​Despite considerable efforts to improve the quality of end-of-life care in the United States, a new retrospective study led by ACS ​researchers revealed that close to half of p​eople with advanced cancer received potentially aggressive care at the end-of-life at the expense of supportive care. The findings were published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Health Forum.

“Even though clinicians and professional healthcare organizations have recommended early integration of supportive and palliative care for all patients with advanced cancers, it remains underused,” Dr. Robin Yabroff, scientific vice president of health services research at the American Cancer Society and senior author of the study. “High-quality patient-centered end-of-life care is especially important for maximizing remaining quality of life for this population, yet uptake of advanced care planning and palliative care was low and late hospice enrollment was common.

“This research highlights the need for interventions to improve quality of care for patients with advanced cancers, especially those helping to remove barriers to better access palliative care,” Yabroff added. “It also suggests the importance of clear, proactive communication between providers and patients and their families regarding advanced care planning to better guide end-of-life care efforts.”

Dr. Youngmin Kwon is lead author of the study. Other ACS researchers contributing to the report include Kewei Sylvia Shi, Dr. Jingxuan Zhao, Dr. Qinjin Fan, Dr. Xuesong Han, and Dr. Zhiyuan Zheng.

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