Advance care planning needs in patients with glioblastoma undergoing radiotherapy

Despite multimodality treatment including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, glioblastoma of the brain remains a terminal and life-altering diagnosis, with a median survival of less than 2 years. Patients with glioblastoma have the concurrent diagnoses of a cancer and a progressive neurological disease, and often have a high burden of associated symptoms that not only impair the patient ’s quality of life but also decision-making capacity. At diagnosis, about half of patients with primary malignant brain tumors including glioblastoma already have compromised medical-decision making capacity due to cognitive impairment, behavioral changes, and/or poor communication, and this perce ntage increases as their disease progresses1.
Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management - Category: Palliative Care Authors: Source Type: research