End-of-life care for Filipino patients with cancer

Palliat Support Care. 2022 Sep 28:1-5. doi: 10.1017/S1478951522001183. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Providing end-of-life care within the cultural context of a Filipino patient in the United States is a complex process for clinicians, patients, and their families. An inclusive approach is crucial, especially because a significant proportion of patients belong to minority groups such as Filipinos, who represent the fourth largest group of immigrants in the United States as of data available in 2019. The case provided in this paper highlights the importance of family, religion, and finances in guiding the best possible way of providing end-of-life care for Filipino patients with cancer. At the end of this review, we discuss concrete action points that may give a non-Filipino physician a deeper understanding of end-of-life care for Filipinos.

Keywords: Cancer; End-of-life; Filipino; Minority; Palliative.