Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 27, Issue 2 80-83, Copyright © 1997 by Foundation for Promotion of Cancer Research
Y Seo
To clarify the emotional distress of terminal cancer patients,
questionnaires were sent to 2826 families of patients who died at the
National Kyushu Cancer Center; 1380 replies were obtained. Among the 1380
patients, 37.7% had been aware of the disease name and 19.8% had been
unaware. Of the 1380 patients, 43.5% had prepared for and calmly accepted
death, but 12.4% had greatly feared and 11.7% rejected death. Patients
aware of the disease name had tended to prepare better for death but also
had a stronger fear compared with those who were unaware. Patients informed
of the exact nature of their disease by their physicians tended to value
their remaining life more than those informed by others. Those who had
desired notification of the disease name also tended to value their
remaining life more than those who had not. They also spent their remaining
life more usefully, and were less discouraged after being informed than
those who had not expressed a wish to be informed. Thus: 1. The emotional
state of the cancer patient should be clearly established before deciding
to inform the patient of the true diagnosis. 2. The patient should be
notified of the disease by the doctor, even if he/she is already aware of
the diagnosis through others. 3. The ability to share bad news with the
patient is of crucial importance for physicians when caring for terminal-
stage cancer patients.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
A preliminary study on the emotional distress of patients with terminal-stage cancer: a questionnaire survey of 1380 bereaved families over a 12-year period
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, National Kyushu Cancer Center, Fukuoka, Japan.
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