouraged to initiate these discussions, offering clear explanations and emotional support to assist caregivers through decision-making. This study highlights the need for a family-centered approach that respects cultural nuances, helping to reduce caregiver stress and enhance the quality of palliative care in AD contexts.

To determine associations between spiritual well-being (faith and meaning dimensions) with emotional suffering (anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and quality of life) in Latinos with advanced cancer and examine themes of existential coping.

In a mixed-methods study, participants were recruited from cancer clinics in New York and Puerto Rico. Measures included the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy – Spiritual Well-Being Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. A subset of participants completed in-depth semi-structured interviews exploring the roles of existential and religious factors in adjustment to cancer. Correlations were conducted, and the interviews were analyzed with a thematic analysis approach.

A sample of 142 Latinos with advanced cancer participated (67.6% stage IV and 32.4% stage III). The spiritual well-being, faith and meaning factor were associated with anxiety and depression symptoms. Meaning was associated with lower hopelessness and showed stronger associations with emotional suffering than the faith dimension. Lower acculturation was associated with higher hopelessness but not with depression/anxiety. In semi-structured interviews (n = 24), recurrent themes were: (1) receiving existential support from counselors; (2) receiving spiritual support from family and/or friends; (3) focusing on being spiritual and finding purpose rather than on a specific religion or faith; (4) religious coping; and (5) spiritual coping, focused on self-growth, finding meaning, and helping others to cope. Patients identified sources of meaning, including helping others, having a fighting spirit, a spirit of learning, enjoying work, enjoying life, family and children, confidence in providers/treatment, God/faith, and spirituality.

Meaning had a more significant influence than faith on emotional suffering. Participants emphasized the importance of finding meaning and purpose, self-growth, and helping others as ways to cope with an advanced diagnosis. Interventions with a meaning-making approach, emphasizing finding purpose and growth, are needed for Latinos with advanced cancer.

Emotional-approach coping (EAC), including emotional expression (EE) and emotional processing (EP), may impact stress and quality of life (QOL) in cancer populations, with some evidence that EAC effects vary by sex.

Men (n = 85) and women (n = 63) with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) completed the EAC Scale, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and 36-item Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Survey (SF-36) physical component scale (PCS) and mental component scale (MCS) at study entry and 10 months later. The PROCESS macro (model 7) was used to examine the indirect effect of baseline EAC (EE, EP) on 10-month QOL (PCS, MCS) via baseline PSS, with sex as a moderator of the association between EAC and PSS (i.e., four models of moderated mediation).

Bootstrap estimates of indirect effects revealed significant moderated mediation, such that, for female participants, greater EE at study entry was associated with lower PSS, which in turn was associated with higher PCS and MCS 10 months later; whereas for males, EE was not associated with PSS and was not indirectly associated with physical and mental health-related QOL via PSS. Models examining the indirect effects of EP on QOL via PSS were nonsignificant for male and female participants.

EE is an important correlate of perceived stress for females but not males with RCC. Perceived stress early in treatment has a robust association with subsequent health-related QOL. Interventions aimed at supporting EE for females with RCC may have long-term QOL benefits.

The families of cancer patients experience many forms of distress, as a result of their loved one’s cancer diagnosis. However, there have been no reports of suicide attempts of caregivers directly linked to the diagnosis of advanced cancer in a family member.

We reported a caregiver who attempt suicide two months after his wife was diagnosed with advanced cancer.

The subject was a 69-year-old male who had been caring for his wife, diagnosed with advanced stomach cancer, for two months. The patient’s husband, acting as her caregiver, was referred by his wife (a cancer patient) to meet with a nurse. He reported insomnia and a desire for hastened death. Despite repeated recommendations for specialized care at a caregiver clinic, he declined. Following an argument with his wife at home, he felt unable to cope and attempted suicide. The husband had no psychiatric history but had a history of colon cancer. After the attempt suicide, he began visiting the “Caregivers’ Clinic,” where he received ongoing psychological support that continued until the death of his wife.

In cancer care, it is essential to continuously assess not only the patient’s suicide risk, but also that of closely related family members.

Dignity is a crucial value in caring for nursing home residents. These residents are extremely vulnerable due to, among others, their physical, social, and mental health risks. These risk factors can undermine their sense of dignity and induce feelings of inferiority and even depression.

Dignity Therapy is a short, individualized psychotherapy aimed at decreasing the existential distress of patients with a terminal illness. It appeared to be successful in patients with incurable cancer and could be a valuable addition to the treatment of loss of dignity in nursing homes. We evaluated the feasibility of implementing Dignity Therapy in Dutch nursing homes and explored its potential effects on residents’ dignity, depression, and self-esteem.

A pre–post feasibility study was conducted in 2 nursing homes. Psychologists were trained to recruit residents and deliver Dignity Therapy. Standardized questionnaires were administered at baseline and follow-up to assess dignity, depressive symptoms, and self-esteem.

Psychologists were able to recruit and deliver the intervention to 36 residents. Participants generally evaluated the experience as pleasant and meaningful. No significant differences were found between pre- and post-measurements for dignity, depressive symptoms, and self-esteem. Regarding depressive symptoms, men and non-religious residents showed higher levels of depressive symptoms after the 8-week follow-up.

Dignity Therapy is feasible and acceptable for residents in Dutch nursing homes. Although no significant effects on dignity, depression, or self-esteem were detected, further research with larger samples and optimized implementation strategies is needed to understand the potential impact of Dignity Therapy in this setting.

To pilot a registry to evaluate the use and effectiveness of interventional cancer pain management.

Upon interventional pain procedure scheduling, patient demographics, cancer, and pain information were entered into the longitudinal clinical registry in 2 tertiary hospitals in Sydney, Australia (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Chris O’Brien Lifehouse). Details of the procedure (including proceduralist, nature of the intervention, and site of treatment), post-procedure patient-reported outcomes and quality of life surveys, adverse events, and mortality data (when known) were collected longitudinally.

Between October 2021 and March 2023, 48 patients underwent 55 procedures. Procedures included treatment targeting autonomic plexuses, peripheral nerves, fascial planes, and neuraxial structures. Celiac plexus neurolysis was the most frequently reported procedure (33.3%). Post-procedure, there was a trend in reduction in pain intensity on the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (p < 0.01), reduction in opioid consumption, and improvement in quality of life on the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core-15-Palliative Care.

This is a vital first step in creating a more widely applicable registry evaluating cancer pain intervention. It provided valuable information on the range of available pain intervention procedures and data on patient-reported outcome measures using validated instruments. This will facilitate a timely review of clinical practice to improve future patient care. An Australian-wide database of cancer pain will be a valuable next step in the improvement of cancer pain management.

Clinical trial number: not applicable.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with high mortality and imposes substantial symptom and psychological burdens; however, the impact of different treatment modalities on quality of life (QoL) and mental health remains underexplored. This study aimed to examine the associations among symptom distress, depression, and QoL across various HCC treatments.

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 101 inpatients at a regional hospital in Taiwan (October 2020–December 2021). Patients received hepatic resection (HR), radiofrequency ablation (RFA), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC), or immunotherapy (IT). Data were collected using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Brief Symptom Rating Scale (BSRS).

RFA patients reported better functional scores (96.13 ± 7.55) and lower HADS scores (18.31 ± 4.92) than those treated with TACE, HAIC, or IT (function: 87.77 ± 17.77; HADS: 23.26 ± 7.66). These differences may reflect earlier disease stage and better baseline health in RFA recipients. Older age and advanced stage were associated with poorer global health (p < 0.05), while female gender (β = − 7.38, p = 0.014) and disease recurrence (β = − 6.48, p = 0.019) were associated with lower functional status.

Treatment type, disease stage, and demographics significantly shape QoL and mental health in HCC patients. Minimally invasive therapies like RFA may preserve QoL in early-stage disease, while invasive or palliative treatments necessitate greater psychosocial support.

To explore cancer patients’ understanding of Advance Care Planning (ACP) and identify the main barriers hindering its effective implementation in clinical practice.

This qualitative descriptive study included Brazilian women with breast cancer aged 18–75 years, all with preserved functional status, recruited by convenience sampling. Exclusion criteria were difficulty using online calls or significant communication impairment. Data collection involved a sociodemographic questionnaire and a follow-up interview. After receiving an informational brochure, participants were contacted by video call 14 days later and asked, “How do you understand what ACP is?” Interviews were conducted confidentially at home, transcribed, and analyzed according to qualitative research reporting guidelines.

Sixty-one women participated. Most had difficulty understanding ACP; nearly 40% could not define it. Main barriers included cultural resistance to discussing death, reliance on family members or physicians for decision-making, and lack of clear information. Many participants confused ACP with preventive care. A conceptual multilevel model was developed, showing how cultural taboos, family dependence, and systemic inertia interact to sustain barriers through a feedback loop in which cultural avoidance reinforces structural gaps and institutional neglect.

This study provides evidence on how ACP is understood and misinterpreted by cancer patients in a middle-income Latin American setting, an area that remains underrepresented in the literature. By demonstrating that misconceptions, cultural taboos, and systemic barriers operate through a reinforcing multilevel process, the findings offer a conceptual framework that explains why ACP remains marginal in routine oncology care. The model highlights critical points for intervention, including patient education, professional communication, and institutional support, and is directly applicable to similar sociocultural contexts characterized by strong family involvement and biomedical dominance. These results have clear implications, supporting the integration of ACP as a proactive, relational, and value-based process rather than a late end-of-life intervention.