Palliative care: A positive outcome for cancer patients?

Je Maree

doi:10.4102/curationis.v31i2.978

Abstract

The development of palliative care in terms of recognizing the needs of the dying, palliative care becoming a nursing and medical speciality, the involvement of the World Health Organization in palliative care and the continuous development of treatment modalities available to cancer patients creates the expectation that the outcomes for the patient should also be positively influenced. The purpose of the study was to determine the most common symptoms of advanced cancer patients treated in a public and private hospital in Tshwane, and whether advances in palliative care improved the outcomes for these patients by decreasing the prevalence of symptoms experienced. The design of the study was a quantitative survey. The population consisted of patients with advanced cancer receiving palliative treatment as out patients in radiation and medical oncology clinics in a public and private hospital the Tshwane Metropolitan area. The sampling method was convenient and the sample size was 148 participants (n = 148). Data was gathered by means of an interview and self report. Data analysis was done by means of descriptive statistics. The results of the study indicated that a high number of patients still experience problems that could have been prevented. Pain was found to be the biggest problem for patients (76.4%) followed by weakness and fatigue (65.5%), nausea and vomiting (65.5%) and a dry mouth (46.6%). Thirst was reported by 41.2% of the sample. The study provides evidence that the development of palliative care did not have a positive outcome for patients by reducing the prevalence of symptoms experienced.

Highlights

For many years, society has denied death by isolating the dying and the old
The need for palliative care is increasing and it is estimated that by the year 2020, 646 000 people living in sub-Saharan Africa will die from cancer compared to the 412 000 who died in 2002 (WHO, 2006)
The purpose of the study was to determine the most common symptoms of advanced cancer patients treated in a public and private hospital in Tshwane, and whether advances in palliative care improved the outcomes for these patients by decreasing the prevalence of the symptoms experienced

Summary

Introduction

Society has denied death by isolating the dying and the old. As reminders of our own mortality, we’ve sought to keep them out of sight and out of mind. Despite a series of articles by Dame Cecily Saunders in 1959, it was only in 1967 with the foundation of the St Christopher’s Hospice in London that it was recognised that the needs of the dying were not being met and the principles of palliative care were established (Gamlin, 2001:4). The need for palliative care is increasing and it is estimated that by the year 2020, 646 000 people living in sub-Saharan Africa will die from cancer compared to the 412 000 who died in 2002 (WHO, 2006). Taking the current disease burden into account, it is estimated that one in 200 people living in Africa will need palliative care (WHO & UICC 2005). Of the estimated 720 000 000 people who currently live in Africa, (Fitch’s African population page, 2006) 3 600 000 are in need of palliative care

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