Cancer patients who are in a later stage of the fatal disease tend to have a better standard of living, if compared to the people who spend the remainder of their lives under treatment in hospitals.

In a study by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, it was found that patients of cancer who died in a hospital experienced a low quality of life before their death. It was also discovered that cancer patients who were treated and provided care at home had a better quality of life than those who were being treated in hospitals or ICUs.

The astounding discovery also looked into the condition of caregivers and family of the patients. The caregivers also experienced lower trauma levels, when the patients were provided treatment at home. The study showed that caregivers suffered trauma four times more, when the patient died in a hospital in comparison to those who died at home.

Alexi Wright, one of the researchers of the study and a medical oncologist stated that this was the first study which looked into the plight of the caregivers of cancer patients who die in a hospital and the increased chances of them suffering Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The study involved an interview of patients and caregivers and an interview of caregivers after the death of patients.