Observational studyJournal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle2023
Patient-reported ability to walk 4 m and to wash: New clinical endpoints and predictors of survival in patients with pre-terminal cancer.
Observational study in Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of creatine supplementation on inflammation: evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized double-blind placebo trials.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Pooled it
- Sarcopenia as a prognostic indicator in colorectal cancer: an updated meta-analysis.Frontiers in oncology · 2023Pooled it
- Heart failure therapy in patients with advanced cancer receiving specialized palliative care (EMPATICC trial).European heart journal · 2026Trial
- Exercise, cancer, and the cardiovascular system: clinical effects and mechanistic insights.Basic research in cardiology · 2025Review
- Relevance of Cardiovascular Exercise in Cancer and Cancer Therapy-Related Cardiac Dysfunction.Current heart failure reports · 2024Review
- Analysis of the factors influencing moderate to poor performance status in patients with cancer after chemotherapy: a cross-sectional study comparing three models.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Patient-reported ability to walk 4 m and to wash: New clinical endpoints and predictors of survival in patients with pre-terminal cancer.Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2023Observational
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
25 authors at 10 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMaintaining the ability to perform self-care is a critical goal in patients with cancer. We assessed whether the patient-reported ability to walk 4 m and wash oneself predict survival in patients with pre-terminal cancer.
methodsWe performed a prospective observational study on 169 consecutive hospitalized patients with cancer (52% female, 64 ± 12 years) and an estimated 1-12 months prognosis at an academic, inpatient palliative care unit. Patients answered functional questions for 'today', 'last week', and 'last month', performed patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and physical function assessments.
resultsNinety-two (54%) patients reported the ability to independently walk 4 m and 100 (59%) to wash 'today'. The median number of days patients reported the ability to walk 4 m and wash were 6 (IQR 0-7) and 7 (0-7) days ('last week'); and 27 (5-30) and 26 (10-30) days ('last month'). In the last week, 32% of patients were unable to walk 4 m on every day and 10% could walk on 1-3 days; 30% were unable to wash on every day and 10% could wash on 1-3 days. In the last months, 14% of patients were unable to walk 4 m on every day and 10% could only walk on 1-10 days; 12% were unable to wash on every day and 11% could wash on 1-10 days. In patients who could walk 'today' average 4 m gait speed was 0.78 ± 0.28 m/s. Patients who reported impaired walking and washing experienced more symptoms (dyspnoea, exertion, and oedema) and decreased physical function (higher Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, and lower Karnofsky Performance Status and hand-grip strength [unable vs. able to walk 'today': 205 ± 87 vs. 252 ± 78 Newton, P = 0.001; unable vs. able to wash 'today': 204 ± 86 vs. 250 ± 80 Newton, P = 0.001]). During the 27 months of observation, 152 (90%) patients died (median survival 46 days). In multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, all tested parameters were independent predictors of survival: walking 4 m 'today' (HR 0.63, P = 0.015), 'last week' (per 1 day: HR 0.93, P = 0.011), 'last month' (per 1 day: HR 0.98, P = 0.012), 4 m gait speed (per 1 m/s: HR 0.45, P = 0.002), and washing 'today' (HR 0.67, P = 0.024), 'last week (per 1 day HR 0.94, p=0.019), and 'last month' (per 1 day HR 0.99, P = 0.040). Patients unable to walk and wash experienced the shortest survival and most reduced functional status.
conclusionsIn patients with pre-terminal cancer, the self-reported ability to walk 4 m and wash were independent predictors of survival and associated with decreased functional status.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.