Leeds University study urges earlier intervention to help cancer patients

People with advanced cancer need earlier access to specialist care to improve their quality of life in the weeks before they die, new research has found.
Leeds University Study found earlier palliative care improved quality of life.Leeds University Study found earlier palliative care improved quality of life.
Leeds University Study found earlier palliative care improved quality of life.

University of Leeds researchers found that patients who received longer periods of palliative care - designed to make them comfortable through pain relief and emotional support - were less likely to be admitted to hospital as an emergency before they died.

Patients given earlier palliative care were also more likely to be given pain relief with opioid drugs and were less likely to have aggressive anti-cancer treatment close to death.

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The study, funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, used data from 2,479 adults who died of cancer between January 2010 and February 2012 in Leeds.

It was the first UK study of of its kind in a large population.

Lead author Dr Lucy Ziegler, Yorkshire Cancer Research academic fellow, said: “Previous studies have shown that palliative care intervention is associated with an increased proportion of deaths at home and a reduction in emergency admissions.

“However, no study has investigated when and for how long patients need access to this care in order to receive quality of life benefits.

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“Our research shows that for those with advanced cancer, access to palliative care and longer duration of care are significantly associated with better end of life quality indicators.

“Our study provides new evidence to support the early integration of palliative care for cancer patients.”

The study found that people who received palliative care more than two weeks before death were significantly more likely to die in a hospice than hospital.

When palliative care was given more than four weeks before death, patients were less likely to be admitted to hospital as an emergency.

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The researchers found that access to palliative care was associated with being twice as likely to have access to strong opioids for pain relief.

Up to 86 per cent of patients with advanced cancer suffer moderate to severe pain before death.

The study also found that palliative care initiated more than 32 weeks before death was associated with a reduction in chemotherapy in the last four weeks of life.

Dr Kathryn Scott, chief executive of Harrogate-based Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: “This research clearly demonstrates the importance of early access to palliative care and the huge effect this can have in ensuring cancer patients are comfortable and have the best possible experience at the end of their lives.

“This type of research has been massively underfunded in the past and we are very proud to be helping to close this gap in Yorkshire thanks to the generosity of our supporters.”