[Outpatient clinic of palliative care in oncology]

Palliative treatment and related nursing care are currently a major problem in the organization of health care. Outpatient palliative cancer care (OPCC) helps to verify the clinical status of cancer patients and helps to choose the best treatment options and their completion. The OPCC has to be able to provide all treatment possibilities of cancer related symptoms such as cancer pain or symptoms related with cancer therapy. During tracking period in the OPCC, 446 patients were treated--288 women, mean age 61 years (age range 20-81 years) and 158 men, mean age 56 years (age range 18-96 years). According to the assessment of performance status (PS) there was following stratification: PS-0 (8%), PS-1 (54%), PS-2 (33%) and PS-3 (5%). The OPCC uses a uniform system of medical records, uniform system for assessing the quality and quantity of health care--and determination of "minimal health care". Here we present our results, which reflect the need of cooperation of all, who are involved in health care of cancer patient--collaboration between the general practitioner (GP), oncology departments, including hospice and home care agencies.