A Three-Year Retrospective Review of Gynecologic Oncology Referrals to the Specialist Palliative Care Team in a Tertiary Referral Centre: Population, Characteristics, and Outcomes

Abstract Background The early integration of a specialist palliative care team is demonstrated to have numerous benefits for patients. These extend beyond end-of-life care to include reducing depressive symptoms, improving quality of life, and reducing unnecessary interventions. Aims This study aims to characterize the patient population referred to the specialist palliative care service with a diagnosis of gynecological cancer. It also assesses referral frequency and response time in order to understand palliative care utilization in an acute hospital setting. Methods A retrospective chart review and database analysis was performed to extract data on demographics, cancer diagnoses, and referral reasons for patients referred to the specialist palliative care service over three years. The study focuses on identifying patterns in the characteristics of the referred patient population. Results Analysis of 162 patients revealed a distribution across cancer subtypes: 62% ovarian, 22% endometrial, 12% cervical, and 4% vulvar. A notable finding was that the outcomes for patients with ovarian cancer were more likely to be discharged home with or without community care (61.8%) compared to those with endometrial cancer (41.0%). A rapid response to referrals was observed, with 70% reviewed within three days and 98% within a week. This highlights the service’s efficiency and the demographic and diagnostic profile of the patient served. Conclusions This study gives insight into the demographic and diagnostic profiles of gynecological cancer patients referred for palliative care, alongside demonstrating rapid response to such referrals. Despite the rapid assessment times, the research importantly identifies differences in outcomes among different cancer subtypes, with a particular emphasis on the variance in discharge destinations. These findings reflect both patient preference and medical need, demonstrating the role of tailoring palliative care approaches to meet the individual needs and desires of this diverse patient population.