Prognostic significance of symptoms of hospitalised advanced cancer patients☆
Received 4 January 2006; received in revised form 3 May 2006; accepted 5 May 2006.
Abstract
Purpose
To assess the prognostic value of symptoms in hospitalised advanced cancer patients.
Patients and methods
A prospective analysis was performed of 181 hospitalised patients referred to a Palliative Care Team. Comprehensive symptom questionnaire, functional status, estimated life expectancy and survival were assessed. Using a Cox regression model, a predictive survival model was built.
Results
Median survival: 53d. Median number of symptoms: 4; 20 symptoms occurred in ⩾10%. Multivariate analysis showed nausea, dysphagia, dyspnoea, confusion and absence of depressed mood as independent prognostic factors for survival (p<0.05) with relative risks of dying of 1.96, 1.81, 1.79, 2.35 and 1.79, respectively. Patients with 2, 3 or 4 of these factors at the same time had a relative risk of dying of 2.7, 2.1 and 9.0, respectively.
Conclusion
A cluster of factors comprising nausea, dysphagia, dyspnoea, confusion and absence of depressed mood may be used to accurately predict survival in hospitalised advanced cancer patients.
☆Earlier presentation: Aspects of this work were presented as a poster at the annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Session Patient Care, abstract 2945), May 2004, New Orleans.
ABSTRACT