Hospice and palliative care may prolong the lives of some terminally ill patients. In a 2007 study, the mean survival was 29 days longer for hospice patients than for non-hospice patients. In other words, patients who chose hospice care lived an average of one month longer than similar patients who did not choose hospice care. Longer lengths of survival were found in four of the six disease categories studied. The largest difference in survival between the hospice and non-hospice cohorts was observed in congestive heart failure patients where the mean survival period jumped from 321 days to 402 days. The mean survival period was also significantly longer for hospice patients with lung cancer (39 days) and pancreatic cancer (21 days), while marginally significant for colon cancer (33 days). Source: Connor S.R., Pyenson B., Fitch K., Spence C., Iwasaki K. Comparing hospice and non-hospice patient survival among patients who die within a three year window. Pain Symptom Management; 2007 March; 33(3):238-46.