[Our outpatient cases for home anti-cancer chemotherapy]

We report our outpatient cases for home anti cancer chemotherapy. A total of 97 patients with advanced and recurrent cancer (22 with breast, 20 gastric, 29 colonic, 12 rectal, 1 hepatic, 3 cholangio, 4 pancreatic, 2 duodenal, 2 ovarian and 2 malignant lymphomas) were performed at an outpatient clinic or provided home anti-cancer chemotherapy since December 1996. Of these patients, 9 patients were provided home anti-cancer chemotherapy, 56 patients had died, and 41 patients are alive and undergoing continuous therapy. The response rates revealed effective results in these diseases. No severe side effects were seen, and they underwent treatment at an outpatient clinic easily. The treatment of outpatients for home anti-cancer chemotherapy was effective and maintained the patient's QOL. However, it was important to establish early an exclusive therapy room, training of expert nurses and good staff.