What is it about?
We examined changes in medication use in relation to the time until death in cancer patients receiving palliative care. We found that nearly all medications for symptom relief (e.g. pain medication) increased when death approached, while cancer treatment (e.g. chemotherapy) and medication for long-term prevention (e.g. anti-hypertensives) decreased. However, the use of chemotherapy remained high, even during the last month before death.
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Why is it important?
Our study is the first study to describe medication use at different time points before death in a large group of advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care. Particularly the high use of chemotherapy at the end of life is an interesting finding, since all patients received palliative care.
Perspectives
It was a pleasure writing this article.
Kristel Paque
UGent & VUB
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Changes in medication use in a cohort of patients with advanced cancer: The international multicentre prospective European Palliative Care Cancer Symptom study, Palliative Medicine, December 2017, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0269216317746843.
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