Systemic Treatment in the Last 30 Days of Life

Identifying Attributes

Care Settings
Palliative Care
Country
Canada
Publishing Organisation
Cancer Quality Council of Ontario Cancer System Quality Index
Type of Quality Indicator
Process
IOM Quality Dimension
Safety
Domain
Care of the Patient at the End of Life

Defining Attributes

Definition

Systemic treatment in the last 30 days of life is an indicator of aggressive end-of-life care and has been found not to improve quality of life.

Numerator

Those in the denominator who received palliative antineoplastic systemic treatment in their last 30 days of life

Denominator

Number of people who died within the specified time period, who had a breast, cervix, colorectal, lung or prostate cancer diagnosis and had a medical oncology (MO) visit in their last year of life

Exclusions

Denominator Exclusions: Deaths due to suicide or medical assistance in dying Patients who died outside Ontario Patients <18 years at time of death Invalid health card number Patients with multiple primaries Patients who did not have a malignant cancer diagnosis in the Ontario Cancer Registry Diagnosis of cancer based solely on the death certificate Patients with acute leukaemia (e.g., Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia, Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, Acute Monocytic Leukaemia, Other Acute Leukaemia) Patients whose deaths occurred within 30 days of a major cancer-related operative procedure Patients who did not have a medical oncologist visit/consult in the last year of life

Numerator Exclusion: Hormonal systemic therapy drugs using the ALR antineoplastic classification list

Use of Risk Adjustment
No
Risk Adjustments

None

Stratifications

Collection and Reporting Attributes

Type of Data Collection
Administrative data
Data Collection Methods

Data are sourced from Ontario Cancer Registry (OCR), Discharge Abstract Data (DAD), National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS), Registered Persons Database (RPDB), Activity Level Reporting (ALR) amd Ontario Health Insurance (OHIP)

Frequency of Data Collection
Not regularly used
Frequency of Data Collection in Days
Reporting Methods
Reporting Frequency
Reporting Frequency in Days
Indicator Has Recommended Targets
No

Source and Reference Attributes

Link to Measurement Tools
Quality Indicator Confirmed to be Part of a Program Used to Monitor Quality and Safety of Care Among Older People at a Population-Level between 2012-2022
No
Assessed by the Australian Consortium for Aged Care Collaborators as Generally Containing Good Properties (Importance and Scientific Acceptability)
No
Australian Consortium for Aged Care Endorsed
No
Identified by PHARMA-Care Project
No
Upload Date
02 December 2025