Unsolved Problems and Thoughts about End of Life Treatments in Cancer Patients

Dintinjana RD, Redzovic A, Dintinjana M, Lovasic IB, Čubranić A and Vukelić J

Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Croatia
General Practice Rijeka, Croatia
Department of Gastroenterology, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Croatia
Department of Head&Neck, Clinical Hospital Center Rijeka, Croatia

^*Correspondance to: Renata Dobtila-Dintinjana 

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Abstract:

The number of patients receiving chemotherapy/radiotherapy at the end of life (EOL) is increasing also as the number of cancer patient dying in acute care hospital. 20% of patients are receiving chemotherapy in the last 14 days of life . Older (>75 years) patients also receive chemo at EOL. Besides aggressive treatments and invasive procedures targeted therapy is also often administered in the EOL. Such approach is provocing exhausting side-effects, premature death and is producing more costs. In our Department 22.7% patients were admitted to receive palliative care, and 77.3% were admitted for planned chemo-and/or radiotherapy administration. More than 40% of patients received chemotherapy treatment. We have concern about the high percentage of patients who tried to provide oncology treatments in the three months before his death and about the percentage of patients dying in acute hospitals. We are conscious that death is inevitably for each of us, but we are still trying to avoid the talk about death and dying. Therefore care for oncology patients in EOL many times deviate in the field of dysthanasia.

Keywords:

Palliatice care; Chemotherapy; Radiotherapy; End of life; Disthanasia

Cite the Article:

Dintinjana RD, Redzovic A, Dintinjana M, Lovasic IB, ?ubrani? A, Vukeli? J. Unsolved Problems and Thoughts about End of Life Treatments in Cancer Patients. Clin Oncol. 2016; 1: 1084.