End-of-life challenges in neuro-oncological patient care: A survey from the Junge Neuroonkologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft

Abstract Background Malignant brain tumors inevitably recur, leading to progressive neurological decline. Palliative care is essential for optimizing patient outcomes, yet its integration into neuro-oncology remains inconsistent. We conducted a nationwide survey to evaluate palliative care practices among German neuro-oncologists and assessed the impact of physicians’ comfort on end-of-life discussions in patient care. Methods A nationwide, anonymous survey was distributed to 481 neuro-oncologists who are members of the Neuro-oncology Working Group of the German Cancer Society. The questionnaire, developed in collaboration with board-certified palliative care specialists, evaluated physicians’ demographic characteristics, palliative care knowledge, and access to palliative care resources. Results Of 92 respondents (survey response rate: 92/481 – 19%), 81 (88%) reported comfort in discussing end-of-life issues, while 11 (12%) expressed discomfort. Physicians comfortable with these discussions more frequently addressed withholding of life-sustaining interventions (88% vs 55%), arranged home care (81% vs 64%), and facilitated hospice placement (68% vs 36%). They also initiated these conversations earlier and observed greater patient receptivity to palliative care. Conclusions While most neuro-oncologists report comfort with end-of-life discussions, this comfort was associated with differences in timing and extent of palliative care integration. Our findings highlight the need for structured palliative care training to ensure timely and effective discussions, ultimately improving care for neuro-oncological patients.

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Publication Details

Journal
Neuro-Oncology Practice
Published
2025-12-08
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/nop/npaf123
Primary Topic
Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

End-of-life challenges in neuro-oncological patient care: A survey from the Junge Neuroonkologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft

Martin Glas, Corinna Seliger, Christoph Kleinschnitz, Raphael Bodensohn et al.
Neuro-Oncology Practice
Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
article

End-of-life challenges in neuro-oncological patient care: A survey from the Junge Neuroonkologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft

Martin Glas, Corinna Seliger, Christoph Kleinschnitz, Raphael Bodensohn, Iris Mildenberger, Niklas Benedikt Pepper, Sandeep Sharma, Peter Klein, Sied Kebir, Peter Hau, Lazaros Lazaridis, Ulrich Sure, Robert Allen Berg, Stephanie Elisabeth Combs, Michael Müther, Patrik Roser, Christoph Oster, Sarina Agkatsev, Sabine Seidel, Ghazaleh Tabatabai, Michael Plattén, Bernhard Mallmann
article en

Abstract

Abstract Background Malignant brain tumors inevitably recur, leading to progressive neurological decline. Palliative care is essential for optimizing patient outcomes, yet its integration into neuro-oncology remains inconsistent. We conducted a nationwide survey to evaluate palliative care practices among German neuro-oncologists and assessed the impact of physicians’ comfort on end-of-life discussions in patient care. Methods A nationwide, anonymous survey was distributed to 481 neuro-oncologists who are members of the Neuro-oncology Working Group of the German Cancer Society. The questionnaire, developed in collaboration with board-certified palliative care specialists, evaluated physicians’ demographic characteristics, palliative care knowledge, and access to palliative care resources. Results Of 92 respondents (survey response rate: 92/481 – 19%), 81 (88%) reported comfort in discussing end-of-life issues, while 11 (12%) expressed discomfort. Physicians comfortable with these discussions more frequently addressed withholding of life-sustaining interventions (88% vs 55%), arranged home care (81% vs 64%), and facilitated hospice placement (68% vs 36%). They also initiated these conversations earlier and observed greater patient receptivity to palliative care. Conclusions While most neuro-oncologists report comfort with end-of-life discussions, this comfort was associated with differences in timing and extent of palliative care integration. Our findings highlight the need for structured palliative care training to ensure timely and effective discussions, ultimately improving care for neuro-oncological patients.

Neuro-Oncology Practice
University of Mannheim (DE), Heidelberg University (DE), University Hospital Bonn (DE), University Hospital Heidelberg (DE), TUM Klinikum (DE), University Hospital Regensburg (DE), Düsseldorf University Hospital (DE), Katholisches Klinikum Lünen/Werne , St.-Marien-Hospital Lünen (DE), University Hospital of Zurich (CH), University Hospital Münster (DE), Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg-Mannheim (DE), Universitätsklinikum Knappschaftskrankenhaus Bochum (DE), Essen University Hospital (DE), University Children's Hospital Tübingen (DE), Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (DE), Alfried Krupp Hospital (DE), University Medical Centre Mannheim (DE), West German Heart and Vascular Center Essen (DE), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (DE), University of Duisburg-Essen (DE), University of Tübingen (DE), Ruhr University Bochum (DE)
Openalex Percentile: Top 49%
Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
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