Cancer Patients will be considered to be in the terminal stage of cancer if they meet the following criteria: 1 and 2 MUST be present. 1. Definitive Diagnosis • Patient has tissue diagnosis of a malignancy that may be
        metastatic
• Patient has received optimal treatment for their cancer or they
        do not wish further treatment
• Patient has been on an investigational protocol or clinical trial
        and has failed on that protocol or trial and they do not wish
        further treatment
• Patient is not a candidate for any further treatment
• Patient has experienced severe complications from their
        treatment(s), e.g., radiation burns, pain, nausea and vomiting,
        fatigue/debility, etc. and they do not wish further treatment
• Individuals who have chosen care that focuses on symptom
        management rather than curative treatment
• Patient or family has decided to focus on quality vs. quantity
        of life
• Patient or family wishes palliative measures or comfort care
2. Presumptive Diagnosis • Diagnostic work-up by imaging techniques revealed a mass
        or multiple lesions consistent with a widely spread malignancy
• Patient is not a candidate for aggressive chemotherapy
        or radiation therapy
• Patient or family do not wish any treatment(s)
• Patient or family wish palliative/symptom management
       or comfort care
If a patient meets the medical criteria above, they are by definition eligible to receive hospice services. Some patients may not meet the criteria, but may still be eligible for hospice care due to comorbidities or rapid functional decline. Contact your Samaritan Care Hospice Consultant for further information.