Benefícios da paliação precoce frente ao desfecho do encaminhamento tardio de pacientes oncológicos: revisão integrativa

Abstract

Introduction: Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Brazil, with an estimated 781,000 new annual cases for 2026–2028. Late referral to palliative care impairs symptom management and leads to therapeutic futility. Objective: To analyze the benefits of early integration of palliative care compared to late referral outcomes in oncology patients. Materials and Methods: Integrative literature review guided by the PICO strategy, searching PubMed, VHL/LILACS, and SciELO databases in September 2026. Primary original studies published in Portuguese, English, and Spanish from 2021 to 2026 were included. Results: A total of 38 original articles were selected (13 national and 25 international). Early palliative care demonstrated sustained improvement in quality of life, preservation of functional status (KPS/PPS), proactive symptom control, a 35% to 42% reduction in emergency visits and futile ICU admissions, and increased advance care planning (ACP). Conclusion: Early palliative care is an essential approach to preserve dignity and autonomy in oncology, mitigating the harms of late referral.