Article
Palliative Care Improves Survival in Advanced Cancer, Studies Report
Two studies, published last week in Journal of Clinical Oncology, report improved survival as well as reduced caregiver burden following early initiation of palliative care in advanced cancer patients.
Early initiation of palliative care (PC) interventions improves survival and caregiver burden in advanced cancer, according to 2 studies published online March 23 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Marie A. Bakitas, DNSc, CRNP, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and colleagues conducted a randomized trial involving 207 patients with advanced cancer. Participants were randomized to receive an in-person PC consultation, structured PC telehealth nurse coaching sessions, and monthly follow-up, early after enrollment or three months later. The researchers found that patient-reported outcomes did not differ significantly after enrollment or before death. One-year survival rates were 63 and 48% in the early and delayed groups, respectively (P = 0.038).
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