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Views on death with regard to end-of-life care preferences among cancer patients at a Japanese university hospital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 July 2014

Yujiro Kuroda ,
Yumi Iwamitsu ,
Mitsunori Miyashita ,
Kei Hirai ,
Yoshiaki Kanai ,
Sachiko Kawakami ,
Kimiko Nakano  and
Keiichi Nakagawa
Yujiro Kuroda*
Affiliation:
Department of Palliative Medicine, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan Department of Public HealthFukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima City, Japan
Yumi Iwamitsu
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Psychology, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
Mitsunori Miyashita
Affiliation:
Division of Palliative Nursing, Health Sciences, Tohoku University Graduation School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
Kei Hirai
Affiliation:
Department of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
Yoshiaki Kanai
Affiliation:
Department of Palliative Medicine, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Sachiko Kawakami
Affiliation:
CancerNet Japan, Department of Public Relations, Tokyo, Japan
Kimiko Nakano
Affiliation:
Department of Adult Nursing/Palliative Care Nursing, School of Health Sciences and Nursing Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Keiichi Nakagawa
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Yujiro Kuroda, Department of Public Health, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City, 960-1295, Japan. E-mail: kuroday@fmu.ac.jp
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Abstract

Objective:

This study investigates the views on death among cancer patients in Japan and examines how these views are related to age, sex, and physical condition. We also investigate how these views are related to where patients would like to spend their final days and whether or not they would like to be told how long they have left to live.

Method:

We targeted 450 cancer patients receiving outpatient treatment in the radiology department at the University of Tokyo Hospital. We used the Death Attitudes Inventory (DAI) developed by Hirai to measure attitudes about death.

Results:

Of the 450 patients approached, we received responses from 310 (69% collection rate). The results of the t test and one-way ANOVA showed that, in terms of “death anxiety/fear,” the under-65 group (17.73 ± 6.69) scored significantly higher than the 65-and-over group (15.43 ± 7.69, t = 2.685, df = 280, p < 0.01); the group with KPS scores 70 or above (16.88 ± 7.21) scored higher than the group with KPS scores below 70 (12.73 ± 7.09, t = 2.168, df = 280, p = 0.03); and no significant difference was found for sex, metastasis, or treatment stage.

Significance of results:

Our results demonstrate that, although views on death among cancer patients may differ according to sex, age, and physical condition, taking these factors into account when understanding such views can be useful in predicting where patients may wish to spend their final days.

Keywords

End-of-life careDeath and dyingDeath anxietyCancer patients
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , August 2015 , pp. 969 - 979
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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