Benefits of extended palliative care measured

Thursday February 1st, 2018

Cancer patients who receive extended palliative care spend less time in hospital in their last weeks than others, according to an analysis published today.

Researchers in Leeds, UK, tracked outcomes for patients who received palliative care for periods of up to a year before death.

Their research, reported in BMJ Open, involved nearly 2,500 patients who died between 2010 and 2012.

The researchers found that just 64.5% of patients received palliative care and these patients were most likely to be young and female. It was most often offered for upper gastrointestinal disease.

Patients who began palliative care two weeks before death, they were more likely than others to be able to end their days in a hospice, the researchers found. And when they received at least four weeks of palliative care, they were much less likely than others to need hospital emergency care.

Patients who received palliative care more than 32 weeks before death were less likely than others to receive chemotherapy in the last month of life.

Researcher Dr Lucy Ziegler, of Leeds University, said: "Previous studies have shown that palliative care intervention is associated with an increased proportion of deaths at home and a reduction in emergency admissions.

“However, no study has investigated when and for how long patients need access to this care in order to receive quality of life benefits.

"Our research shows that for those with advanced cancer, access to palliative care and longer duration of care are significantly associated with better end of life quality indicators. Our study provides new evidence to support the early integration of palliative care for cancer patients."

Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive of Yorkshire Cancer Research, which backed the study and plans a £1.3 million programme of support for palliative care, said: "This research clearly demonstrates the importance of early access to palliative care and the huge effect this can have in ensuring cancer patients are comfortable and have the best possible experience at the end of their lives.”

BMJ Open 1 February 2018

Tags: Cancer | NHS | Pain Relief | UK News

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