Prognostic Factors in Advanced Cancer Patients: Evidence-Based Clinical Recommendations—A Study by the Steering Committee of the European Association for Palliative Care

PURPOSE: To offer evidence-based clinical recommendations concerning prognosis in advanced cancer patients. METHODS: A Working Group of the Research Network of the European Association for Palliative Care identified clinically significant topics, reviewed the studies, and assigned the level of evidence. A formal meta-analysis was not feasible because of the heterogeneity of published studies and the lack of minimal standards in reporting results. A systematic electronic literature search within the main available medical literature databases was performed for each of the following four areas identified: clinical prediction of survival (CPS), biologic factors, clinical signs and symptoms and psychosocial…