Effective Palliative Care: What Is Involved?

It is important for oncologists who provide comprehensive cancer care to be familiar with the principles of primary palliative care and interdisciplinary team-based approaches to palliative care. Palliative care is a medical subspecialty that provides specialized care to individuals with serious illnesses, with a primary focus on providing symptom relief, pain management, and relief from psychosocial distress, regardless of diagnosis or prognosis. Ideally, palliative care is provided by a team of physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and chaplains. The core of palliative care is addressing, in depth, the physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering that a patient can experience. Palliative care is a key component of oncologic care, and we highly recommend that it be integrated into the plan of care for patients with advanced cancer. Early integration of palliative care has been shown to provide improved outcomes in patients with advanced cancer. This article reviews the ways in which palliative care and oncology teams can collaborate to provide high-quality care to patients and their families; it also provides practical tips for oncologists who wish to initiate primary palliative care for their patients. Prior to referral to a specialized interdisciplinary palliative care team, oncologists may start advance-care planning discussions, provide basic pain and non-pain symptom relief, and utilize assessment tools. If a specialized palliative care team is not available, the oncologist will often address additional aspects of palliative care, with assistance from social work departments and other resources in the community.