A Trial Investigating the Effect of Specialised Palliative Care on Symptoms, Survival, Economical Factors and Satisfaction (DanPaCT)
Metastatic Cancer
About this trial
This is an interventional supportive care trial for Metastatic Cancer focused on measuring palliative care, end-of-life care, randomized clinical trial, quality of life, needs assessment, patient satisfaction, cost-effectiveness, Screening
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Cancer stage 4 according to the TNM system (for patients with cancer in CNS inclusion criteria is: cancer grade three or four and no possibility of radical treatment)
- At least 18 years
- Live in the area of the participating hospitals
- No contact with specialised palliative care within the previous year
- At least one palliative need defined as a EORTC QLQ-C30 scale score of at least 50% of the score corresponding to maximal symptomatology or maximal functional impairment
- Four additional symptoms (defined as patients answering, on average, at least 'a little' in any of the 14 function or symptom scales in the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire)
- Written informed consent
Exclusion Criteria:
- Do not understand Danish well enough to participate in the study
- Are judged incapable of co-operating with the trial protocol
Sites / Locations
- The Palliative Team, Aarhus University Hospital
- Section of Acute Pain Management and Palliative Medicine, Rigshospitalet
- Department of Palliative Medicine, Bispebjerg Hospital
- Palliative Team Herning
- Palliative Team Fyn, Odense University hospital
- Palliative Team Vejle
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
No Intervention
Specialised palliative care (SPC) group
Standard care group
Patients continue with their standard treatment (typically they receive treatment in one or more hospitals departments and from their GP). In addition, they are offered a consultation in the SPC out-patient clinic (or at home if the patient cannot attend the hospital) as soon as possible and no more than one week after randomization. If possible, each patient will have at least two contacts to the SPC in the trial period.
Patients continue with their standard treatment. They are instructed to contact either their GP or their hospital department if they feel that additional treatment or care is needed.