End-of-Life Discussions May Ease Dying
End-of-Life Discussions May Ease Dying
June 4, 2008 (Chicago) -- Would you want to know if you only had six months to live?
It's a question no one really wants to face, but new research suggests that patients who recall having end-of-life conversations with their doctors may go more gently into the night.
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"For patients who remember having such conversations, there are powerful positive effects," says researcher Alexi Wright, MD, a medical oncology fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Medical Oncology.
The study involved 332 cancer patients who eventually died; just over one-third recalled having end-of-life discussions with their doctors.
Wright says she cannot say with certainly what was actually discussed. "But since the patients who recalled these discussions had a significantly better understanding of their illness, I can surmise that the conversation included talking about their poor prognosis," she says.
Compared with patients who did not recall having end-of-life discussions with their doctors, those who did:
Patients who didn't recall talking to their doctor were more likely to be admitted to the ICU, to be placed on a ventilator, or to undergo resuscitation, Wright says.
People who received aggressive care generally reported worse quality of life, she tells WebMD.
"It's important for cancer patients with advanced cancer to talk to their doctors about the kind of care they want to receive," Wright says. "Your physical health can change suddenly, so have the discussion when you're still relatively healthy."
It's a question no one really wants to face, but new research suggests that patients who recall having end-of-life conversations with their doctors may go more gently into the night.
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Video: Cancer andExercise
Video: MakingChemotherapy Safer
Video: Foods AfterCancer
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Related to
lymphoma, leukemia, chemotherapy, radiation, mammogram, PSA test , colonoscopy, herceptin, tamoxifen, breast cancer -- Colposcopy, lung cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer
© 2008 WebMD, LLC. All rightsreserved.
"For patients who remember having such conversations, there are powerful positive effects," says researcher Alexi Wright, MD, a medical oncology fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.
The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Medical Oncology.
The study involved 332 cancer patients who eventually died; just over one-third recalled having end-of-life discussions with their doctors.
Wright says she cannot say with certainly what was actually discussed. "But since the patients who recalled these discussions had a significantly better understanding of their illness, I can surmise that the conversation included talking about their poor prognosis," she says.
Patients More Likely to Reap Hospice Benefits
Compared with patients who did not recall having end-of-life discussions with their doctors, those who did:
- Were 1.6 times more likely to enter a hospice in time to receive its benefits -- that is, to die as comfortable a death as possible. In the study, people who entered the hospice two months or more before death reported the best quality of life in their final weeks, Wright says.
- Were three times more likely to complete a do-not-resuscitate order and two times more likely to fill out a living will.
- Were no more likely to meet criteria for depression.
- Were no more likely to report being depressed, worried, anxious, or terrified when directly asked.
Patients who didn't recall talking to their doctor were more likely to be admitted to the ICU, to be placed on a ventilator, or to undergo resuscitation, Wright says.
People who received aggressive care generally reported worse quality of life, she tells WebMD.
"It's important for cancer patients with advanced cancer to talk to their doctors about the kind of care they want to receive," Wright says. "Your physical health can change suddenly, so have the discussion when you're still relatively healthy."
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