Implications of Palliative Care Screening in Outpatient Comprehensive Cancer Genome Profiling Tests

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Palliative Care
• Genomics

Background:

• Patients with cancer frequently experience distress during Comprehensive Cancer Genome Profiling (CGP).
• Access to palliative care services is not universally utilized by distressed cancer patients undergoing CGP.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the prevalence of physical and emotional distress in cancer patients who underwent CGP testing.
• To evaluate the utilization of palliative care services among these patients.

Main Methods:

• The Ease of Living Questionnaire was used to assess distress levels.
• Data were collected from 75 patients attending a CGP outpatient clinic between November 2022 and July 2023.

Main Results:

• 16% of patients reported significant physical symptoms (≥3/5), with 5 visiting palliative care.
• 28% of patients reported significant psychological symptoms (≥6/10), with only 8 visiting palliative care.

Conclusions:

• A substantial number of patients undergoing CGP experience distress, indicating a need for palliative care integration.
• Current palliative care utilization is low, suggesting opportunities to improve patient referrals from CGP clinics.
• CGP outpatient clinics can play a role in identifying and connecting patients with necessary palliative care support.