r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 1d ago

Cancer Study finds many doctors disregard wishes of cancer patients. Frequently, patients with advanced cancer simply want to be made as comfortable as possible as they wind down their final days. Many of these patients are receiving treatment focused on extending their lives rather than easing their pain.

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2025/08/26/cancer-patients-treatment-wishes-study/7921756217134/
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u/WickedLies21 1d ago

Hospice doesn’t do an IV at end of life for many reasons. The first, it’s invasive and painful. The second- the body knows what it’s doing. It’s supposed to dry out before they die. They no longer feel thirst or hunger. If we give IV fluids at end of life, the body cannot process it properly anymore and they end up third spacing the fluid. This means, the fluid swells up all the tissue in the body causing edema and the patient begins to basically drown in fluid in their lungs. It’s an awful way to die. In hospice, we provide mouth swabs and educate family to provide mouth care every 1-2 hours to keep their mouth & lips moist. I’m sorry that the hospital staff did not provide proper mouth care for your loved one.

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u/EllipticPeach 23h ago

We ended up getting the sponges sorted and my dad snuck in his favourite ale the day before he died. It was lovely to see him enjoy it one last time.

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u/WickedLies21 18h ago

I’m glad to hear that. I always encourage my families to use whatever beverage they loved and make sure to star beer, wine, tequila in the list. I have even run out and bought wine for a patient that wanted it on her deathbed. Bought a $20 bottle of red and ran it back to the facility and we began using it on her mouth sponges and she smiled so big at me after that first sip. So worth it.

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u/Pazuuuzu 1d ago

The second- the body knows what it’s doing.

No that is not how it works. The body is clinging to life as best as it can.

It's just the part that regulate fluids already broken down and an IV does not meaningfully help anymore, in fact makes it worse... But the body still trying it's best, with what it still have until the bitter end.

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u/Landohanno 19h ago

Thank you, yes. Too many people here glorifying "the process" like it's some sacred, ordained thing. It is in fact the most vile cruelty, inflicted on a imperfect and struggling organism, that desperately wishes to continue that which it can do no longer.

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u/AmbassadorMental9846 12h ago

I do understand the concept but I'm still a bit haunted by the memory of my mum somehow becoming fully conscious for a few minutes a couple of days before she passed when we were using one of the sponges. It's like she suddenly realised how thirsty she was and panicked sitting up in bed grabbing for the jug of water (at this point she'd been more or less unconscious for 5 days)