Symptom burden in mesothelioma patients admitted to home palliative care

2016

Context: Mesothelioma is a very aggressive cancer that is brought on by asbestos exposure. Because there is a long latency period between exposure to asbestos and symptoms of disease, most patients with mesothelioma present with advanced disease and survive an average of 8–12 months. Thus, best supportive care should be considered critical to optimally manage these patients. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiological characteristics and symptom burden of mesothelioma patients when admitted to home palliative care. Methods: The charts of a consecutive sample of patients admitted to the home palliative care program with a diagnosis of mesothelioma in an endemic industrial…