Symptoms, unbearability and the nature of suffering in terminal cancer patients dying at home: a prospective primary care study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Primary care physicians provide palliative home care. In cancer patients dying at home in the Netherlands (45% of all cancer patients) euthanasia in about one out of every seven patients indicates unbearable suffering. Symptom prevalence, relationship between intensity of symptoms and unbearable suffering, evolvement of symptoms and unbearability over time and quality of unbearable suffering were studied in end-of-life cancer patients in primary care.

Methods

44 general practitioners during three years recruited cancer patients estimated to die within six months. Every two months patients quantified intensity as well as unbearability of 69 symptoms with the State-of-Suffering-V (SOS-V). Also overall unbearable suffering was quantified. The five-point rating scale

SUBMITTER: Ruijs CD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3877870 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature