Show-Me State Times

For patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, a compassionate care approach can significantly impact their well-being. However, a recent study published in Healthcare highlights that palliative care, aimed at improving the quality of life for those with serious illnesses, is underutilized among pancreatic cancer patients in the United States.

Divya Subramaniam, Ph.D., an associate professor of health and clinical outcomes research at SLU’s School of Medicine and the lead author of the paper, noted that these patients often experience substantial suffering. This suffering is not only due to physical pain but also from fear and loss of functionality and dignity, contributing to depression and anxiety. Subramaniam emphasized that this study addresses a significant gap by exploring how palliative care initiation affects new-onset mental health issues in pancreatic cancer patients.

"Our findings highlight a disproportionately low uptake of palliative care, especially given the high prevalence of advanced cancer at the time of diagnosis. These findings underscore a critical unmet need in improving their quality of life while these patients live with cancer," Subramaniam said.

The retrospective study analyzed data from an all-payer medical record database in the United States, focusing on 4,029 adults newly diagnosed with primary pancreatic cancer. Nearly half were over 70 years old, and more than 70% had multiple severe medical conditions alongside pancreatic cancer.

Beyond low palliative care uptake, researchers found that older patients and those diagnosed with either depression or anxiety alone were less likely to receive mental health treatment. Interestingly, palliative care consultation did not seem to affect whether patients received mental health treatments.

"Mental health and palliative care are essential components of quality cancer care, especially for aggressive diseases like pancreatic cancer," Subramaniam stated. "Our findings call for a more integrated approach to patient-centered care, one that places equal emphasis on mental health as a critical part of cancer treatment and intervention."