Katrin Ruth Sigurdardottir1, Line Oldervoll2, Marianne Jensen Hjermstad3, Stein Kaasa4, Anne Kari Knudsen4, Erik Torbjørn Løhre5, Jon Håvard Loge6, Dagny Faksvåg Haugen7. 1. European Palliative Care Research Centre, Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Sunniva Centre for Palliative Care, Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Regional Centre of Excellence for Palliative Care, Western Norway, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: katrin.sigurdardottir@haraldsplass.no. 2. European Palliative Care Research Centre, Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Røros Rehabilitation Centre, Røros, Norway. 3. European Palliative Care Research Centre, Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Regional Centre for Excellence in Palliative Care, South Eastern Norway, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. 4. European Palliative Care Research Centre, Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Department of Oncology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. 5. Department of Oncology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. 6. European Palliative Care Research Centre, Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; National Resource Centre for Late Effects After Cancer Treatment, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. 7. European Palliative Care Research Centre, Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway; Regional Centre of Excellence for Palliative Care, Western Norway, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
Abstract
CONTEXT: The difficulties in defining a palliative care patient accentuate the need to provide stringent descriptions of the patient population in palliative care research. OBJECTIVES: To conduct a systematic literature review with the aim of identifying which key variables have been used to describe adult palliative care cancer populations in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: The data sources used were MEDLINE (1950 to January 25, 2010) and Embase (1980 to January 25, 2010), limited to RCTs in adult cancer patients with incurable disease. Forty-three variables were systematically extracted from the eligible articles. RESULTS: The review includes 336 articles reporting RCTs in palliative care cancer patients. Age (98%), gender (90%), cancer diagnosis (89%), performance status (45%), and survival (45%) were the most frequently reported variables. A large number of other variables were much less frequently reported. CONCLUSION: A substantial variation exists in how palliative care cancer populations are described in RCTs. Few variables are consistently registered and reported. There is a clear need to standardize the reporting. The results from this work will serve as the basis for an international Delphi process with the aim of reaching consensus on a minimum set of descriptors to characterize a palliative care cancer population.
CONTEXT: The difficulties in defining a palliative care patient accentuate the need to provide stringent descriptions of the patient population in palliative care research. OBJECTIVES: To conduct a systematic literature review with the aim of identifying which key variables have been used to describe adult palliative care cancer populations in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHODS: The data sources used were MEDLINE (1950 to January 25, 2010) and Embase (1980 to January 25, 2010), limited to RCTs in adult cancerpatients with incurable disease. Forty-three variables were systematically extracted from the eligible articles. RESULTS: The review includes 336 articles reporting RCTs in palliative care cancerpatients. Age (98%), gender (90%), cancer diagnosis (89%), performance status (45%), and survival (45%) were the most frequently reported variables. A large number of other variables were much less frequently reported. CONCLUSION: A substantial variation exists in how palliative care cancer populations are described in RCTs. Few variables are consistently registered and reported. There is a clear need to standardize the reporting. The results from this work will serve as the basis for an international Delphi process with the aim of reaching consensus on a minimum set of descriptors to characterize a palliative care cancer population.
Authors: Kirstine Skov Benthien; Mie Nordly; Katja Videbæk; Geana Paula Kurita; Hans von der Maase; Helle Timm; Mette Kildevæld Simonsen; Christoffer Johansen; Per Sjøgren Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2015-10-13 Impact factor: 3.603