A case report of a terminally ill patient who achieved good pain control by pharmaceutical intervention in home terminal care

We provided consultations with pharmacists to a terminally ill patient with radicular pain at his home. Before pharmaceutical intervention, the patient's compliance had been poor and consequently he had not achieved stable pain. The pharmacists suggested changes in the pharmacological and physical regimen that satisfied both the patient and his family. These changes were instructed with the help of the patient's doctors, home-visiting nurses and family, and subsequently the patient's compliance improved. The patient achieved good pain control and maintained excellent quality of life up to the time of his death. By providing home consultations to a terminally ill patient, we have contributed to maintaining an acceptable quality of life for him by building a team that consisted of doctors, nurses and pharmacists.     

A case of advanced gastric cancer patient who died from meningitis carcinomatosa after S-1 + CDDP therapy with good response

A 68-year-old male who had undergone a distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer in 1996 visited our hospital. Gastroscopy revealed a type 2 tumor at upper corpus, and its biopsy showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Because enhanced CT showed lymph node swelling at para aorta, S-1 (100 mg/day) was administered for 14 days and CDDP (20 mg/day) was administered for 4 days as 1 course. After 2 courses, the main tumor and lymph node swelling reduced evidently. A total gastrectomy was performed and the pathology revealed no cancer cells in the stomach and dissected lymph nodes. Two months after the operation, speech disturbance and numbness of the left hand appeared. CT showed 3 metastatic brain tumors, and radiation therapy was administered. Four months after the operation, headache appeared and cerebrospinal fluid examination showed adenocarcinoma cells. Although MTX (10 mg) was administered intrathecally, he was died 5 months after the operation.     

A clinical study using octreotide in relieving gastrointestinal symptoms due to bowel obstruction in a terminally ill cancer patient

Terminally ill cancer patients with complicated bowel obstructions often have poor quality of life (QOL) due to gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Many of these patients are inoperable because of poor general conditions, and half of these patients can't be managed by conventional antiemetics. There are many reports indicating octreotide is effective for these patients. In the present study, 13 patients (5 patients without a nasogastric tube and 8 patients with) were administered octreotide at 300 microg/day by 24 hours continuous subcutaneous infusion. Among the effectively evaluable 10 cases, 6 cases (60.0%) were assessed as effective according to the efficacy criteria based on the JCOG toxicity scale. In the 6 cases who had nasogastric tubes, the nasogastric aspirates decreased from 890 ml (550-1,950) to 480 ml (180-1,790). Vomiting was successfully controlled after the removals of nasogastric tubes in 4 out of 6 cases (66.7%), regarding safety, 2 out of 13 cases (15.4%) showed an excess of liver enzymes but no clinically suspected adverse effect was observed. Octreotide is effective and well tolerated in terminally ill cancer patients with malignant bowel obstruction.     

Care of the terminally ill cachectic cancer patient: interface between nursing and psychological anthropology

The wasted appearance of the terminally ill cachectic cancer patient is a major source of concern for both patients and families. To date, this experience has mainly been understood from a biomedical perspective. However, considering this experience occurs within unique social, historical and cultural contexts, a more holistic approach to capturing this experience is warranted. This paper will argue that the interface between psychological anthropology and nursing provides an alternative approach from which the experience of 'wasting away' might be examined. Special attention to the use of explanatory models of illness and illness narratives in capturing this interface will be explored.     

A case with an ovarian cancer patient who could receive anti-cancer therapy and palliative care simultaneously at home through seamless collaboration in healthcare linkage

A palliative care team provides palliative care in the hospital setting.However, palliative care might be discontinued when a patient was switched to an outpatient from an inpatient or when a patient was being transferred to another hospital.In the present work, we report a case who could receive anti-cancer therapy and palliative care simultaneously at home.The case is a 46-year-old woman.She was diagnosed as left ovary cancer in 1990's and underwent an operation followed by chemotherapy. The tumor relapsed and invaded the sigmoid colon in 2000's.She then developed an intestinal obstruction and was hospitalized.After her conditions were stabilized, she was discharged but still needed a high degree of medical interventions. She was introduced to another hospital providing a home palliative care as well as emergency admission.She could fulfill her desire to receive a palliative care and chemotherapy simultaneously at home through this seamless healthcare linkage.It should be insisted that hospital oncologists and home doctors need to acquire the knowledge of palliative care and close cooperation between them is required.It is also important to establish a comprehensive healthcare linkage system in the society.     

Defining dignity in terminally ill cancer patients: a factor-analytic approach

The construct of 'dignity' is frequently raised in discussions about quality end of life care for terminal cancer patients, and is invoked by parties on both sides of the euthanasia debate. Lacking in this general debate has been an empirical explication of 'dignity' from the viewpoint of cancer patients themselves. The purpose of the present study was to use factor-analytic and regression methods to analyze dignity data gathered from 213 cancer patients having less than 6 months to live. Patients rated their sense of dignity, and completed measures of symptom distress and psychological well-being. The results showed that although the majority of patients had an intact sense of dignity, there were 99 (46%) patients who reported at least some, or occasional loss of dignity, and 16 (7.5%) patients who indicated that loss of dignity was a significant problem. The exploratory factor analysis yielded six primary factors: (1) Pain; (2) Intimate Dependency; (3) Hopelessness/Depression; (4) Informal Support Network; (5) Formal Support Network; and (6) Quality of Life. Subsequent regression analyses of modifiable factors produced a final two-factor (Hopelessness/Depression and Intimate Dependency) model of statistical significance. These results provide empirical support for the dignity model, and suggest that the provision of end of life care should include methods for treating depression, fostering hope, and facilitating functional independence.     

Successful control of pancreatic cancer pain using S-1 chemotherapy--a case report

A 59-year-old man had received chemotherapy with gemcitabine for nonresectable pancreatic cancer. After 14 months, he was hospitalized for obstructive jaundice and severe pain. Cholangioduodenostomy was performed, and the dose of opioids was increased. Although jaundice improved, the uncontrollable pain persisted. Chemotherapy with S-1 was initiated, and a dramatic improvement in the pain was observed. Consequently, the patient could be discharged from the hospital.     

晚期恶性肿瘤合并恶性腹腔积液患者引流及灌注治疗的疗效分析

背景与目的：恶性腹腔积液是晚期恶性肿瘤患者常见的并发症,大量腹腔积液不仅影响患者生活质量,更会进一步继发呼吸、循环、消化等系统功能障碍。如何处理晚期癌症患者恶性腹腔积液,成为姑息治疗工作者面临的常见问题。该研究回顾性分析71例晚期恶性肿瘤合并恶性腹腔积液患者的腹水性质,评价引流及灌注治疗效果,分析影响恶性腹腔积液临床获益率的影响因素,以期更好地指导临床实践。方法：回顾性分析71例腹腔积液患者临床资料。疗效评估参考世界卫生组织(WHO)标准：完全缓解(CR)：腹水完全消失,症状缓解并持续1个月以上;部分缓解(PR)：腹水减少50%以上,症状缓解并持续1个月以上;稳定(SD)：腹水减少不足50%,症状部分缓解;进展(PD)：腹水无减少或增加,症状加重。CR+PR为有效率,CR+PR+SD为临床获益率。计量资料间的比较采用单因素方差分析,多组之间率的比较采用卡方检验。对影响疗效的因素进行单因素分析。结果：接受腹腔积液引流的患者,平均引流量为8 537 mL,中位引流量为5 750 mL。平均持续引流时间为7 d。其中16例患者接受2次以上重复穿刺。71例纳入研究的患者获得CR 7例,PR 19例,SD 34例,PD11例,有效率为36.62%(CR+PR),临床获益率为 84.51%(CR+PR+SD)。分析影响临床获益率的相关因素,年龄、性别、原发病灶及患者KPS评分均同疗效无明显相关性。腹水相关因素中,患者腹水中乳酸脱氢酶(lactate dehydrogenase,LDH)含量为影响腹水处理疗效的因素(P=0.04)。经腹腔灌注顺铂(DDP)60 mg+香菇多糖10 mg的患者较其他患者有较好的获益率(P=0.013),其余因素包括腹水性状、引流量等均同疗效无明显相关性。结论：腹腔积液引流结合香菇多糖联合顺铂腹腔灌注,在不明显增加不良反应的同时,较为有效地控制了晚期恶性肿瘤患者的恶性腹腔积液,值得临床进一步推广实践。     

Management of pain in the terminally ill by administration of epidural narcotics

Fifteen patients with chronic malignant intractable pain were given epidural narcotics for periods of up to 280 days. The majority were treated at home. The patients self-administered the narcotics through an indwelling epidural catheter that had been tunneled and brought out onto the anterior abdominal wall. The results are presented together with the problems encountered.     

Parathyroid cancer in a hemodialysis patient: a case report

An extremely rare case of parathyroid cancer in a hemodialysis patient is presented here. A 69-year-old man was operated on for secondary hyperparathyroidism due to chronic renal failure. A locally invasive tumor of the right inferior parathyroid gland and enlargement of the other three parathyroid glands were found during bilateral neck exploration. Surgical management consisted of en bloc resection of the right inferior parathyroid gland with the right thyroid lobe and part of a sternothyroid muscle along with subtotal parathyroidectomy of the three enlarged parathyroid glands. Histological examination of the resected tumor provided evidence of a parathyroid cancer in the right inferior parathyroid gland. Nodular hyperplasia was confirmed histologically in the other three glands. With less than 20 previous cases described in the literature, parathyroid cancer is a very rare condition in hemodialysis patients.     

Comparison of patient and family assessments of quality of life of terminally ill cancer patients in Japan

Objective: This study examined the extent and the nature of agreement on health‐related quality of life (QOL) assessments between terminally ill cancer patients and their primary family caregivers in Japan, using a multidimensional QOL instrument including psychosocial and spiritual domains. Methods: The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy‐Spiritual well‐being questionnaire was used to assess patients' QOL. Study subjects were inpatients of a palliative care unit (PCU), outpatients who applied for admission to the PCU, and their primary family caregivers. Results: QOL ratings were obtained from 102 of 197 eligible patient–caregiver dyads. A moderate level of patient–family concordance on patients' overall QOL as well as families' underestimation of patients' QOL were observed. Families reported on observable domains of patients' QOL more reliably and assessed subjective aspects, such as psychospiritual concerns less accurately. Families tended to underrate the patients' social aspect of QOL, whereas most patients gave the highest rating on support from their families. The spiritual domain, particularly regarding faith, showed the least agreement. The size of the systematic bias between patient and family assessments on the patients' QOL was moderate (>0.50). Conclusions: Families' limited ability to assess psychosocial and spiritual aspects of patients' QOL may suggest the need for better approaches or measures to assess these aspects of a patient's life. The systematic bias was larger than in earlier studies. Further investigation is needed to identify factors affecting patient–family discord on QOL assessments to guide effective interventions to enhance patient–caregiver agreement. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The clinical picture of terminally ill patients with lung cancer

An investigation has been made with regard to the clinical picture of 87 terminally ill patients with lung cancer. It has yielded the following points. 1) Seven patients had been informed of their diagnosis. 2) Intravenous hyperalimentation was administered in 78 cases (90%), oxygen therapy in 68 cases (78%), and morphine in 35 cases (40%). 3) The most frequent cause of death in these patients was respiratory failure, due to progress of cancer, then infection, pleural, or pericardial effusion, or interstitial pneumonitis. 4) Psychic disturbances involved anxiety over breathing, depression, and delirium. In only 12% of the patients did the mental condition seem normal until death. 5) To deal with the dying patient's needs, it is necessary to establish proper treatment for the control of sensory dyspnea and for psychosocial support by a psychiatrist and other professionals for members of the family.     

A case of a gastric cancer patient who obtained good treatment in spite of a nontreatment decision

The patient was a 57-year-old male who had received schizophrenia and alcoholism treatments for ten years. Hospitalization and release was repeated many times over in the psychiatry department of the hospital up to the present time. He received an upper endoscopy because of a stomach ache in May, 2004. He was diagnosed as having gastric cancer (L, post, Type 2, T2 (SS), N2, stage IIIA). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy TS-1+CDDP was begun from the beginning. However, he refused the operation afterwards and we changed the treatment. The chemotherapy was maintained until January, 2005, to enforce seven courses of the treatment and to maintain the long NC for about ten months. Afterwards, he refused the treatment again and did not come to the hospital. After six months, he came to hospital again for pyloric stenosis due to a stomach cancer that developed. We placed a PEG to keep the route for access to the pylorus in August. And we used it to induce the self-expandable metal stent (EMS) to the pylorus. As a result, oral ingestion became possible. He was able to obtain a good QOL for three months until dying thereafter. It is thought that stenting is one of the most effective treatments to correspond to the diversification of the treatment policy.     

A case report of TS-1 in a patient with advanced gastric cancer

TS-1 is an oral anticancer drug that produces biochemical modulation. TS-1 is composed of FT (tegafur), CDHP (gimestat, which inhibits 5-FU degradation enzyme), and Oxo (otastat potassium, which reduces 5-FU gastrointestinal toxicities), in a molar ratio of 1:0.4:1. We administered TS-1 to a 68-year-old female gastric cancer patient, after distal gastrectomy (Stage IV, cur C). As a result of abdominal CT, the diameter of metastatic lymph node increased before and after surgery, and before TS-1 (45 x 35 mm), but it was reduced after 1 course of TS-1 (37 x 25 mm), 2 courses of TS-1 (35 x 20 mm), 3 courses of TS-1 (30 x 20 mm), 4 courses of TS-1 (30 x 20 mm), and 6 months after 4 courses of TS-1 (20 x 20 mm). The reduction rate is 74.6%. The value of CA125 was reduced 74.4 to 8.6 after TS-1. Anorexia and back pain, which occurred after operation, disappeared after TS-1. There was no side effect over grade 3.     

The use of hospital beds for terminally ill cancer patients

A study to identify reasons for admitting terminally ill cancer patients to hospital is reported together with recommendations for the future. Forty per cent of patients were so seriously ill with pain, medical or nursing problems that their carers could not manage satisfactorily at home and hospitalisation was necessary and appropriate. In addition 27% of patients admitted had no family or carers to nurse them at home. In the remaining 33% of patients it may have been possible with planned admissions and better supportive communications to allow some patients to die at home. Analysis of the data would suggest that there are three principal reasons for continuing to provide hospital beds for the terminally ill cancer patient: 1. Special medical and nursing care. 2. To provide care for some patients with no family or friend carer support. 3. Teaching of management by senior staff. The unsatisfactory nature of terminally ill patients dying in the centre of acute wards together with inadequate facilities to interview relatives is noted. It is suggested that the provision of well planned hospital beds is more appropriate than providing remote hospice beds for the terminally ill cancer patient.