What is the evidence that palliative care teams improve outcomes for cancer patients and their families?

Patients with advanced cancer experience a complex web of problems, all of which interact. Specialist palliative care services have developed to meet these needs, but their effectiveness should be considered. We sought to determine whether specialist palliative care teams achieve their aims and improve outcomes for patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers, in terms of improving symptoms and quality of life and/or reducing the emotional concerns of family caregivers. We conducted a systematic review, searching standard databases augmented by reference lists of earlier reviews. The review focused on specialist (ie, with trained and dedicated professionals) palliative care in the home, hospital, or designated inpatient settings for patients with cancer. Outcomes were pain, symptoms, quality of life, use of hospital services, and anxiety. Studies were excluded if they did not test specialist palliative care services. We identified 8 randomized controlled trials and 32 observational or quasi-experimental studies. Overall, the evidence demonstrated that home, hospital, and inpatient specialist palliative care significantly improved patient outcomes in the domains of pain and symptom control, anxiety, and reduced hospital admissions. The results suggest that specialist palliative care should be part of care for cancer patients. Although the appraisal of evidence found improvements across domains, there is a need to understand better the effects of different models of palliative care and to use standardized outcome measurement.     

Palliative care needs in a District General Hospital: a survey of patients with cancer

Although sophisticated treatment of cancer requires the resources of specialist cancer treatment centres, most patients with cancer still undergo initial diagnostic investigation and treatment in district general hospitals (DGHs). The DGH frequently remains the principle site of referral for management of symptoms and terminal care. This survey was carried out at a DGH which has no palliative care services. It aimed to demonstrate the need for such services by collecting data on inpatients with cancer and interviewing members of the nursing staff. Of 63 patients studied, 76% were admitted as emergencies, 50% had newly diagnosed cancer and 27% died in hospital. The majority (85%) were cared for on general medical, surgical and care of the elderly wards. Assessment of patients' symptoms suggested thet 39 (62%) might have benefited from the services of a palliative care team. Interviews with nursing staff highlighted the need for improved communication between professionals, increased staff education and support, and highlighted the particular difficulties that exist in caring for patients with advanced cancer and their families on busy acute general hospital wards. Imaginative and flexible approaches to the design and delivery of palliative services are essential if patients with cancer in DGHs are to receive the highest standards of care at all stages of their illness.     

Palliative care team at general hospital

Some three hundred thousand patients die from cancer in a year, most of whom end their lives at a general hospital. Considering this situation, the general hospital has to provide palliative care and make up interdisciplinary Palliative Care Team (PCT). Since April 2002, we established a PCT at Akita City Hospital. Our PCT educated doctors and nurses for palliative care medicine and established a system for palliative care. For example, the assessment sheet of cancer pain is useful for treatment of pain and to equally recognize the patient's condition by each team. The PCT provides support for doctors and nurses in the general unit. We general doctors must learn more about how to provide palliative care medicine for at least cancer pain as well as cancer treatment. A team approach is needed for all cancer patients.     

Dying at home: community nurses' views on the impact of informal carers on cancer patients' place of death

JACK B. & O'BRIEN M. (2010) European Journal of Cancer Care 19 , 636–642 Dying at home: community nurses' views on the impact of informal carers on cancer patients' place of death Giving patients with cancer a choice in where they want to die including the choice to die at home if they so wish, underpin the recent UK government policies and is embedded in the End of Life Care Programme. However, this presents increasing challenges for the informal carers particularly with an increasingly aging population. Despite the policy initiatives, there remain a persistent number of patients with cancer who had chosen to die at home being admitted to hospital in the last days and hours of life. A qualitative study using two focus group interviews with community nurses (district nurses and community specialist palliative care nurses) was undertaken across two primary care trusts in the north‐west of England. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. The results indicated that informal carer burden was a key reason for prompting hospital admission. Recommendations for the development of a carer assessment tool with appropriate supportive interventions are made.     

Role of pharmacists in the medical team--attempting palliative care

The Pharmacy Department at our hospital is attempting to develop methods for palliative care, for example of cancer pain or smelly tumors. The participation of pharmacists on the medical team for home care is necessary, because the supply of proper drugs for patients' individual conditions is indispensable in palliative care. Communication between not only patients, but also between their families and us, as well as the maintenance of close contact with the medical team, are important in home care.     

Essentials for transition of palliative care patients to palliative home care and for management of their cancer pain

Multi-disciplinary team work among visiting doctors, nurses, care managers and pharmacists located close to the patient's home is essential for smooth transition of a palliative care patient from hospital care to palliative home care and should be set up prior to the patient's discharge from the hospital. Palliative home care physicians should have knowledge of the fundamental support by the government to spare excessive cost to the patients. As for cancer pain management, opioid-centered analgesic therapies have lead to better quality home care for patients. In Japan, although oxycodone SRs and fentanyl patches are available besides morphine, there is no rescue opioid other than morphine. On the other hand, some cancer pain refractory to opioids such as neuropathic cancer pain should be carefully treated by adjuvant analgesics in conjunction with non-pharmacological treatments.     

Impact of early access to a palliative/supportive care intervention on pain management in patients with cancer

BackgroundNo study has so far addressed whether differences do exist in the management of cancer pain between patients receiving usual care by primary specialists and those receiving early palliative/supportive intervention.Patients and methodsA multicentre cross-sectional study in 32 Italian Hospitals has included 1450 patients, receiving analgesic therapy for cancer pain: 602 with access to primary specialist alone (standard care, SC) and 848 with early access to a palliative/supportive care (ePSC) team, concomitant with primary oncology care.ResultsStatistically significant differences in the analgesic drug administration according to care model have been evident: non-opioids were more frequently used in SC (9.5 % versus 2 % ; P < 0.001), while strong opioids in ePSC group (80 % versus 63 % ; P < 0.001). The number of patients with severe pain was lower in ePSC compared with SC group (31 % versus 17 % ; P < 0.001). Results of multivariate analysis have shown that ePSC integrated with primary oncologic care (relative risk 0.69; 95 % confidence interval 0.48–0.99; P = 0.045) was an independent factor associated with a 31 % reduced risk of suffering from severe pain.ConclusionsAn ePSC team provides the most effective standard of analgesic therapy for cancer pain. A randomized clinical trial is needed to confirm these findings.     

Palliative chemotherapy during the last month of life

BackgroundThis study analyses the potential discriminative characteristics for patients with incurable cancer who received palliative chemotherapy during their last month of life.Patients and methodsThe study includes all patients with epithelial cancer treated with palliative chemotherapy who died in 2008 in northern Sweden. Demographic parameters and care utilization data were registered. Data were analyzed using nonparametric methods.ResultsOf 374 included patients, 87 (23%) received chemotherapy during the last month of life. These patients had a significantly shorter survival time from first palliative treatment to death, were admitted more frequently to hospital, more often lacked a documented decision to cease treatment, and died less frequently at home.ConclusionsThe results indicate covariations between palliative chemotherapy treatments in the last month of life and unfavorable patient outcomes. As almost one of four patients with incurable cancer received their last round of palliative chemotherapy <31 days before death, there is a potential for improved routines.     

371 例肿瘤姑息治疗多学科会诊临床分析*

目的：分析天津医科大学肿瘤医院肿瘤姑息治疗多学科专家协作组（Multidisciplinary team ,MDT ）的工作概况,评价MDT 模式在肿瘤姑息治疗领域的作用。方法：回顾性分析2014年1 月1 日至2015年3 月31日参加本院肿瘤姑息治疗MDT 会诊的371 例患者的临床资料,总结其基本特征、MDT 决策执行情况,并对部分姑息治疗方案进行疗效评价。结果：全组患者401 例次共获得318（79%）项治疗建议,其中293 项为姑息治疗建议。MDT 为119 例疼痛患者提供了合理化镇痛方案,对95例患者提出营养治疗意见,对36例患者采取了抗焦虑抑郁药物治疗。有效随访到的374 项MDT 决策,全部执行者273 项（73%）,部分执行者49项（13%）,总体执行率86% 。执行MDT 决策的患者,在疼痛控制、营养状况改善及与抑郁相关的躯体症状缓解方面均优于未执行者（P < 0.001,P < 0.001 及P < 0.01）。 结论：肿瘤姑息治疗多学科会诊能为患者提供规范的个体化综合治疗建议,执行MDT 决策有助于改善癌症患者疼痛、营养障碍及焦虑抑郁等症状,值得进一步完善和推广。     

Statutory and voluntary sector palliative care in the community setting: National Health Service professionals' perceptions of the interface

Following the rapid service development brought about by the hospice movement, specialist palliative care services are involved with up to 50% of all patients dying with cancer in the United Kingdom, although the primary health care team remains the main provider of community based palliative care. This paper discusses findings from a survey of palliative care provision in the south west of England, and describes the perceptions of the primary care team (general practitioners and district nurses) about the interface between themselves and voluntary sector specialist palliative care providers (hospice in-patient units, hospice home care nurses and other charitably funded specialist palliative care nurses). The voluntary sector services are run with a mixture of funding from charitable sources (public donations, legacies, charitable trust moneys), and statutory funding (grants and recurrent contracts from central government, district health commissions, and local health care trusts). The interview and questionnaire data suggest that the voluntary sector services are perceived variably as substituting, supplementing, complementing and duplicating the services provided by the primary care team. Drawing attention to these dimensions and the ambivalence sometimes felt by general practitioners and district nurses could provide a means of negotiating consensus on appropriate professional tasks and facilitating interprofessional practice in what is increasingly a mixed economy of statutory and voluntary funded health care.     

Early diagnosis of metastatic spinal tumor is a key for effective palliative radiotherapy in patients with lung cancer

Patients with metastatic spinal tumor are the largest in number among the patients with bone tumor. It causes a severe bone pain, pathological fracture and spinal cord compression. Thus it harshly hampers patient's quality of life. We report 3 patients with lung cancer whose initial manifestation was metastatic spinal tumor. We treated the 3 patients with palliative radiotherapy and medication. Although the severe pain has improved on a numerical rating scale(NRS), but performance status(PS)and activity of daily living(ADL)of the 3 patients got worse because the disease was progressed and complicated. Generally, PS of cancer patients found by bone matastasis is low. However, it is difficult to take an effective treatment, which leads to ADL improvement. There are many choices for treating metastatic bone tumors including pain control, bisphosphonate administration, radiation therapy, strontium radiotherapy, bone cement, palliative surgery and orthotics. In addition, a development of molecular target drugs, such as Denosmab, is expected as future modality of palliative care. In conclusion, we should detect a bone metastasis in the patient with lung cancer as early as possible, and select an appropriate treatment in collaboration with each specialist for achieving the ADL and PS improvement.     

Impact on opioid precipitation of opioid-starting titration path

To investigate the effect clinical path of cancer pain treatments for opioid naive patients has on physician practice, a prepost quasi-experimental study was performed. The primary outcome measure was the percentage of patients who received 'recommended pain treatments' during the study periods. We determined the treatment to be the treatment of choice, if the physician 1) ordered a rescue dose, 2) prescribed a laxative, and 3) prescribed antiemetics when starting opioids. The secondary outcome measure was the number of newly consulted patients for our palliative care team. The end-points were measured before and after disseminating the clinical path. The rate of patients receiving recommended pain treatments significantly increased after disseminating the clinical path(p=0.03): 17%(33/18)to 61%(19/31). Patients who received a rescue order, laxative, or antiemetic when starting opioids were: 44% vs. 68%, 77% vs. 90%, and 66% vs. 77%, respectively. The number of patients newly consulting the palliative care team was increased(21 cases to 42 cases/4 month). In conclusion, the clinical path of cancer pain treatments is useful for improving the physician's practice when starting opioids for cancer pain, and might contribute to enhancing palliative care team availability.     

Intrathecal drug delivery for the management of cancer pain: a multidisciplinary consensus of best clinical practices

A substantial number of patients with cancer suffer considerable pain at some point during their disease, and approximately 25% of cancer patients die in pain. Providing effective pain management for patients with severe pain that impacts quality of life can present the oncologist or palliative care specialist with complex clinical challenges that often require multifaceted therapeutic measures. This paper presents multidisciplinary consensus-based recommendations for the treatment of intractable cancer pain using intrathecal drug delivery systems, which offer rapid and effective pain relief with less toxicity relative to oral or parenteral administration. Intrathecal drug delivery systems can be highly effective in a variety of patient settings, including cases of refractory pain, diminished performance status, poor tolerability of oral medications, polyanalgesia for complex pain, and inadequate dosing due to addiction concerns. The use of implantable or external systems is discussed, as well as implantation procedures, drug titration recommendations, and management of potential side effects.The authors offer a newly developed algorithm for delivering intraspinal analgesia in patients with cancer.The intent is that increased understanding of available options for truly effective pain management in the oncology and palliative care arena and the benefits of multidisciplinary cooperation will translate into genuine improvements in patient quality of life and a measurable decrease in the number of patients who suffer needlessly in their final days.     

Does the ‘Liverpool Care Pathway' facilitate an improvement in quality of care for dying cancer patients?

Background:

The Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient (LCP) aims to transfer hospice principles of care for dying patients to other health-care sectors. This post-bereavement survey explored the LCP''s effectiveness in improving quality of care for cancer patients.

Methods:

Postal self-completion questionnaires were sent to 778 next-of-kin to consecutive deceased patients who had died an ‘expected'' cancer death in a hospice and acute tertiary hospital.

Results:

Following exclusions (n=53), 255 of the 725 next-of-kin agreed to participate (35.2% response rate). Overall hospice participants reported the best quality of care, and hospital participants, for whom care was not supported by the LCP, reported the worst quality of care. Multivariate analysis showed the hospice was an independent predictor for patients being treated with dignity (OR 8.46) and receiving adequate family support (OR 7.18) (P<0.0001). Care supported by the LCP and the hospital specialist palliative care team were both associated with good family support, but neither was an independent predictor.

Conclusions:

From the bereaved relatives'' perspective, within the hospital, the LCP is effective in improving specific aspects of care, such as symptom control for dying patients. Further improvement is required, however, to attain the hospice standard of care.     

Integrating palliative care in oncologic emergency departments: Challenges and opportunities

Although visiting the emergency departments (EDs) is considered poor quality of cancer care, there are indications these visits are increasing. Similarly, there is growing interest in providing palliative care (PC) to cancer patients in EDs. However, this integration is not without major challenges. In this article, we review the literature on why cancer patients visit EDs, the rates of hospitalization and mortality for these patients, and the models for integrating PC in EDs. We discuss opportunities such integration will bring to the quality of cancer care, and resource utilization of resources. We also discuss barriers faced by this integration. We found that the most common reasons for ED visits by cancer patients are pain, fever, shortness of breath, and gastrointestinal symptoms. The majority of the patients are admitted to hospitals, about 13% of the admitted patients die during hospitalization, and some patients die in ED. Patients who receive PC at an ED have shorter hospitalization and lower resource utilization. Models based solely on increasing PC provision in EDs by PC specialists have had modest success, while very limited ED-based PC provision has had slightly higher impact. However, details of these programs are lacking, and coordination between ED based PC and hospital-wide PC is not clear. In some studies, the objectives were to improve care in the communities and reduce ED visits and hospitalizations. We conclude that as more patients receive cancer therapy late in their disease trajectory, more cancer patients will visit EDs. Integration of PC with emergency medicine will require active participation of ED physicians in providing PC to cancer patients. PC specialist should play an active role in educating ED physicians about PC, and provide timely consultations. The impact of integrating PC in EDs on quality and cost of cancer care should be studied.     

A PALLIATIVE CARE EDUCATION MODEL FOR THE HOSPITAL SETTING

This paper describes an integrated, needs-led palliative care education model for qualified nurses, developed by collaboration between a hospital-based palliative care team of a large NHS Trust and a specialist palliative care unit, in order to serve its common healthcare users. The aim of this model was to develop the knowledge and skills gained through clinical practice and ongoing education in order to achieve a basic level of expertise, and to enhance communication and collaboration between the hospital and community-based nursing services throughout the geographical area for patients requiring palliative care.     

The role of an oncology certified nurse specialist in a palliative care team

At Osaka National Hospital, we established a hospital based palliative care team in July 2004. The team provided consultation to 355 patients (189 males and 166 females). Even though consultation was requested from every department, the department of surgery requested most with 100 cases, of which a request for lung (16%) and gastric (13%) cancer patients were asked fairly often. Some of the consultation requests were 177 in pain control, 221 in psychiatric and 91 in physical related symptoms, respectively. The department of surgery requested PCT intervention most frequently. Finally, a total of 115 patients had died, 81 were discharged and 36 were continually treated with cancer chemotherapy as an outpatient basis. OCNS have a major role in coordination with the PCT and primary team, and intervene directly in the CNS's specialty area. To provide more appropriate care services with the primary team, the OCNS should assume more responsibility for promoting a support relationship with the staff and to enhance staff skills.     

Providing Continuity of Care for Cancer Patients

Palliative care is essential for enhancing a cancer patient's quality of life and decreasing his or her pain during the last days of life. This article describes the services provided by the Continuing Care Unit in the Pain Therapy Division, National Cancer Institute, Milan, Italy. The palliative care team of this unit, composed of physicians, nurses (both hospital and home care), psychologists, a social worker, and volunteers, provides constant support to patients in the hospital and at home. It also teaches the patients' relatives to provide home care and to monitor the patients' pain and functioning.     

Attitudes and practices among pediatric oncologists regarding end-of-life care: results of the 1998 American Society of Clinical Oncology survey.

PURPOSE: In 1998, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) surveyed its membership to assess the attitudes, practices, and challenges associated with end-of-life care of patients with cancer. In this report, we summarize the responses of pediatric oncologists and the implications for care of children dying from cancer. METHODS: The survey consisted of 118 questions, covering eight categories. All ASCO members in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom were mailed a survey, which was completed by 228 pediatric oncologists. Predictors of particular attitudes and practices were identified using stepwise logistic regression analysis. Potential predictors were age, sex, religious affiliation, importance of religious beliefs, recent death of a relative, specialty, type of practice (rural or urban, academic or nonacademic), amount of time spent in patient care, number of new patients in the past 6 months, and number of patients who died in the past year. RESULTS: Pediatric oncologists reported a lack of formal courses in pediatric palliative care, a strikingly high reliance on trial and error in learning to care for dying children, and a need for strong role models in this area. The lack of an accessible palliative care team or pain service was often identified as a barrier to good care. Communication difficulties exist between parents and oncologists, especially regarding the shift to end-of-life care and adequate pain control. CONCLUSION: Pediatric oncologists are working to integrate symptom control, psychosocial support, and palliative care into the routine care of the seriously ill child, although barriers exist that make such comprehensive care a challenge.