Patterns and Disparities in Palliative Care Utilization Hospitalized Patients with Metastatic Lung Cancer
In an ASCO meeting abstract published in JCO Oncology Practice, researchers analyzed more than 170,000 hospitalizations of patients with metastatic (stage IV) lung cancer to assess patterns of inpatient palliative care use and aggressive care delivery. They found that about one in four hospitalizations included a palliative care encounter, while intensive care and invasive procedures remained common. The researchers also found racial disparities, with Black patients less likely to receive palliative care.