To date, there has been little research on supportive care needs in patients with neonatal infectious cancer and how their disease progresses. That is why experts from the German Cancer Society working group on palliative medicine, led by Professor Florian Lordick, Director of the University of Leipzig Cancer Center (UCCL), studied 500 patients between the ages of 25 and 89. What made the project special was the fact that the patients were together from the moment they were diagnosed and before they received any treatment.
There is an urgent need for patients to have early access to supportive palliative care for a wide range of issues, including psychosocial support. “
Professor Florian Lordick, Director, University of Leipzig Cancer Center
Palliative care is not about healing, but about maintaining quality of life, pain relief, treatment of other physical ailments and problems of a psychosocial and spiritual nature.
Two-thirds of patients diagnosed with irreversible cancer reported immediate severe physical and emotional distress. The study paints a complex picture of the care provided by 20 cancer treatment centers across Germany, from university to community setting, from outpatient care to outpatient care. Oncologist Lordick explains: “The patients were very interested in the study, despite being in a very difficult situation and the study asked them to express their own views to some extent. that’s just how important this issue is to us. “
Patients were examined shortly after diagnosis with non-invasive lung (217), gastrointestinal (156), head and neck (55), gynecological (57) and skin cancers (15) , and again after three, six and twelve months. The focus was on patient distress, symptom burden, quality of life and supportive care needs.
More than 30 percent of respondents reported anxiety and depression shortly after the diagnosis. Complaints of lack of energy, nutritional and digestive problems, and pain were also common. The study shows where the needs of those affected are particularly high. When comparing patients with different cancers, those with stomach, esophageal, liver, or head and neck tumors showed the highest level of fatigue over the entire observation period.
Professor Lordick believes the results of the study can be used to draw clear conclusions for medical practice, explaining: “Cancer centers need experienced palliative care services, both on a patient-by-patient basis and patient. These include specialized nutritional counseling, pain management, and physiotherapy and psychosocial support. “The expert from Leipzig University Hospital concludes that the findings affirm the need for comprehensive symptom screening and the introduction of early palliative medical care.
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Magazine Reference:
Vogt, J., et al. (2021) Symbolic burden and palliative care needs of patients with undiagnosed cancer at the time of diagnosis and during the course of the disease. The Oncologist. doi.org/10.1002/onco.13751.