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Medicina
Special Issues
Palliative Care in Oncology: Innovations and Challenges
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Palliative Care in Oncology: Innovations and Challenges

A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Oncology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2026 | Viewed by 2316

Editors

Prof. Dr. Ourania Govina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Nursing, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece
Interests: oncology nursing; palliative care; supportive care; clinical nursing; clinical nursing research; pathological nursing; advanced practice nursing; cancer care; survivorship care
Dr. Theocharis Konstantinidis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Nursing, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Heraklion, Greece
Interests: palliative care; supportive care; oncology nursing; hematology nursing; clinical nursing; clinical nursing research; nursing; advanced practice nursing; cancer care; survivorship care; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ioanna Tsatsou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Nursing, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece
Interests: oncology nursing; hematology nursing; palliative care; supportive care; clinical nursing; clinical nursing research; pathological nursing; advanced practice nursing; cancer care; survivorship care

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the evolving role of palliative care in oncology, highlighting both innovative approaches and persistent challenges in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care. As cancer treatments advance and survival improves, the integration of palliative care across the cancer care continuum has become increasingly important to address symptom burden, psychosocial distress, and quality-of-life outcomes. This issue aims to showcase multidisciplinary research and clinical experiences that advance the understanding and practice of palliative oncology care.

We welcome original research, reviews, and perspective articles that explore the full spectrum of palliative care in oncology, including, but not limited to, models of clinical care, cancer symptom management, and psychosocial digital and technological innovations. Submissions from all healthcare professionals involved in oncology and palliative care, including physicians, nurses, psychologists, and allied health professionals, are encouraged to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.

Prof. Dr. Ourania Govina
Dr. Theocharis Konstantinidis
Guest Editors

Dr. Ioanna Tsatsou
Guest Editor Assistant

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Medicina is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 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.

Keywords

  • palliative care
  • integrated palliative care
  • supportive care
  • oncology
  • cancer care
  • oncology nursing
  • cancer symptom management
  • psychosocial oncology
  • quality of life
  • multidisciplinary care

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 419 KB  
Article
Symptom Clusters by Edmonton Symptom Assessment System in Radiotherapy and Palliative Care Clinic
by Lucia Angelini, Andrea Roncadori, Luca Tontini, Martina Pieri, Paola Cravero, Linda Petrini, Margherita Currà, Vanessa Valenti, William Balzi, Valentina Danesi, Ilaria Massa, Marco Cesare Maltoni and Romina Rossi
Medicina 2026, 62(7), 1216; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62071216 - 23 Jun 2026
Viewed by 277
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Effective palliative care relies on accurate identification and management of symptoms, especially in patients referred for palliative radiotherapy (PRT). This study aimed to identify symptom clusters (SCs)—defined as ≥2 interrelated symptoms—in patients evaluated at a multidisciplinary Radiotherapy and Palliative [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Effective palliative care relies on accurate identification and management of symptoms, especially in patients referred for palliative radiotherapy (PRT). This study aimed to identify symptom clusters (SCs)—defined as ≥2 interrelated symptoms—in patients evaluated at a multidisciplinary Radiotherapy and Palliative Care (RaP) outpatient clinic, using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from patients referred to the RaP clinic between February 2017 and April 2020. Demographic and clinical characteristics, including ESAS scores at first visit, were collected. SCs were identified with principal component analysis (PCA) and unsupervised k-means clustering (KMC), determining the number of SCs based on the maximum gap statistic and interpretability. Associations with ECOG performance status (PS), primary tumor and metastases site, and PRT administration were analyzed. Exploratory survival analyses were performed. Results: Among 215 patients (median age = 71 years; 53% male), the mean total ESAS score was 24.03 (SD = 15.28). PCA identified four SCs: SCPCA1 (tiredness, drowsiness, dyspnea, malaise), SCPCA2 (depression, anxiety), SCPCA3 (nausea, loss of appetite) and SCPCA4 (pain). KMC revealed three SCs: SCKMC1 (pain, tiredness, drowsiness, malaise), SCKMC2 (nausea, loss of appetite, dyspnea), and SCKMC3 (depression, anxiety). Worse ECOG PS correlated with physical SCs (p < 0.05). Psychological SCs were associated with lower likelihood of receiving PRT (ORPCA2 = 0.26, CI: 0.07–0.80, ORkmc3 = 0.19, CI: 0.02–0.85, p < 0.05), but when associated with pain/systemic clusters correlated with greater PRT use. A trend toward shorter survival was seen in SCKMC2. Conclusions: SC analysis could improve personalized symptom management and clinical decision-making in the PRT setting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palliative Care in Oncology: Innovations and Challenges)
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16 pages, 636 KB  
Article
Symptom Burden and Treatment Satisfaction Among Patients with Cancer in a Day Care Unit
by Anastasia Gavala, Stella Ploukou, Ioanna Tsatsou, Maria Saridi, Pavlos Sarafis, Ourania Govina and Theocharis I. Konstantinidis
Medicina 2026, 62(4), 656; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62040656 - 30 Mar 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1563
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy experience multiple symptoms. Effective identification, assessment, and management of these symptoms improve treatment effectiveness and satisfaction, as well as their quality of life. The present study aimed to record the symptoms of cancer patients and assess their [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy experience multiple symptoms. Effective identification, assessment, and management of these symptoms improve treatment effectiveness and satisfaction, as well as their quality of life. The present study aimed to record the symptoms of cancer patients and assess their satisfaction with chemotherapy in a Day Care Unit. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 95 cancer patients under chemotherapy. Data were collected using the Greek M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory, the Brief Fatigue Inventory, the Cancer Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using software SPSS 26.0. Results: Participants had a mean age of 63.8 ± 10.2 years, were mainly married (75.8%) and male (50.5%), and had a mean time since diagnosis of 1.9 years. Fatigue was the most common moderate symptom (81.1%, M = 4.26), whereas vomiting (18.9%, M = 1.03) and dyspnea (22.1%, M = 1.03) were infrequent and mild. Fatigue was significantly associated with Satisfaction with Therapy (SWT) and symptom severity. Overall satisfaction was moderate to high, with the Feelings About Side Effects (FSE) subscale scoring lowest (M = 54.0, SD = 24.7); females had lower odds of very high SWT than males (OR = 0.10, p = 0.003). Higher SWT was associated with being married (rho = −0.260, p < 0.05) and having higher education (rho = 0.276, p < 0.05). Higher levels of education were also associated with lower fatigue (rho = −0.233, p < 0.05), while positive FSE and higher Expectations of Therapy were linked to fewer severe symptoms and reduced fatigue, respectively. Conclusions: Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy reported low symptom severity and moderate to high SWT, although fatigue remained the most prominent and impactful symptom. These findings emphasize the importance of systematic symptom monitoring, particularly fatigue management, to enhance patient satisfaction and optimize the overall treatment experience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Palliative Care in Oncology: Innovations and Challenges)
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