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Palliative cancer care - oral problems - Management
How should I treat oral problems?

  • Elicit the causes of the symptoms. Symptoms commonly have more than one cause. Each cause should be considered for treatment.
  • Set goals for treatment with the person and their carers and negotiate a treatment plan. Explain the rationale for this plan especially if it is different to their usual oral care regime.
  • Communicate with the other members of the multidisciplinary team involved.
Clarification / Additional information
  • Always perform assessments and make decisions in partnership with the person and their carer(s).
  • Be aware that many people wish to be enabled to die in the place of their choice, often their own home. They need to be assured that their families and carers will receive support during their illness and after bereavement.
  • Each multidisciplinary team or service should implement processes to ensure effective inter-professional communication within teams and between them and other service providers with whom the person has contact. Mechanisms should be developed to promote continuity of care, which might include the nomination of someone to take on the role of 'key worker' for an individual person.

[NICE, 2004]

Basis for recommendation
  • The recommendation is based on good clinical practice recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) [NICE, 2004].

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