Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of palliative care on the quality of life, depressive state, and physical and psychological symptoms of patients with end-stage cancer.
Methods: A systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases was conducted for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from May 2000 to June 2023, focusing on the impact of palliative care on end-stage cancer patients. The search utilized terms such as "palliative care," "cancer/tumor/malignancy," "terminal/end-stage/advanced," to identify studies meeting our inclusion criteria. Selected RCTs were evaluated for quality, and relevant data were extracted for meta-analysis.
Results: Meta-analysis of 16 RCTs revealed that palliative care significantly improved depressive states [OR=-0.88, 95%CI (-1.55, -0.20), P = .01] and alleviated physical and psychological symptoms [OR=-2.38, 95%CI (-3.95, -0.81), P = .003] in end-stage cancer patients compared to conventional oncology care. However, the improvement in overall quality of life was not statistically significant (P > .05).
Conclusion: Palliative care significantly enhances the mental and physical well-being of end-stage cancer patients by reducing depressive states and symptom burden, although its impact on overall quality of life requires further exploration.