[Home hospice care for the urological cancer patients]

In order to clarify the clinical characteristics along with practical care of home hospice care for urological cancer patients, we analyzed 62 terminal ill urological cancer patients who died at home, and these patients were compared with 737 non-urological cancer patients in the period from July 2003 through June 2010. There was a tendency to have a longer homecare period for urological terminal cancer patients. However, no significant statistical differences in age, gender and a frequency of home death were observed among the urological and non-urological cancer patients. The frequency of medical treatments for urological cancer patients, such as home oxygen therapy, management of nephrostomy and a placement of indwelling bladder catheter, was much higher for the urological cancer patients. On the other hand, there was no big difference for consumption of strong opioid usage among the urological and non-urological cancer patients. In conclusion, although ordinary medical treatments for urological cancer patients showed no significant differences compared with non-urological cancer patients, professional special assistance such as a change of the nephrostomy catheter were required for urological cancer patients.