Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Apr 10:12:100697.
doi: 10.1016/j.apjon.2025.100697. eCollection 2025 Dec.

Death preparedness interventions for patients with advanced cancer: A systematic review

Xi Zhang  1   2 , Meizhen Zhao  1 , Tieying Zeng  1 , Xiaoli Wei  3
Affiliations
Review

Death preparedness interventions for patients with advanced cancer: A systematic review

Xi Zhang et al. Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. .

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to synthesize and critically evaluate the current evidence on interventions aimed at enhancing death preparedness among patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, ProQuest, and Web of Science was conducted to identify relevant studies. The review followed Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Preferred Reporting Items (PRISMA) guidelines, with a structured assessment of study quality and intervention outcomes.

Results: Nine studies involving a total of 876 patients with advanced cancer met the inclusion criteria. Interventions demonstrated significant improvements in overall death preparedness, with additional benefits observed in psychological well-being and functional status. Most interventions incorporated death education, psychological support, and meaning-centered psychotherapy.

Conclusions: Interventions appear to be effective in enhancing death preparedness among patients with advanced cancer. Future research should focus on refining intervention components, clearly defining outcome measures, and aligning strategies with individualized patient needs and goals.

Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD420250652562.

Keywords: Advanced cancer; Death preparedness; Intervention; Patients; Systematic review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow diagram of the studies screening process. PRISMA, Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Preferred Reporting Items.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Risk of bias assessments for (A) randomized controlled trials and (B) non-randomized controlled trials.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Grossman C.H., Brooker J., Michael N., et al. Death anxiety interventions in patients with advanced cancer: a systematic review. Palliat Med. 2018;32(1):172–184. doi: 10.1177/0269216317722123. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Krikorian A., Maldonado C., Pastrana T. Patient’s perspectives on the notion of a Good death: a systematic review of the literature. J Pain Symptom Manag. 2020;59(1):152–164. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.07.033. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hofer J., Busch H., Au A., et al. Reminiscing to teach others and prepare for death is associated with meaning in life through generative behavior in elderlies from four cultures. Aging Ment Health. 2020;24(5):811–819. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2018.1548568. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chua G.P., Pang G.S.Y., Yee A.C.P., et al. Supporting the patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers: what are their palliative care needs? BMC Cancer. 2020;20(1):768. doi: 10.1186/s12885-020-07239-9. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cui P., Shi J., Li S., et al. Family resilience and its influencing factors among advanced cancer patients and their family caregivers: a multilevel modeling analysis. BMC Cancer. 2023;23(1):623. doi: 10.1186/s12885-023-11101-z. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources