Integrating palliative care into active cancer treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the evidence that palliative care, provided concurrently with disease-modifying treatment early in the course of a cancer diagnosis, can improve quality of life, length of survival, symptom burden, mood, and utilization of health services. DATA SOURCES: Current research, the National Consensus Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology Provisional Opinion on Integrating Palliative Care into Standard Oncology Care.
CONCLUSION: Despite recommendations and evidence, only a subset of cancer centers and community-based oncology clinics currently implement palliative care into ambulatory disease-focused cancer care. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Oncology nurses can improve access by becoming knowledgeable about generalist palliative care and by advocating for local and national practice change.