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End-of-Life Care Preferences of Patients with Advanced Urological Malignancies: An Explorative Survey Study at a Tertiary Referral Center
Background: Many people want to die at home, but it is often not possible because they do not share their wishes with family members. This study was conducted to find out the extent to which patients with advanced urological malignancies had wishes regarding their final stage of life, made arrang...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Philipps-Universität Marburg
2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | PDF Full Text |
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| Summary: | Background: Many people want to die at home, but it is often not possible because they do
not share their wishes with family members. This study was conducted to find out the extent to which
patients with advanced urological malignancies had wishes regarding their final stage of life, made
arrangements accordingly, and communicated their wishes to relatives and health care professionals.
Methods: We conducted a survey among advanced urological tumor patients during their clinic visit
at a German university hospital using a 31-item questionnaire. Inclusion criteria were metastatic or
irresectable prostate cancer, urothelial carcinoma, or renal cell carcinoma. Results: In total, 88 patients
(76 male, 12 female) completed the questionnaire, and 62 of those respondents (70%) had received
their tumor diagnosis within the past 5 years. Symptoms were reported by 80%, and 18% described
five or more symptoms. The majority (88%) stated that they had thought about their preferred place
of death but 58% had not informed anyone about it. The preference for a hospice as the place of
death correlated statistically significantly with the absence of a domestic partnership (p = 0.001) or
marriage (p < 0.001) and with a high number of symptoms (≥5; p = 0.009). However, 73% had not
talked with their urological oncologist about care options in case their health deteriorated though
36% of those were interested in having a conversation about it. Conclusions: Our results showed that
9 out of 10 patients reflected on their preferred place of death but only a few discussed it with anyone.
Based on this finding, physicians and healthcare staff should initiate discussions about early care
planning so that patients in incurable situations can express their wishes regarding their preferred
place of death. |
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| Item Description: | Gefördert durch den Open-Access-Publikationsfonds der UB Marburg. |
| DOI: | 10.3390/curroncol31010031 |