Significance of informed consent and truth-telling for quality of life in terminal cancer patients.

Abstract

For 12 patients with terminal stage cancer who died within the period from June 1995 to the present, we retrospectively evaluated the correlation between the "information" concerning disclosure of the "diagnosis," "pathology," and "prognosis," with the length of the last admission before the death, "sedation" near death, and the choice of "do not resuscitate (DNR)." The average length of admission before death was markedly shorter for patients who had been told either the "diagnosis," "pathology," or "prognosis" than for patients who had not. A statistically significant difference was observed between those who had been told and those who had not been told the "pathology." Similarly, "sedation" tended to be done for those who had been provided with information on cancer. It was suggested that telling patients with terminal stage cancer the truth about "diagnosis," "pathology," and "prognosis" is important for them to spend a fulfilling terminal stage.