Importance and Timing of End-of-Life Care Discussions Among Gynecologic Oncology Patients

Objectives: To assess the importance and desired timing of end-of-life care (EOLC) discussions among women with gynecologic cancer. Methods: A questionnaire related to EOLC issues was distributed to patients with gynecologic cancer. Answers were analyzed via SPSS using descriptive statistics. Contingency analysis was done to evaluate for differences among disease status and age regarding preferences for timing of discussions. Results: Patients expressed that addressing EOLC is an important part of their treatment. Most patients were familiar with advanced directives (73.0%), do not resuscitate/do not intubate (88.5%), and hospice (97.5%). Designating someone to make decisions was significantly related to disease status (P=.03) and age (P=0.02). Conclusions: Patients are familiar with basic EOLC with optimal timing for discussions at disease progression or when treatment is no longer available.