title: Palliative Radiotherapy with or without Additional Care by a Multidisciplinary Palliative Care Team: A Retrospective Comparison.
abstract: Purpose. To analyze pattern of care and survival after palliative radiotherapy (RT) in patients managed exclusively by regular oncology staff or a multidisciplinary palliative care team (MPCT) in addition. Methods. Retrospective analysis of 522 RT courses. Comparison of Two Groups: MPCT versus none. Results. We analyzed 140 RT courses (27%) with MPCT care and 382 without it. The following statistically significant differences were observed: 33% of female patients had MPCT care versus only 23% of male patients and 37% of patients <65 years had MPCT care versus only 22% of older patients. MPCT patients were more likely to have poor performance status and liver metastases. In the MPCT group steroid and opioid use was significantly more common. Dose-fractionation regimens were similar. Median survival was significantly shorter in the MPCT group, 3.9 versus 6.9 months. In multivariate analysis, MPCT care was not associated with survival. Adjusted for confounders, MPCT care reduced the likelihood of incomplete RT by 33%, P > 0.05. Conclusions. Patterns of referral and care differed, for example, regarding age and medication use. It seems possible that MPCT care reduces likelihood of incomplete RT. Therefore, the impact of MPCT care on symptom control should be investigated and objective referral criteria should be developed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Nordland Hospital, 8092 Bodø, Norway ; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, 9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1592-2908
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nieder
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, 9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Kent
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8283-6543
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Angelo
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Nordland Hospital, 8092 Bodø, Norway ; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, 9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dalhaug
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Nordland Hospital, 8092 Bodø, Norway.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pawinski
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Nordland Hospital, 8092 Bodø, Norway.
authors.forename: Gro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aandahl
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Nordland Hospital, 8092 Bodø, Norway.
authors.forename: Ellinor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haukland
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Nordland Hospital, 8092 Bodø, Norway.
authors.forename: Kirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Engljähringer