Introduction: During the last six weeks at the terminal phase about 70% of all cancer-patients are suffering from respiratory problems. Dyspnoea is a very difficult to treated symptom. It is distressing and frightening for both the patients and the caregivers. Studies also show that there is a need for a method to prepare patients and caregivers for these kind of specific symptom in different kind of situations and to increase (in this way) the quality of life.
Method: During a one year period all cancer-patients with a life expectation less than six weeks in three hospices in the Netherlands are treated by a physiotherapist. The method contains a specific individualized intervention, especially breath-therapy in combination with relaxation-therapy, advices and instructions. To increase the multidisciplinary character, members of an interdisciplinary team contribute in these methods. Specific functional instructions for these interventions are given by a physiotherapist to all members of the multidisciplinary team. Beside this patients which had not been treated in this way are followed simultaneously. In this descriptive research both mentioned groups will be compared.
Results and conclusions: First outcomes shows that pre-emptive breaththerapy and specific individualized advices and instructions gave the patients more self-control during both rest-situations and activities. Moreover, the patients developed more self-confidence and less fear in situations of dyspnoea or related symptoms. Starting this method in an early stage the patients seem to show an increased quality of life by better breathing and energy consumption.