Prevalence of End-of-Life Signs and Symptoms in Glioblastoma Patients: A Descriptive and Retrospective Study

Abstract

Introduction: Glioblastoma is often associated with a poor prognosis. The end-of-life signs and symptoms of these people differ from the rest of the cancer population. Objective: To identify the main signs and symptoms present in the last seven days of life of patients with glioblastoma in a neurological oncology service. Methods: A descriptive and retrospective study was carried out. The sample included patients diagnosed with glioblastoma with medical and nursing records of the last seven days of life that were admitted to the Neurology service and admitted to the institution by the neuro-oncology consultation between 2019 and 2020. Data was collected from the medical records of the patients. Results: Medical records of 17 patients were selected for this study. The main signs and symptoms present in the last seven days of their lives were decreased level of consciousness (94%), rare and unexpected events (94%), respiratory dysfunction (88%), and loss of swallowing ability (76%). Conclusion: The objectives of this study were achieved. However, it is important to conduct studies in this population with more representative samples, since most literature is focused on the oncologic population in general.