Symptom Management and Palliative Care for Patients with Cancer

Abstract

The clinical context for advanced cancer has changed in recent years, with extended survival rates and more diverse and complex cancer trajectories and symptomatology. Advances have been made in symptom management of advanced disease, and the contribution of palliative care is better understood. Palliative care is more likely offered earlier in the disease not just at end of life. This article discusses symptom management together with palliative care. Key features are greater appreciation of the complex and multidimensional nature of mechanisms underpinning co-occurring symptoms in advanced cancer patients, comprehensive and systematic symptom assessment, and individualized approaches to cancer management.

Keywords: Advanced cancer; Palliative care; Symptom management.