Studies show that, in general, cancer directed treatments are likely to be ineffective for patients with solid organ tumours who are markedly debilitated by their cancer (i.e., performance status 3 or 4). Exceptions may include patients with functional limitations due to other conditions resulting in a low performance status, or selected patients with specific disease types (e.g., germ cell cancer) or characteristics (e.g., mutations) that suggest a high likelihood of response to therapy. It has also been shown that appropriate symptom control and palliative care can significantly improve quality of life.
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Peppercorn JM, et al. American society of clinical oncology statement: toward individualized care for patients with advanced cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2011 Feb 20;29(6):755-60. PMID: 21263086.
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Patient Pamphlet: Care at the End of Life for Advanced Cancer Patients: When to stop cancer treatment