Hospice Care Too Late For Many American Men

Hospice care is best known for its work at easing the experience of dying. A recent study showed that most American men with terminal prostate cancer are too late in signing up for hospice care to appreciate its benefits.

According to Dr. Mark Litwin, a professor of urology and public health at UCLA, "it's important that we maximize quality of life when quantity of life cannot be changed."

Doctors often focus on "not giving up" to prolong life so they recommend hospice care too late. Instead, according to a study, physicians need to rethink their focus not on survival "of poor quality" but rather preparation for the next step.