ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2013
Palliative care needs, symptoms, and treatment intensity along the disease trajectory in medical oncology outpatients: a retrospective chart review.
Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 19 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Early palliative care versus standard care in haematologic cancer patients at their last active treatment: study protocol of a feasibility trial.BMC palliative care · 2020Article
- Conceptualizing and Counting Discretionary Utilization in the Final 100 Days of Life: A Scoping Review.Journal of pain and symptom management · 2020Article
- A pilot study on patient-related costs and factors associated with the cost of specialist palliative care in the hospital: first steps towards a patient classification system in Germany.Cost effectiveness and resource allocation : C/E · 2018Article
- [Palliative therapy concepts in intensive care medicine].Der Anaesthesist · 2017Review
- CARE Track for Advanced Cancer: Impact and Timing of an Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic.Journal of palliative medicine · 2016Article
- Symptoms and medication management in the end of life phase of high-grade glioma patients.Journal of neuro-oncology · 2014Article
- The integration of early palliative care with oncology care: the time has come for a new tradition.Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN · 2014Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEarly integration of palliative care into cancer disease management is beneficial for patients with advanced tumors. However, little is known about the association of palliative care interventions with symptom burden and treatment aggressiveness at the end of life (EoL).
methodsTo assess determinants of symptom burden and treatment intensity at the EoL, a retrospective chart review was conducted in university cancer clinic outpatients who died between July 2009 and June 2011. The objective was the correlation of place of death, palliative care utilization, prior EoL discussion, and social background (determinant variables) with symptom burden and treatment intensity (outcome variables).
resultsNinety-six patients (61 men and 35 women) died; the mean age at death was 62.4 years (range 24-83). Mean duration of treatment was 17.9 months (range 1-129). Data on the last 14 days (3) of life were available for 62 (44) patients. Forty-seven patients received aggressive EoL care which was strongly associated with hospital death (p = 0.000, χ2 test). The 15 patients having used palliative care services or dying in a palliative care unit (PCU) had fewer symptoms (p = 0.006, t test) and interventions (p = 0.000, t test) at the EoL. Having addressed EoL issues was correlated with fewer procedures during the last 3 days (p = 0.035, t test).
conclusionsMost cancer patients receive aggressive EoL care interfering with quality of life. Despite limitations by small sample size and missing data, the results suggest that palliative care utilization is associated with reduced symptom burden and intensity of treatment at the EoL. Timely discussion of EoL issues may reduce the number of unnecessary interventions and facilitate referral to the PCU.
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