{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,11]],"date-time":"2026-03-11T06:45:41Z","timestamp":1773211541001,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]],"date-time":"2026-03-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773100800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cancers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to assess the symptom profile and changes observed at discharge of lung cancer (LC) patients following comprehensive palliative care. The secondary objective was to evaluate potential differences between LCr patients and those with other cancer (OC) diagnoses. Methods: A consecutive sample of LC patients admitted to the acute palliative care unit (APCU) was prospectively assessed and compared with a random sample of patients with OC. All patients underwent comprehensive palliative care treatment. Demographic data, Karnofsky, referral sources, recent oncological treatments, and patient status at admission and discharge (on-treatment, off-treatment, or uncertain) were collected. At admission (T0) and at the time of discharge (TX), symptom burden was assessed using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS). Lastly, there was subsequent referral to next care settings (discharge home, home palliative care, hospice, other units). Results: A total of 159 patients with LC were compared with a similar sample of OC. In all patients a significant decrease in the number of \u201con therapy\u201d patients were reported at discharge, and concomitantly the number of \u201coff-therapy\u201d patients increased (p &lt; 0.0005) in comparison with the data recorded at admission. Dyspnea intensity was higher in group LC at T0 and TX (p &lt; 0.0005), as well as pain intensity, which was significant at TX (p &lt; 0.0005). A statistical difference in MDAS was also observed at TX (p = 0.034). LC patients had a lower overall survival (p = 0.034). Conclusions: Comprehensive palliative care in APCU provided relevant changes in symptom burden, with the potential to prevent inappropriate admissions to other hospital units and to reduce costs associated with non-specialist interventions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers18060886","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]],"date-time":"2026-03-10T08:43:31Z","timestamp":1773132211000},"page":"886","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Comprehensive Palliative Care in Patients with Lung Cancer Admitted to an Acute Palliative Care Unit"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9859-6487","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sebastiano","family":"Mercadante","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Main Regional Center for Pain Relief and Supportive\/Palliative Care, La Maddalena Cancer Center, 90146 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gianfranco","family":"Mancuso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lung Cancer Unit, La Maddalena Cancer Center, 90146 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yasmine","family":"Grassi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Main Regional Center for Pain Relief and Supportive\/Palliative Care, La Maddalena Cancer Center, 90146 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5581-4114","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessio","family":"Lo Cascio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Direction of Health Professions, La Maddalena Cancer Center, 90146 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5676-9535","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandra","family":"Casuccio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Palermo, 90146 Palermo, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1330","DOI":"10.1002\/cncr.35128","article-title":"Lung Cancer Statistics, 2023","volume":"130","author":"Kratzer","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cancer"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"39","article-title":"The IASLC Lung Cancer Staging Project: Proposals for Revision of the TNM Stage Groupings in the Forthcoming (Eighth) Edition of the TNM Classification for Lung Cancer","volume":"11","author":"Goldstraw","year":"2016","journal-title":"J. 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