Assessment of Disease Burden and Palliative Care Needs of Patients During the Course of Incurable Cancer Disease

The aim of this non-investigational study is to determine the symptoms and disease burden at the time point of diagnosis and in the further course of an incurable cancer disease. The needs and preferences of patients suffering from cancer (ovarian carcinoma, breast cancer, malignant melanoma, lung cancer, stomach cancer, oesophageal cancer, pancreatic cancer, cancer of the hepatobiliary system, colorectal cancer, head and neck cancer) are examined by various validated questionnaires. The data obtained by these questionnaires are collected together with information obtained by the treating physicians at four time points during the study: t0 - patient´s enrollment, at the moment of diagnosis and before the start of tumor therapy, respectively; T1 - 3 months after patient´s enrollment; T2 - 6 months after patient´s enrollment; T3 - 12 months after patient´s enrollment. This highly innovative project offers the chance to identify medical services deficits and risk circumstances for the burden of treatments in an oncology-palliative setting and to optimize the quality of patient care.