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Background: Palliative care involves the care for patients with severe and advanced diseases with a focus on quality of life and symptom management. Integration of palliative care with curative and/or chronic care is expected to lead to better results in terms of quality of life and reduced costs. Although initiatives in different countries in Europe choose different structures to integrate care, they face similar challenges when it comes to creating trust and aligning visions, cultures and professional values. This paper sets out to answer the following research question: what roles and attitudes do palliative care professionals need to adopt to further integrate palliative care in Europe? Methods: As part of the European Union (EU)-funded research project InSup-C (Integrated Supportive and Palliative Care). (2012-2016), 19 semi-structured group interviews with 136 (palliative) care professionals in 5 European countries (Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Hungary) were conducted. A thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Integration of palliative care calls for diplomatic professionals that can bring a cultural shift: to get palliative care, with its particular focus on the four dimensions (physical, psychological, social, spiritual), integrated into historically established medical procedures and guidelines. This requires (a) to find an entrance (for telling a normative story), and (b) to maintain and deepen relationships (in order to build trust). It means using the appropriate words and sending a univocal team message to patients and being grateful, modest, and aiming for a quiet revolution with curation oriented healthcare professionals. Conclusion: Diplomacy appears to be essential to palliative care providers for realizing trust and what can be defined as normative integration between palliative and curative and/or chronic medicine. It requires a practical wisdom about the culture and goals of regular care, as well as keeping a middle road between assimilating with values in regular medicine and standing up for the basic values central to palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyponatremia is a very common abnormality in palliative care which can cause a sudden decline in the patient's general condition. The diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are based on the patient's symptoms and life-expectancy. The inadequate diagnostic and therapeutic interventions result in an unnecessary burden, while the adequate treatment could improve the quality of life. In palliative care, acute hyponatremia is very rare, the chronic form without any symptoms or mild complaints is more common. Asymptomatic patients should be observed. In patients with mild symptoms and months or years plus prognosis contributing factors should be discontinued. The electrolyte abnormality of patients with moderate or severe symptoms and at least weeks prognosis should be treated. Patients with day prognosis needs no treatment. This case report of an early palliative care patient with moderate symptoms caused by chronic, severe hyponatremia aims to give a suggestion for the management of the most common electrolyte abnormality in everyday palliative care. Orv Hetil. 2023; 164(18): 713-717.

Introduction: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing worldwide. According to Hungarian data from 2014, it affects 7,3% of the population. At the time of their cancer diagnosis, 8-18% of all patients have preexisting diabetes mellitus. Some studies have identified a diabetes prevalence up to 30% of cancer patients. The treatment of diabetic patients in palliative care differs from the curative methods and this is very important to be communicated with the patient, the family members and health-care providers. Objective: The aim of this publication is to develop a method of control and treatment of the palliative care patients with diabetes mellitus. Method: Based on studies in international literature, a suggestion can be made that can be applied in domestic practice. Suggestions: This suggestion introduces individual and more liberal control and management methods for a better quality of life in this special patient group. Conclusion: The suggestion for the treatment of diabetes helps provide quality care for palliative patients.

Összefoglaló. A palliatív ellátás célja a beteg és családja életminőségének javítása egy életet megrövidítő betegség során. A palliatív betegpopuláció 32-80%-a kap szisztémás szteroidot kínzó tünetek enyhítésére. Az alkalmazási irányelvek, a szteroidhasználat a palliatív betegek körében nagyon változó az egyes országok, de az országon belüli ellátók között is. A palliatív betegellátásban szteroidokat - elsősorban szisztémás glükokortikoidokat (dexametazon, betametazon, prednizolon, metilprednizolon) - főleg antiinflammatorikus és a vascularis permeabilitást csökkentő hatásuk miatt alkalmazunk. A palliatív ellátás során glükokortikoid adása számos specifikus indikáció esetén javasolható, mint idegi kompresszió, neuropathiás fájdalom, csontfájdalom és metastasis, májtokfeszülés okozta fájdalom, malignus bélobstrukció, agynyomás-fokozódás, malignus gerincvelő-kompresszió, vena cava superior szindróma, lymphangitis carcinomatosa, nagy légúti obstrukció. Sokszor párhuzamosan jelentkező, nem specifikus tünetek - mint anorexia-cachexia szindróma, hányinger, hányás, fáradtság, gyengeség, nehézlégzés - szintén szükségessé tehetik szteroid adását. A palliatív betegek prognózisát figyelembe véve a szteroidok késői mellékhatásai nem korlátozzák adásukat, az elsődleges terápiás előny felülmúlja a lehetséges kockázatokat. A nemzetközi gyakorlatban a dexametazon a leggyakrabban alkalmazott glükokortikoid, kifejezett gyulladáscsökkentő hatása és kevesebb mineralokortikoid-mellékhatása miatt. Fontos, elengedhetetlen része a biztonságos szteroidterápiának a mellékhatások gondos monitorozása, erről a beteget és a hozzátartozókat is fel kell világosítani. A megfelelő indikációban, dózisban és megfelelő kezelési terv alapján adagolt szteroid hasznos része a palliatív tünetkontrollnak, a beteg életminőség-javításának. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(8): 294-300. Summary. Palliative care aims to improve the quality of life of patients and their families during a life-shortening illness. 32-80% of the palliative patient population receive systemic steroids to relieve torturous symptoms during end-of-life care. Guidelines for steroid use among palliative patients vary widely from country to country, but also within providers. In palliative care, steroids - mainly systemic glucocorticoids (dexamethasone, betamethasone, prednisolone, methylprednisolone) - are used especially for their anti-inflammatory and vascular permeability-reducing effects. Glucocorticoid administration during palliative care is recommended for a number of specific indications, such as neural compression, neuropathic pain, bone pain and metastasis, liver capsule pain, malignant intestinal obstruction, increased cerebral pressure, malignant spinal cord compression, superior vena cava syndrome, carcinomatous lymphangitis, and large airway compression. Often concomitant non-specific symptoms such as anorexia-cachexia syndrome, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, dyspnoea may also necessitate steroid administration. Considering the prognosis of palliative patients, the late side effects of steroids do not limit their administration, the primary therapeutic benefit outweighs the potential risks. Internationally, dexamethasone is the most commonly used glucocorticoid due to its pronounced anti-inflammatory effect and fewer mineralocorticoid side effects. Careful monitoring of side effects is an important and essential part of safe steroid therapy and should be made clear to the patient and their relatives. Steroids administered in the right indication and dose as well as according to an appropriate treatment plan are useful parts of palliative symptom control and improve patients' quality of life. Orv Hetil. 2022; 163(8): 294-300.

Összefoglaló.Bevezetés: Az európai országok közül Magyarország a colorectalis daganatos incidencia és mortalitás szempontjából az élen szerepel. Ennek hátterében a beteghez vagy az egészségügyi rendszerhez köthető tényezők is állhatnak. Célkitűzés: Kutatásunk célja, hogy pilotvizsgálat keretében feltárjuk a colorectalis daganatos betegek kezeléshez jutásának körülményeit azáltal, hogy a betegek első tünetei, kivizsgálásuk jellemzői, betegségük stádiuma és a terápiáig eltelt időtartamok közötti összefüggéseket elemezzük. Módszer: Retrospektív adatgyűjtés történt 26, Baranya megyei háziorvosi praxis colorectalis daganatos betegeinek (n = 212) adataira vonatkozóan a praxisok, valamint a Pécsi Tudományegyetem Klinikai Központjának (PTE KK) adatbázisából. Meghatároztuk a terápiáig eltelt intervallumot (TEI), amely az első orvos-beteg találkozástól - amikor a beteg colorectalis daganatra utaló tünetekkel először jelentkezett orvosnál - a terápia megkezdésének első napjáig eltelt időt jelenti. A statisztikai elemzés során deskriptív analízist, valamint varianciaanalízist végeztünk. Eredmények: A sürgősségire került betegek leggyakoribb tünete a hasi/végbéltáji fájdalom volt, míg a háziorvost felkereső betegek a véres székletet említették a legtöbbször. A sürgősségi osztályon jelentkező betegek esetében lényegesen magasabb arányban (61%) diagnosztizáltak késői (III-IV.) stádiumú daganatot, mint a háziorvoshoz forduló betegek körében (42,7%). A TEI rövidebb volt, ha a betegek sürgősségi osztályra kerültek (TEI-medián: 15 nap késői, 34,5 nap korai [I-II.] stádiumú daganat esetén), mint amikor háziorvosnál jelentkeztek először (TEI-medián: 86 nap késői, 83 nap korai stádiumú daganat esetén). Következtetés: A sürgősségi és a háziorvosi kivizsgálás esetén észlelt TEI-k összemérhetők a nyugat-európai országokéival. A hazai magas mortalitási mutatók hátterében inkább a betegek késedelmes orvoshoz fordulása állhat, ami a primer és szekunder prevenció fontosságára hívja fel a figyelmet. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(4): 153-160., Introduction: Hungary has one of the leading colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates in Europe. Patient-related and healthcare-related factors may all play a role., Objective: Our objective was to investigate the characteristics related to the treatment of colorectal cancer patients by analysing their initial symptoms, disease stage, referral characteristics and total treatment intervals., Method: A retrospective study was conducted based on data from colorectal patients (n = 212) from the databases of 26 general physician practices and the University of Pécs, Clinical Center. The total treatment interval was determined as the number of days from the first patient-physician consultation with symptoms until the first day of treatment. Descriptive analysis and analysis of variance were performed., Results: Patients' most common symptom was abdominal/rectal pain when presenting at the emergency department while bloody stool was the most common among patients visiting their general physicians. The proportion of patients with advanced stage (III-IV) cancer was significantly higher at the emergency department than among patients visiting their general physicians (61% and 42.7%, respectively). The total treatment interval was shorter when patients presented at the emergency department (total treatment interval median: 15 days for advanced stage, 34.5 days for early [I-II] stage cancer) than when they initially visited their general physicians (total treatment interval median: 83 days for early stage, 86 days for advanced stage cancers)., Conclusion: The total treatment intervals for patients visiting the emergency department or their general physicians were similar to those found in Western European countries. The high mortality rates in Hungary are more probably due to patient-related delays, which highlight the importance of primary and secondary prevention. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(4): 153-160.

Introduction: Palliative, symptomatic and end-of-life care of advanced and metastatic cancer patients is a great challenge for every health care system. With the initiation and establishment of the multidisciplinary palliative tumor board (MPTB), our aims were the timely referral of patients to palliative care, and the avoidance of multiple unnecessary emergency visits and over-diagnostics without further treatment consequences., Method and Results: The MPTB meetings were held biweekly. The core members of the team were: palliative care consultant, medical oncologist, internal medicine physician, psychologist, psychiatrist, and oncology and palliative medicine nurses. From May 2019 till January 2020, we discussed the medical history of 97 cases of 93 cancer patients with advanced disease states; in one meeting the team usually discussed over 6-10 complex patient histories. In every case we determined the actual form of the necessary palliative care, e.g., outpatient clinic, home care, or institutional referral, and we decided on further possible and realistic oncology treatment regimes. A few months after the introduction of the new MPTB, we detected a decrease of the unnecessary emergency unit referrals considering the patients whose histories were discussed., Conclusions: Although the initial MPTB discussions had an intense emotional tone, they shortly became thoughtful and operational expert meetings. We believe that the MPTB system fully promotes the early and timely access of advanced cancer patients to appropriate palliative care and facilitates gradual changes in the medical oncologists' approach from the absolute curative determination to a supportive medical attitude. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(34): 1423-1430.

At the advanced stage of serious illness, end-of-life decisions need to be made. Advance care planning offers patients the right to decide on their own future care when independent decision-making is no longer possible. The most complex and effective advance care plans include patients' preferred or refused medical treatments, care-related wishes, and individual values as well. Advance care planning can improve end-of-life care and contribute to higher satisfaction. It can also reduce distress in relatives and the costs of care. Patients' preferences provide a guidance for professional care. A number of studies have identified the benefits of advance care planning, and it has been included in guidelines. Potential barriers to advance care planning could be as follows: taboo of talking about dying, negative attitudes of patients and relatives, poor knowledge of professional caregivers, lack of necessary circumstances to have the conversation. Advance care planning is almost unknown in Hungary, although it is possible to refuse certain types of treatments. Cooperation of professionals, development of gradual and postgraduate trainings, and improvement of social awareness are also needed so that advance care planning can be adapted in Hungary. Orv Hetil. 2018; 159(4): 131-140.

Modern palliative-hospice care has gained space in Europe for more than 50 years. Since the initial empirical work of Cicely Saunders, palliative medicine has gained its place in evidence-based medicine in more and more countries. However, development, as in many other medical fields, is not uniform, there are big differences between countries in the world. There are also significant differences in development of care and the level of services within the European Union amongst Western and Eastern European countries. These differences affect the professional approach, legislative mechanisms and social acceptance. Hungarian palliative-hospice care has developed significantly over the past 15 years. For further development thoughtful strategic steps and service development is needed. The integration of palliative care into standard oncology is an international requirement, which also appears in the form of professional guidelines. Hungary has also played a role in the development of the European model of integrated palliative care of which Hungarian implementation, the "Pécs model", is discussed in detail in our paper.