Can survival in cancer patients be accurately predicted with the Palliative Performance Scale?

Abstract

Introduction: Palliative Performance Scale (PPS), Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) are widely used prognostic scales in palliative care unit. Institutionalized palliative care services in our country are quite new compared to the practices in many countries. We do not have concrete data on the compatibility of these scales, which are developed with patient data from other countries, in our own palliative care practices with real cases. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the convenience of the Turkish versions of these scales on the first days of hospitalization of terminal cancer patients who were followed up in the palliative clinic of our hospital. We also questioned whether the initial estimated survival and actual survival were compatible.Methods: PPS, KPS and ESAS on the first days of hospitalization of terminal cancer patients, hospitalized in the palliative clinic of our hospital between November 14, 2016 and November 14, 2017, were retrospectively evaluated one year later (n = 222). The survivors and those who lost their lives were determined. The survival estimates with PPS of the patients who died were compared with their actual survival.Results: The average age of 222 patients (18% female, 82% male) participating in the study was 64.49 ± 11.62, and the range was 26-91. PPS, KPS, ESAS were determined as a mean value of 34.40±18.00 (min. 10-max. 90), 32.90±17.50 (min. 10-max. 90), 56.10±15.65 (min. 2-max. 90), respectively. The AUC of PPS is 0.83 (p lt;0.001) and the AUC of KPS is 0.78 (p lt;0.001) suggesting that KPS and PPS has at least one tie between alive and dead patients, which is 45%. Median survival time was found 14.00, 95% C.I. [10.87–17.13]. Conclusion: In our study, it was found that as the KPS and PPS scores decrease, the survival time of terminal cancer patients decrease. Patients with PPS lt;45% had a higher risk of death (sensitivity 71%, specificity 80%), patients with KPS lt;45% had a higher risk of death (sensitivity 60%, specificity 81%), and patients with ESAS gt; 60.50 had a higher risk of death (sensitivity 93%, specificity 45%). PPS is a useful assessment scale for predicting survival of terminal cancer patients in the palliative care unit. We think it is important in determining our patient-specific palliative approach and treatments.

Keywords

• palliative performance scale
• karnofsky performance status
• palliative care
• palyatif performans ölçeği
• sağkalım
• kanser