Home > Information > Study Results: Symptom burdens among terminally ill cancer patients
Study Results: Symptom burdens among terminally ill cancer patients
In our experience, many patients express significant fear and anxiety related to symptom burden when they imagine their own death. Common concerns include statements like, " I've heard cancer patients suffer immensely from pain at the end of their life. This really scares me." In many cases, Providing detailed and accurate information about symptoms experienced during the end-of-life phase can alleviate their fear and anxiety. However, patients and most oncologists can hardly access this information.
Palliative care physicians performed the international large cohort study to elucidate the dying process among terminal cancer patients from January to December 2017 (Principle Investigator, Dr. Masanori Mori at Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital). In Japan, a total of 23 Palliative Care Unit (PCU) participated in this study.
Our team has analyzed data from this study, focusing particularly on how symptom burdens evolve from the time of a patient's admission to a PCU and their last 3 days.
Our goal in sharing these findings is threefold: 1) to provide patients with a clearer understanding of what to expect in terms of symptom severity, aiding in psychological and emotional preparation; 2) to equip healthcare professionals with accurate data to support their discussions with patients and their families; and 3) to encourage healthcare professionals to continue advancing their efforts in symptom relief for cancer patients.
We express our deepest gratitude to the patients, their families, and the research investigators.
With appreciation,
The Department of Palliative Medicine
National Cancer Center Hospital East
Disclaimer:
The information related to the results of this study may include content that could cause anxiety or psychological distress for some users. While this information might be important for patients seeking detailed knowledge, the National Cancer Center East Hospital assumes no responsibility for any physical, mental stress, or other adverse effects that may arise from the use of information on this website. The use of this website is entirely at the user's own risk. Furthermore, the content of this website should not be considered as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
Study Details
Subjects:
The cancer patients 1) who were admitted into 23 PCUs between January and December 2017, and 2) who died there were enrolled.
A number of 30 to 100 patients were consecutively enrolled at each PCU.
The list of 23 participated PCUs:
| Seirei Mikatahara General Hospital | Hiroshima Prefectural Hospital |
| Japan Baptist Hospital | Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital |
| National Cancer Center Hospital East | Suita Tokushukai Hospital |
| Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Diseases Center Komagome Hospital | Japan Community Health-care Organization Tokyo Shinjuku Medical Center |
| Hyogo Prefectural Kakogawa Medical Center | Eikoh Hospital |
| St. Luke’s International Hospital | Mitsubishi Kyoto Hospital |
| Kawasaki Municipal Ida Hospital | Japanese Red Cross Medical Cente |
| Osaka City General Hospital | Gratia Hospital |
| Eiju General Hospital | Tokyo Medical and Dental University |
| Komaki City Hospital | Aso Iizuka Hospital |
| Yodogawa Christian Hospital | Osaka General Hospital of West Japan Railway Company |
| Tohoku University Hospital |
Type of Study:
Multicenter prospective observation study
Data:
| Admission | Last 3 days | Last 24 hours | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morphine dosage | 〇 | 〇 | |
| Symptoms | 〇 |
〇 (maximum degree) |
Intensity of symptoms
| Pain, Shortness of breath, Fatigue, |
0: not at all, 1: mild, 2: moderate, 3: severe, 4: overwhelming, 5: not evaluated due to disturbance of consciousness or sedation (IPOS) |
| Edema at lower limb | 0: none, 1: mild, 2: moderate, 3: severe |
| Ascites | 0: undetectable, 1 detectable but asymptomatic, 2: symptomatic |
| Hyperactive Delirium | 0: normal, 1: mild, 2: moderate, 3: severe (MDAS item 9) |
Cancer type (20 types*):
- Brain tumor
- Head & Neck, and Thyroid cancer
- Small cell lung cancer
- Non-small cell lung cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Gastric cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Liver cancer
- Biliary tract cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Breast cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Endometrial cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Renal cancer
- Ureteral cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Malignant lymphoma / Multiple myeloma / Acute myeloid leukemia
- Cancer of unknown primary origin.
* we didn’t show the results of cancer type with less than 20 patients.