Cancerbackup: Death & dying

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Death and dying Q&As

9 items found in this section.

1. What is the difference between supportive care, palliative care and terminal care, or are they the same thing?

last reviewed: 10.04.2006

2. My mother has been diagnosed with AML and has decided not to have chemotherapy. How will she die?

last reviewed: 11.09.2007

3. My relative has incurable cancer. I have asked the doctor how long they might live but his answers seem very vague. Why can't he be more precise?

last reviewed: 27.07.2005

4. My mother recently died in the UK and we would like to take her body overseas to be buried. How do we go about arranging this?

last reviewed: 20.07.2005

5. My husband has been told he has incurable cancer. I have asked the doctor how long he might live but his answers seem very vague. Why can't he be more precise?

last reviewed: 02.08.2005

6. My relative has been told that their treatment is no longer working and that there is nothing more that can be done, they have had lots of different treatment. Is this right, what about all the treatments I read about in the papers?

last reviewed: 02.08.2005

7. My husband has terminal cancer and is coming home from hospital. He wants to die at home and I want this too. We are both coping quite well with the situation but I realised that I don't know what to do when the end comes- who do I contact, who do I notify?

last reviewed: 21.01.2005

8. What is a Macmillan nurse?

last reviewed: 17.10.2006

9. What is hospice at home?

last reviewed: 04.11.2004

All Q&As are selected from some of the thousands asked by people contacting Cancerbackup every year. They are answered by specialists and reviewed and updated regularly.


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Need emotional support? Call Cancerline free on 0808 808 2020 or email cancerline@macmillan.org.uk

Find out about other ways to get support on the main Macmillan website.