Home-based care in terminal cancer: Practices, challenges, and future directions

Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with a significant proportion of patients presenting in advanced or terminal stages where the focus of care shifts from curative intent to palliative and supportive measures. Home-based care has emerged as a preferred approach for many terminal cancer patients, offering comfort, familiarity, and the potential for improved quality of life. However, home care practices remain heterogeneous, often unstructured, and heavily dependent on caregiver capacity. This narrative review examines current evidence on home care practices for terminal cancer patients, with particular emphasis on symptom management, psychological and emotional support, caregiver involvement, and logistical coordination of care. Available literature highlights the central role of effective pain and symptom control, the need for integrated psychosocial support, and the significant burden borne by informal caregivers. Challenges such as limited access to trained personnel, inadequate caregiver training, and fragmented care delivery models continue to hinder optimal implementation. The review underscores the importance of developing structured, multidisciplinary home care models supported by telemedicine, caregiver training programs, and expanded palliative care services. Strengthening these components may improve quality of life and ensure more compassionate, patient-centered care during the end-of-life phase.