Prognostication in patient with terminal stage of cancer

Abstract

Prognosis is one of the most critical factors affecting clinical decision in medical practice. In terminal illness where patients are only less than months to live, prognostication is essential to provide an appropriate plan, particularly to avoid futile treatment and to arrange palliative care referral. Prognostication is a process of foreseeing and foretelling, which enable the health care team, patients and family to be involved in the decision making. Determining prognosis is a challenge for doctors as lack of knowledge and skills and fear of the response of the patients and their families. Prognostication is essential in decision making among terminally ill patients, as the risks of adverse effects, energy, time and cost potentially outweighs the benefit of survival, quality of life, functional gain and hope. The benefit of prognostication is not only for the doctors, but particularly to the patients, their families, as well as to institution and health care system. In daily practice a subjective judgment made by doctor based on clinical assessment is usually overoptimistic. A tool is needed to make a better prognostication. Palliative Prognostic Index (PPI) and Palliative Prognostic Score (PaP score) are the most common tools used in palliative care setting.