Palliative Chemotherapy Affects Aggressiveness of End-of-Life Care.
Although palliative chemotherapy during end-of-life care is used for relief of symptoms in patients with metastatic cancer, chemotherapy may lead to more aggressive end-of-life care and less use of hospice service. This is a population-based study of the association between palliative chemotherapy and aggressiveness of end-of-life care.



Using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, we identified 49,920 patients with metastatic cancer who underwent palliative chemotherapy from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2011. Patients who received chemotherapy 2-6 months before death were included. Aggressiveness of end-of-life care was examined by previously reported indicators. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and endotracheal tube intubation were included as indicators of aggressive end-of-life care. The association between palliative chemotherapy and hospice care was studied.



Palliative chemotherapy was associated with more aggressive treatment. After adjustment for patient age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, cancer group, primary physician's specialty, postdiagnosis survival, hospital characteristics, hospital caseload, urbanization, and geographic regions, more than one emergency room visit (p < .001), more than one intensive care unit admission (p < .001), and endotracheal intubation (p = .02) during end-of-life care were significantly more common in patients receiving palliative chemotherapy. Patients who did not receive palliative chemotherapy received more hospice care in the last 6 months of life (p < .001).



Although the decision to initiate palliative chemotherapy was made several months before death, this study showed that palliative chemotherapy was associated with more aggressive end-of-life care, including more emergency room visits and intensive care unit admissions, and endotracheal intubation. The patients who received palliative chemotherapy received less hospice service toward the end of life.



Palliative chemotherapy is used for patients with incurable cancer toward the end of life (EOL). Aggressiveness of EOL care and hospice care are related to the quality of life of these patients. This study of data from the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Research Database found that palliative chemotherapy led to more aggressive EOL care and less hospice care. There is a need to provide patients with terminal cancer access to care information that best meets their needs, especially those patients who receive palliative chemotherapy.
Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan Cancer Center, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Chin-Chia
CC
Wu
Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan Cancer Center, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan, Republic of China School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Ta-Wen
TW
Hsu
Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan Cancer Center, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan, Republic of China School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Chun-Ming
CM
Chang
Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan Cancer Center, Dalin Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Chiayi, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Cheng-Hung
CH
Lee
Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Ditmanson Medical Foundation Chiayi Christian Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan, Republic of China.
Chih-Yuan
CY
Huang
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China hematcd2@hotmail.com.
Ching-Chih
CC
Lee
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care; D013727:Terminal Care
Aggressiveness of cancer treatment; End-of-life care; Palliative chemotherapy