Feasibility of a Palliative Care Intervention within Routine Care of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Attitudes toward palliative care among cancer patients: a multi-method study

Background

Palliative care plays a crucial role in improving the quality of life for cancer patients, particularly those in advanced stages of the disease. Despite its proven benefits, attitudes toward palliative care vary widely among patients due to cultural beliefs, personal values, and awareness of available services. Understanding cancer patients' perspectives on palliative care is essential for enhancing end-of-life care strategies and ensuring that interventions align with their preferences. However, limited research has explored patients' attitudes toward palliative care in China, highlighting the need for further investigation.

Objectives

To explore the current status of cancer patients' palliative care attitudes, identify subgroups of attitudes and examine influencing factors for different subgroups; and understand the cancer patients' perceptions of palliative care.

Methods

A multi-method design was used. 541 cancer patients participated from March to June 2024. A latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to identify subgroups. The differences between the variables including sociodemographic characteristics and subgroups were explored, and participants also responded to open-ended questions about what perceptions on palliative care, and content analysis identified themes most frequently reported.

Results

Palliative care attitudes among cancer patients were low. Four different subgroups of palliative care attitudes and three themes about perspectives were confirmed. Education status, occupational status, primary caregivers, type of insurance, cancer stage, anxiety, and level of palliative care knowledge were significant factors affecting different groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Majority of cancer patients had poor attitudes toward palliative care, confirming the major factors and perspectives of palliative care. These results emphasize the importance that should be given to the dissemination of knowledge and education about palliative care for cancer patients, and to improve the acceptance and recognition in order to promote palliative care practice.

End-of-life in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: How Palliative Care and Social Factors Impact Care and Cost

OBJECTIVE

Investigate the impacts of palliative care consults, race, and socioeconomic status on the prevalence of invasive procedures in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

BACKGROUND

Palliative care, race, and socioeconomic status can all influence end-of-life care preferences, but their roles in HCC have not been adequately explored.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study of patients with HCC from 2016 to 2019 using the National Inpatient Sample. Terminal and nonterminal hospitalizations were assessed with logistical regression evaluating associations between palliative care, race, income, and procedures along with do-not-resuscitate orders and cost. Procedures included mechanical ventilation, tracheostomy, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) among others.

RESULTS

A total of 217,060 hospitalizations in patients with HCC were included, 18.1% of which included a palliative care encounter. The mean age was 65.0 years (SD = 11.3 y), 73.9% were males and 55.5% were white. Procedures were increased in terminal hospitalizations in black [CPR adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.57, P < 0.001] and Hispanic patients (tracheostomy aOR = 3.64, P = 0.018) compared with white patients. Palliative care encounters were associated with reduced procedures during terminal hospitalizations (mechanical ventilation aOR = 0.47, P < 0.001, CPR aOR = 0.24, P < 0.001), but not in nonterminal hospitalizations. No association between income and end-of-life procedures was found. Palliative care was associated with decreased mean cost in terminal ($23,608 vs $31,756, P < 0.001) and nonterminal hospitalizations ($15,786 vs $19,914, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Palliative care is associated with less aggressive end-of-life care and decreased costs in patients with HCC. Black and Hispanic race were both associated with more aggressive end-of-life care.

Medicaid expansion and palliative care for advanced-stage liver cancer

BACKGROUND

Medicaid expansion (ME) has contributed to transforming the United States healthcare system. However, its effect on palliative care of primary liver cancers remains unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the association between ME and the receipt of palliative treatment in advanced-stage liver cancer.

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with stage IV hepatocellular carcinoma or intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were identified from the National Cancer Database and divided into pre-expansion (2010-2013) and postexpansion (2015-2019) cohorts. Logistic regression identified predictors of palliative treatment. Difference-in-difference (DID) analysis assessed changes in palliative care use between patients living in ME states and patients living in non-ME states.

RESULTS

Among 12,516 patients, 4582 (36.6%) were diagnosed before expansion, and 7934 (63.6%) were diagnosed after expansion. Overall, rates of palliative treatment increased after ME (18.1% [pre-expansion] vs 22.3% [postexpansion]; P < .001) and are more pronounced among ME states. Before expansion, only cancer type and education attainment were associated with the receipt of palliative treatment. Conversely, after expansion, race, insurance, location, cancer type, and ME status (odds ratio [OR], 1.23; 95% CI, 1.06-1.44; P = .018) were all associated with palliative care. Interestingly, the odds were higher if treatment involved receipt of pain management (OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.23-2.43; P = .006). Adjusted DID analysis confirmed increased rates of palliative treatment among patients living in ME states relative to non-ME states (DID, 4.4%; 95% CI, 1.2-7.7; P = .008); however, racial disparities persist (White, 5.6; 95% CI, 1.4-9.8; P = .009; minority, 2.6; 95% CI, -2.5 to 7.6; P = .333).

CONCLUSION

The implementation of ME contributed to increased rates of palliative treatment for patients residing in ME states after expansion. However, racial disparities persist even after ME, resulting in inequitable access to palliative care.

Scoping review of values elicitation tools for treatment decisions in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Treatment choices in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) involve consideration of tradeoffs between the benefits, toxicities, inconvenience, and costs. Stated preference elicitation methods have been used in the medical field to help evaluate complex treatment decision-making. The aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review to assess the evidence base for the use of preference elicitation tools or willingness to pay/willingness to accept methods for HCC treatment decision-making from both the patient and provider perspective.

METHODS

We performed a scoping review to identify abstracts or manuscripts focused on the role preference elicitation tools or willingness to pay/willingness to accept methods for HCC treatment options among patients, caregivers, and/or providers. Two researchers independently screened full-text references and resolved conflicts through discussion. We summarized key findings, including the type and setting of preference-elicitation tools used for HCC treatment decisions.

RESULTS

Ten published abstracts or manuscripts evaluated the role of preference elicitation tools for HCC treatments. The studies revealed several attributes that are considered by patients and providers making HCC treatment decisions. Many of the studies reviewed suggested that while patients place the most value on extending their overall survival, they are willing to forgo overall survival to avoid risks of treatments and maintain quality of life. Studies of physicians and surgeons found that provider preferences are dependent on patient characteristics, provider specialty, and surgeon or hospital-related factors.

CONCLUSION

This scoping review explored both patient and physician preferences towards treatment modalities in all stages of HCC. The studies revealed a large scope of potential attributes that may be important to patients and that many patients are willing to forgo survival to maintain quality of life. Further research should explore both preference elicitation of currently available and emerging therapies for HCC as well as the use of this data to develop patient-facing tools to assist in navigating treatment options.

Patient-reported symptoms and interest in symptom monitoring in HCC treated with locoregional therapies: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Patient-reported outcomes (PRO) measures relevant to domains most important to patients with HCC who received locoregional therapies are needed to advance patient-centered research. Furthermore, electronic PRO monitoring in clinical care has been shown to reduce hospitalizations and deaths in patients with other cancers. We conducted a qualitative study among patients with HCC who recently received locoregional therapies to (1) identify common and distressing posttreatment symptoms to prioritize PRO domain selection and (2) gauge interest in an electronic PRO symptom monitoring system.

METHODS

We performed semi-structured telephone interviews among adult patients who received locoregional therapies (median of 26 days after treatment) for treatment-naïve HCC at a single tertiary care center. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was reached. Qualitative content analysis was conducted to identify emerging themes and sub-themes.

RESULTS

Ten of 26 patients (38%) reported at least 1 symptom before treatment. In contrast, all participants (n = 26) with recently treated HCC reported at least 1 posttreatment physical symptom, with the most common being appetite loss (73%), fatigue (58%), abdominal pain (46%), and nausea (35%). Most participants (77%) stated they saw potential benefits in posttreatment ePRO symptom monitoring.

CONCLUSIONS

Posttreatment symptoms after HCC locoregional therapies are common and often severe. These data can inform and prioritize PRO domain selection. Patients are interested in ePRO monitoring to monitor and proactively address posttreatment symptoms. Given the clinical benefits in patients with metastatic cancers, ePRO monitoring warrants investigation in patients with HCC.

Disparities in Referrals to End-of-Life Care in Eligible Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with increasing incidence and morbidity. For patients with a poor prognosis, engagement with advanced care planning and end-of life (EOL) services (I.e., palliative care, hospice) can address physical, financial, and social complications of a terminal diagnosis. Minimal data exist on the demographics of the patients being referred to and enrolling in EOL services for HCC.

AIMS

We aim to report the relationship between demographics and EOL service referral.

METHODS

Retrospective review of a prospectively maintained high-volume liver center registry of patients diagnosed with HCC from 2004 to 2022. EOL services eligible patients were defined as BCLC stage C or D, evidence of metastases, and/or transplant ineligible.

RESULTS

Black patients were more likely to be referred than white patients (OR 1.47 (1.03, 2.11)). Once referred, patients were significantly more likely to be enrolled if they had insurance coverage, though no other factors in models were significant. There were no significant differences in survival among those referred who did or did not enroll, after controlling for other factors.

CONCLUSION

Black patients were more likely to be referred compared to white patients and patients who were insured were more likely to be enrolled. Whether this is indicative of black patients being appropriately referred at a higher rate, being offered EOL care instead of aggressive treatment, or other unknown factors warrants further study.