Palliative Care
Palliative care adds another layer of support to cancer care—helping with symptoms, stress, difficult decisions and the things that matter most to you and the people you love.
Palliative care does not mean giving up.
It can begin early and be provided alongside active cancer treatment. You can still pursue chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation, surgery, clinical trials and other cancer-directed care while receiving palliative care.
Hospice is a specific kind of care generally used when the focus has shifted away from cancer-directed treatment. Palliative care can be part of your care much earlier—while treatment continues.
What can palliative care help with?
The goal is simple: help you live as well as possible while living with cancer.
Symptoms
Pain, nausea, shortness of breath, constipation, fatigue, sleep problems and more.
Emotional Support
Anxiety, fear, sadness, overwhelm—and space to say what is hard.
Hard Decisions
Help understanding choices and keeping your goals at the center.
Quality of Life
Comfort, function, energy and the parts of life you most want to protect.
Family & Caregivers
Support for the people walking beside you, too.
Care Coordination
Another team helping the pieces of your care communicate and connect.
What Matters Most
Conversations about your hopes, worries, values and priorities.
Whole-Person Care
Physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs all deserve attention.
Living longer matters. So does living well.
Cancer care can become consumed by scans, labs, treatments and the next decision. Palliative care creates room for another question: How are you actually doing?
Questions you can ask your cancer team
Comfort is part of cancer care.
Asking for help with symptoms or quality of life is not asking your team to stop fighting your cancer. It is asking them to care for all of you.
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