Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Quality of life for patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer randomised to early specialised home-based palliative care: the ALLAN trial

Bojesson, Anders LU ; Brun, Eva LU ; Eberhard, Jakob LU and Segerlantz, Mikael LU (2024) In British Journal of Cancer 131. p.729-736
Abstract
Background
The primary aim of specialised palliative care (SPC) is to improve the quality of life (QoL) for patients with a high symptom burden from a life-threatening disease. This randomised study aimed to assess the QoL impact of early integration of SPC alongside tumour-specific palliative treatment in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.

Methods
We randomly assigned ambulatory patients with advanced GI cancer to early integration of SPC and palliative tumour-specific treatment or tumour-specific treatment alone. The primary endpoint was QoL assessed at baseline and every sixth week using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—General (FACT-G) questionnaire.

Results
A total of 118 patients... (More)
Background
The primary aim of specialised palliative care (SPC) is to improve the quality of life (QoL) for patients with a high symptom burden from a life-threatening disease. This randomised study aimed to assess the QoL impact of early integration of SPC alongside tumour-specific palliative treatment in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.

Methods
We randomly assigned ambulatory patients with advanced GI cancer to early integration of SPC and palliative tumour-specific treatment or tumour-specific treatment alone. The primary endpoint was QoL assessed at baseline and every sixth week using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—General (FACT-G) questionnaire.

Results
A total of 118 patients were randomised. The difference in total FACT-G score between patients assigned to early integration with SPC and controls was 5.2 points (95% CI: −0.1 to 10.5, p = 0.216), 6.7 points (95% CI: 0.2 to 13.3, p = 0.172), and 13 points (95% CI: 5.7 to 20.2, p = 0.004) at weeks 6, 12, and 24, respectively.

Conclusions
This prospective randomised trial strengthens the argument for early integration of SPC with tumour-specific treatment in patients with advanced GI cancers. We found an improved QoL for patients with advanced GI cancer 24 weeks after randomisation to early integration of home-based SPC.

Clinical trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov (ref: NCT02246725). (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
British Journal of Cancer
volume
131
pages
729 - 736
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • scopus:85197648964
  • pmid:38951699
ISSN
0007-0920
DOI
10.1038/s41416-024-02764-x
project
Gastrointestinal cancer - quality of life and survival after palliative chemotherapy
Comprehensive Palliative Care: Person-Centered Treatment for Patients with Advanced Cancer Diseases
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b9a20420-adb0-42e2-a26a-b186e2ef143e
date added to LUP
2024-10-11 09:14:09
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:59:42
@article{b9a20420-adb0-42e2-a26a-b186e2ef143e,
  abstract     = {{Background<br/>The primary aim of specialised palliative care (SPC) is to improve the quality of life (QoL) for patients with a high symptom burden from a life-threatening disease. This randomised study aimed to assess the QoL impact of early integration of SPC alongside tumour-specific palliative treatment in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.<br/><br/>Methods<br/>We randomly assigned ambulatory patients with advanced GI cancer to early integration of SPC and palliative tumour-specific treatment or tumour-specific treatment alone. The primary endpoint was QoL assessed at baseline and every sixth week using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—General (FACT-G) questionnaire.<br/><br/>Results<br/>A total of 118 patients were randomised. The difference in total FACT-G score between patients assigned to early integration with SPC and controls was 5.2 points (95% CI: −0.1 to 10.5, p = 0.216), 6.7 points (95% CI: 0.2 to 13.3, p = 0.172), and 13 points (95% CI: 5.7 to 20.2, p = 0.004) at weeks 6, 12, and 24, respectively.<br/><br/>Conclusions<br/>This prospective randomised trial strengthens the argument for early integration of SPC with tumour-specific treatment in patients with advanced GI cancers. We found an improved QoL for patients with advanced GI cancer 24 weeks after randomisation to early integration of home-based SPC.<br/><br/>Clinical trial registration<br/>ClinicalTrials.gov (ref: NCT02246725).}},
  author       = {{Bojesson, Anders and Brun, Eva and Eberhard, Jakob and Segerlantz, Mikael}},
  issn         = {{0007-0920}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  pages        = {{729--736}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{British Journal of Cancer}},
  title        = {{Quality of life for patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer randomised to early specialised home-based palliative care: the ALLAN trial}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/197137211/s41416-024-02764-x.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41416-024-02764-x}},
  volume       = {{131}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}