ABSTRACT
RATIONAL: The use of antidepressants and maintenance medications for cancer patients in a palliative care setting is controversial. The effectiveness of antidepressants and consequences of discontinuing maintenance medications are unknown in this population. OBJECTIVE: Compare the quality of life of patients taking and not taking antidepressants at entry to a palliative care clinic, and to observe maintenance medication use in this population, along with consequences of stopping them. METHODS: Prospective, monthly review of medications, quality of life, and hospitalizations were recorded from oncology patients that attended a palliative care clinic. In addition, a retrospective chart review of medications and hospitalizations of oncology patients that did and did not attend a palliative care clinic was performed. RESULTS: Forty-three prospective patients were enrolled. Patients had similar quality of life whether or not they were taking antidepressants (p = 0.52). Number of maintenance medications at entry and at final evaluation did not change (p = 0.45). No hospitalizations were caused by discontinuation of maintenance medications. QOL of patients did not decline after coming to the clinic based on the baseline and second FACT-G questionnaires (p = 0.84). Fifty-six patients were included in the retrospective portion of this study. The non-palliative care patients had higher proportions of maintenance medications and rates of hospitalizations when compared to the palliative care patients. CONCLUSION: Quality of life is essentially the same between palliative care patients, whether they are receiving antidepressants or not.
