Relationship between Spiritual Well-being of Terminal Cancer Patients and Their Families’ Spiritual Well-being and Attitudes toward Death

Abstract Background In recent years, spiritual well-being has gradually gained the attention of health care providers in China, especially those in oncology departments, who have recognized the importance of improving spiritual well-being in cancer patients. Since most of the current research on spiritual well-being has been carried out in areas with religious beliefs, this study was conducted in the context of no development of formal religion. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between death anxiety and spiritual well-being and the related factors of spiritual well-being among gynecological cancer patients. Methods This cross-section study was conducted among 586 gynecological cancer patients. The European Organization for Research and Treatment for Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-spiritual well-being32 (EORTC QLQ-SWB32) and Templer's Death Anxiety Scale (T-DAS) were used to measure spiritual well-being and death anxiety. The Multiple Linear Regression Model was used to determine the relationship between spiritual well-being and death anxiety. Results For all participants, the highest QLQ-SWB32 centesimal score was 75.13 on the Relationship with Other scale, and the lowest was 60.33 on the Relationship with Someone or Something Greater Scale. The mean Death Anxiety score was 5.31 (SD 3.18). We found that Relationship with Someone or Something Greater was the only scale not associated with death anxiety. Overall, patients with lower death anxiety have a higher level of spiritual well-being. Besides, a high Relationship with Other score was associated with living with a partner (B = 2.471, P < 0.001) and married (B = -6.475, P = 0.001). Patients with higher Global-SWB were retired (B = 0.387, P = 0.019). Conclusions Our study found that the spiritual well-being of patients with gynecological cancer in China was no worse than in other countries with religious beliefs and patients with lower death anxiety have a higher level of spiritual well-being. Clinical staff should pay attention to the spiritual health of cancer patients, and spiritual care should be regarded as an essential element in cancer care.

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Optimal timing for hospice-shared care initiation in terminal cancer patients

Supportive Care in Cancer ◽

10.1007/s00520-021-06284-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yan-Mei Dai ◽

Ya-Ting Huang ◽

Min-Yu Lai ◽

Hsueh-Erh Liu ◽

Chih-Chung Shiao

Keyword(s):

Cancer Patients ◽

Shared Care ◽

Optimal Timing ◽

Terminal Cancer ◽

Terminal Cancer Patients

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Changes in the palliative performance scale may be as important as the initial palliative performance scale for predicting survival in terminal cancer patients

Palliative & Supportive Care ◽

10.1017/s1478951520001248 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Guk Jin Lee ◽

Ji Hyun Gwak ◽

Myoung Sim Kim ◽

Mi Yeong Lee ◽

Seo Ree Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Patients ◽

Gastrointestinal Cancer ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Accurate Estimation ◽

Terminal Cancer ◽

Hospice Patients ◽

Terminal Cancer Patients ◽

Group A ◽

Group B ◽

Performance Scale

Abstract Objective The accurate estimation of expected survival in terminal cancer patients is important. The palliative performance scale (PPS) is an important factor in predicting survival of hospice patients. The purpose of this study was to examine how initial status of PPS and changes in PPS affect the survival of hospice patients in Korea. Method We retrospectively examined 315 patients who were admitted to our hospice unit between January 2017 and December 2018. The patients were divided based on the PPS of ≥50% (group A) and ≤40% (group B). We performed survival analysis for factors associated with the length of survival (LOS) in group A. Based on the hospice team's weekly evaluation of PPS, we examined the effect of initial levels and changes in group A on the prognosis of patients who survived for 2 weeks or more. Results At the time of admission to hospice, 265 (84.1%) patients were PPS ≥50%, and 50 (15.9%) were PPS ≤40%. The median LOS of PPS ≥50% and PPS ≤40% were 15 (2–158 days) and 9 (2–43 days), respectively. Male, gastrointestinal cancer, and lower initial PPS all predicted poor prognosis in group A. Male, gastrointestinal cancer, and a PPS change of 10% or greater, compared with initial status 1 week and 2 weeks of hospitalization, were all predictors of poor prognosis in group A patients who survived for 2 weeks or longer. Significance of results Our research demonstrates the significance of PPS change at 1 week and 2 weeks, suggesting the importance of evaluating not only initial PPS but also change in PPS.

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