The effects of performance status, clinical symptoms and laboratoy data on length of survival of advanced cancer patients

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Patients diagnosed as an advanced cancer and families need accurate information about the length of survival in order to plan for and to make the best use of the time that remains. The health care of that patient can then be redirected toward palliation and mobilizing resources to ensure a comfortable life. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the prognostic value of performance status plus some physical symptoms and some biological indices and there fore to assist in planning appropriate palliative care. METHODS: This study was performed on 161 patients, who had been diagnosed as advanced cancer in Korea University Guro Hospital from July 1999 to July 2000. We requested Karnofsky performance status scale, mental status, jaundice, severity of pain, anorexia, voiding difficulty, dyspnea and dry mouth We assessed the biological indices by leukocyte count, plasma albumin, proteinuria. RESULTS: We could confirm 82 patients' death(54.37) of 151 patients. Univariate analysis showed that Karnofsky performance status scale, mental status, jaundice, severity of pain, anorexia, voiding difficulty, dyspnea, dry mouth, leukocyte count, albumin and proteinuria demonstrated a statistically significant predictive prognosis. Multivariate analysis using Cox's proportional hazard model showed that age, performance status, albumin, proteinuria were independent predictors of survival and severity of pain had the borderline value. CONCLUSION: Age, performance status, albumin and proteinuria were the independent prognostic factors for patients with advanced cancer.