Access to palliative care among patients treated at a comprehensive cancer center.

Background: Palliative care (PC) is a critical component of comprehensive cancer care. Previous studies on PC access have mostly examined the timing of PC referral. The proportion of patients who actually receive PC is unclear.

Targeted agent use in cancer patients at the end of life.

Context: The use of targeted therapy at the end of life has not been well characterized.

Objectives: To determine the frequency and predictors of targeted therapy use in the last days of life.

Methods: All adult patients residing in the Houston area who died of advanced cancer between September 1, 2009 and February 28, 2010 and had contact with our institution within the last three months of life were included.