Objective：There are few reports on decision-making support at palliative care clinics in designated regional cancer care hospitals. This study clarified the types of decisionmaking support patients with cancer and their families were provided by specialized outpatient palliative care services. Method：We retrospectively examined the medical records of 110 patients who had been referred to the palliative care clinic for home care between April 2012 and March 2014. Results：The median duration of receiving services from the palliative care clinic was 23 days（range：1～492 days）. The mean number of visits to the clinic was 4.7 visits（range：1～29 visits）. A total of 89 patients（80％）needed decision-making support. Of those 89 patients, 33（30％）required support in making a decision about anticancer treatment. Twenty-six（78％）of those 33 patients had just received the diagnosis or were receiving anticancer treatment. Conclusion：The study suggested that decision-making support in early stages is an important role for a palliative care clinic in a designated regional cancer care hospital.

Purpose：Chronic cough is one of the symptoms that lead to a reduction in the quality of life insomnia, such as the decline in physical strength. For chronic cough due to metastatic lung tumors, and we experienced an example of after use pregabalin, showed a reduction of symptoms. Case：This case is a 75-year-old man. Abdominoperineal rectal amputation was performed in rectal cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy has been performed, but multiple lung metastases appeared one year after surgery. Chemotherapy was continued, but lung metastases progressed, it became the policy of anti-cancer treatment ended 4 months after 2 years after surgery. Cough worsened since then, it was referred introduced to palliative care department. Because we thought respiratory tract irritation increased by organic disease is the cause, it starts from 50 mg／day pregabalin, it was increased by 25～50 mg while aware of potential side effects, such as drowsiness during the day. Cough relief at 125 mg／day, night sleep wasalso secure and possible. Conclusion：Pregabalin which is effective in neuropathic pain, there is a possibility that the suppression of hyperexcitability of nerve cells that are its pharmacological action, is also effective in chronic cough, it becomes choice of antitussive different mechanisms of action and opioid there is a possibility that may.

Previously, we have reported that age-predicted heart rate at 50%VO₂max (HR@50%VO₂max) is an effective index of adjusting appropriate exercise intensity for health promotion exercise. Thus, the aim of this study is to elucidate the change in HR at double product break point (HR@DPBP) and the validity of HR@50%VO₂max due to improvement of cardiovascular fitness. Ninety two healthy adults (57 +/- 9 years old), who participated in the health exercise training course, were studied. Participants were instructed how to control the intensity of physical activity for DPBP during their daily life. DPBP was determined with the use of incremental exercise test, and METs at DPBP (METs@DPBP), HR@DPBP, ratings of perceived exertion at DPBP (RPE@DPBP) were measured before and after the course. HR@50%VO₂max was calculated with the following formula; 138 - age/2 (bpm). METs@DPBP significantly increased (p<0.001) after 10 weeks of the course, whereas HR@DPBP did not change. Interestingly, however, there was a significantly positive correlation (p<0.001) between amount of change in METs@DPBP and that in HR@DPBP (ΔHR@DPBP). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated this correlation was independent from sex, age and amount of change in HR at rest (p<0.001). Before and after the course, proportion of study subjects’ %ΔHRs ((HR@50%VO₂max - HR@DPBP) / HR@DPBP x 100) within -10% ~ +10% were both 48.9%, and proportion of study subjects’ RPEs@DPBP within 11~13 were 92% and 85%, respectively. In this study, it was identified that significantly positive relation between amount of change in cardiovascular fitness and that of ΔHR@DPBP. This finding was independent from potentially affecting factors. In conclusion, this longitudinal study could suggest that HR@50%VO₂max and RPE were valuable indexes of determining exercise intensity for health promotion exercise.

Purpose: The present study aims to evaluate the effect of analgesics in cancer patients based on their pain descriptions. Methods: The relationship between the words that patients used to describe their pain due to cancer and the efficacy of treatment with analgesics such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or opioids was evaluated. Results: We recorded 529words that were used by 164patients to describe their pain and pain quality and classified them into 108types of pain.For patients who used the actual word 'dull' or one with a similar meaning, treatment with opioids was effective. However, treatment with opioids was less effective in patients who used words such as "numb" and "tingling". Conclusion: We were able to gain a good understanding of cancer pain by listening to the actual words that patients used when complaining of pain. These findings suggested that we could choose a suitable medication through evaluation of the actual words cancer patients used to describe their pain and successfully relieve their pain. Palliat Care Res 2009: 4(1): 207-213

  The purpose of this study was to clarify effects of the water fall bath on muscle blood flow, muscle hardness at the shoulder and body temperature after muscle contraction in human.   The subjects of this study were eight young males (average 20.4years old). Blood flow and hardness in middle fiber of trapezius were measured using the monitor of spectroscopy and a handy battery-run device, skin blood flow rate using the laser doppler flowmetry, and tympanic temperature using the thermistor during control period 10 minutes, for five minutes during four conditions (40°C water fall bath, massage using the knocking machine, 40°C hot pack and rest) after muscle contraction and moreover 30 minutes. Subjects wore a swimming trunk while these experiments. The ambient temperature and relative humidity were set to 27°C, 42% in control room.   During the water fall bath, the muscle blood flow was tend to increased compared with after muscle contraction. The skin blood flow was increased and the muscle hardness was decreased significantly. During the massage, the skin blood flow was increased and the muscle hardness was decreased significantly. During the hot pack, the muscle hardness was decreased significantly. The tympanic temperature was no changed in three conditions except from the rest.   These findings suggest that water fall bath is lessened the muscle hardness causing increase of the muscle and the skin blood flows. Therefore, the water fall bath can use one of the method to relief muscle fatigue.

Introduction: Our palliative care staff began the support activity in opioid introduction for outpatients with cancer at Komaki City Hospital in March 2018, because it was difficult to make them understand about proper use of opioid analgesics and misinterpretation about abuse at the time of opioid introduction in outpatient settings. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the activity (patient education on pain control, telephone follow up, and assessment of the symptom). Method: Outpatients with cancer receiving strong opioids for pain relief from January 2017 to March 2019 were eligible. We retrospectively investigated the difference of the variables between baseline and after the activity as follows; the ratios of prescribing immediate-release opioids, antiemetics, and laxatives when opioids were prescribed and side effects due to opioid analgesics appeared. Results: The study included 122 patients. The prescribing ratios of immediate-release opioids antiemetics and laxatives all increased from 90.7 to 98.5%, from 63.0 to 70.6%, and from 61.1 to 70.6%, respectively. The side effect incidence due to opioids with STAS-J 2 or more decreased from 12 (22.2%) to 9 (13.2%). Discussion: The activity could contribute to the provision of drug treatments and counselling needed for opioid therapy.