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A Comparison of Cancer and Noncancer Patients Who Receive Palliative Care Consultation Services

This study aimed to compare multiaspect characteristics in cancer and noncancer patients who received palliative care. Totally, 226 patients with cancer and 115 noncancer patients received palliative care consultation service in Taiwan from September 2007 through December 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. Noncancer patients were older (81 vs 67 years, P < .001), more likely to be enrolled from an intensive care unit (51% vs 5%, P < .001), and waited longer to be referred for admission to a palliative care (8 vs 3 days, P < .001) than patients with cancer. Cancer and noncancer patients presented as polysymptomatics in both physical and psychosocial symptoms at the end of life. Such physical and psychosocial characteristics should be taken into account in providing appropriate end-of-life care in the same way as it is for the patients with cancer.