Impact of early palliative care on overall survival of patients with metastatic upper gastrointestinal cancers treated with first-line chemotherapy: a randomised phase III trial.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Palliative care (PC) has usually been offered at the end-of-life stage, although the WHO recommends providing PC as early as possible in the course of the disease. A recent study has shown that early PC (EPC) provides a more meaningful effect on quality of life and, surprisingly, on overall survival (OS) than standard treatment for patients with metastatic lung cancer. Whether EPC benefits also apply to patients with metastatic upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers is unknown.

Methods and analysis

EPIC is a randomised phase III trial comparing EPC plus standard oncologic care versus standard oncologic care in patients with metastatic upper GI cancers. Its primary objective is to evaluate the efficacy of EPC in terms of OS. Its secondary objectives are to assess th

SUBMITTER: Hutt E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5786132 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature