Background. The physical signs of impending death have not been well characterized in cancer patients. A better understanding of these signs may improve the ability of clinicians to diagnose impending death. We examined the frequency and onset of 10 bedside physical signs and their diagnostic performance for impending death. Methods. We systematically documented 10 physical signs every 12 hours from admission to death or discharge in 357 consecutive patients with advanced cancer admitted to two acute palliative care units. We examined the frequency and median onset of each sign from death backward and calculated their likelihood ratios (LRs) associated with death within 3 days. Results. In total, 203 of 357 patients (52 of 151 in the U.S., 151 of 206 in Brazil) died. Decreased level of consciousness, Palliative Performance Scale #20%, and dysphagia of liquids appeared at high frequency and .3 days before death and had

Background Accurate survival prediction is essential for decision-making in cancer therapies and care planning. Objective physiologic measures may improve the accuracy of prognostication. In this prospective study, we determined the association of phase angle, hand grip strength, and maximal inspiratory pressure with overall survival in patients with advanced cancer. Methods We enrolled hospitalized patients with advanced cancer who were seen by palliative care for consultation. We collected information on phase angle, hand grip strength, maximal inspiratory pressure and known prognostic factors including Palliative Prognostic Score (PaP), Palliative Prognostic Index, serum albumin and body composition. We conducted univariate and multivariate survival analysis, and examined the correlation between phase angle and other prognostic variables. Results 222 patients were enrolled: average age 55 (range 22–79), female 59%, mean Karnofsky Performance Status 55, and median overall survival 106 days (95% confidence interval [CI] 71–128 days). The median survival for patients with phase angle 2–2.9°, 3–3.9°, 4–4.9°, 5–5.9° and ≥6° was 35, 54, 112, 134 and 220 days, respectively (P=0.001). In multivariate analysis, phase angle (hazard ratio [HR]=0.86 per degree increase; 95% CI 0.74–0.99; P=0.04), PaP (HR=1.07; 95% CI 1.02–1.13, P=0.008), serum albumin (HR=0.67, 95% CI 0.50–0.91; P=0.009), and fat free mass (HR=0.98, CI=0.96–0.99; P=0.02) were significantly associated with survival. Phase angle was only weakly (γ<0.4) associated with other prognostic variables. Conclusions Phase angle was a novel predictor of poor survival, independent of established prognostic factors in the advanced cancer setting. This objective and non-invasive tool may be useful for bedside prognostication.

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Background We recently reported 5 highly specific physical signs associated with death within 3 days among cancer patients that may aid the diagnosis of impending death. In this study, we examined the frequency and onset of an additional 52 bedside physical signs and their diagnostic performance for impending death. Methods We enrolled 357 consecutive patients with advanced cancer admitted to acute palliative care units at two tertiary care cancer centers. We systematically documented 52 physical signs every 12 hours from admission to death or discharge. We examined the frequency and median time of onset of each sign from death backwards, and calculated their likelihood ratios (LRs) associated with death in 3 days. Results 203/357 (57%) patients died at the end of the admission. We identified 8 physical signs that were highly diagnostic of impending death. These signs occurred in 5-78% of patients in the last 3 days of life, had a late onset, and had a high specificity (>95%) and high positive LR for death within 3 days, including non-reactive pupils (positive LR 16.7, 95% confidence interval 14.9-18.6), decreased response to verbal stimuli (8.3, 7.7-9), decreased response to visual stimuli (6.7, 6.3-7.1), inability to close eyelids (13.6, 11.7-15.5), drooping of nasolabial fold (8.3, 7.7-8.9), hyperextension of neck (7.3, 6.7-8), grunting of vocal cords (11.8, 10.3-13.4), and upper gastrointestinal bleed (10.3, 9.5-11.1). Conclusion We identified 8 highly specific physical signs associated with death within 3 days in cancer patients. These signs may inform the diagnosis of impending death.