There is no right or wrong answer to this question. It depends on the gravity of the situation, on how conscious the patient is and how much he is suffering, on the possibility of performing complex operations that might really be efficacious, on whether or not we can realistically reconsider administering anti-cancer therapies that have temporarily been judged useless, etc. Naturally, it will also depend on practical considerations, on the personal philosophy of the patient and his loved ones, and on the family’s ability to manage the problems involved in looking after the patient, including the very delicate problems connected with the terminal phase.
The author of this website, an oncologist, preferred to keep his father at home even during the terminal phase of his cancer, being well aware that, in hospital, the result would have been no different. However, it is understandable that people who have no experience of the world of healthcare may well prefer to have the support of the hospital (hospice). This decision is entirely subjective and belongs to the patient and his family. However, those involved must be fully aware that the patient is terminal and that, if further complications arise and the situation dramatically worsens, no other treatments or instrumental maneuvers or surgical operations will be performed in any case; the only possibility is to increase the patient’s sedation, which can be done fairly easily even at home.