The Importance of Good Death Components Among Cancer Patients, the General Population, Oncologists, and Oncology Nurses in Japan: Patients Prefer "fighting Against Cancer"

Overview

Journal Support Care Cancer

Specialties Critical Care
Oncology

Date 2014 Jul 6

PMID 24996829

Citations 8

Authors

Mitsunori Miyashita

Sachiko Kawakami

Daiki Kato

Hideomi Yamashita

Hiroshi Igaki

Kimiko Nakano

Yujiro Kuroda

Keiichi Nakagawa

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The objectives of this study were to compare the importance of components of a good death among cancer patients, the general population, oncologists, and oncology nurses, and explore which patients preferred "fighting against cancer."

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional anonymous self-reported survey of cancer patients who visited a radiation oncology outpatient clinic, oncologists, and oncology nurses at the Tokyo University Hospital and a random sample of the general population in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The outcomes were 18 previously developed components of a good death in Japanese cancer care consisting of 57 attributes.

Results: Three hundred ten patients, 353 subjects from the general population, 109 oncologists, and 366 oncology nurses participated. The desire to "fight against cancer" was highly significantly different between patients and oncologists (effect size [ES] = -1.40; P = 0.001) and patients and oncology nurses (ES = -1.12; P = 0.001). "Physical and cognitive control" was, similarly, highly significantly different between patients and oncologists (ES = -1.30; P = 0.001) and patients and oncology nurses (ES = -1.06; P = 0.001). Patients who emphasized "maintaining hope and pleasure" (P = 0.0001), "unawareness of death" (P = 0.0001), and "good relationship with family" (P = 0.004) favored "fighting against cancer." The patients, however, who emphasized "physical and psychological comfort" did not significantly favor "fighting against cancer" (P = 0.004).

Conclusion: The importance of good death components differed between groups. Medical professionals should be aware of the diversity of values surrounding death and assess the patient's values and discuss them to support his or her quality of life. In addition, the development of care and a medical/social system to maintain hope and pleasure after failure of anticancer treatment is necessary.

Citing Articles

The experience of patients with hematological malignancy in their terminal stage: a phenomenological study from Jordan's perspective.

Alnaeem M, Shehadeh A, Nashwan A BMC Palliat Care. 2024; 23(1):36.

PMID: 38336650 PMC: 10854087. DOI: 10.1186/s12904-024-01373-y.

Pharmacist perceptions of a "good death" and differences in perception between patients with cancer, oncologists, and oncology nurses: a questionnaire survey.

Konishi R, Isogai J, Mukai A, Komori K, Majima T, Ito S J Pharm Health Care Sci. 2023; 9(1):5.

PMID: 36694254 PMC: 9875416. DOI: 10.1186/s40780-022-00269-4.

Comprehensive Palliative Care Needs in Outpatients with Chronic Heart Failure: A Japanese Cross-Sectional Study.

Matsunuma R, Matsumoto K, Yamaguchi T, Sakashita A, Kizawa Y Palliat Med Rep. 2022; 3(1):65-74.

PMID: 35558864 PMC: 9081025. DOI: 10.1089/pmr.2021.0063.

How to come to terms with facing death: a qualitative study examining the experiences of patients with terminal Cancer.

Kyota A, Kanda K BMC Palliat Care. 2019; 18(1):33.

PMID: 30947725 PMC: 6449951. DOI: 10.1186/s12904-019-0417-6.

Comparison of attitudes towards five end-of-life care interventions (active pain control, withdrawal of futile life-sustaining treatment, passive euthanasia, active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide): a multicentred cross-sectional survey of....

Yun Y, Kim K, Sim J, Yoo S, Kim M, Kim Y BMJ Open. 2018; 8(9):e020519.

PMID: 30206075 PMC: 6144336. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020519.

References

Hirose T, Horichi N, Ohmori T, Kusumoto S, Sugiyama T, Shirai T . Patients preferences in chemotherapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. Intern Med. 2005; 44(2):107-13. DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.44.107. View

Earle C, Park E, Lai B, Weeks J, Ayanian J, Block S . Identifying potential indicators of the quality of end-of-life cancer care from administrative data. J Clin Oncol. 2003; 21(6):1133-8. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2003.03.059. View

Singer P, Martin D, KELNER M . Quality end-of-life care: patients' perspectives. JAMA. 1999; 281(2):163-8. DOI: 10.1001/jama.281.2.163. View

Otani H, Morita T, Esaki T, Ariyama H, Tsukasa K, Oshima A . Burden on oncologists when communicating the discontinuation of anticancer treatment. Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2011; 41(8):999-1006. PMC: 3146312. DOI: 10.1093/jjco/hyr092. View

Hashimoto K, Yonemori K, Katsumata N, Hotchi M, Kouno T, Shimizu C . Factors that affect the duration of the interval between the completion of palliative chemotherapy and death. Oncologist. 2009; 14(7):752-9. DOI: 10.1634/theoncologist.2008-0257. View

Greer J, Pirl W, Jackson V, Muzikansky A, Lennes I, Heist R . Effect of early palliative care on chemotherapy use and end-of-life care in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2011; 30(4):394-400. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2011.35.7996. View

Weeks J, Cook E, ODay S, Peterson L, Wenger N, Reding D . Relationship between cancer patients' predictions of prognosis and their treatment preferences. JAMA. 1998; 279(21):1709-14. DOI: 10.1001/jama.279.21.1709. View

Shirado A, Morita T, Akazawa T, Miyashita M, Sato K, Tsuneto S . Both maintaining hope and preparing for death: effects of physicians' and nurses' behaviors from bereaved family members' perspectives. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2012; 45(5):848-58. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2012.05.014. View

Temel J, Greer J, Muzikansky A, Gallagher E, Admane S, Jackson V . Early palliative care for patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med. 2010; 363(8):733-42. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1000678. View

10.

Kizawa Y, Tsuneto S, Hamano J, Nagaoka H, Maeno T, Shima Y . Advance directives and do-not-resuscitate orders among patients with terminal cancer in palliative care units in Japan: a nationwide survey. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2012; 30(7):664-9. DOI: 10.1177/1049909112462860. View

11.

Hirai K, Komura K, Tokoro A, Kuromaru T, Ohshima A, Ito T . Psychological and behavioral mechanisms influencing the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in cancer patients. Ann Oncol. 2007; 19(1):49-55. DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdm494. View

12.

Miyashita M, Sanjo M, Morita T, Hirai K, Uchitomi Y . Good death in cancer care: a nationwide quantitative study. Ann Oncol. 2007; 18(6):1090-7. DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdm068. View

13.

Teno J, Casey V, Welch L . Patient-focused, family-centered end-of-life medical care: views of the guidelines and bereaved family members. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2001; 22(3):738-51. DOI: 10.1016/s0885-3924(01)00335-9. View

14.

Nakano K, Sato K, Katayama H, Miyashita M . Living with pleasure in daily life at the end of life: recommended care strategy for cancer patients from the perspective of physicians and nurses. Palliat Support Care. 2012; 11(5):405-13. DOI: 10.1017/S1478951512000442. View

15.

Mack J, Weeks J, Wright A, Block S, Prigerson H . End-of-life discussions, goal attainment, and distress at the end of life: predictors and outcomes of receipt of care consistent with preferences. J Clin Oncol. 2010; 28(7):1203-8. PMC: 2834470. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2009.25.4672. View

16.

Patrick D, Engelberg R, Curtis J . Evaluating the quality of dying and death. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2001; 22(3):717-26. DOI: 10.1016/s0885-3924(01)00333-5. View

17.

Zhang B, Nilsson M, Prigerson H . Factors important to patients' quality of life at the end of life. Arch Intern Med. 2012; 172(15):1133-42. PMC: 3806298. DOI: 10.1001/archinternmed.2012.2364. View

18.

Morita T, Tsunoda J, Inoue S, Chihara S . Perceptions and decision-making on rehydration of terminally ill cancer patients and family members. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2000; 16(3):509-16. DOI: 10.1177/104990919901600306. View

19.

Weeks J, Catalano P, Cronin A, Finkelman M, Mack J, Keating N . Patients' expectations about effects of chemotherapy for advanced cancer. N Engl J Med. 2012; 367(17):1616-25. PMC: 3613151. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1204410. View

20.

Payne S, Hillier R . Perceptions of a 'good' death: a comparative study of the views of hospice staff and patients. Palliat Med. 1996; 10(4):307-12. DOI: 10.1177/026921639601000406. View