Objective: This study aimed to clarify the current practices of occupational therapy (OT) in addressing the employment aspirations of individuals with advanced or terminal cancer. Methods: A web-based questionnaire survey was administered to occupational therapists (OTs) working at designated cancer care hospitals across Japan. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a qualitative descriptive approach. Results: A total of 278 OTs responded to the survey, of whom 119 (43%) had experience supporting employment in this patient population. The purposes of employment aspirations were categorized as financial reasons, social roles and responsibility to others, and self-realization or self-fulfillment. Agreed-upon goals included full-time return to work (32 cases, 27%) and part-time or reduced-hours return to work (38 cases, 32%). In addition, some goals did not lead to actual employment but reflected patients’ wishes, such as life review (7 cases, 6%) and simulated activities (7 cases, 6%). Conclusion: Employment aspirations in patients with advanced or terminal cancer are rooted in diverse psychosocial factors beyond economic motivations. OTs play a vital role in supporting these patients by respecting their wishes and helping set realistic goals that enhance quality of life.

Recently, the importance of terminal care has been emphasized in studies of patients with malignant brain tumors. Healthcare professionals should have knowledge of symptoms caused by brain tumors when treating patients in the terminal phase. This study aimed to investigate the data collection method, evaluation time, and symptoms of patients with brain tumor in the terminal phase through literature search. Seven papers were extracted by a literature search. Data collection methods included collecting information from medical records (4 papers), questionnaire (2 papers), and telephone survey (1 paper). Evaluation times ranged from 46 days to 1 week before death. Symptoms presented by patients with malignant brain tumors in the terminal phase could be classified according to disease-specific symptoms and general symptoms presented by patients with other types of terminal cancer. The most commonly reported disease-specific symptoms were disturbance of consciousness (4 papers), seizures (7 papers), dysphagia (6 papers), and headache (6 papers). The proportion of patients with dysphagia increased as they approached the end of life. These results suggest that the data collection method and evaluation time differ depending on the previous studies and that patients with brain tumors in the terminal phase are likely to present disease-specific symptoms.