Usefulness of the Palliative Prognostic Index in Predicting Prognosis when Considering the Transition from Hospital to Home Care in Patients with Terminal Stage Cancer

[Background :] No accurate prognostic tool is available for patients with cancer who spend their final days at home. In this study, we examined whether performance status (PS) and the palliative prognostic index (PPI), a well-known prognostic tool in palliative care units, could be used to predict prognosis in the home care setting at the time of intervention by home physicians. [Subjects and Methods :] Using medical records, we conducted a retrospective analysis of 132 patients who were referred to the Home Clinic Naginoki for home care for terminal stages of carcinoma in situ. Based on the status at the time of the first visit, the PPI-Low group was defined as those scoring six or below and the PPI-High group as those scoring greater than six. [Results :] The PPI-high group had a significantly poorer prognosis within 21 days than the PPI-low group (21-day-OS ; Low 71.4% vs. High 13.2% ; p