Age and Gender Moderate the Impact of Early Palliative Care in Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Conclusion. Males and younger patients who received EPC had better QOL and mood than those who received oncology care alone. However, these outcomes did not differ significantly between treatment groups for females or older patients. Implications for Practice: This study found that early palliative care improves patients’ quality of life and mood differentially based on their age and gender. Specifically, males and younger patients receiving early palliative care experienced better quality of life and mood than those receiving oncology care alone. Conversely, females and older patients did not experience this treatment effect. Thus, palliative care interventions may need to be tailored to patients’ age- and gender-specific care needs. Studying how patients’ demographic characteristics affect their experience with palliative care will enable the development of interventions targeted to the distinct supportive care needs of patients with cancer.
Source: The Oncologist - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Lung Cancer, Symptom Management and Supportive Care Source Type: research