title: Chemotherapy use and associated factors among cancer patients near the end of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the frequency of chemotherapy use and its associated factors in patients in all age groups in the last year of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified cancer patients who died in 2004 in any of 17 hospitals. We used demographic and treatment characteristics by computerized hospital information systems and by linking the identification numbers to the 2004 death registry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  48.7% of patients in the last 6 months of life, 43.9% in the last 3 months, and 30.9% in the last month of life received chemotherapy. The frequency of chemotherapy use was lower for older patients. In those > or =65 years old, there was no difference between women and men in the proportion that received chemotherapy. For patients <65 years of age, a larger proportion of women than men received chemotherapy, and chemotherapy use was significantly less frequent for patients with refractory disease than for those with responsive disease. Patients dying at a relatively small hospital without a hospice inpatient unit were significantly more likely to receive chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the fact that most cancer patients are resistant to chemotherapy at the end of life, it was administered often to all age groups.
authors: Quality of Cancer Care Branch, Research Institute for National Cancer Control and Evaluation, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors: Young Ho
authors: YH
authors: Yun
authors: Miyoung
authors: M
authors: Kwak
authors: Sang Min
authors: SM
authors: Park
authors: Samyong
authors: S
authors: Kim
authors: Jong Soo
authors: JS
authors: Choi
authors: Ho-Yeong
authors: HY
authors: Lim
authors: Chang Geol
authors: CG
authors: Lee
authors: Youn Seon
authors: YS
authors: Choi
authors: Young Seon
authors: YS
authors: Hong
authors: Si-Young
authors: SY
authors: Kim
authors: Dae Seog
authors: DS
authors: Heo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013727:Terminal Care; D019452:Terminally Ill
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents