Terminal care for oral cancer patients in hospital dentistry and oral and maxillofacial surgery at a local area

A sequential study concerning suicide of patients with oral cancer, notification of oral cancer, terminal care of patients with oral cancer at home, etc. has been performed in our department. As part of the study, a possible role of hospital dentistry and oral and maxillofacial surgery at a local area was examined recently with reference to the terminal alleviating care provided to three patients with oral cancer at Joetsu General Hospital. The result was as follows: It is natural that most patients want to die at home in the presence of their family. In order to fulfill such a desire, it is considered necessary that a hospital dentistry and oral and maxillofacial surgery must handle terminal alleviating care. However, many problems still remain in managing patients with terminal cancer in a hospital dentistry. But also a cooperation with a university hospital and cooperation with the department of dentistry in other hospitals, education activity concerning oral cancer at local medical treatment including within hospital care, effective utilization of local nursing station, and examination of the home care system, are considered essential.