title: Experience of palliative care for patients with head and neck cancer through the eyes of next of kin: impact of an Expert Center.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Literature is scarce on the palliative care experiences of patients with head and neck cancer. We report our experience in this patient population after the establishment of our Expert Center.
  
  
  METHODS
  We administered a questionnaire to 40 surviving relatives of patients with head and neck cancer after the establishment of our Expert Center and compared the results to a similar group of patients with head and neck cancer before the establishment of our Expert Center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Since the establishment of our Expert Center, we found: an improved evaluation of the psychosocial support offered; better contact between head and neck surgeons, the patients, and families; and improvement in the quantity of information in the palliative phase. Some relatives, however, reported that patients received treatment against their wishes and life was not made as comfortable as possible.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Important aspects of palliative care, such as psychosocial support and contact between patient and surgeon, have been improved since the establishment of our Expert Center.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marinella P J
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Offerman
authors.forename: Jean F A
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Pruyn
authors.forename: Maarten F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.forename: Quirine C P
authors.initials: QC
authors.lastname: Ledeboer
authors.forename: Jan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: van Busschbach
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Baatenburg de Jong
authors.forename: Lilly-Ann
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: van der Velden
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000592:standards; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012944:Social Support
keywords: Expert Center; head and neck cancer; next of kin; palliative care; quality of life; surviving relatives