PALLIA-10, a screening tool to identify patients needing palliative care referral in comprehensive cancer centers: A prospective multicentric study (PREPA-10).

PURPOSE: The identification and referral of patients in need of palliative care should be improved. The French society for palliative support and care recommended to use the PALLIA-10 questionnaire and its score greater than 3 to refer patients to palliative care. We explored the use of the PALLIA-10 questionnaire and its related score in a population of advanced cancer patients. METHODS: This prospective multicentric study is to be conducted in authorized French comprehensive cancer centers on hospitalized patients on a given day. We aimed to use the PALLIA-10 score to determine the proportion of palliative patients with a score >3. Main secondary endpoints were to determine the proportion of patients already managed by palliative care teams at the study date or referred to palliative care in six following months, the prevalence of patients with a score greater than 5, and the overall survival using the predefined thresholds of 3 and 5. RESULTS: In 2015, eighteen French cancer centers enrolled 840 patients, including 687 (82%) palliative patients. 479 (69.5%) patients had a score >3, 230 (33.5%) had a score >5, 216 (31.4%) patients were already followed-up by a palliative care team, 152 patients were finally referred to PC in the six subsequent months. The PALLIA-10 score appeared as a reliable predictive (adjusted ORRef≤3 : 1.9 [1.17-3.16] and 3.59 [2.18-5.91]) and prognostic (adjusted HRRef≤3  = 1.58 [95%CI 1.20-2.08] and 2.18 [95%CI 1.63-2.92]) factor for patients scored 4-5 and >5, respectively. CONCLUSION: The PALLIA-10 questionnaire is an easy-to-use tool to refer cancer inpatients to palliative care in current practice. However a score greater than 5 using the PALLIA-10 questionnaire would be more appropriate for advanced cancer patients hospitalized in comprehensive cancer center.

Evolution of palliative care in the French Cancer Centers-Unicancer.

The French Cancer Centers (FCC) have a threefold mission, care research and education. Their specificity is multidisciplinary and comprehensive patient support at all stages of cancer. Innovation and research are at the heart of FCC action, but the care of patients in the palliative phase is a major and long-time concern. In each center there is an autonomous or integrated structure of palliative care in a service or Interdisciplinary Department of Support Care for the Patient in Oncology. These include, besides the hospice activity, chronic pain, psychooncology, social support, nutrition, functional rehabilitation, etc. Furthermore, the FCC have, in accordance with a secondary regulatory text to National Plans for palliative care, identified beds of palliative care (IBPC) in oncology day hospitals and in palliative care. In 2006 a Unicancer FCC group was established. One of the group's goals is to promote "early palliative care" together with other FCC teams. A common research dynamic has been implemented, ensuring the development of organizations and palliative culture.