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American Morning

Hospitals Unable to Meet Needs of Dying Cancer Patients

Aired June 19, 2001 - 11:05   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: More than a half-million Americans will die from cancer this year, but will they be as comfortable as possible during their final days? A new government report indicates doctors and hospitals are not prepared to handle the needs of dying cancer patients.

Our medical correspondent Rea Blakey joins us from Washington with more on the story. Rea, good morning.

REA BLAKEY, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

It may be a tragedy of the highest order: Dying people who suffer needlessly because they are not receiving what's called palliative care. Well, a new report from the National Research Council indicates some 250,000 dying cancer patients will suffer a range of distressing physical and psychological symptoms like pain, difficulty breathing and depression. Unfortunately, the report concludes clinicians and hospitals are too often not prepared to help these patients.

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DR. CHERYL ARENELLA, HOSPICE OF N. VIRGINIA: We know a lot about how to address the suffering of patients who are at this phase in their illness, and yet we know that a lot of that knowledge is not being applied. So, there is a lot of undertreatment of pain, for instance, and other symptoms, and certainly a lot of the psychosocial and spiritual issues for very many people, perhaps a majority of people who are dying, go unmet.

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BLAKEY: The report doesn't say just how many cancer patients are not receiving this palliative care, but African-Americans and other minorities are least likely to receive it, and therefore, most likely experience severe discomfort during their last days and weeks of life -- Daryn.

KAGAN: S, Rea, in an ideal world, what would they be recommending here?

BLAKEY: Changes all across the system, everything from more palliative care courses taught in medical schools to changing the Medicare hospice benefit which at this time currently prevents any curative or life-prolonging procedures. Also, greater public awareness about the options that are available to make patients as comfortable as possible as the end of life draws near.

KAGAN: Rea Blakey in Washington. Rea, thank you.

KAGAN: Sure.

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