Cancer Treatment near the End-of-Life Becomes More Aggressive: Changes in Trend during 10 Years at a Single Institute

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare cancer treatment near the end-of-life (EOL) over a 10-year period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with advanced solid cancer at Seoul National University Hospital who received palliative chemotherapy and had died were enrolled. We categorized the consecutive patients according to two time periods: 2002 (n=57) and 2012 (n=206). Aggressiveness of cancer treatment near the EOL was evaluated. RESULTS: The median patient age was 62, and 65.4% of patients (n=172) were male. Time from the last chemotherapy to death (TCD) was found to have been significantly shortened, from 66.0 days to 34.0 days during 10 years (p < 0.001); 17% of patients received molecular targeted agents as the last chemotherapy regimen in 2012. The proportion of patients who received intensive care unit care within the last month increased from 1.8% in 2002 to 19.9% in 2012 (p < 0.001), and emergency room visits within the last month also increased from 22.8% to 74.8% (p < 0.001). Although hospice referral increased from 9.1% to 37.4% (p < 0.001), timing of referral was delayed from median 53 days to 8 days before death (p=0.004). Use of targeted agents as the last chemotherapy for over-two-regimen users was associated with shortened TCD (hazard ratio, 2.564; p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Cancer treatment near the EOL became more aggressive over 10 years.