Opioid usage patterns among Medicare pancreatic cancer patients according to palliative care utilization.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (31_suppl) ◽  
pp. 14-14
Author(s):  
Zhanni Lu ◽  
Cecilia M Ganduglia Cazaban ◽  
Luis G. LeonNovelo ◽  
Sriram Yennu ◽  
Sharon H. Giordano ◽  
...  

14 Background: Opioid pharmacotherapy is used to manage moderate and severe pain in palliative care (PC). Pain affects 80% pancreatic cancer patients older than 65 years. We assessed the opioid utilization patterns in Medicare patients with pancreatic cancer whom did not use PC (NPC), used community-based PC (CBPC) or used hospital-based PC (HBPC). Methods: We assessed opioid use, types, dispensed days, opioid uptake rates, doses (measured by morphine equivalent doses (MEDs)), and related adverse events (AEs) after pancreatic cancer diagnosis in Medicare beneficiaries selected from the SEER-Medicare database between 2007 and 2013 using the log-binomial, generalized linear mixed, and Cox proportional hazards modeling. Results: 16,106 patients were identified (median age: 78 years; female: 55.2%), of whom 8.3% used CBPC and 19.6% used HBPC. PC users were more likely to use opioids (CBPC: 72.2% vs. HBPC: 63.4% vs. NPC: 56.3%, P<.001). The most commonly prescribed opioid type in NPC, HBPC and CBPC users was fentanyl (54.1%), hydromorphone (27.7%) and morphine (26.1%). Compared to other study patients, CBPC users had shorter median dispensed days per prescription (CBPC: 3 days vs. HBPC: 4 days vs. NPC: 4 days, P<.001) but higher median MEDs per prescription (CBPC: 25 mg vs. HBPC: 25 mg vs. NPC: 0.13 mg, P<.001). Adjusting for demographic and clinical factors, no significantly different uptake rates of opioids were determined in PC users compared to NPC users (CBPC: RR, 1.02, P=.057; HBPC: RR, 1.002, P=.783). HBPC users had higher adjusted daily MEDs than CBPC and NPC users 3 months after diagnosis (135.1 mg/d vs. 126.5 mg/d vs. 65.7 mg/d, P<.001). CBPC users had higher adjusted daily MEDs than HBPC and NPC users 3 months before death (164.3mg/d vs. 155.6 mg/d vs. 92.1 mg/d, P=.0002). CBPC users had lower but HBPC users had higher adjusted hazard ratios of delirium (CBPC: HR, 0.95, HBPC: HR, 1.26, P<.001) and drowsiness (CBPC: HR, 0.94, HBPC: HR, 1.53, P<.001) than NPC users. Conclusions: Older pancreatic cancer patients using PC tended to use opioids and consumed higher opioid doses. CBPC users had lower risks of opioid-related delirium and drowsiness. The factors of the opioid use variations need to be assessed.

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 488-488
Author(s):  
Nizar Bhulani ◽  
Ang Gao ◽  
Arjun Gupta ◽  
Jenny Jing Li ◽  
Chad Guenther ◽  
...  

488 Background: Prospective trials have shown that palliative care is associated with improved survival and quality of life, with lower rate of end-of-life health care utilization and cost. We examined trends in palliative care utilization in older pancreatic cancer patients. Methods: Pancreatic cancer patients with and without palliative care consults were identified using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked database between 2000 and 2009. Trend of palliative care use was studied. Emergency room and Intensive Care utilization and costs in the last 30 days of life were assessed. Statistical analyses were performed with SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC). Results: Of the 72205 patients with pancreatic cancer, 3383 (4.1%) received palliative care. The proportion of patients receiving palliative care increased from 1.8% in 2000 to 7.8% in 2009 (p for trend < 0.001). Patients with palliative care were more likely to be Asian and women. Of those who received palliative care, 73% received it in the last 30 days of life, and only 11% at least 12 weeks before death. The average number of visits to the ED in the last 30 days of life were significantly higher for patients who received palliative care (0.93±0.62) versus those who did not (0.79±0.61), p < 0.001, and had a significantly higher cost of care ($1317 vs $842, p < 0.001). Intensive care unit length of stay in the last 30 days of life did not differ between patients who did and did not receive palliative care (1.14 days vs 1.04 days, p 0.08). Intensive care unit cost of care was significantly higher for patients with palliative care compared to their counterparts ($5202.641 vs $3896.750, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Palliative care use for pancreatic cancer patients has increased between 2000 and 2009 in this study of Medicare patients. However, it was largely offered close to the end of life and was not associated with reduced health care utilization or cost. Early palliative care referral may be more beneficial.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e19268-e19268
Author(s):  
Mehrnoosh Pauls ◽  
Abdulaziz AlJassim AlShareef ◽  
Winson Y. Cheung ◽  
Rachel Anne Goodwin ◽  
Brandon M. Meyers ◽  
...  

e19268 Background: Prior studies have demonstrated that clonal cells that give rise to pancreatic peritoneal metastases (PM) are geographically and genetically distinct from clonal cells, giving rise to lung and liver metastases. The objective of this study was to assess if there is a distinct difference in prognosis and therapeutic response among patients with pancreatic cancer with (PM compared to the lung/liver. Methods: Using a retrospective cohort design, medical records from adult patients diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas at five Canadian academic cancer centers (2014 - 2019) were reviewed. Prognostic variables including age, Charlson comorbidity index, ECOG, cigarette smoking, nodal status, sites of metastases, and first line chemotherapy were collected. Cox proportional hazards model (MVA) was used to examine the association between peritoneal involvement and survival, adjusted for measured confounders. Analyses were completed using SAS, where alpha of 0.05 was defined as the level of significance. Results: A total of 1161 patients were included. Metastatic sites included peritoneum (n = 170, 14.6%), lung (n = 145, 12.5%) and liver (n = 563, 48.5%). Patients with PM received first-line FOLFIRINOX (FFX, n = 31), Gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel (G/N, n = 20), Gemcitabine (G, n = 18), and no treatment (n = 97). In univariate analyses, worse ECOG PS was associated with PM (p = 0.002). The majority of patients died (89%), with a median overall survival (OS) of 3 vs 7 months for patients with PM and those without PM (p < 0.001), respectively. The median OS in patient whom receive first-line chemotherapy was 7 months in FFX group (95% CI 1.66-12.33), 6 months in G/N (95% CI 4.54-7.45) and 2 months in G group (95% CI 1.42-2.57). Patients had significantly better OS when treated with FFX or G/N compared to G alone (p = 0.002). Time to treatment failure was significantly shorter among patient treated with G alone compare to patients treated with FFX and G/N (P < 0.005). Conclusions: In the setting of combination chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer, patients with PM continue to have a poor prognosis. This may be due to the impact of PM on PS and the inability to administer palliative chemotherapy. For eligible patients, FFX or G/N results in a higher OS than G monotherapy.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaxin Cui ◽  
Lanhui Tan ◽  
Pei Fang ◽  
Zifen An ◽  
Jiayi Du ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose To determine the prevalence of anorexia among advanced lung cancer patients at the beginning of receiving home-based palliative care and to examine the predictive role of anorexia in survival of patients with advanced lung cancer. Methods In this retrospective study, we analyzed data from 918 advanced lung cancer patients who had received home-based palliative care between March 2010 and March 2020. We used Kaplan-Meier survival curves to determine the factors associated with survival time and applied the Cox proportional hazards model to examine the effect of anorexia on survival. Results The study included 918 patients with a mean age of 63.5 years; and 72.2% of them were men. Factors associated with shortened survival included gender, place of residence, weight loss, anorexia, nausea and Karnofsky performance status (KPS). In a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model, after adjusting for male gender, patient lives in city, and low KPS, we found that anorexia was an independent negative predictor of survival. Conclusions As an independent factor predicting the survival of patients with advanced lung cancer, anorexia should be taken seriously by medical staff. This predictive factor may serve as early risk identification indicator for healthcare workers who provide home-based palliative care, thereby providing personalized palliative care for advanced lung cancer patients.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 10108-10108
Author(s):  
Zhanni Lu ◽  
Cecilia M Ganduglia Cazaban ◽  
Luis G LeonNovelo ◽  
Sriram Yennu ◽  
Sadie H Conway ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 489-489
Author(s):  
Nizar Bhulani ◽  
M. Elizabeth Paulk ◽  
Arjun Gupta ◽  
Kiauna Donnell ◽  
Valorie Harvey ◽  
...  

489 Background: There has been an increase in Palliative care utilization in cancer patients. We examined trends of palliative care and intensive care utilization in pancreatic cancer patients in an urban setting safety net hospital. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of pancreatic cancer patients seen at the Parkland Health and Hospital System between January 1999 and September 2016. Cancer cases and receipt of palliative care were identified from prospectively maintained registries. Health care utilization including intensive care unit (ICU) was reviewed. All statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 24. Results: We identified 455 new diagnoses of pancreatic cancer, mean age 61 years, 227 (50%) female and 228 (50%) white. Of these, 277 (61%) received palliative care ever. Patient who received palliative care were more likely to be younger (mean age, 59.3+-12 vs 62.8 +- 12 years) and have stage 4 disease vs stage 1-3 disease (p 0.006, and p 0.003 respectively). There was no statistically significant difference in palliative care utilization between gender and ethnicity groups. 140 patients had a DNR order and 29 required ICU admission at any point. A first contact with palliative care consult was obtained < = 7 days before death for 29 (10%) patients, < = 30 days before death for 86 (31%) patients, 30-60 days before death for 50 (18%) and more than 60 days before death for 141 (51%) patients. Patients receiving palliative care were more likely to have a DNR status (p < 0.001) but had no difference in ICU use within the last 30 days of life (p 0.285). Conclusions: The rate of palliative care in patients with pancreatic cancer in this cohort from a safety net hospital is higher than nationally reported studies. Most patients received palliative care > 30 days before death. While patients received early palliative care, it did not result in reduced ICU care. Factors influencing ICU care utilization near the end of life need further study.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 427-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Z Huang ◽  
Jonathan I Chang ◽  
Bechien U Wu

427 Background: Recent studies have suggested associations between statin use and enhanced survival among patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We aimed to explore the impact of pre-diagnosis statin treatment on survival across different agents and exposure levels. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 2,142 pancreatic cancer patients diagnosed from 2006-2014 in an integrated healthcare system. Patients were identified from an internal cancer registry and followed until censored at death, date of last contact, or end of study. We used electronic pharmacy records to abstract information on the type, length and dosage of all statin exposures in the year prior to diagnosis. The overall influence of statins as well as the individual effects of simvastatin, lovastatin, atorvastatin, pravastatin and rosuvastatin were assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression. All analyses were adjusted for age, race, stage, receipt of surgery, receipt of chemotherapy and Charlson comorbidity index. We further adjusted for cholesterol control to determine whether statins acted through a lipid-mediated pathway. Results: Overall statin use was associated with a 13% decrease in the risk of mortality (HR 0.87, CI 0.79-0.97). Specifically, those who had used statins for 9-12 months (HR 0.85, CI 0.75-0.95), received higher doses (40+ mg/day) (HR 0.86, CI 0.76-0.98) or were active users at diagnosis (HR 0.86, CI 0.78-0.96) all had better survival compared to non-statin users. When assessing the individual statins, we found similar improvements in survival only among simvastatin users. Further stratified analyses revealed that simvastatin decreased the risk of death by 26% in stage IV patients (HR 0.74, CI 0.64-0.85), but had no effect for stage I-III patients (pinteraction= 0.03). Cholesterol control did not impact any of the associations between statin use and survival. Conclusions: We found that pre-diagnosis statin use, specifically simvastatin, was associated with improved survival in pancreatic cancer patients.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Jing ◽  
Yuru Shang ◽  
Bing Li ◽  
Xiaodong Bai ◽  
Guangrui Shao

Abstract Background: The time-trend in the survival of elderly pancreatic cancer patients was still unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the survival benefit of young and elderly pancreatic cancer patients by a time-trend analysis. Methods: From 2004-2013, we obtained 5,341 of young patients (< 80 years) and 569 elderly patients (≥ 80 years) from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, and the overall survival of these patients were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier estimator. The independent factors which could predict the survival of patients were determined by cox proportional hazards model.Results: We observed that the median overall survival of the young patients in 2004-2008 cohort was significantly (P < 0.001) increased when compared to that in the 2009-2013 cohort. However, we did not observe the survival benefit for the elderly patients. The Cox proportional hazards model demonstrated that the tumor size, lymph node ratio, grade, and AJCC TNM stage were independent factors of survival. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that compared to 2004-2008, the survival of elderly patients in 2009-2013 was not significantly improved. Thus, the clinicians still need to administer more care to elderly patients.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 3167-3167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurel A. Menapace ◽  
Derick R. Peterson ◽  
Andrea Berry ◽  
Tarek Sousou ◽  
Alok A. Khorana

Abstract Abstract 3167 Background: Incidentally diagnosed venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a growing clinical problem. Although pancreatic cancer is well-known to be associated with VTE, contemporary rates of incidental and symptomatic VTE events and their association with mortality are incompletely understood. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of consecutive pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients seen at the University of Rochester from 2006–2009. Radiologic reports were reviewed for presence of pulmonary embolism (PE), deep venous thrombosis (DVT), and visceral vein thrombosis. Multiple clinical variables and mortality outcomes were collected. Data were analyzed using a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. Results: A total of 1151 radiologic exams for 135 patients were included. Forty-seven patients (34.8%) experienced at least one VTE event. There were 12 PEs (n=12 patients, 8.9%), 34 DVTs (n=17 patients, 12.6%), 47 visceral vein (n=31 patients, 22.9%) and 2 arterial (n=2 patients, 1.5%) events. Twenty-one patients (15.5%) experienced more than one event. Incidental events comprised 33.3% (n=4) of PEs, 17.6% (n=6) of DVTs and 100% (n=47) of visceral VTE. Median survival for the study population was 237 (95% CI 199–277) days. Patients with VTE had significantly reduced survival (73 vs. 233 days at 3 months post-diagnosis; 66 vs. 245 days at 6 months post-diagnosis). There was no significant difference between asymptomatic and symptomatic events in terms of conditional median survival at 3 months-, 6 months- or 1 year-post diagnosis. In multivariate analysis, occurrence of either DVT (HR 7.4 95% CI 3.8–14.6, P<0.0001) or visceral asymptomatic events (HR 2.5 95% CI 1.6–3.8, P=0.0001) was significantly associated with mortality along with advanced stage. Conclusions: VTE occurs in over one-third of pancreatic cancer patients, including a significant proportion with incidentally discovered events. Patients with visceral vein events are generally not anticoagulated but these findings suggest a similar association with mortality as symptomatic DVT. Our findings require reconsideration of prognosis and anticoagulation options in pancreatic cancer patients with both incidental and symptomatic VTE. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Author(s):  
Jessica Y. Islam ◽  
Veeral Saraiya ◽  
Rebecca A. Previs ◽  
Tomi Akinyemiju

Palliative care improves quality-of-life and extends survival, however, is underutilized among gynecological cancer patients in the United States (U.S.). Our objective was to evaluate associations between healthcare access (HCA) measures and palliative care utilization among U.S. gynecological cancer patients overall and by race/ethnicity. We used 2004–2016 data from the U.S. National Cancer Database and included patients with metastatic (stage III–IV at-diagnosis) ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancer (n = 176,899). Palliative care was defined as non-curative treatment and could include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and pain management, or any combination. HCA measures included insurance type, area-level socioeconomic measures, distance-to-care, and cancer treatment facility type. We evaluated associations of HCA measures with palliative care use overall and by race/ethnicity using multivariable logistic regression. Our population was mostly non-Hispanic White (72%), had ovarian cancer (72%), and 24% survived <6 months. Five percent of metastatic gynecological cancer patients utilized palliative care. Compared to those with private insurance, uninsured patients with ovarian (aOR: 1.80,95% CI: 1.53–2.12), and cervical (aOR: 1.45,95% CI: 1.26–1.67) cancer were more likely to use palliative care. Patients with ovarian (aOR: 0.58,95% CI: 0.48–0.70) or cervical cancer (aOR: 0.74,95% CI: 0.60–0.88) who reside >45 miles from their provider were less likely to utilize palliative care than those within <2 miles. Ovarian cancer patients treated at academic/research programs were less likely to utilize palliative care compared to those treated at community cancer programs (aOR: 0.70, 95%CI: 0.58–0.84). Associations between HCA measures and palliative care utilization were largely consistent across U.S. racial-ethnic groups. Insurance type, cancer treatment facility type, and distance-to-care may influence palliative care use among metastatic gynecological cancer patients in the U.S.


Author(s):  
Aye Tinzar Myint ◽  
Sariyamon Tiraphat ◽  
Isareethika Jayasvasti ◽  
Seo Ah Hong ◽  
Vijj Kasemsup

Palliative care is an effective, multidisciplinary healthcare service to alleviate severe illness patients from physical, psychological, and spiritual pain. However, global palliative care has been underutilized, especially in developing countries. This cross-sectional survey aimed to examine the factors associated with older cancer patients’ willingness to utilize palliative care services in Myanmar. The final sample was composed of 141 older adults, 50-years of age and above who suffered from cancers at any stage. Simple random sampling was applied to choose the participants by purposively selecting three oncology clinics with daycare chemotherapy centers in Mandalay. We collected data using structured questionnaires composed of five sections. The sections include the participant’s socio-economic information, disease status, knowledge of palliative care, psychosocial and spiritual need, practical need, and willingness to utilize palliative care services. The study found that approximately 85% of older cancer patients are willing to receive palliative care services. The significant predictors of willingness to utilize palliative care services include place of living, better palliative care knowledge, more need for spiritual and psychosocial support, and practical support. This study can guide health policymakers in increasing the rate of palliative care utilization. The suggested policies include developing community-level palliative care services in Myanmar, especially in rural areas, promoting palliative care knowledge, applying appropriate religious and spiritual traditions at palliative treatment, and developing suitable medicines for the critically ill.


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