Effectiveness of Palliative Care on Quality of Life in Elderly People with Cancer: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Elderly people are a growing population with life-limiting illnesses, including cancer, which symptoms and treatment negatively affect patients’ quality of life because of physical discomfort, mental stress, and economic pressure. Recently, palliative care has become more important in relation to the quality of life of cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to review published studies about palliative care effects on the experienced symptoms of elderly with cancer, their function, and quality of life.Method: A systematic review search was conducted using PubMed, Google Scholar, and SID from ۲۰۱۲ to ۲۰۲۲. We identified studies by using the appropriate keywords. Search terms included ‘quality of life’, ‘cancer’, ‘palliative care’, and ‘elderly’. By analyzing the full text of Persian and English articles and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria a total of ۱۳ studies were selected and analyzed in this review.Results: In two studies, after comparing the test results of the control group and those receiving palliative care showed the same growth in the quality of life. In one of the studies, a positive effect of palliative care on the quality of life of the elderly with cancer was not observed, which was due to the disproportion of the statistical population receiving palliative care compared to those who did not receive this type of care. Other studies reported the positive effects of receiving palliative care on the quality of life, pain treatment, the expectancy of life and relieving physical, mental, and social problems caused by the disease, reducing the use of expensive and ineffective medical services, especially in final stages of the life of the elderly with cancer.Conclusion: This review indicates that palliative care had a significant effect in increasing the expectancy and quality of life. Results show that quality of life for those with a life-limiting illness is critically important, as people may prioritize the quality of life over treatment that extends its quantity. Therefore, it is recommended to consider palliative care as the primary goal in the treatment of elderly people with cancer.

Keywords:

Palliative Care , Quality of life , Elderly , Cancer , Systematic review.