Background Cancer patients who have reached the terminal stage despite attempts at treatment are likely to experience various problems, particularly as they encounter increasing difficulty in doing what they were able to do easily, and their physical symptoms increase as the disease advances. The purpose of this study is to explore how terminal cancer patients who have not clearly expressed a depressed mood or intense grief manage their feelings associated with anxiety and depression. Methods Eleven terminally ill patients with cancer who were receiving symptom-relieving treatment at home or in palliative care units were interviewed. Interviews were generally conducted weekly, two to five times for each participant. In total, 33 interviews were conducted, and the overall interview time was 2027 min. Data were analyzed via qualitative methods. Results The following five themes were extracted regarding the experience of managing feelings associated with anxiety and depression when facing death: “I have to accept that I have developed cancer,” “I have to accept the undeniable approach of my own death,” “I have to accept my need for assistance,” “I have to accept this unsatisfactory circumstance” and “I have to accept this as my destiny and an outcome of my life.” Conclusion The present study revealed key themes related to how patients come to terms with their impending death. Nurses are required to comprehend the patients’ complicated mental patterns that are expressed in their daily languages. Furthermore, the findings clarify the necessity for nurses to help patients understand the acceptance of a terminal disease state during a patient’s final days.

Objective:For patients who wish to continue treatment for persistent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (PCIPN) while maintaining the quality of life (QOL), the only effective way appears to be the stop-and-go strategy. The objective of the present study was to analyze emotional responses of Japanese patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) experiencing PCIPN for the first time and to consider effective ways of providing supportive nursing care.Methods:In all, 25 patients with metastatic CRC who had completed more than six courses receiving first-line therapy with modified FOLFOX6 were included. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews.Results:Emotional responses to PCIPN experienced by patients with CRC fell into the following categories: (1) suffering from an inability to cope with the previously unknown sensation of numbness, (2) inability to perform daily living activities activities of daily living [ADL]/instrumental activities of daily living [IADL] independently and feeling fear for physical safety, (3) feeling a sense of relief at being able to live the same life as before, and (4) facing the threat of cancer and tolerating the numbness caused by the life-supporting treatment. Fear, helplessness, dismay and other uncomfortable feelings represented 72.5% of all emotional responses, probably reflecting the lack of effective intervention for PCIPN.Conclusions:These results suggest that both subjective and objective assessments of PCIPN and proper use of a stop-and-go strategy are essential for treatment continuation and maintenance of patient's QOL; therefore, an integrated approach is desirable.

This study aims to elucidate the life and death experiences of patients with terminal cancer. The researchers interviewed 18 terminal cancer patients, for a total 3,118 min. A psychophenomenological approach was used for analysis. Three themes were derived: a new appreciation for the gleam of an ordinary life after experiencing extreme suffering, a desire to at least pass away peacefully when sensing impending death, and a desire to remain useful to loved ones and other suffering patients like them. The novelty of this research derives from its finding that life and death are not in conflict and can lead to hope.

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Background: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a highly distressing symptom in patients with cancer. Although various interventions have been reported to reduce fatigue, few are available for use in terminally ill cancer patients, and it is unknown which interventions are effective. They are also often difficult to implement in terminally ill patients with cancer. We, therefore, assessed the recommended interventions to reduce CRF in terminally ill cancer patients. Methods: Four electronic databases were searched to identify studies published between January 2015 and March 2021. The inclusion criteria were terminally ill cancer patients; non-pharmacological interventions;studies in which usual care or control groups were compared, or comparisons were made prior to the postintervention period; studies in which the primary outcome was fatigue scale or symptom scale (including those measuring fatigue on a subscale); and experimental study designs including randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies. A summary of the data extracted from each study was created.We also conducted a meta-analysis of the RCTs.Results: A total of 1,954 publications were identified from the initial database, eight of which were included in this study. Three RCTs and five non-RCTs were included in the final evaluation. Most of the studies had a small number of participants. We conducted a meta-analysis of two of the three RCTs included in this study. There was insufficient evidence to determine the effects of the interventions compared to the controls [standard mean difference, −0.05; 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.48 to 0.37; two studies; 290 participants; I 2 =65%].Discussion: Few reports exist on non-pharmacological interventions for patients with terminal cancer and there was insufficient evidence to determine the effect of the interventions on fatigue. This highlights the lack of RCTs on non-pharmacological procedures and therapies for reducing fatigue.