PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between attitudes toward the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, death anxiety and death acceptance among hospitalized cancer patients who were at least 65 years old. METHODS: This study adopted a descriptive study design. Data were collected from 128 patients diagnosed with cancer. The instruments used were the Attitudes toward Life-sustaining Treatment Scale, Death Anxiety Scale and modified versions of the Death Attitude Profile-Revised (DAP-R) questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean score for the subjects' attitudes toward the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment was 3.48±0.50 out of 5. Death anxiety was reported at 2.53±0.54 out of 4. Death acceptance was reported at 4.10±1.20 out of 7. There was a significant negative correlation between the subjects' attitudes toward the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and death anxiety (r=−.21, p=.018), however there was no statistically significant correlation between the subjects' attitude towards the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment and death acceptance (r=−.07, p=.462) CONCLUSION: The more positive elderly cancer patients are about the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment, the lower their death anxiety is. This finding can help nurses with patient care towards the end of life by considering the relationship between death anxiety and their attitudes toward the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.
Aged ; Anxiety ; Attitude to Death ; Humans ; Patient Care

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although the incidence of GB polyps is increasing with improved surveillance, the study of predictive factors of malignant potential has not been sufficient. The aim of this retrospective study is to investigate the predictive factors of malignant potential in GB polyps. METHODS: Among 3,159 patients with laparoscopic cholecystectomy in Chonbuk National University hospital January 2009 to December 2013, 437 patients confirmed GB polyps pathologically were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups; one with benign GB polyp and another with GB adenoma and incidental GB cancer. RESULTS: Group I with benign GB polyp was seen in 359 patients. On the other hand, 53 patients with GB adenoma and 25 patients with GB cancer in gourp II were identified. The patients in group II had shown a significantly higher incidence of age older than 50 years (53/78, 67.9% vs. 163/359, 45.4%, p=0.001), size larger than 10mm (40/78, 51.3% vs. 37/359, 10.3%, p<0.001), and GB wall thickening (36/78, 46.2% vs. 77/359, 21.5%, p<0.001). The presence of GB stone had not shown significant differences between two groups (26/78, 33.3% vs. 96/359, 26.7%, p=0.378). CONCLUSIONS: Cholecystectomy should be considered for the patients with GB polyp with these predictive factors.
Adenoma ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; Gallbladder Neoplasms ; Gallbladder* ; Hand ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jeollabuk-do ; Polyps* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors