Abstract
e21642 Background: Little is known about palliative care for liver cancer. In this study, we examined palliative care for liver cancer and lung cancer patients. Methods: In an IRB approved protocol, we reviewed medical records of patients diagnosed with liver cancer who were seen by the palliative care service between 2006 and 2012 at 2 VA medical centers, and matched them to patients with lung cancer by year, KPS, and stage. Veterans were compared by symptom prevalence with the CMSAS and by palliative care interventions. Statistical analyses were performed with SAS Studio Version 3.5. Results: We analyzed a total of 138 male patients at 2 VA centers; 69 with lung cancer and 69 with liver cancer. The mean age in both groups was 65 years and 60% of patients self-identified as a minority. There was a high prevalence of symptoms in both groups. Symptom prevalence differed significantly between liver and lung cancer pts for weight loss and dyspnea at one site, and for feeling drowsy, constipation, at the other site. These differences disappeared in a pooled analysis. During palliative care evaluation, more lung cancer patients received treatment for constipation (n = 44 in lung, 29 in liver, p = 0.0107) and dyspnea treatment (n = 37 in lung, 22 in liver, p = 0.0167). More patients with lung cancer were evaluated by physical therapy (n = 41 in lung, n = 28 in liver, p = 0.0276) and psychiatry (n = 31 in lung, n = 20 in liver, p = 0.032). Conclusions: Differences between lung and liver cancer patients’ symptom prevalence and treatment by palliative care can vary by site. This reinforces the importance of local surveys of symptom prevalence . Further studies should be replicated in other sites.
Published Version
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