Early Palliative Care in Advanced Oncologic and Non-Oncologic Chronic Diseases: A Systematic Review of Literature

Abstract

Early palliative care improves the main outcomes of the assistance in patients with advanced oncologic and non-oncologic chronic diseases. The available data are probably enough to consider early palliative cares a novel standard of care in these groups of patients.

Systematic vs. on-demand early palliative care in gastric cancer patients: a randomized clinical trial assessing patient and healthcare service outcomes

“…Undertreatment in the intervention group and crossover/compensation in the control group were hypothesized as potential reasons for these results. The most recent reviews on EPC trials conclude that the quality of studies needs to be improved and that not all outcomes examined to date have been significantly impacted [7,29].…”

A Systematic Review in Support of the National Consensus Project Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, Fourth Edition

“…Early/integrated palliative care Adults or mixed samples Setting: mixed Patient outcome: quality of life 2 SRs 38,40 Two reviews addressed quality of life but conclusions varied. One review concluded on the basis of three RCTs and one quasi-experimental study all demonstrating significant improvements in quality of life that there is robust evidence that early palliative care integrated into standard oncology care significantly improves quality of life.…”

Palliative care from diagnosis to death

“…5 Further recent trials and a systematic review report that early systematic provision of palliative care by many clinicians, not just by palliative care specialists, can improve quality of life of people with cancer and other advanced life limiting conditions. [6][7][8] It can also help avoid burdensome interventions of low benefit. 9 Studies of older people in Australia and people with chronic disease in Canada showed significant reductions in hospital admissions.…”