Study: Half of Cancer Patients "Does Not Receive Fatty Care"

A recent study conducted by researchers at the American Cancer Society revealed that almost half of the cancer patients in the advanced stages in the United States that received extensive treatment care that could be unnecessary at the end of their lives, at the expense of supporting care that increases quality of life. Despite the ongoing recommendations of doctors and health organizations that have early and supportive care for advanced cancer patients, it is still not used adequately, according to Dr. Rubin Yabrov, Deputy President of Scientific Services Research at the American Cancer Society and the lead author of the study. Palliative care, palliative care, a medical approach aimed at improving the quality of life of patients with chronic or serious illnesses, such as cancer and advanced heart disease, by relieving pain and physical and psychological symptoms associated with the disease. This care is offered parallel to other medical treatments, and is not limited to the final stages of the disease, but can be provided at any point, in addition to therapeutic treatments. Palliative care focuses on supporting patients and their families, by providing specialized medical consultations, planning for the first time and improving communication between healthcare providers and the patient, which helps to achieve a more human and effective treatment experience. The researchers believe that high -quality patient care is essential to improve the remaining quality of these patients, but that care for care is still limited, while the registration of patients in palliative care services often occurs greatly. The researchers analyzed data from the supervision and epidemics program and the final results to determine the care patterns that patients received in the last months of their lives. The study included 33 thousand and 744 patients of 66 years and more, who have health insurance, were diagnosed with breast, prostate, pancreas or lung in advanced stages and died between 2014 and 2019. Patient support and focus the analysis on the use of acute care, systemic treatments and supportive care; Including palliative care, elderly care and advanced care planning during the last six months of life. The researchers also used an indicator based on health insurance records to determine the extent of patients receiving intense treatment care during the past thirty days of their lives, such as the repetition of hospital visits, death in hospitals, or to receive chemotherapy, or allow palliative care. The study showed that only a quarter of patients received any form of palliative care during the last six months of their lives, and that they were regularly provided in the last month, while 45% of patients received intense treatment care in their last days. This period was also witnessed by a noticeable increase in the rate of acute care visits of 14.0 to 46.2 visits per 100 people per month, the use of palliative care of 2.6 to 26.1 per 100 people per month, and advanced planning of 1.7 to 12.8 per 100 people per month, in addition to the high tests of the elderly from 6,6 to 73. Month. This study shows the need to improve the quality of care for advanced cancer patients, especially by removing barriers that prevent access to palliative care, and the need to improve communication between doctors and patients and their families at pre -planning, to ensure more conscious decisions about care at the end of life.