The role of early phase clinical trials in end-of-life care for children
November 01, 2016
Enrolling children in early phase clinical trials in the last 6 months of life does not appear to substantially alter
end-of-life care, increase use of invasive interventions, or increase hospital
use, according to a new study, Oncology Times reports.
“Pediatric patients who were enrolled in early
phase clinical trials in the last 6 months of life received palliative care
consultation significantly later in treatment. Not surprisingly, these children
also had more frequent clinic visits, likely as a result of trial
requirements,” lead author Prasanna Ananth, MD, tells Oncology Times.
“However,
enrollment in early phase clinical trials did not significantly delay advance
care planning. Trial enrollment also did not increase health care resource use;
these children did not receive more invasive procedures, for example, blood
draws or interventions, such as intubation or CPR. They also were not admitted
to the hospital or intensive care unit more often.”