Palliative Care In Oncology Symposium

As clinical providers, the ability to meet the science of medicine with its physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial impact it has on patients is often unintentionally overlooked or, at the very least, minimized during the active treatment phase of care; therefore, the purpose and potential benefits that result from integrating palliative care early on in the process is missed.

Eighty-nine percent of patients with cancer reported making lifestyle modifications to cope with the high costs of cancer treatment, and more than one-third altered their medical care, according to the results of a new nationwide survey, underscoring the need for oncology practitioners to screen for and anticipate potentially harmful cost-coping behavior to alleviate patient distress and promote optimal care.