Electroconvulsive therapy in a terminally ill patient: when every day of improvement counts.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is seldom used in a palliative setting. Although literature on the application of ECT in terminally ill patients is sparse, ECT may be useful to rapidly improve the quality of life in these patients. We present the case of a 71-year-old man with metastasized pancreas carcinoma complicated by severe depression. After 3 ECT sessions, the communication between the patient and his family in the last moments of his life improved. We conclude that ECT should be considered to treat mood disorders in terminally ill patients when every day of improvement counts.