[Palliative care of the terminal head and neck cancer patient]

The main problems of treatment of head and neck cancer patient are envisaged in that article. The palliative care principles together with treatment of chronic cancer pain should be not only well-known for family and hospices doctors, who care for patients in terminal stage very frequently, but for head and neck surgeons as well. Insufficient knowledge of cancer pain treatment results in permanent patient's suffering due to pain persistence. The latest theories and viewpoints on treatment of chronic cancer pain with analgetic ladder and adjuvant drugs in particular are described. Patient with head and neck cancer in the terminal stage are more interested in high quality of life assurance than in putting therapy with all possible side-effects.