Pediatric cancer deaths: curative or palliative?

Journal of Palliative Medicine
Bina S MenonHishamshah Ibrahim

Abstract

The aims of this study were to review the deaths of Malaysian pediatric oncology patients in order to determine the major causes and the proportion of patients who received palliative care. This was a retrospective review from 2001-2007 of deaths at the Pediatric Institute, General Hospital Kuala Lumpur. Clinical data such as age, gender, disease, cause, and place of death were collected. The patients were divided into two groups: those who received palliative care and those who received curative treatment. Two hundred forty-seven patients were included. There were 148 males and 99 females. The age ranged from 2 months to 22 years (median, 4 years). One hundred thirty cases (53%) were still in the curative phase of treatment at the time of death. The most common cause of death was septicemia (62%), followed by hemorrhage (18%) and underlying cancer (14%). One hundred seventeen cases (47%) were in the palliative phase at the time of death. All palliative care deaths occurred in the oncology ward with one exception. Nearly half of all inpatient pediatric cancer deaths were palliative in nature. Septicemia and hemorrhage were the major causes of death in the others.

References

Feb 3, 2000·The New England Journal of Medicine·J WolfeJ C Weeks
Feb 21, 2004·CA: a Cancer Journal for Clinicians·Ahmedin JemalUNKNOWN American Cancer Society
Mar 8, 2005·Journal of Pediatric Hematology/oncology·Galit P RosenTheodore B Moore
Apr 1, 2008·Journal of Clinical Oncology : Official Journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology·Joanne WolfeJane C Weeks

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Citations

Mar 19, 2011·Pediatric Blood & Cancer·Caprice KnappJoan Marston
Nov 10, 2011·International Journal of Palliative Nursing·Pathma NamasivayamLouise Peters
Dec 14, 2018·Cancer Medicine·Brian T ChengTenzin Wangmo

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