Advanced Cancer Care Might Not Reflect Patient Preferences

Although medical treatment for serious illness generally aims to improve both survival and quality of life, sometimes patients feel hijacked toward one or the other goal without their consent. To determine how often perceived goals of care jibe with patient preferences in real time, California researchers surveyed about 1100 patients with serious chronic illnesses or advanced cancer. Patients were asked about their current preference for comfort-focused care versus life-extending care and then asked which kind of care they were currently receiving. Respondents could opt out of one or both questions with “I don’t know.” On average, patients with cancer were somewhat younger than other participants and reported somewhat better physical…