[What do cancer chemotherapy outpatients want?--results of a questionnaire survey]

We conducted a questionnaire survey to evaluate patients at the cancer chemotherapy center of the university of occupational and environmental health hospital from January to March 2006. Thirty-three (61.1%) and 5 (9.2%) of 54 patients wished to receive chemotherapy on an outpatient basis and as inpatients, respectively. Among the reasons for wishing to be treated as outpatients were the following: Keeping in touch with family, not wanting to be hospitalized, a desire to work, and the wish to continue hobbies, at 45.5 (15/33), 36.4 (12/33), 24.2 (8/33), and 24.2 (8/33), respectively. Twenty-four (44.4%) patients voiced concerns about chemotherapy at an outpatient clinic in terms of associated adverse events, feeling bad about causing trouble to their family, and the desire to have consultations at night or on holidays. Thirty-eight (70.4%) patients wished to have chemotherapy within 3 hours, and 42 (77.7%) of them requested improvements in the examinations, time, duration of chemotherapy, and the effect of chemotherapy. These findings indicate that a major part of patients wish to receive cancer chemotherapy at an outpatient clinic within 3 hours. However, they also have serious reservations about any associate adverse events. We therefore need to improve the overall environment for cancer chemotherapy patients in order to allow them to feel safe when undergoing such treatments.