title: Palliative Pharmacotherapy: State-of-the-Art Management of Symptoms in Patients With Cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Advanced cancer produces multiple symptoms as patients progress through their disease trajectory. Identifying, measuring, and providing therapy for uncontrolled symptoms becomes important because disease-altering therapies may be no longer possible. Symptoms other than pain that cause distress in patients with cancer include delirium, dyspnea, anorexia, nausea, and fatigue. Precise management of these symptoms can lead to the best possible quality of life and lessen distress. This article reviews current management strategies of these symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The epidemiology, mechanisms, assessment, and therapies of common symptoms in the advanced cancer population are reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Identifiable approaches facilitate symptom management in advanced illness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using a systematic approach to symptoms in advanced illness can improve the quality of life and lessen distress among patients with cancer and their families, friends, and caregivers.
authors.affiliation: David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA. Eric.prommer@va.gov.
authors.forename: Eric E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Prommer
mesh_terms: D019468:Disease Management; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life