The palliative care needs and experiences of people with advanced head and neck cancer: A scoping review

SAGE Palliative Medicine & Chronic Care

This episode features Dr Catriona Mayland (University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK). Advanced head and neck cancer patients have specific challenges due to the impact of the illness on vital functions such as eating, speaking and breathing. Identifying the palliative care needs of this specific cancer subgroup would help provide guidance about how services could best provide care. Advanced head and neck cancer patients have a diverse range of palliative care needs, but there is variability in terms of access and timing to palliative care services. Dissonance between patients and family carers about information needs and decision-making represent additional complexities. Head and neck cancer patients frequently require acute interventions even during the last weeks of their life. Tailored needs-based referral systems for advanced head and neck cancer patients may help address issues relating to access to palliative care services. Models of care focused on increased integration and coordination across different care settings and multi-disciplinary teams may help address issues relating to frequent use of acute interventions during the last weeks of life. Prospective multi-centre studies, potentially using mixed methods approaches, and focused on testing specific components of care may help further understand and tailor services more appropriately to meet needs.

If you would like to record a podcast about your published (or accepted) Palliative Medicine paper, please contact Dr Amara Nwosu: [e-mail]