EVALUATION OF TERMINAL CARE FOR HEAD AND NECK CANCER PATIENTS

The terminal care of patients with cancer has come to involve important medical and social problems. We evaluated our terminal care in 52 patients with head and neck cancer. The results were that pain couldn't be controlled in 40% of these patients. In the last two weeks before death, only 28.8% of the patients could take food orally and only 23.1% could speak. We also assessed dyspnea, mental symptoms, and the management of general condition. Although it is still difficult to maintain Q. O. L. for head and neck cancer patients, improvement in the near future is essentiated.