Early Versus Delayed Initiation of Concurrent Palliative Oncology Care: Patient Outcomes in the ENABLE III Randomized Controlled Trial

• Published in: Journal of clinical oncology Vol. 33; no. 13; pp. 1438 - 1445
• Main Authors: Bakitas, Marie A, Tosteson, Tor D, Li, Zhigang, Lyons, Kathleen D, Hull, Jay G, Li, Zhongze, Dionne-Odom, J Nicholas, Frost, Jennifer, Dragnev, Konstantin H, Hegel, Mark T, Azuero, Andres, Ahles, Tim A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society of Clinical Oncology 01.05.2015
• Subjects: Affect; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Counseling; Emergency Service, Hospital - utilization; Female; Health Resources - utilization; Humans; Intensive Care Units - utilization; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Length of Stay; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Neoplasms - diagnosis; Neoplasms - mortality; Neoplasms - nursing; Neoplasms - psychology; Neoplasms - therapy; ORIGINAL REPORTS; Palliative Care - methods; Quality of Life; Referral and Consultation; Telemedicine; Time Factors; Time-to-Treatment; Treatment Outcome; United States; United States
• ISSN: 0732-183X; 1527-7755
• DOI: 10.1200/jco.2014.58.6362

Randomized controlled trials have supported integrated oncology and palliative care (PC); however, optimal timing has not been evaluated. We investigated the effect of early versus delayed PC on quality of life (QOL), symptom impact, mood, 1-year survival, and resource use. Between October 2010 and March 2013, 207 patients with advanced cancer at a National Cancer Institute cancer center, a Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and community outreach clinics were randomly assigned to receive an in-person PC consultation, structured PC telehealth nurse coaching sessions (once per week for six sessions), and monthly follow-up either early after enrollment or 3 months later. Outcomes were QOL, symptom impact, mood, 1-year survival, and resource use (hospital/intensive care unit days, emergency room visits, chemotherapy in last 14 days, and death location). Overall patient-reported outcomes were not statistically significant after enrollment (QOL, P = .34; symptom impact, P = .09; mood, P = .33) or before death (QOL, P = .73; symptom impact, P = .30; mood, P = .82). Kaplan-Meier 1-year survival rates were 63% in the early group and 48% in the delayed group (difference, 15%; P = .038). Relative rates of early to delayed decedents' resource use were similar for hospital days (0.73; 95% CI, 0.41 to 1.27; P = .26), intensive care unit days (0.68; 95% CI, 0.23 to 2.02; P = .49), emergency room visits (0.73; 95% CI, 0.45 to 1.19; P = .21), chemotherapy in last 14 days (1.57; 95% CI, 0.37 to 6.7; P = .27), and home death (27 [54%] v 28 [47%]; P = .60). Early-entry participants' patient-reported outcomes and resource use were not statistically different; however, their survival 1-year after enrollment was improved compared with those who began 3 months later. Understanding the complex mechanisms whereby PC may improve survival remains an important research priority.