Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37085859›Full record

ArticleBMC palliative care2023

Factors associated with suffering from dying in patients with cancer: a cross-sectional analytical study among bereaved caregivers.

Angélica Arango-Gutiérrez, Socorro Moreno, Martín Rondón, Lucía I Arroyo, Liliana Ardila, Fabián Alexander Leal Arenas, José A Calvache, Esther de Vries

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC palliative care, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 32% of its field
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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Angélica Arango-GutiérrezMSc programme Clinical Epidemiology, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2980-6847
Socorro MorenoDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4119-4409
Martín RondónDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3885-5448
Lucía I ArroyoDepartamento de Fonoaudiología, Universidad de Cauca, Popayán, Colombia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1261-6297
Liliana ArdilaNational Cancer Institute of Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3686-7269
Fabián Alexander Leal ArenasNational Cancer Institute of Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0284-2423
José A CalvacheDepartment of Anaesthesiology, Universidad del Cauca, Popayán, Colombia. jacalvache@unicauca.edu.co.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9421-3717
Esther de VriesDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia. estherdevries@javeriana.edu.co.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5560-2258
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana · COInstituto Nacional de Cancerología · COUniversity of Cauca · CO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn Colombia, cancer incidence is increasing, as is the demand for end-of-life care. Understanding how patients who die from cancer experience this phase will allow the identification of factors associated with greater suffering and actions to improve end-of-life care. We aimed to explore associations between the level of suffering of patients who died from cancer and were cared for in three Colombian hospitals with patient, tumor, treatment, and care characteristics and provided information.

methodsData on the last week of life and level of suffering were collected through proxies: Bereaved caregivers of patients who died from cancer in three participating Colombian hospitals. Bereaved caregivers participated in a phone interview and answered a series of questions regarding the last week of the patient's life. An ordinal logistic regression model explored the relationship between the level of suffering reported by bereaved caregivers with the patient's demographic and clinical characteristics, the bereaved caregivers, and the care received. Multivariate analyses were adjusted for place of death, treatments to prolong of life, prolongation of life during the dying process, suffering due to prolongation of life, type of cancer, age, if patient had partner, rural/urban residence of patient, importance of religion for the caregiver, caregivers´ relationship with the patient, and co-living with the patient.

resultsA total of 174 interviews were included. Median age of the deceased patients was 64 years (IQR 52-72 years), and 93 patients were women (53.4%). Most caregivers had rated the level of suffering of their relative as "moderately to extremely" (n = 139, 80%). In multivariate analyses, factors associated with a higher level of suffering were: unclear information about the treatment and the process before death Odds Ratio (OR) 2.26 (90% CI 1.21-4.19), outpatient palliative care versus home care OR 3.05 (90% CI 1.05-8.88), procedures inconsistent with the patient's wishes OR 2.92 (90% CI 1.28-6.70), and a younger age (18-44 years) at death versus the oldest age group (75-93 years) OR 3.80 (90% CI 1.33-10.84, p = 0.04).

conclusionEnd-of-life care for cancer patients should be aligned as much as possible with patients´ wishes, needs, and capacities. A better dialogue between doctors, family members, and patients is necessary to achieve this.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsTerminal CareAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCaregiversCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPalliative CareYoung AdultCaregiversCommunicationEnd of lifeMedical futilityNeoplasmsPalliative careSuffering

Identifiers

PMID37085859
PMCPMC10120203
OpenAlexW4366742330

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.