Case Studies

Learn about Mr. Halbert’s battle with cancer and his need for palliative care 

Mr. Halbert is a 58 year old man with a long history of smoking. Due to his smoking, Mr. Halbert has also developed COPD. Around two years ago Mr. Halbert noticed a silvery patch on his tongue but decided to ignore it. Due to an increase in symptoms, Mr. Halbert decides to seek medical care. His symptoms include numbness of tongue, difficulty articulating, difficulty chewing and swallowing, and more

Further testing revealed that Mr. Halbert had a oral squamous carcinoma of the anterior two thirds of the tongue and floor of the mouth which had unfortunately metastased to the cervical lymph nodes.Despite extensive treatment, malignancy progressed rapidly and tissue necrosis started to set in, leading to even greater side effects. As symptoms progressed, Mr. Halbert was put on multiple medications to manage his discomfort including Methadone and oral Morphine.

Eventually Mr. Halbert was admitted to the hospital where they could manage his pain more thoroughly. Care conferences were held with Mr. Halbert and his family to elicit goals of care where ultimately it was decided that comfort care was the best option.

Mr. Halbert was administered a variety of medications to treat pain and anxiety. Mr. Halbert passed away four days later, peacefully sedated with his family by his side.
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