Access to Palliative Care Services and Clinical Outcomes of Patients With Solid Malignancy-Associated Myelophthisis in a Resource-Limited Setting

Abstract

Background: Myelophthisis (MPT) has been associated with a dreadful prognosis. Patients’ access to palliative care (PC) and factors influencing its clinical outcomes are poorly described. Our aim was to analyze the impact of patient- and disease-specific characteristics on survival of patients with MPT and describe their use of PC in a resource-limited setting. Methods: Retrospective study including patients with solid tumor MPT, diagnosed between 1996 and 2018. Results: Seventy patients ( median 58 years) were included. 58% were synchronously diagnosed with MPT at time of primary tumor diagnosis. Most common oncologic diagnoses were prostate (25.7%), gastrointestinal (20%), and breast (18.6%) neoplasms. Median overall survival (OS) was 1.9 months. Primaries other than prostate, breast, and lung (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.15 - 1.8; p = 0.02) and transfusion requirements (HR 2.8, 95% CI 1.01 – 7.9; p = 0.04) were independently associated with decreased OS. Administration of multiple systemic therapeutic interventions (HR 0.15, 95% CI 0.06 – 0.39; p = 0.01) was the sole factor improving OS. Assessment by PC was pursued in 51.4% of patients. The median number of consults per patient was two, with no difference in assessment rate or consult number across different primaries ( P = 0.96). Four cases of palliative sedation were reported, all performed by the primary care team. Conclusion: MPT is highly heterogeneous and risk stratification to optimize the use of therapeutic interventions in unison with palliative interventions is needed to maximize efforts toward improving patient quality of life. There is an alarming need of PC services in the multidisciplinary management of patients within developing regions.