Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41317183›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025

Symptom burden and quality of life in patients with pancreatic and peri-pancreatic cancer at admission to specialized palliative care: a nationwide register-based study in Denmark.

Thukirtha Chelliah, Inna Markovna Chen, Claus Wilki Fristrup, Mogens Groenvold, Mathilde Adsersen

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Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Thukirtha ChelliahDepartment of Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Diseases, Surgical Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. thukirtha.chelliah@regionh.dk.
Inna Markovna ChenDepartment of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Herlev, Denmark.
Claus Wilki FristrupDepartment of Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Mogens GroenvoldPalliative Care Research Unit, Department of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine GP, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Mathilde AdsersenPalliative Care Research Unit, Department of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine GP, Copenhagen University Hospital - Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMost patients with pancreatic cancer have advanced disease at the time of diagnosis and a poor prognosis. Therefore, it is important to investigate the symptom burden for these patients, e.g., at the start of specialized palliative care (SPC).

aimTo investigate symptoms, problems, and quality of life in patients with pancreatic cancer at the start of SPC and to explore the associations with demographic factors.

methodThe data sources were the national Danish Palliative Care Database and Danish Pancreatic Cancer Database. Patients with pancreatic and peri-pancreatic cancer, who were diagnosed and died between 2011 and 2018 and admitted to SPC were included. Data about symptoms, problems, and quality of life were collected by EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL (10 scales ranging 0-100). Using ordinal logistic regression analyses, the associations between demographic factors and the symptoms and functions scores and QOL (outcomes) were investigated.

resultsFrom 2011-18, 3,497 patients with pancreatic cancer were admitted to SPC and 58% (N = 2028) of these completed the QLQ-C15-PAL. Patients with pancreatic cancer had a high symptom burden regarding fatigue (mean: 76), loss of appetite (mean: 68), and pain (mean: 56), whereas among function scales, low physical function (mean: 35) and low quality of life (mean: 39) were found. Younger patients and patients who had not received any anticancer treatment had a higher symptom burden.

conclusionIn this nationally representative study, patients with pancreatic cancer had a high symptom burden and low quality of life at admission to SPC, underlining the need for symptom assessment and palliative care, also before referral to SPC.

Indexed as

Palliative CarePancreatic NeoplasmsQuality of LifeAdultAgedAged, 80 and overCost of IllnessDenmarkFatigueFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRegistriesSymptom BurdenPancreatic cancerPatient reported outcomesQuality of lifeSpecialized palliative careSymptom burden

Identifiers

PMID41317183

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