[Meaningfullness and duration of palliative chemotherapy with regard to the quality of life of palliative patients]. / Sinnhaftigkeit und Dauer von palliativer Chemotherapie in Bezug auf die Lebensqualität betroffener Patienten.

I am reporting on a 74-year-old female patient with primary pulmonary and hepatic metastatic colon cancer. In the course of three-and-a-half years the patient decided to receive multiple cycles of palliative chemotherapy, irradiation of the liver and of the upper body. As a result of the extended anti-tumour therapy, remissions of the advanced cancer disease could be achieved repeatedly, which lead to a substantial increase of the patient's quality of life. This case shows that even in an advanced palliative situation the goal of a multimodal treatment is to curb disease progression and to extend the life and increase quality of life of the patient.

"Laying on of hands" improves well-being in patients with advanced cancer.

GOAL OF WORK: To determine whether the impact of "laying on of hands" on the well-being of patients with advanced cancer is more efficient when performed by a person with self-declared "healing powers" as compared to an actor mimicking the healer in close detail. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 80 patients were registered to participate in a randomized, single-blind phase III trial to evaluate the difference in efficacy of "laying on of hands" by either a "healer" or an actor. Each group consisted of 40 patients, scheduled to receive treatment for 5 min, three times a week. The effect of treatment was measured using a "Well-Being scale", with the difference of the average score of the "Well-Being scale" on day 10 being defined as primary and that on day 5 as secondary endpoint. MAIN RESULTS: There was no significant difference in average score values between the "healer" and the actor with regard to the primary (p = 0.34) or the secondary endpoint (p = 0.94), but the comparison was limited due to major protocol violations by the "healer" who unblinded his status after the first run and quit the study. The study was completed by the actor as a descriptive, explorative study on the impact of "laying on of hands". A significant improvement in symptoms after treatment was found on day 5 (p < 0.001) and on day 10 (p = 0.0002). CONCLUSION: "Laying on of hands" resulted in a significant improvement of cancer- or cancer-therapy-associated symptoms. The magnitude of improvement obtained was similar whether on a self-declared-healer- or an actor-provided "treatment".