50 Pct Cancer Patients Discuss Last Days with Doctors

   Tokyo, July 2 (Jiji Press)--About half of people who died of cancer in Japan in 2021 are seen to have consulted with doctors about where they wanted to spend the end of their lives, the National Cancer Center said in a report released Thursday.
   About 60 pct of cancer patients were able to spend their last days at places where they wished to be, the report showed. Both figures increased from the previous survey conducted in 2017-2018.
   Active conversations between patients and doctors may have been partially due to restrictions on visits implemented by hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, the cancer center said.
   The survey was conducted with 27,000 bereaved families of patients who died of cancer or heart disease in 2021. Valid responses came from 10,900 people.
   Patient age at the time of death averaged 87.5. The survey asked about the quality of life in the month before death. The cancer center analyzed the results by cause of death.

(2025/07/03-10:30)

To read a full story, please click here to find out how to subscribe.