Clinical Research in Cancer Palliative Care

Dear Colleagues,

Palliative care (PC) is becoming increasingly important due to the ageing population, evolving social structures and the rising prevalence of chronic and life-limiting diseases. Advances in cancer therapies have extended survivorship, resulting in a growing number of patients living with cancer. However, these survivors often face complex needs across physical, psycho-emotional, socio-financial and spiritual domains, significantly impacting their health-related quality of life (HR-QoL).

Addressing these multifaceted needs necessitates a holistic approach rooted in the Cecily Saunders’ concept of “Total Pain”. Robust evidence is essential to support interventions targeting these domains and to understand their effects on both patients and their families. The prolonged survivorship introduces a dynamic landscape of evolving needs, highlighting the importance of exploring non-physical dimensions such as spiritual care and financial implications of long-term cancer survival.

Advanced care planning is crucial given the prognostic uncertainty in cancer survivorship, which increasingly mirrors chronic conditions such as heart failure. Effective planning can help patients navigate the unpredictable nature of the disease, manage challenges posed by therapies and prepare for end-of-life care. Palliative care plays a pivotal role in these aspects, necessitating focused research.

Evidence-based symptom management remains inadequate due to many common issues. Difficult-to-treat pain, including opioid-resistant, cancer-related neuropathic pain and pain from bone metastases, poses significant threats to patients' QoL. Research is urgently needed to develop effective treatments for these pain types, enhancing the overall PC strategy.

This Special Issue calls for contributions exploring these critical areas, aiming to advance our understanding and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families.

Dr. Cosimo Chelazzi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• cancer palliative care
• total pain
• advanced care planning
• spiritual care
• financial toxicity
• cancer-related pain