New embracing approach for better advanced cancer patient comprehensive care.

Introduction: Cancer patients have multiple and complex needs. Argentina has a medium-high cancer incidence. Only 14% of patients with palliative care needs have access to specialized services.

Palliative and prognostic approach in cancer patients identified in the multicentre NECesidades PALiativas 2 study in Argentina.

Background: Early identification of palliative needs has proven benefits in quality of life, survival and decision-making. The NECesidades PALiativas (NECPAL) Centro Coordinador Organización Mundial de la Salud - Instituto Catalán de Oncología (CCOMS-ICO©) tool combines the physician's insight with objective disease progression parameters and advanced chronic conditions. Some parameters have been independently associated with mortality risk in different populations.

Prognostic factors in cancer patients with palliative needs identified by the NECPAL CCOMS-ICO© tool.

The early identification of patients with palliative needs has shown benefits in terms of quality of life and treatment goals. No prospective methods have been applied in Argentina to identify palliative needs in cancer patients. The NECPAL tool combines the physician's own insight with objective indicators of disease progression and indicators of chronic advanced conditions.

[Palliative care needs in advanced chronic illness].

About 75% of population will die from one or more chronic progressive diseases. From this projection WHO urged countries to devise strategies for strengthening palliative treatment as part of comprehensive care. In Catalonia, Spain, direct measurement of the prevalence of these patients with NECPAL CCOMS-ICO© tool was 1.