Changes in medication use in a cohort of patients with advanced cancer : the international multicentre prospective European Palliative Care Cancer Symptom study

Background:Information on medication use in the last months of life is limited.Aim:To describe which medications are prescribed and deprescribed in advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care in relation to time before death and to explore associations with demographic variables.Design:Prospective study, using case report forms for monthly data collection. Medication included cancer treatment and 19 therapeutic groups, grouped into four categories for: (1) cancer therapy, (2) specific cancer-related symptom relief, (3) other symptom relief and (4) long-term prevention. Data were analysed retrospectively using death as the index date. We compared medication use at 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 month(s) before death by constructing five cross-sectional subsamples with medication use during that month. Paired analyses were done on a subsample of patients with at least two assessments before death.Setting/participants:We studied the medication use of 720 patients (mean age 67, 56% male) in 30 cancer centres represe...