The role of chemotherapy at the end of life: "When is enough, enough?"

JAMA

Volumn 299, Issue 22, 2008, Pages 2667-2678

  Harrington, Sarah Elizabeth ^a   Smith, Thomas J ^a,b  

^a VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE   (United States)

^b VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ANTINEOPLASTIC AGENT; BEVACIZUMAB; CARBOPLATIN; CETUXIMAB; CYTARABINE; DEXAMETHASONE; DOCETAXEL; ERLOTINIB; GEMCITABINE; IRINOTECAN; METHOTREXATE; OXALIPLATIN; PEMETREXED; PLACEBO; PLATINUM DERIVATIVE;

BRAIN METASTASIS; BREAST CANCER; CANCER CENTER; CANCER GROWTH; CANCER RADIOTHERAPY; CANCER STAGING; CANCER SURVIVAL; CARCINOMATOUS MENINGITIS; COLON CANCER; COMBINATION CHEMOTHERAPY; DECISION MAKING; DRUG COST; DRUG MEGADOSE; DRUG SUBSTITUTION; DRUG WITHDRAWAL; HEALTH CARE; HEALTH CARE COST; HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATION; HEALTH CARE PERSONNEL; HEALTH SERVICE; HOSPICE CARE; HUMAN; LUNG CANCER; LUNG NON SMALL CELL CANCER; MEDICAL CARE; METASTASIS; PALLIATIVE THERAPY; PATIENT CARE; PHYSICIAN; PRIORITY JOURNAL; PROGNOSIS; PROSTATE CANCER; QUALITY OF LIFE; REVIEW; UNSPECIFIED SIDE EFFECT; ARTICLE; ATTITUDE TO DEATH; CASE REPORT; DOCTOR PATIENT RELATION; HOSPICE; LUNG TUMOR; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; ONCOLOGY; PATIENT ATTITUDE; PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT; PUBLIC RELATIONS; TERMINALLY ILL PATIENT;

ANTINEOPLASTIC AGENTS; ATTITUDE TO DEATH; DECISION MAKING; HOSPICES; HUMANS; INTERPROFESSIONAL RELATIONS; LUNG NEOPLASMS; MALE; MEDICAL ONCOLOGY; MIDDLE AGED; PALLIATIVE CARE; PATIENT ACCEPTANCE OF HEALTH CARE; PHYSICIAN-PATIENT RELATIONS; PROGNOSIS; TERMINALLY ILL;

EID: 44949115223     PISSN: 00987484     EISSN: 15383598     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1001/jama.299.22.2667     Document Type: Review

References (96)

1. Temel JS, Jackson VA, Billings JA, et al. Phase II study: integrated palliative care in newly diagnosed advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25(17):2377-2382.
2. Martoni AA, Tanneberger S, Mutri V. Cancer chemotherapy near the end of life: the time has come to set guidelines for its appropriate use. Tumori. 2007;93(5):417-422.
3. Teno JM. Advance directives: time to move on. Ann Intern Med. 2004;141(2):159-160.
4. Koedoot CG, Oort FJ, de Haan RJ, Bakker PJ, de Graeff A, de Haes JC. The content and amount of information given by medical oncologists when telling patients with advanced cancer what their treatment options are: palliative chemotherapy and watchful-waiting. Eur J Cancer. 2004;40(2):225-235.
5. Sullivan AM, Lakoma MD, Matsuyama RK, Rosenblatt L, Arnold RM, Block SD. Diagnosing and discussing imminent death in the hospital: a secondary analysis of physician interviews. J Palliat Med. 2007;10(4):882-893.
6. Mackillop WJ, Stewart WE, Ginsburg AD, Stewart SS. Cancer patients' perceptions of their disease and its treatment. Br J Cancer. 1988;58(3):355-358.
7. Chow E, Andersson L, Wong R, et al. Patients with advanced cancer: a survey of the understanding of their illness and expectations from palliative radiotherapy for symptomatic metastases. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2001;13(3):204-208.
8. Helft PR. Necessary collusion: prognostic communication with advanced cancer patients. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23(13):3146-3150.
9. Matsuyama R, Reddy S, Smith TJ. Why do patients choose chemotherapy near the end of life? a review of the perspective of those facing death from cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2006;24(21):3490-3496.
10. Silvestri G, Pritchard R, Welch HG. Preferences for chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: descriptive study based on scripted interviews. BMJ. 1998;317(7161):771-775.
11. Agrawal M, Grady C, Fairclough DL, Meropol NJ, Maynard K, Emanuel EJ. Patients' decision-making process regarding participation in phase I oncology research. J Clin Oncol. 2006;24(27):4479-4484.
12. The AM, Hak T, Koeter G, van der Wal G. Collusion in doctor-patient communication about imminent death: an ethnographic study. West J Med. 2001;174(4):247-253.
13. Lee SJ, Fairclough D, Antin JH, Weeks JC. Discrepancies between patient and physician estimates for the success of stem cell transplantation. JAMA. 2001;285(8):1034-1038.
14. Lee SJ, Loberiza FR, Rizzo JD, Soiffer RJ, Antin JH, Weeks JC. Optimistic expectations and survival after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2003;9(6):389-396.
15. Lamont EB, Christakis NA. Prognostic disclosure to patients with cancer near the end of life. Ann Intern Med. 2001;134(12):1096-1105.
16. Santoso JT, Engle DB, Schaffer L, Wan JY. Cancer diagnosis and treatment: communication accuracy between patients and their physicians. Cancer J. 2006;12(1):73-76.
17. Glare P, Virik K, Jones M, et al. A systematic review of physicians' survival predictions in terminally ill cancer patients. BMJ. 2003;327(7408):195-198.
18. Smith TJ, Staats PS, Deer T, et al. Randomized clinical trial of an implantable drug delivery system compared with comprehensive medical management for refractory cancer pain: impact on pain, drug-related toxicity, and survival. J Clin Oncol. 2002;20(19):4040-4049.
19. Meropol NJ, Weinfurt KP, Burnett CB, et al. Perceptions of patients and physicians regarding phase I cancer clinical trials: implications for physician-patient communication. J Clin Oncol. 2003;21(13):2589-2596.
20. Mallinger JB, Shields CG, Griggs JJ, et al. Stability of decisional role preference over the course of cancer therapy. Psychooncology. 2006;15(4):297-305.
21. Grunfeld EA, Maher EJ, Browne S, et al. Advanced breast cancer patients' perceptions of decision making for palliative chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol. 2006;24(7):1090-1098.
22. Slevin ML, Stubbs L, Plant HJ, et al. Attitudes to chemotherapy: comparing views of patients with cancer with those of doctors, nurses, and general public. BMJ. 1990;300(6737):1458-1460.
23. Balmer CE, Thomas P, Osborne RJ. Who wants second-line, palliative chemotherapy? Psychooncology. 2001;10(5):410-418.
24. Brundage MD, Feldman-Stewart D, Cosby R, et al. Cancer patients' attitudes toward treatment options for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: implications for patient education and decision support. Patient Educ Couns. 2001;45(2):149-157.
25. Bremnes RM, Andersen K, Wist EA. Cancer patients, doctors and nurses vary in their willingness to undertake cancer chemotherapy. Eur J Cancer. 1995;31A(12):1955-1959.
26. Tamburini M, Buccheri G, Brunelli C, Ferrigno D. The difficult choice of chemotherapy in patients with unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer. Support Care Cancer. 2000;8(3):223-228.
27. Hirose T, Horichi N, Ohmori T, et al. Patients preferences in chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Intern Med. 2005;44(2):107-113.
28. Koedoot CG, de Haan RJ, Stiggelbout AM, et al. Palliative chemotherapy or best supportive care? a prospective study explaining patients' treatment preference and choice. Br J Cancer. 2003;89(12):2219-2226.
29. Earle CC, Neville BA, Landrum MB, Ayanian JZ, Block SD, Weeks JC. Trends in the aggressiveness of cancer care near the end of life. J Clin Oncol. 2004;22(2):315-321.
30. Murillo JR Jr, Koeller J. Chemotherapy given near the end of life by community oncologists for advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Oncologist. 2006;11(10):1095-1099.
31. Connor SR, Pyenson B, Fitch K, Spence C, Iwasaki K. Comparing hospice and nonhospice patient survival among patients who die within a three-year window. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007;33(3):238-246.
32. American Society of Clinical Oncology Outcomes Working Group. Outcomes of cancer treatment for technology assessment and cancer treatment guidelines. J Clin Oncol. 1996;14(2):671-679.
33. Smith TJ, Khatcheressian J, Lyman GH, et al. 2006 Update of recommendations for the use of white blood cell growth factors: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline. J Clin Oncol. 2006;24(19):3187-3205.
34. Pfister DG, Johnson DH, Azzoli CG, et al. American Society of Clinical Oncology treatment of unresectable non-small-cell lung cancer guideline: Update 2003. J Clin Oncol. 2004;22(2):330-353.
35. Shepherd FA, Dancey J, Ramlau R, et al. Prospective randomized trial of docetaxel versus best supportive care in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol. 2000;18(10):2095-2103.
36. Dancey J, Shepherd FA, Gralla RJ, Kim YS. Quality of life assessment of second-line docetaxel versus best supportive care in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy: results of a prospective, randomized phase III trial. Lung Cancer. 2004;43(2):183-194.
37. Shepherd FA, Rodrigues Pereira J, Ciuleanu T, et al. Erlotinib in previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med. 2005;353(2):123-132.
38. Goldberg RM, Rothenberg ML, Van Cutsem E, et al. The continuum of care: a paradigm for the management of metastatic colorectal cancer. Oncologist. 2007;12(1):38-50.
39. Tannock IF, de Wit R, Berry WR, et al. Docetaxel plus prednisone or mitoxantrone plus prednisone for advanced prostate cancer. N Engl J Med. 2004;351(15):1502-1512.
40. Massarelli E, Andre F, Liu DD, et al. A retrospective analysis of the outcome of patients who have received two prior chemotherapy regimens including platinum and docetaxel for recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer. Lung Cancer. 2003;39(1):55-61.
41. Hayes DF. An overview of treatment for locally advanced recurrent, and metastatic breast cancer. In: Rose BF. UptoDate. Waltham, MA: UpToDate; 2008.
42. Collins R, Fenwick E, Trowman R, et al. A systematic review and economic model of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of docetaxel in combination with prednisone or prednisolone for the treatment of hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer. Health Technol Assess. 2007;11(2):iii-iv, xv-xviii, 1-179.
43. El Demery M, Pouessel D, Avances C, et al. What is the objective of second-line chemotherapy after failure of first-line chemotherapy in hormone-resistant metastatic prostate? Prog Urol. 2006;16(3):320-323.
44. Casarett DJ, Quill TE. "I'm not ready for hospice": strategies for timely and effective hospice discussions. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146(6):443-449.
45. Wright AA, Katz IT. Letting go of the rope - aggressive treatment, hospice care, and open access. N Engl J Med. 2007;357(4):324-327.
46. Bruera E, Sweeney C, Willey J, et al. Breast cancer patient perception of the helpfulness of a prompt sheet versus a general information sheet during outpatient consultation: a randomized, controlled trial. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2003;25(5):412-419.
47. Brown RF, Butow PN, Dunn SM, Tattersall MH. Promoting patient participation and shortening cancer consultations: a randomised trial. Br J Cancer. 2001;85(9):1273-1279.
48. Glynne-Jones R, Ostler P, Lumley-Graybow S, et al. Can I look at my list? an evaluation of a 'prompt sheet' within an oncology outpatient clinic. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2006;18(5):395-400.
49. Smith TJ. The art of oncology: when the tumor is not the target. tell it like it is. J Clin Oncol. 2000;18(19):3441-3445.
50. Eisenberg PD. Caring for patients at the end of life. Ann Intern Med. 2002;136(6):1 paragraph.
51. Hagerty RG, Butow PN, Ellis PM, et al. Communicating with realism and hope: incurable cancer patients' views on the disclosure of prognosis [published correction appears in J Clin Oncol. 2005;23(15):3652]. J Clin Oncol. 2005;23(6):1278-1288.
52. Kirk P, Kirk I, Kristjanson LJ. What do patients receiving palliative care for cancer and their families want to be told? a Canadian and Australian qualitative study. BMJ. 2004;328(7452):1343.
53. Whelan TM, O'Brien MA, Villasis-Keever M, et al. Impact of Cancer-Related Decision Aids. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; July 2002. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment 46. AHRQ publication no 01-E004.
54. Peele PB, Siminoff LA, Xu Y, Ravdin PM. Decreased use of adjuvant breast cancer therapy in a randomized controlled trial of a decision aid with individualized risk information. Med Decis Making. 2005;25(3):301-307.
55. Siminoff LA, Gordon NH, Silverman P, Budd T, Ravdin PM. A decision aid to assist in adjuvant therapy choices for breast cancer. Psychooncology. 2006;15(11):1001-1013.
56. Leighl NB, Shepherd H, Butow P, et al. When the goal is not cure: a randomized trial of a patient decision aid in advanced colorectal cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25(suppl 18):6509.
57. Neff P, Lyckholm L, Smith T. Truth or consequences: what to do when the patient doesn't want to know. J Clin Oncol. 2002;20(13):3035-3037.
58. Shanafelt TD, Loprinzi C, Marks R, Novotny P, Sloan J. Are chemotherapy response rates related to treatment-induced survival prolongations in patients with advanced cancer? J Clin Oncol. 2004;22(10):1966-1974.
59. Smith TJ, Schnipper LJ. The American Society of Clinical Oncology program to improve end-of-life care. J Palliat Med. 1998;1(3):221-230.
60. Christakis NA, Iwashyna TJ. The health impact of health care on families: a matched cohort study of hospice use by decedents and mortality outcomes in surviving, widowed spouses. Soc Sci Med. 2003;57(3):465-475.
61. Schockett ER, Teno JM, Miller SC, Stuart B. Late referral to hospice and bereaved family member perception of quality of end-of-life care. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2005;30(5):400-407.
62. Teno JM, Shu JE, Casarett D, Spence C, Rhodes R, Connor S. Timing of referral to hospice and quality of care: length of stay and bereaved family members' perceptions of the timing of hospice referral. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007;34(2):120-125.
63. Rabow MW, Schanche K, Petersen J, Dibble SL, McPhee SJ. Patient perceptions of an outpatient palliative care intervention: "It had been on my mind before, but I did not know how to start talking about death . . ." J Pain Symptom Manage. 2003;26(5):1010-1015.
64. Casarett D, Crowley R, Stevenson C, Xie S, Teno J. Making difficult decisions about hospice enrollment: what do patients and families want to know? J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005;53(2):249-254.
65. Casarett DJ, Crowley RL, Hirschman KB. How should clinicians describe hospice to patients and families? J Am Geriatr Soc. 2004;52(11):1923- 1928.
66. Brickner L, Scannell K, Marquet S, Ackerson L. Barriers to hospice care and referrals: survey of physicians' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions in a health maintenance organization. J Palliat Med. 2004;7(3):411-418.
67. Casarett D, Karlawish J, Morales K, Crowley R, Mirsch T, Asch DA. Improving the use of hospice services in nursing homes: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2005;294(2):211-217.
68. Lamont EB, Siegler M. Paradoxes in cancer patients' advance care planning. J Palliat Med. 2000;3(1):27-35.
69. Foley K, Gellband H, eds. Improving Palliative Care for Cancer. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2001.
70. Back A. Patient-physician communication in oncology: what does the evidence show? Oncology (Williston Park). 2006;20(1):67-74.
71. Rabinowitz T, Peirson R. "Nothing is wrong, doctor": understanding and managing denial in patients with cancer. Cancer Invest. 2006;24(1):68-76.
72. Quill TE, Williamson PR. Healthy approaches to physician stress. Arch Intern Med. 1990;150(9):1857-1861.
73. Meier DE, Back AL, Morrison RS. The inner life of physicians and care of the seriously ill. JAMA. 2001;286(23):3007-3014.
74. Smith RC, Zimny GH. Physicians' emotional reactions to patients. Psychosomatics. 1988;29(4):392-397.
75. Creagan ET. Burnout and balance: how to go the distance in the 21st century. Cancer Control. 2004;11(4):266-268.
76. Tobias JS, Souhami RL. Fully informed consent can be needlessly cruel. BMJ. 1993;307(6913):1199-1201.
77. Fallowfield L. Participation of patients in decisions about treatment for cancer. BMJ. 2001;323(7322):1144.
78. Emanuel LL, Ferris FD, von Gunten CF, Von Roenn J. Education in Palliative and End of Life Care for Oncology [CD-ROM]. Chicago, IL: EPEC-O; 2007. NIH publication 07-6114.
79. Mack JW, Wolfe J, Cook EF, Grier HE, Cleary PD, Weeks JC. Hope and prognostic disclosure. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25(35):5636-5642.
80. Finn J, Pienta K, Parzuchowski J. Palliative care project: bridging cancer treatment and hospice care. Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol. 2002;21:1452.
81. Pitorak EF, Armour M, Sivec HD. Project Safe Conduct integrates palliative goals into comprehensive cancer care: an interview with Elizabeth Ford Pitorak and Meri Armour; 2002. http://www2.edc.org/lastacts/archives/ archivesjuly02/featureinn.asp. Accessed May 12, 2008.
82. Bakitas M, Stevens M, Ahles T, et al. Project ENABLE: a palliative care demonstration project for advanced cancer patients in three settings. J Palliat Med. 2004;7(2):363-372.
83. Elsayem A, Swint K, Fisch MJ, et al. Palliative care inpatient service in a comprehensive cancer center: clinical and financial outcomes. J Clin Oncol. 2004;22(10):2008-2014.
84. Meyers FJ, Linder J, Beckett L, Christensen S, Blais J, Gandara DR. Simultaneous care: a model approach to the perceived conflict between investigational therapy and palliative care. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2004;28(6):548-556.
85. Gade G, Venohr I, Conner D, et al. Impact of an inpatient palliative care team: a randomized control trial. J Palliat Med. 2008;11(2):180-190.
86. Passik SD, Ruggles C, Brown G, et al. Is there a model for demonstrating a beneficial financial impact of initiating a palliative care program by an existing hospice program? Palliat Support Care. 2004;2(4):419-423.
87. Schrag D. The price tag on progress-chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. N Engl J Med. 2004;351(4):317-319.
88. Meropol NJ, Schulman KA. Cost of cancer care: issues and implications. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25(2):180-186.
89. Hillner BE, Schrag D, Sargent DJ, Fuchs CS, Goldberg RM. Cost-effectiveness projections of oxaliplatin and infusional fluorouracil versus irinotecan and bolus fluorouracil in first-line therapy for metastatic colorectal carcinoma. Cancer. 2005;104(9):1871-1884.
90. Bodenheimer T, Berenson RA, Rudolf P. The primary care-specialty income gap: why it matters. Ann Intern Med. 2007;146(4):301-306.
91. Smith TJ, Girtman J, Riggins J. Why academic divisions of hematology/oncology are in trouble and some suggestions for resolution. J Clin Oncol. 2001;19(1):260-264.
92. Jacobson M, O'Malley AJ, Earle CC, Pakes J, Gaccione P, Newhouse JP. Does reimbursement influence chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients? Health Aff (Millwood). 2006;25(2):437-443.
93. Smith TJ, Coyne P, Cassel B, Penberthy L, Hopson A, Hager MA. A high-volume specialist palliative care unit and team may reduce in-hospital end-of-life care costs. J Palliat Med. 2003;6(5):699-705.
94. Campbell DE, Lynn J, Louis TA, Shugarman LR. Medicare program expenditures associated with hospice use. Ann Intern Med. 2004;140(4):269-277.
95. Benner SE, Fetting JH, Brenner MH. A stopping rule for standard chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer: lessons from a survey of Maryland medical oncologists. Cancer Invest. 1994;12(5):451-455.
96. Smith TJ, Bodurtha JN. Ethical considerations in oncology: balancing the interests of patients, oncologists, and society. J Clin Oncol. 1995;13(9):2464-2470.