Treatable complications of cancer patients referred to an in-patient hospice

Abstract

This paper illustrates the importance of accurate diagnoses and treatments of complications in terminally ill cancer patients. The paper reports on five hospice in-patients who completely recovered from life-threatening complications; three of them had been incorrectly labeled as “imminently dying” by the referring physicians. The paper concludes that it would be beneficial for patients to receive examinations and a trial of medical treatment in their continuing treatment settings.