In a research paper published in the BMJ (25 August), UK researchers found that a cancer survival scale based on readily available clinical and laboratory variables, can reliably predict how long a cancer patient in palliative care will live.
The research paper shows the development of two prognostic models, both of which are able to predict whether patients will survive for days, weeks, or months. According to the research, the models’ calculations of survival were as good as or better than physician and nurse estimates.
Patrick C. Stone, MD, of St. George’s University of London, and coauthors wrote in conclusion, “The [Prognosis in Palliative care Study] PiPS-A score [based only on clinical data] can be calculated for any patient with advanced cancer who is no longer receiving disease-modifying treatment, and it is at least as good as, but not significantly better than, a clinician’s estimate of survival.”