• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.101-107
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• 1999

Background : In order to improve the quality of life of dying patients, they need to receive not only the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual care, but also systematic and continuous care to die with dignity. However, no adequate medical services are available for these terminal cancer patients. We studied their behavior patterns of health care utilization to understand more of their medical and social needs. Methods : We investigated 108 bereaved families through the telephone interview with structured questionnaires. They were randomly selected through the retrospective chart review of the terminal patients who passed away due to cancer. Results : Most of the terminal cancer patients received their care from proper medical services including admission to hospital (45.4%), outpatient clinic (22.2%), emergency room (16.7%), and oriental medicine (12.0%). But during the terminal phase of their illness, 32.4% of patients never received medical care including oriental medicine, and 28.7% received alterative natural care. 26 bereaved families (24.1%) pointed out the indifference of medical staff as a problem receiving proper hospital care, and 22 (20.4%) emphasized emotional strain of their helplessness with the patients' suffering as a problem of caring at home. Over 90% suggested availability of continuous care, hospice care, home care, and 24 hour telephone service to be improved. Conclusions : Due to various reasons, adequate medical care is not delivered to the terminal cancer patients in our present medical system. These problems can be approached with the establishment of proper education and medical delivery system. The role of comprehensive medical specialty cannot be overly emphasized to accomplish this most effectively.

• 종양간호연구
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• 제9권1호
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• pp.1-6
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the needs of hospice care in families of the hospitalized patients with terminal cancer. Method: The data were collected from April to July, 2008. The participants were 100 family caregivers of hospitalized terminal patients with cancer recruited from two general hospitals in 2 cities in Korea. Needs of hospice care were measured using the 'Needs Assessment Instrument for Hospice Care in Families of the Patients with Cancer'. Results: The mean of needs score was 76.6, which meant degree of the needs was very high. Among the categories of the needs, the mean of category 'emotional care' was the highest. There were significant differences in the needs of hospice care according to sex and type of present therapy. Conclusion: Health care providers in hospital and hospice facilities must assess the needs of families as well as the patients in order to meet their specific needs. Additionally, they need to have deeper understanding of the need of emotional care and to apply emotional care to hopice patients and their families.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.42-49
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• 2022

As population aging increases the burden of cancer, the quality of death of patients with cancer is emerging as an important issue alongside their quality of life. To improve the quality of death, it is necessary to prepare for death, allowing patients to die comfortably and with dignity at the end. Considering these issues, I aim to discuss the practical aspects of notifying the patient of the terminal phase of cancer and planning for end-of-life care (i.e., advance care planning). When cancer treatment that can extend the patent's lifespan becomes difficult, the patient enters a treatment transition period. Treatment is shifted from life-prolonging care to life-enhancing care, and end-of-life care must be well planned. Medical providers often worry too much about whether the patient will be disappointed or psychologically traumatized when notified of the terminal phase of their cancer, thus delaying plans for end-of-life care. In fact, patients can accept their condition and prepare for end-of-life care better than we expect. During the treatment transition period, notification of terminal status should be given, and a well-prepared advance care plan should be established early when the patient has decision-making ability. In addition to conveying information, it is always necessary to be sensitive to whether the patient and caregiver understand the information and respond to their emotions.

• 사상체질의학회지
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.195-200
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• 2000

For many patients suffered from a terminal cancer, the best care is to extend a period and improve a quality of life. So that the pain, a major symptom of patients with terminal cancer, should be effectively controled. Otherwise it causes anorexia, nausea, vomiting, general weakness, loss of body weight, insomnia and becomes worse the condition of patients. The case is a report about a patient diagnosed as terminal gastric cancer and suffered abdominal pain. The patient was treated by Taeumin Chongsim Yonja Tang and the abdomnal pain decreased. This report described the process and contents about the way the patient was cured.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권12호
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• pp.7309-7314
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• 2013

Aim: To investigate factors that affect the place of death (POD) of terminal cancer patients. Materials and Methods: We recruited 702 consecutive patients (${\geq}18$ years) from 12 centers during July 2005 to October 2006, and 481 completed the questionnaire. In April 2011, we linked the data for 96.0% (n=462) of the deceased patients to the POD using the 2005-2009 death certificate data of Korea's National Statistical Office. The primary outcome variable was POD, and the predictive value of variables pertaining to patients and caregivers was evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Most patients died in a hospital (91.5%, n=441) and age, education, preference for place of terminal care, wish to use hospice/palliative care services, terminal cancer awareness, time between diagnosis and death, and global quality-of-life subscale of the EORTC QLQ-C30 of patients, and education and preference for place of terminal care of caregivers were significant predictors in univariate analyses. On multivariate analysis, patients and caregivers who preferred hospital/palliative care as the terminal care option over home care [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 2.68; 95% confidential interval (CI), 1.18-7.04 and aOR: 2.65; 95%CI: 1.15-6.09 for patient and caregiver preferences, respectively] and caregivers who were highly educated (aOR, 3.19; 95%CI, 1.44-7.06) were predictors of POD. Conclusions: Most of the terminal cancer patients died in a hospital. Our findings indicate that major predictors of hospital deaths are preference of both the patient and caregiver for hospital/palliative care as the terminal care option and higher education of the caregiver.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.60-66
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• 2000

Background: For terminal cancer pain management, controlled-release oral morphine (morphine sulfate tablet, MST) is a simple and convenient regimen. Recently, fentanyl transdermal therapeutic system (F-TTS, transdermal fentanyl) has been developed and became one of the alternative ways of providing adequate pain relief. This open prospective study was designed to compare the analgesic efficacy and safety of MST and transdermal fentanyl in the management of terminal cancer pain. Methods: In this open comparative and randomized study, 64 terminal cancer patients received one treatment for 15 days, controlled-release oral morphine (MST group) or fentanyl transdermal therapeutic system (F-TTS group). Daily diaries about the vital sign, visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, opioids requirement, co-anagesics, adjuvant drugs and adverse effects were completed with 24 patients in MST group, 18 patients in F-TTS group. Results: The majority of patients in both treatment groups were late-stage cancer and their distribution was not different in both groups. Daily opioids requirement was 126.4 mg in MST uced in F-TTS group (P<0.05). The incidence of nausea, vomiting and constipation was lower in F-TTS group (P<0.05). Patients satisfaction was similar, but F-TTS patient group favored continous use of same treatment compared with MST group after the study was finished. Conclusions: Transdermal fentanyl seems to be safe and similar analgesic effect to controlled-release oral morphine for the control of the terminal cancer patients. However, transdermal fentanyl provides a simpler and more convenient especially in respect to constipation, nausea & vomiting. To determine the exact analgesic effect, cost-effectiveness and complications, controlled trials should be followed.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.208-224
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• 2002

Objective : Gastic cancer has become major cancers which cause nausea, vomiting. Especially patients with terminal stage of gastric cancer may suffer from nausea, vomiting and other symptoms that can keep patients from taking medicine or food. In those cases, there may be no use of taking herbal medicine to treat or palliate symptoms. So we wanted to know the potential efficiency of Acupuncture and Moxibustion whether they could control the symptoms of terminal stage of Gastric cancer without herbal medicine. Methods : Under the assumption that Acupuncture and Moxibustion may be effective for palliating nausea, vomiting on terminal stage of Gastric cancer, the following points were administrated SaGwan(Hapkok($LI_4$), Taechung($LR_3$)), Chok-Samli($ST_{36}$), Kongson($SP_4$), Naegwan($PC_6$) for Acupuncture, Chungwan($CV_{12}$) for Moxibustion. This observation was carried out on 11 patients with terminal stage of Gastric cancer. We reviewed medical records, specifically intake/output check with vomiting, nausea. Results : After therapy of Acupunture and Moxibustion, there were 22% of complete responses, 46% of major responses and 32% of failures. Therapy resulted in 2 cases of goodness, 4 cases of fairness, 5 cases of badness as satisfaction degree. Unfortunately 2 cases of badness expired. Conclusion : We have concluded that Acupunture and Moxibusiton therapy were effective to palliate the nasea, vomiting of terminal Gastric cancer. So if Gastric cancer develop difficulties of taking medicine with patients, to consider using the methods of Acupunture and Moxibution is worthy to palliate the nausea, vomiting and so on.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.373-379
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• 2013

Background: Although caregiving to patients with terminal illness is known to be a stressful burden to family members, little attention has been focused on work-related problems. We aimed to investigate employment status and work-related difficulties of family caregivers of terminal cancer patients, comparing with the general population. Methods: Using structured questionnaires, we assessed family caregivers of 481 cancer patients determined by physicians to be terminally ill, from 11 university hospitals and the National Cancer Center in Korea. Results: Among 381 family caregivers of terminal cancer patients (response rate, 87.6%), 169 (43.9%) were not working before cancer diagnosis, but currently 233 (63.7%) were not working. Compared with the general population (36.5%), the percentage of not working among the family caregivers was higher (OR=2.39; 95%CI=1.73-3.29). A major reason for not working was to provide assistance to the patients (71.6%). 40.6% of those who continued working and 32.3% of those who not working family members reported extreme fatigue. Caregivers of old age, those who were female, those with a lower household income, and those caring for patients with a low performance status were not working at a more significant rate. Conclusion: Family caregivers of terminal cancer patients suffer job loss and severe work-related difficulties, probably due to caregiving itself and to fatigue. We need to develop supportive programs to overcome the burden of caregivers of the terminally ill.

• 임상간호연구
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.103-114
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of QoL of the terminal cancer patients at home and to identify any influencing factors on QoL. Method: Subjects of this study consisted of 72 terminal cancer patients who were receiving home care nursing for more than 2 weeks in 6 general hospitals. Data were collected by a self-reporting questionnaire on QoL, pain, physical functioning, and symptom experience from Feb, 2006 to Dec, 2006. Data were analyzed by t-test, one way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression using SPSS Win 14.0. Results: Mean score of QoL was 98.6(230 in total). Except the level of family coping, general characteristics and disease related variables did not show significant difference in QoL. QoL was higher in the family with better coping, and QoL showed negative correlation with three types of pain, physical functioning, and symptom experiences. Least pain, physical functioning, and level of family coping explained QoL up to 26.7%. Conclusion: The QoL was closely related with pain, physical functioning, symptom experience, and family coping. And the least pain, physical functioning and level of family coping were important factors influencing on QoL of terminal cancer patients. However, some other variables influencing the QoL need to be investigated in the future.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.221-226
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• 1999

Background : Validity of WHO guideline of cancer pain management has been proven and many trials have been done to derive solutions for inadequate cancer pain management. We assessed the severity of pain of terminal cancer patients in a few different ways and patients' characteristics influencing inadequate pain management. Methods : This study was based on 100 adult oncological patients who were confirmed as terminal stage in our institution from 3/1998 to 11/1998. Medical records were reviewed and individual patients were interviewed to obtain demographic information and medical characteristics such as: daily activity performance, metastasis, and drug-adjusted pain severity. Adequacy of prescribed analgesics in accordance with WHO guidelines of pain management and patients' characteristics influencing adequacy of pain management were assessed. Results : Among those cancer patients diagnosed as terminal stage, 85% complained of pain, and 68% of those patients reported pain above moderate severity. 38% of those patients received inadequate pain management resulting in greater severity of pain; the less adequate pain relief was(p<0.01). Sex, age, primary cancer site metastasis, symptoms such as depression and anxiety, and daily activity performance were not significantly related. Conclusions : Despite WHO guidelines for pain management, majority of the terminal cancer patients received inadequate pain management. There is a necessity for education on proper pain evaluation and strict implimentation for WHO guidelines of pain management.