Abstract
The anothor presented two cases of patients with cancer; one was advanced gastric cancer and the other initial gastric cancer.It is difficult to ask questions to the physicians as to whether or not they frankly tell the diagnosis of cancer to the patients. It depends on psychological situations of the patients and their families. The right answer only comes from an assessment of each individual case from the psychologaical or social viewpoint. It would be easier to tell the truth to patients who consider that their lives have been rewarding or meaningful.Most of the medical students in Japan do not receive education on death and they are hardly exposed to the dying patients.On the side of dying patients, they too are not well prepared to accept their death as they miss the time for deep consideration on their death bacause their physicians usually concentrated themselves to prolong their lives by sophisticated procedures like resuscitation, which keep the patients from verbally communicating with health professionals and families.It is advisable that the most appropreate management be wisely adapted for the terminal care of the patients, and much emphasis should be placed upon how to fulfill the quality of life rather than prolonging thier life.As death appears drawing near, care-system rather than cure-system must be applied to the patient. It must be then considered who would be the most appropreate care-giver to the patient and his family.There must be verbal as well as non-verbal communicatoin by the care-giver with deep consideration and compassioin to the dying person, and holistic care must de extended to the patient and his family at the terminal stage of illness.
