title: Retrospective analysis of lung cancer patients treated with supportive care alone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is not uncommon for patients with lung cancer to receive supportive care alone. However, the clinical characteristics of these patients have not been fully studied. We conducted a retrospective study to identify the clinical characteristics of definitive lung cancer patients treated with supportive care alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively analyzed the percentage of and reasons for definitive lung cancer patients treated with supportive care alone at a regional cancer center. We also investigated the histological diagnostic approaches, palliative therapy types, primary treatment locations after hospital consultation, and places of death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1,223 patients were histologically diagnosed as having lung cancer between 2011 and 2014. Of these, 160 (13%) patients were treated with supportive care alone. The primary reason for treatment with supportive care alone was a poor performance status (PS) in almost half of the patients. Overall, 40% of the patients received supportive care at home, and 17% were admitted to a palliative care unit (PCU). Death occurred at home for 17% of the patients and in the PCU for 42% of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed that 13% of histologically proven lung cancer patients were treated with supportive care alone, mostly because of a poor PS. Only 40% of these patients received home care, suggesting the need for a more accessible home care system for patients and their families.
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Chiba Cancer Center, 666-2 Nitonacho, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, 260-8717, Japan. hashinuma@chiba-cc.jp.
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ashinuma
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Chiba Cancer Center, 666-2 Nitonacho, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, 260-8717, Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shingyoji
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Chiba Cancer Center, 666-2 Nitonacho, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, 260-8717, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Chiba Cancer Center, 666-2 Nitonacho, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, 260-8717, Japan.
authors.forename: Meiji
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itakura
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Surgery, Chiba Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iizasa
authors.affiliation: Division of Palliative Care, Chiba Cancer Center, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakashita
authors.affiliation: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Chiba Cancer Center, 666-2 Nitonacho, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, Chiba, 260-8717, Japan.|Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba City, Ibaragi, 305-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sekine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D009294:Narcotics
keywords: Home care; Lung cancer; Palliative care unit; Palliative therapy; Supportive care