Expectation of the place of care and place of death of terminal cancer patients in Hong Kong: a hospital based cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

BACKGROUND: Achieving the preference of place of care and place of death of patients is a quality marker in palliative care. From a recent study, around 30% of the Hong Kong general population wished to die at home. In our study, residential care home for the elderly (RCHE) was also considered as home. The objective of this study was to investigate the preference of place of care and place of death of terminal cancer patients who received palliative care service in Hong Kong. We would also investigate the facilitating and obstructing factors for home death. Common factors associating with the preference of home death would also be examined. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in a local palliative care unit from 3 December 2018 to 10 January 2019. Univariate analysis was performed to evaluate factors associated with the preference of home death. RESULTS: Total 72 patients were recruited. Overall, 22 (30.6%) patients wished to die at home ideally. After concerning reality and different choices, only 13 (18.1%) patients preferred home death. The most common chosen facilitating factor for home death was to provide support to carers (12 patients, 92.3%). Five patients (38.5%) chose it as the most significant facilitating factor for home death. It was inconclusive for the most common chosen and most significant obstructing factor for home death. There were no statistically significant factors found to be associated with the preference of home death. CONCLUSIONS: The preference of home death of terminal cancer patients in Hong Kong is low. We hope that understanding more of the obstructing and relieving factors for home death can facilitate home death in the future.

Health-related quality-of-life study in patients with carcinoma of the thyroid after thyroxine withdrawal for whole body scanning.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: The authors studied the change of health-related quality of life (HR-QOL) in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) with thyroxine (T4) withdrawal in preparation for whole body radioactive iodine scanning. STUDY DESIGN: Seventy-eight patients with DTC and history of radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation were prospectively recruited. They completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-General (FACT-G) questionnaire on weeks 0, 2, and 4 after T4 withdrawal with corresponding checking of serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). RESULTS: Overall, 74.5% (58 of 78) of patients completed all FACT-G. Comparing FACT-G scores at weeks 0 and 4, "physical" (P < .001), "social" (P = .04), and "emotional" (P = .047) aspects were lowered as well as "total" HR-QOL (P = .001). However, the "functional" domain of HR-QOL was not affected (P = .14). Comparing FACT-G scores at week 0 and 2, we found that "physical" (P = .049) and "total" (P = .05) HR-QOL were affected early (in the first 2 weeks) in T4 withdrawal. Comparison of week 2 and 4 showed that in the later half of the withdrawal period, "physical" (P = .001), "emotional" (P = .02), and "total" FACT-G scores (P = .002) were affected. Mean TSH level (in mIU/L) increased gradually: 2.8 (week 0), 42.8 (week 2), 97 (week 3), and 153 (week 4). The percentage of patients attaining TSH level of >30 mIU/L were 55% (week 2), 96.2% (week 3), and 100% (week 4). CONCLUSIONS: HR-QOL declines with time of T4 withdrawal. The impact is more severe in the later period of T4 withdrawal. In 3 weeks, 96.2% of our patients attained TSH level of 30 mIU/L. To minimize the impact on HR-QOL, duration of T4 withdrawal can be decreased to 3 weeks.