Palliative Care Should be Standard in Cancer Treatment: Guideline

For patients with advanced cancer, palliative care should start early and be an integral part of treatment, not just something added on near the end of life, according to a new practice guideline from the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Expanding on a 2012 opinion, the guideline authors say that caregivers of advanced-cancer patients and early-stage cancer patients should also be considered for palliative – sometimes known as “comfort” – care. Palliative care teams help build rapport and relationships with patients and family caregivers, manage symptoms like fatigue, mood…

Read More