[Home hospice care for the lung cancer patients]

From July 1 in 2003 through December 31 in 2008, 150 terminal lung cancer patients were provided home hospice care by us and died at home, whereas the following clinical characteristics along with the practical care we provided were examined by comparing with 432 non-lung cancer patients who died at home during that period. The frequency of home death (lung cancer/control group, 96.8/96.2%) and the duration of caring at home (48.7/54.6 days) did not show a significant difference. Significant differences were observed in suffering of breathing (62.7/31.5%), use of the opioids (96.0/ 87.5%), slow releasing oral morphine (32.7/18.1%), morphine suppository (73.3/56.5%), morphine injected subcutaneously (37.3/25.7%), slow releasing oral oxycodone (61.3/37.3%), and fentanyl (20.0/46.1%). These findings led us to conclude: (1) the main symptom, in case of the terminal lung cancer patients, was to control a difficulty in breathing, (2) the appropriate opioids were morphine and oxycodone in palliation of respiratory difficulties, (3) fentanyl was inappropriate for palliation of respiratory difficulties.