[Palliative care team at general hospital]

Some three hundred thousand patients die from cancer in a year, most of whom end their lives at a general hospital. Considering this situation, the general hospital has to provide palliative care and make up interdisciplinary Palliative Care Team (PCT). Since April 2002, we established a PCT at Akita City Hospital. Our PCT educated doctors and nurses for palliative care medicine and established a system for palliative care. For example, the assessment sheet of cancer pain is useful for treatment of pain and to equally recognize the patient's condition by each team. The PCT provides support for doctors and nurses in the general unit. We general doctors must learn more about how to provide palliative care medicine for at least cancer pain as well as cancer treatment. A team approach is needed for all cancer patients.