Children with cancer suffer less at the end of life

A study found that children dying of cancer in the US are currently suffering less with improved palliative care and hospice care that focus more on easing the pain at the end of their life.

The study found that in those cases, hospice care was discussed earlier and more often, do-not-resuscitate orders were put in place earlier, deaths in the intensive care unit decreased. Parents reported less child suffering from pain and breathing problems and they felt prepared in the child's last month of life.

Source :"Easing of suffering in children with cancer at the end of life:is care changing?" Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2008:26(10); 1717-1723

Cancer fears for overweight women

According to an article published in the BMJ, researchers matched body mass index (BMI) against cancer incidence to identify the risk of being overweight among UK women and found that obesity and overweight raised the risk of developing and dying from a range of cancer.

The study also found that the cancer risk was dependent on a woman's stage in life.


Source: "Cancer incidence and mortality in relation to body mass index in the Million Women Study: cohort study" BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39367.495995.AE (published 6 November 2007)