The transformative impact of spirituality assessment on the quality of life for end of life cancer patients: a perspective paper

The global cancer burden is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years, providing considerable difficulties to healthcare systems around the world. While clinical practice frequently focuses on physical symptoms, there is a growing awareness that integrated, patient-centered care, particularly for patients at the end of life (EoL), can be critical for their wellbeing by addressing all aspects of their individual needs. This paper focuses on the essential role of spirituality as a component of quality of life across the EoL trajectory. Assessment of spiritual needs may have clinical value by providing patients with greater self-understanding and autonomy, allowing clinicians to propose humanized and targeted interventions, and guiding healthcare systems in optimizing resource allocation and economic sustainability. Despite its relevance, spiritual care is under-integrated into standard practices due to institutional barriers such as workload, insufficient staff training, and cultural values. To address these gaps, this paper presents the EUonQoL project as a model for developing culturally adapted, patient-centered assessment toolkits. This perspective argues that a comprehensive evaluation of spiritual wellbeing might be regarded as a therapeutic goal to ensure that end-of-life treatment matches with the individual's real priorities and needs.