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When Is Hospice Appropriate? The Role for Hospice in Palliating Patients with Bone Metastases

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Metastatic Bone Disease

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Abstract

At some point in their disease trajectory, cancer patients with bone metastases will become candidates for end of life care. Depending upon the tumor type and treatment options, this point can occur earlier in some tumor types or patients with poor performance status. Hospice services may be the most appropriate means of supporting cancer patients when treatment options are less likely to provide effective relief from symptoms, or when a patient feels that supportive care alone fits best with their goals of care. Advanced cancer patients will be eligible for hospice care, but may be more appropriately palliated with a surgical intervention. Several available prognostic tools are available to help guide both the surgeon and the patient in decision making. Consultation with a palliative care physician will be helpful in difficult case where the risks and benefits of surgical intervention may be less clear.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospice and Palliative Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Andrew Badke MD

  2. Supportive Oncology & Survivorship, Medical Oncology, Internal Medicine, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, 1950 Circle of Hope #6585, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA

    Anna C. Beck MD

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  1. Andrew Badke MD
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Correspondence to Anna C. Beck MD .

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  1. Huntsman Cancer Institute, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    R. Lor Randall

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Badke, A., Beck, A.C. (2016). When Is Hospice Appropriate? The Role for Hospice in Palliating Patients with Bone Metastases. In: Randall, R. (eds) Metastatic Bone Disease. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5662-9_16

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