Integrated palliative care is important to improve mental health among pancreatic cancer patients

For patients facing a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, the compassionate care approach may change. However, a new study published in Health care reveals that palliative care, a service focused on improving the quality of life of people with serious illnesses, remains largely underutilized among pancreatic cancer patients in the United States.

This study found that only 25% of patients newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer received a palliative care consultation within their first year. In addition, despite one in three patients suffering from depression or anxiety, only half received any form of mental health support, either through therapy or medication.

Divya Subramaniam, Ph.D., assistant professor of health and clinical outcomes research at the SLU School of Medicine and lead author of the paper, said patients typically endure significant distress—not just in pain. body, but also fear and loss of activity and performance. dignity, all of which contribute to depression and anxiety. Subramaniam adds that this study addresses a major gap by examining the initiation of palliative care and its impact on treating early-onset mental health problems in patients with pancreatic cancer.

“Our findings highlight the disproportionately poor care of medical care, especially due to the prevalence of advanced cancer at the time of diagnosis. These findings highlight an important unmet need to improve quality of life when these patients are living with cancer,” Subramaniam said.

This retrospective study examined a random sample of all payer medical records in the United States, focusing on 4,029 adults diagnosed with primary pancreatic cancer for the first time. About half of the patients were over 70 years of age, and more than 70% had multiple serious medical conditions in addition to pancreatic cancer.

However, the study’s findings point to more than just the low utilization of palliative care. The researchers also noted that patients who were older and diagnosed with depression or anxiety alone, but not both, were less likely to receive treatment for mental health problems. Notably, health care counseling did not appear to influence the likelihood of receiving mental health treatment.

“Mental health and pain management are important components of high-quality cancer care, especially for aggressive diseases like pancreatic cancer,” said Subramaniam. “Our findings call for a more integrated approach to patient-centered care, which places equal emphasis on mental health as an important part of cancer treatment and intervention.”

Other authors include Zidong Zhang, Ph.D., of the AHEAD Center, Saint Louis University School of Medicine; Zachary Timmer, Elisabeth C. DeMarco, and Michael P. Poirier, of the Department of Health and Clinical Outcomes Research, Saint Louis University School of Medicine; and Leslie Hinyard, Ph.D., of the AHEAD Center and Department of Health and Clinical Outcomes Research, Saint Louis University School of Medicine.