While solid tumors are incurable after they reach an advanced stage, many advanced blood cancers remain potentially curable. The lack of a clearly defined point when there is no remaining hope for blood cancer patients may contribute to delays in end-of-life discussions, the researchers said.
The study was published online Dec. 21 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
The findings show that blood cancer specialists are aware of gaps in end-of-life care for their patients, but are uncertain how to tackle the issue, Dr. Thomas LeBlanc, from the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, N.C., explained in an accompanying editorial.
“As a practicing [blood cancer doctor] and a palliative care physician, I believe that the field of hematology should look to specialty palliative care for the answer to this need,” he concluded.
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Are Doctors Having End-Of-Life Talks With Cancer Patients Too Late? was originally published on blackdoctor.org
