[Choice of Expiration for Cancer Patients under Home Medical Care - Palliative Care Unit or Home].

Kohka Public Hospital(KPH)was rebuilt at a new place in April 2013. The Palliative Care Unit(PCU)was newly constructed during renovation. We examined the will and outcome of cancer patients, especially on expiration. A 123 patients died in 2014: 27 died at the PCU, and the remaining 7 at home. Of 27 patients, 20 were willing to die at the PCU, and one patient visited the hospital after judgment by the Visiting Nurse Center. Other 6 patients were admitted finally after their families experienced fatigue. Six of seven patients who died at home, showed a strong will to stay at home. We think that patients' will drives the clinical course, especially in their end-stage. In this context, the majority of the patients decided their terminal place based on their will. On the contrary, there were several cases whose requests were not fulfilled. To overcome the problem, we should discuss cancer patients' will to make a choice regarding death at the end-stage of their lives and the place of expiration in advance. We including the staff of social care and regional medical resources, should co-operate and share information on these patients to solve the problems.