Care of the terminal head and neck cancer patient in the hospice setting.

The ratio of incidence to mortality is somewhat less than 3:1 for head and neck cancer, and the 5-year relative survival rate is 50%. Despite the high mortality rate, few reports have focused on patients with terminal head and neck cancer. A growing number of these patients end their lives in a hospice facility. A retrospective analysis was undertaken of 67 patients with terminal head and neck cancer who were admitted to the Tel Hashomer Hospice between 1988 and 1992. Patient data were reviewed and analyzed, and the particular characteristics of this population were defined. This study found that terminal head and neck cancer patients seem to receive better support in a hospice than in a general hospital or some family settings.