Many cancer patients prefer to spend their last days in a hospital than in familiar comforts of their home fearing a lack of proper medical treatment at home.
More Hospital Deaths and Invasive Care for Dying Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: Study
Terminal cancer patients receiving chemotherapy during the last months of their lives are more likely to undergo invasive medical procedures rather than dying peacefully where they want to.
Terminal cancer patients receiving chemotherapy during the last months of their lives are more likely to undergo invasive medical procedures rather than dying peacefully where they want to.
‘People with terminal cancer choosing to die at home tend to live longer than those who die in hospital, suggesting that home-based hospice care can be a better treatment than hospital-based ones.
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Researchers looked at 2069 patients, comprising 1582 patients receiving hospital-based palliative care and 487 receiving home-based palliative care. They found that the median survival time was 13 days at home while it was nine days in the hospital. Also, the prognosis was found to be 36 months for people living in a home and for those in a hospital it was 29 months. "The cancer patient and family tend to be concerned that the quality of medical treatment provided at home will be inferior to that given in a hospital and that survival might be shortened; however, our finding--that home death does not actually have a negative influence on the survival of cancer patients at all, and rather may have a positive influence--could suggest that the patient and family can choose the place of death in terms of their preference and values," said lead author Dr. Jun Hamano, University of Tsukuba in Japan.
"Patients, families, and clinicians should be reassured that good home hospice care does not shorten patient life, and even may achieve longer survival," he added.
Mobile App That Can Predict How Long Terminal Cancer Patients Have Left to Live
Scientists at St George's University of London have created a new application, accessible on mobiles, that can tell how long terminal cancer patients have left to live.
Scientists at St George's University of London have created a new application, accessible on mobiles, that can tell how long terminal cancer patients have left to live.
Health-care Costs Boosted by Patients With Cancer Who Stop Hospice Care
The costs of care for patients with cancer who disenrolled from hospice were nearly five times higher than for patients who remained with hospice, researchers have found.
The costs of care for patients with cancer who disenrolled from hospice were nearly five times higher than for patients who remained with hospice, researchers have found.
Home may Not Always be the Preferred Place to Die, Some may Prefer Hospitals
The difference between people's preference regarding place of care, as opposed to place of death, is often overlooked.
The difference between people's preference regarding place of care, as opposed to place of death, is often overlooked.
