Preventive drugs in the last year of life of older adults with cancer: Is there room for deprescribing?
deprescribing
drug prescribing
end of life
palliative care
Journal
Cancer
ISSN: 1097-0142
Titre abrégé: Cancer
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0374236
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
01 07 2019
01 07 2019
Historique:
received:
02
01
2019
revised:
06
02
2019
accepted:
11
02
2019
pubmed:
25
3
2019
medline:
25
3
2020
entrez:
26
3
2019
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
The continuation of preventive drugs among older patients with advanced cancer has come under scrutiny because these drugs are unlikely to achieve their clinical benefit during the patients' remaining lifespan. A nationwide cohort study of older adults (those aged ≥65 years) with solid tumors who died between 2007 and 2013 was performed in Sweden, using routinely collected data with record linkage. The authors calculated the monthly use and cost of preventive drugs throughout the last year before the patients' death. Among 151,201 older persons who died with cancer (mean age, 81.3 years [standard deviation, 8.1 years]), the average number of drugs increased from 6.9 to 10.1 over the course of the last year before death. Preventive drugs frequently were continued until the final month of life, including antihypertensives, platelet aggregation inhibitors, anticoagulants, statins, and oral antidiabetics. Median drug costs amounted to $1482 (interquartile range [IQR], $700-$2896]) per person, including $213 (IQR, $77-$490) for preventive therapies. Compared with older adults who died with lung cancer (median drug cost, $205; IQR, $61-$523), costs for preventive drugs were higher among older adults who died with pancreatic cancer (adjusted median difference, $13; 95% confidence interval, $5-$22) or gynecological cancers (adjusted median difference, $27; 95% confidence interval, $18-$36). There was no decrease noted with regard to the cost of preventive drugs throughout the last year of life. Preventive drugs commonly are prescribed during the last year of life among older adults with cancer, and often are continued until the final weeks before death. Adequate deprescribing strategies are warranted to reduce the burden of drugs with limited clinical benefit near the end of life.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
The continuation of preventive drugs among older patients with advanced cancer has come under scrutiny because these drugs are unlikely to achieve their clinical benefit during the patients' remaining lifespan.
METHODS
A nationwide cohort study of older adults (those aged ≥65 years) with solid tumors who died between 2007 and 2013 was performed in Sweden, using routinely collected data with record linkage. The authors calculated the monthly use and cost of preventive drugs throughout the last year before the patients' death.
RESULTS
Among 151,201 older persons who died with cancer (mean age, 81.3 years [standard deviation, 8.1 years]), the average number of drugs increased from 6.9 to 10.1 over the course of the last year before death. Preventive drugs frequently were continued until the final month of life, including antihypertensives, platelet aggregation inhibitors, anticoagulants, statins, and oral antidiabetics. Median drug costs amounted to $1482 (interquartile range [IQR], $700-$2896]) per person, including $213 (IQR, $77-$490) for preventive therapies. Compared with older adults who died with lung cancer (median drug cost, $205; IQR, $61-$523), costs for preventive drugs were higher among older adults who died with pancreatic cancer (adjusted median difference, $13; 95% confidence interval, $5-$22) or gynecological cancers (adjusted median difference, $27; 95% confidence interval, $18-$36). There was no decrease noted with regard to the cost of preventive drugs throughout the last year of life.
CONCLUSIONS
Preventive drugs commonly are prescribed during the last year of life among older adults with cancer, and often are continued until the final weeks before death. Adequate deprescribing strategies are warranted to reduce the burden of drugs with limited clinical benefit near the end of life.
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
2309-2317Commentaires et corrections
Type : CommentIn
Informations de copyright
© 2019 American Cancer Society.
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