Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30086748›Full record

ArticleBMC palliative care2018

Trends in treatment during the last stages of life in end-stage gynecologic cancer patients who received active palliative chemotherapy: a comparative analysis of 10-year data in a single institution.

Tae-Kyu Jang, Dae-Yeon Kim, Shin-Wha Lee, Jeong-Yeol Park, Dae-Shik Suh, Jong-Hyeok Kim, Yong-Man Kim, Young-Tak Kim, Joo-Hyun Nam

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC palliative care, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Surgical Treatment Intensity at the End of Life in Patients With Cancer: A Systematic Review.Annals of surgery open : perspectives of surgical history, education, and clinical approaches · 2024
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Tae-Kyu JangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asan Medical center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.
Dae-Yeon KimDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asan Medical center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea. kdyog@amc.seoul.kr.
Shin-Wha LeeDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asan Medical center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.
Jeong-Yeol ParkDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asan Medical center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.
Dae-Shik SuhDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asan Medical center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.
Jong-Hyeok KimDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asan Medical center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.
Yong-Man KimDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asan Medical center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.
Young-Tak KimDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asan Medical center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.
Joo-Hyun NamDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asan Medical center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 05505, South Korea.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPalliative chemotherapy should be used with caution when attempting to alleviate symptoms in patients with end-stage cancer. However, palliative chemotherapy continues to be utilized in cancer patients during their last stages of life. In this study, we analyzed the pattern of chemotherapy administered during the last 6 months of life in patients with end-stage gynecologic cancer who were treated with active palliative chemotherapy for the past 10 years.

methodWe retrospectively analyzed the data for patients with gynecologic cancer who died after undergoing active palliative chemotherapy without receiving hospice management at Asan Medical Center from 2006 to 2015. Patients were divided into two groups: those who died between 2006 and 2010, and those who died between 2011 and 2015. Based on the electronic medical records, the demographic and baseline characteristics of the patients, hospital admission during the last 6 months, invasive procedures, palliative chemotherapy patterns, and the time of the last chemotherapy session were confirmed.

resultsA total of 193 patients with gynecologic cancer were eligible for this study. 92 patients died during 2006 to 2010, and 101 patients died during 2011 to 2015. The mean frequency of admission during the last 6 months was 5.12 for those who died in 2006-2010 and 6.06 for those who died during 2011-2015 (p = 0.003); similarly, the mean frequency of palliative chemotherapy during the last 6 months was 3.84 (2006-2010) vs. 4.93 times (2011-2015; p < 0.001). The proportion of patients undergoing invasive procedures during the last 3 months was 41.3% (2005-2010) vs. 56.4% (2011-2015; p = 0.044).

conclusionsThe frequency of palliative chemotherapy and the rate of invasive procedures have increased in patients with end-stage gynecologic cancer who were treated aggressively without hospice management over 2011-2015 when compared to 2006-2010, along with an increase in the mean frequency of admission during the last 6 months at our institution. Gynecologic oncologists need to evaluate whether active palliative chemotherapy is beneficial to patients at the end-of-life stage, and if not helpful, should communicate with the patients and caregivers about when the palliative chemotherapy should be discontinued.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAged, 80 and overDrug TherapyFemaleGenital Neoplasms, FemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeRepublic of KoreaRetrospective StudiesTerminal CareActive palliative chemotherapyGynecologic cancerThe last stage of lifeTrend

Identifiers

PMID30086748
PMCPMC6081917

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.