Gan to kagaku ryoho. Cancer & chemotherapy
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Gan To Kagaku Ryoho · Feb 2005
[Possible approaches to cancer chemotherapy in palliative care medicine].
We discussed our attitude, ideas, and treatment practices, and presented several problems concerning palliative chemotherapy under the palliative medical environment in patients with advanced cancer in our hospital. We thought that, in many cases, they could be given further chemotherapy. Because of the clear availability of so-called palliative therapy, these patients tend not to elect another chemotherapy using more effective anti-tumor agents in the name of "acceptance." The clinical practice of palliative chemotherapy, however, really needs the passion of skillful medical oncologists, palliative care doctors, and other staff including surgeons and radiologists. The most important issue is that all the medical staff sincerely empathize with the wishes of patients and their families with a common hospice spirit.
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Gan To Kagaku Ryoho · Feb 2005
[Quality of life and psychological traits of patients undergoing surgery for gastrointestinal cancer].
The purpose of this study was to assess the pre- and post-operative quality of life (QOL) of patients with gastrointestinal cancer and to investigate the relationship between QOL and various psychological and clinical factors. Eighty-five patients who underwent surgery for gastrointestinal cancer and 26 control patients undergoing surgery for digestive diseases other than cancer were interviewed. Two tests were administered to assess QOL and psychological status, respectively: the Japanese-language version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C 30 and the Japanese-language version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). ⋯ All groups showed significant changes in subscale scores of QOL. The scores of the advanced-phase group indicated worse QOL than the early-phase and control groups in many areas. The results suggest that QOL in gastrointestinal cancer patients is variable over time and is influenced by various clinical factors including the depression and anxiety.
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Some three hundred thousand patients die from cancer in a year, most of whom end their lives at a general hospital. Considering this situation, the general hospital has to provide palliative care and make up interdisciplinary Palliative Care Team (PCT). Since April 2002, we established a PCT at Akita City Hospital. ⋯ The PCT provides support for doctors and nurses in the general unit. We general doctors must learn more about how to provide palliative care medicine for at least cancer pain as well as cancer treatment. A team approach is needed for all cancer patients.