Early integration of palliative care services with standard oncology care for patients with advanced cancer

Answer questions and earn CME/CNE Scientific advances in novel cancer therapeutics have led to remarkable changes in oncology practice and longer lives for patients diagnosed with incurable malignancies. However, the myriad options for treatment have established a culture of cancer care that has not been matched with a similar availability of efficacious supportive care interventions aimed at relieving debilitating symptoms due to progressive disease and treatment side effects. Accumulating data show that the introduction of palliative care services at the time of diagnosis of advanced cancer leads to meaningful improvement in the experiences of patients and family caregivers by emphasizing symptom management, quality of life, and treatment planning. In this review article, the rationale and evidence base for this model of early palliative care services integrated into standard oncology care are presented. In addition, the implications and limitations of the existing data to 1) elucidate the mechanisms by which early palliative care benefits patients and families; 2) guide the dissemination and application of this model in outpatient settings; and 3) inform health care policy regarding the delivery of high‐quality, cost‐effective, and comprehensive cancer care are discussed. CA Cancer J Clin 2013;63:349‐363. ^© 2013 American Cancer Society, Inc.     

Quality of integrated care for patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer: variations and determinants of care

BACKGROUND: In the current study, the authors focused on determinants influencing the quality of care and variations in the actual quality of integrated care for patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to estimate whether there is room for improvement. METHODS: The authors tested the quality of integrated care for 276 NSCLC patients with 14 quality indicators of professional (4 indicators), organizational (3 indicators), and patient-oriented quality (7 indicators). Patient characteristics and actual care data were derived from medical record data, patient-oriented care was derived from patient questionnaires, and professional and hospital characteristics were derived from questionnaires for professionals. The performance measure was the proportion of patients to whom the indicator applied who had positive scores on the indicator. Multilevel logistic regression analysis determined the influence of patient, professional, and hospital characteristics on care. RESULTS: With regard to professional quality, the proportions of patients who underwent fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography or cervical mediastinoscopy according to the guideline criteria were 88% and 84%, respectively. Only 50% of the biopsies were adequately obtained during mediastinoscopy, and in 3% of the patients with clinical stage III disease (based on the TNM classification) there was a search for brain metastases before the initiation of combination therapy. With regard to organizational quality, the diagnostic route of 79% of the patients was completed within 21 days; 51% of patients began therapy within 35 days and 57% were discussed during multidisciplinary consultation. All but 1 patient-oriented quality indicator scored /=20% with regard to 11 of the 14 indicators. The patient-related determinants "stage of disease," "age," and "comorbidity" were found to influence the indicator scores the most. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of integrated care (especially patient-oriented care) for NSCLC patients needs improvement. Patient characteristics appear to influence performance more than professional or hospital characteristics.     

Support of cancer patients' spiritual needs and associations with medical care costs at the end of life

BACKGROUND:

Although spiritual care is associated with less aggressive medical care at the end of life (EOL), it remains infrequent. It is unclear if the omission of spiritual care impacts EOL costs.

METHODS:

A prospective, multisite study of 339 advanced cancer patients accrued subjects from September 2002 to August 2007 from an outpatient setting and followed them until death. Spiritual care was measured by patients' reports that the health care team supported their religious/spiritual needs. EOL costs in the last week were compared among patients reporting that their spiritual needs were inadequately supported versus those who reported that their needs were well supported. Analyses were adjusted for confounders (eg, EOL discussions).

RESULTS:

Patients reporting that their religious/spiritual needs were inadequately supported by clinic staff were less likely to receive a week or more of hospice (54% vs 72.8%; P = .01) and more likely to die in an intensive care unit (ICU) (5.1% vs 1.0%, P = .03). Among minorities and high religious coping patients, those reporting poorly supported religious/spiritual needs received more ICU care (11.3% vs 1.2%, P = .03 and 13.1% vs 1.6%, P = .02, respectively), received less hospice (43.% vs 75.3% ≥1 week of hospice, P = .01 and 45.3% vs 73.1%, P = .007, respectively), and had increased ICU deaths (11.2% vs 1.2%, P = .03 and 7.7% vs 0.6%, P = .009, respectively). EOL costs were higher when patients reported that their spiritual needs were inadequately supported ($4947 vs $2833, P = .03), particularly among minorities ($6533 vs $2276, P = .02) and high religious copers ($6344 vs $2431, P = .005).

CONCLUSIONS:

Cancer patients reporting that their spiritual needs are not well supported by the health care team have higher EOL costs, particularly among minorities and high religious coping patients. Cancer 2011;. © 2011 American Cancer Society.     

非小细胞肺癌患者生活质量研究现状

随着医学模式和健康理念的进步,维持良好的生活质量逐渐成为肿瘤治疗的重要目标之一。手术治疗、放疗、化疗等因素均可能严重影响非小细胞肺癌患者的生活质量。研究非小细胞肺癌及其治疗对生活质量的影响有助于掌握患者生活质量水平,实施干预提高生活质量,进而改进全程生存管理并为获得最佳治疗决策提供依据。本文将对近年有关非小细胞肺癌患者生活质量的研究进行综述。     

Palliative thoracic radiotherapy for lung cancer

Despite an increasing use of chemotherapy in the palliative setting for lung cancer, the role of palliative thoracic radiotherapy should not be disregarded. It offers quick and efficient palliation, with improvement observed in approximately two-thirds of treated patients. There is evidence that the short and long radiotherapy schedules are equally effective for poor performance patients. Higher radiation doses delivered via protracted schedules give a modest survival benefit for good performance patients. The current review covers the issues related to the use of palliative thoracic radiotherapy, such as total dose, fractionation, delayed versus immediate use, external-beam radiotherapy versus endobronchial brachytherapy, combination with chemotherapy, re-irradiation and palliation with radiation in small-cell lung cancer.     

中晚期非小细胞肺癌患者的心理特征及临床意义

目的探讨中晚期非小细胞肺癌患者的心理特征及临床意义。方法选取110例新确诊的中晚期非小细胞肺癌患者,分别采用Connor-Davidson心理韧性量表(CD-RISC)、Zung抑郁自评量表、一般自我效能感量表(GSES)、社会支持评定量表(SSRS)、医学应对问卷(MCMQ)和世界卫生组织生存质量(WHOQOL-100)测定量表对患者的心理弹性、抑郁程度、自我效能水平、社会支持、应对方式和生活质量进行评分,分析患者心理弹性评分与各量表评分的相关性。结果新确诊中晚期非小细胞肺癌患者的心理弹性总分为(58.5±12.6)分,抑郁评分为(59.2±8.7)分,自我效能水平评分为(31.5±7.7)分,社会支持评分为(36.9±7.5)分,生活质量评分为(59.7±13.2)分。应对方式评分中,面对应对、回避应对及屈服应对评分分别为(18.7±5.5)、(15.2±3.9)和(9.4±3.5)分。新确诊中晚期非小细胞肺癌患者的心理弹性评分与自我效能水平、社会支持、面对应对及生活质量评分均呈正相关(P﹤0.01),与屈服应对、抑郁评分均呈负相关(P﹤0.01)。结论新确诊中晚期非小细胞肺癌患者的心理弹性评分较低,且与自我效能、社会支持、面对应对和生活质量评分均呈正相关,与屈服应对、抑郁评分均呈负相关。     

非小细胞肺癌的后程适形放疗疗效

目的探讨后程适形放疗在非小细胞肺癌治疗中的临床价值.方法回顾分析我院1999年后程适形放疗的非小细胞肺癌患者19例.对比同期本院非小细胞肺癌患者常规放疗25例.对后程适形放疗组(1ate course conformal radiotherapy,LCCR)和常规放疗组(conventional radiotherapy,CR)进行比较.结果完全缓解率(CR)和总有效率(CR+PR)LCCR组为31.6%和89.5%;CR组为8%和60%.两组有显著性差异(P＜0.05).12月生存率、局部控制率LCCR组为78.9%、68.4%,18月生存率、局部控制率LCCR组为63.2%、47.4%.CR组分别为48%、24%和32%、16%.两组差异有显著性意义.放射性食管炎、放射性气管炎、放射性肺炎及放射性肺纤维化2个组均无差异.结论后程适形放疗治疗非小细胞肺癌患者的放射毒性反应与常规放疗相似,但疗效优于常规放疗.     

Chemoradiotherapy of nonsmall cell lung cancer

The efficacy of radiotherapy in locally advanced unresectable non-small cell lung cancer is low. This method does not provide effective eradication of bulky disease in the thorax, neither does it prevent uncontrolled systemic disease. The addition of chemotherapy to radiation results in increased cure rate by both improving tumor control in the thorax and by eliminating or delaying the emergence of metastatic disease. The two most frequently tested strategies of combining chemotherapy and radiation include primary chemotherapy followed by radiation and concurrent application of both methods. This review provides the rationale for this strategy and presents the results of major Phase III studies. Discussed are advantages of chemoradiation, its limitations in clinical practice and prospects for the future.     

中晚期肺癌患者生存质量的研究进展

生存质量是不同文化和价值体系中的个体对他们的目标、期望、标准以及所关心事情有关的生活状况的体验。本文通过文献回顾,对中晚期肺癌患者生存质量的评定量表、影响因素以及在临床研究中的应用做一概述,倡导为肺癌患者提供更多的关怀和照顾,提高生存质量。     

A longitudinal communication approach in advanced lung cancer: A qualitative study of patients’, relatives’ and staff's perspectives

Communication and the care of patients with advanced cancer are a dynamic, interactive and challenging process, often characterised in every day practice by discontinuity and lack of coordination. The objective of this study was to explore the patients’ and family‐caregivers’ needs and preferences regarding communication, quality of life and care over the trajectory of disease. The second aim was to assess health professionals’ views on a longitudinally structured, forward‐thinking communication approach based on defined milestones. A qualitative approach was chosen incorporating semi‐structured interviews with nine patients with metastatic lung cancer and nine relatives, and focus groups with 15 healthcare providers from different professions involved in the care of these patients. Patients and relatives described a situation of shock and coping deficits with moments of insufficient communication and lack of continuity in care. Healthcare providers reported the strong need for improvement in communication within the team and between patients and professionals and welcomed the implementation of a longitudinal communication approach. Requirements for the implementation of a longitudinal communication approach include specific communication training with focus on the process that patients and relatives are involved in. Team‐building measures and the necessary flexibility to respect individuality in life should be incorporated.     

参芪扶正注射液对肺癌放疗患者生活质量及免疫功能的影响

目的 探讨参芪扶正注射液对三维适形放疗肺癌患者生活质量及免疫功能的影响.方法 将90例放疗肺癌患者,随机分为试验组(参芪扶正组)、阳性对照组(艾迪注射液组)及空白对照组.结果 试验组总有效率优于空白对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05).试验组与阳性对照组治疗后卡氏评分较治疗前均有升高(P<0.05),空白对照组治疗前后比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05),试验组、阳性对照组在治疗结束时卡氏评分均优于空白对照组(P<0.05).治疗后,试验组CD3+、CD4+、CD4+/CD8+及NK细胞与阳性对照组无差异(P>0.05),而空白对照组治疗后CD3+、CD4+、CD8+、CD4+/CD8+比值均低于治疗前(P<0.05),且治疗后试验组的CD3+、CD4+、CD4+/CD8+比值与空白对照组比较差异有统计学意义(P<0.05).结论 参芪扶正注射液在肺癌方面,通过联合三维适形放疗能够对疾病产生积极影响,提高疗效,改善免疫功能,提高其生活质量.