When terminal cancer patients choose to die at home, as opposed to staying in the hospital, they tend to live longer, according to a new study published in the journal Cancer.
The study was conducted by researchers in Japan. The prospective study included 2,069 patients, with 1,582 patients receiving hospital-based palliative care and 487 patients receiving home-based palliative care.
The results of the study showed the survival of patients who died at home was significantly longer than the survival of patients who died in a hospital among the days' prognosis group — with an estimated median survival time of 13 days compared to nine days — and in the weeks' prognosis group — with a survival time of 36 days compared to 29 days.
Lead author of the study, Jun Hamano, MD, says the findings could impact patient choice surrounding hospice care.
"The cancer patient and family tend to be concerned that the quality of medical treatment provided at home will be inferior to that given in a hospital and that survival might be shortened; however, our finding…could suggest that the patient and family can choose the place of death in terms of their preference and values," said Dr. Hamano. "Patients, families and clinicians should be reassured that good home hospice care does not shorten patient life, and even may achieve longer survival."
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