Aggressiveness of Care at the End-of-Life in Cancer Patients and Its Association With Psychosocial Functioning in Bereaved Caregivers.

ABSTRACT:

Study registration

https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00022837,DRKS00022837.

Background

Intensified oncological treatment for advanced cancer patients at the end-of-life has been specified as aggressiveness of care (AOC) and increased over the past decades. The aims of this study were to 1) determine the frequency of AOC in Central Europe, and 2) investigate differences in mental health outcomes in bereaved caregivers depending on whether the decedent had experienced AOC or not.

Materials and methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study in a large tertiary comprehensive cancer care center in Germany. Bereaved caregivers provided information about (a) treatment within the last month of life of the deceased cancer patient and (

SUBMITTER: Tonnies J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8212704 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature