Early palliative care has been shown to improve the survival of advanced lung cancer patients. However, most of the clinical studies were performed in the era when systemic treatment options for this disease were limited. Currently, many effective treatment options are available, including targeted therapy and immunotherapy. These novel agents improve the treatment outcomes while having less toxicity compared to conventional chemotherapy. Moreover, medical oncologists are now trained to provide palliative care for patients. This study was designed to demonstrate whether early palliative care provided by the palliative care specialist still improves the quality of life or survival of advanced lung cancer patients compared to standard care provided by the medical oncologist.
Age at least 18 years old
Pathologically confirmed advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Plan to receive systemic treatment for lung cancer within three weeks
ECOG performance status 0-2 with estimated life expectancy > 24 weeks
Had received systemic treatment for advanced lung cancer before