Sometimes palliative radiotherapy (pRT) is not always used appropriately. In our institution, radiation oncologists started to participate the palliative care conferences from September 2021. Between September 2021 and August 2022, 26 (7.6%) of 341 patients presented at this conference were considered candidates for pRT. Finally, 11 patients (3.2%) underwent pRT (ulcerative breast cancer, 2; metastatic spinal cord compression, 1; re-irradiation, 6; peritoneal dissemination, 1; multiple liver metastases, 1). The participation of radiation oncologists at the palliative care conference is thought to facilitate the treatment option of palliative radiotherapy.

Objectives: We compared cancer patients who were discharged home from inpatients hospices (Home), and who died at hospices (PCU) as a comparison group regarding patients’ quality of life, to clarify the patients’ experience after discharge home. Methods: We send self-reported questionnaires to bereaved families of cancer patients who were discharged home from 12 Japanese nation-wide hospices and died without readmission to the hospicies during Janually 2010 and August 2014. We used bereaved families’ data of patients who died at the same hospices during the same period of J-HOPE3 study. Results: We sent 495 questionnaires (returned 47.3%) and analyzed data of 188 as Home. The data of 759 bereaved families of J-HOPE3 study were also analyzed as PCU. In Good Death Inventory, Home was associated with higher score on some items (staying at favorite place, having pleasure, staying with families and friends, being valued as a person), and PCU was associated with higher score on being free from pain or other physical distress. Conclusions: Patients who were discharged home from inpatient hospices had good environmental QOL, but hospices may be better in palliation of symptoms.