A newly opened palliative care ward and the nursing of terminal patients with gynecological cancer at our Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Tokyo Women's Medical University Hospital

摘要

Seventy-nine terminal patients with gynecological cancer treated in the past 5 years in our hospital or their families were interviewed on where those patients died and the reason why they chose to die in the place. Fifty-two patients (65.8%) were died at our hospital, 18 patients (22.8%) at other hospitals, 5 (6.3%) at other hospice and 4 (5.1%) at home. The 52 patients who died at our hospital were asked why they chose to die there. 42 of them (80.8%) wanted care at our hospital to the death. 10 (20.2%) had no time to think of home care or other institutions because of the sudden change of the condition. The 18 patients who died at other institutions were also asked about the reason. 9 of them (50%) wanted to die in their hometown or close to their home. 5 of them (27.8%) were referred to other hospitals due to brain metastasis or the necessity of undergoing dialysis. 2 of them (11.1%) were referred to the institutions which provide long-term care. 2 of them (11.1%) were brought into a nearby emergent care hospital and died after the sudden change of the condition. The palliative care ward in our university hospital can provide continued relationship with cancer patients. We had time to talk enough with carcinoma patients and their family in the ward, which widened choices of their death place, including home death.