The Stability of Treatment Preferences Among Patients With Advanced Cancer

Context: Stability of patients' treatment preferences has important implications for decisions about concurrent and future treatment. Objectives: To examine the stability of treatment preferences and correlates among patients with advanced cancer. Methods: In this cohort, 104 patients with metastatic cancer, progression after at least one chemotherapy regimen, and an oncologist-estimated life expectancy of six or fewer months participated in structured interviews after clinical visits in which patients' recent scan results were discussed. Interviews were repeated in three monthly follow-ups. At baseline, patients' age, education, sex, race, marital status, insurance status, and type of cancer were documented. At each assessment, patients reported their treatment preferences (i.e., prioritizing life-prolonging vs. comfort), quality of life, and current health status. Results: At baseline (n = 104), 55 (53%) patients preferred life-prolonging care and 49 (47%) preferred comfort care. Patients were followed up for one (n = 104), two (n = 74), or three months (n = 44). Between baseline and Month 1, 84 patients (81%) had stable preferences. During follow-up, preferences of 71 patients (68%) remained stable (equally divided between a consistent preference for life-prolonging and comfort care). Treatment preferences of 33 (32%) patients changed at least once during follow-up. Direction of change was inconsistent. Patients' preferences at baseline strongly predicted preferences at Month 1 (odds ratio = 17.8; confidence interval = 6.7–47.3; P < .001). Description of the current health status at baseline was the only variable significantly associated with stability of preferences at Month 1. Conclusion: Two-thirds of patients with advanced cancer had stable preferences. Changes of preferences were often inconsistent and unpredictable. Our findings suggest potential benefits of ongoing communication about preferences.