Editing Cancer (section)

=== Palliative care ===
[[Palliative care]] is treatment that attempts to help the patient feel better and may be combined with an attempt to treat the cancer. Palliative care includes action to reduce physical, emotional, spiritual and psycho-social distress. Unlike treatment that is aimed at directly killing cancer cells, the primary goal of palliative care is to improve [[quality of life (healthcare)|quality of life]].

People at all stages of cancer treatment typically receive some kind of palliative care. In some cases, [[Specialty (medicine)|medical specialty]] [[professional organizations]] recommend that patients and physicians respond to cancer only with palliative care. This applies to patients who:<ref name="ASCOfive">{{Cite journal |author1=American Society of Clinical Oncology |author1-link=American Society of Clinical Oncology |title=Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question |journal=Choosing Wisely: An Initiative of the ABIM Foundation |url=http://choosingwisely.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/5things_12_factsheet_Amer_Soc_Clin_Onc.pdf |access-date=14 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731073425/http://choosingwisely.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/5things_12_factsheet_Amer_Soc_Clin_Onc.pdf |archive-date=31 July 2012}}<br/>* The American Society of Clinical Oncology made this recommendation based on various cancers.</ref>
* for lung cancer, see {{cite journal |vauthors=Azzoli CG, Temin S, Aliff T, Baker S, Brahmer J, Johnson DH, Laskin JL, Masters G, Milton D, Nordquist L, Pao W, Pfister DG, Piantadosi S, Schiller JH, Smith R, Smith TJ, Strawn JR, Trent D, Giaccone G |title=2011 Focused Update of 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Update on Chemotherapy for Stage IV Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer |journal=Journal of Clinical Oncology |volume=29 |issue=28 |pages=3825–31 |date=October 2011 |pmid=21900105 |pmc=3675703 |doi=10.1200/JCO.2010.34.2774 | author20 = American Society of Clinical Oncology}} and {{cite journal |vauthors=Ettinger DS, Akerley W, Bepler G, Blum MG, Chang A, Cheney RT, Chirieac LR, D'Amico TA, Demmy TL, Ganti AK, Govindan R, Grannis FW, Jahan T, Jahanzeb M, Johnson DH, Kessinger A, Komaki R, Kong FM, Kris MG, Krug LM, Le QT, Lennes IT, Martins R, O'Malley J, Osarogiagbon RU, Otterson GA, Patel JD, Pisters KM, Reckamp K, Riely GJ, Rohren E, Simon GR, Swanson SJ, Wood DE, Yang SC |title=Non-small cell lung cancer |journal=Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network |volume=8 |issue=7 |pages=740–801 |date=July 2010 |pmid=20679538| doi = 10.6004/jnccn.2010.0056 |doi-access=free }}
* for breast cancer, see {{cite journal |vauthors=Carlson RW, Allred DC, Anderson BO, Burstein HJ, Carter WB, Edge SB, Erban JK, Farrar WB, Goldstein LJ, Gradishar WJ, Hayes DF, Hudis CA, Jahanzeb M, Kiel K, Ljung BM, Marcom PK, Mayer IA, McCormick B, Nabell LM, Pierce LJ, Reed EC, Smith ML, Somlo G, Theriault RL, Topham NS, Ward JH, Winer EP, Wolff AC |title=Breast cancer. Clinical practice guidelines in oncology |journal=Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=122–92 |date=February 2009 |pmid=19200416 |author29=NCCN Breast Cancer Clinical Practice Guidelines Panel| doi = 10.6004/jnccn.2009.0012 |doi-access=free }}
* for colon cancer, see {{cite journal |vauthors=Engstrom PF, Arnoletti JP, Benson AB, Chen YJ, Choti MA, Cooper HS, Covey A, Dilawari RA, Early DS, Enzinger PC, Fakih MG, Fleshman J, Fuchs C, Grem JL, Kiel K, Knol JA, Leong LA, Lin E, Mulcahy MF, Rao S, Ryan DP, Saltz L, Shibata D, Skibber JM, Sofocleous C, Thomas J, Venook AP, Willett C |title=NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: colon cancer |journal=Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network |volume=7 |issue=8 |pages=778–831 |date=September 2009 |pmid=19755046 |author29=National Comprehensive Cancer Network|doi=10.6004/jnccn.2009.0056 |doi-access=free }}
* for other general statements see {{cite journal |vauthors=Smith TJ, Hillner BE |title=Bending the cost curve in cancer care |journal=The New England Journal of Medicine |volume=364 |issue=21 |pages=2060–5 |date=May 2011 |pmid=21612477 |doi=10.1056/NEJMsb1013826|pmc=4042405 }} and {{cite journal |vauthors=Peppercorn JM, Smith TJ, Helft PR, Debono DJ, Berry SR, Wollins DS, Hayes DM, Von Roenn JH, Schnipper LE |title=American society of clinical oncology statement: toward individualized care for patients with advanced cancer |journal=Journal of Clinical Oncology |volume=29 |issue=6 |pages=755–60 |date=February 2011 |pmid=21263086 |doi=10.1200/JCO.2010.33.1744 | author10 = American Society of Clinical Oncology|s2cid=40873748 }}
* Display low [[performance status]], implying limited ability to care for themselves
* Received no benefit from prior [[Evidence-based medicine|evidence-based treatments]]
* Are not eligible to participate in any appropriate [[clinical trial]]
* No strong evidence implies that treatment would be effective

Palliative care may be confused with [[hospice]] and therefore only indicated when people approach [[End-of-life care|end of life]]. Like hospice care, palliative care attempts to help the patient cope with their immediate needs and to increase comfort. Unlike hospice care, palliative care does not require people to stop treatment aimed at the cancer.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Multiple national [[medical guideline]]s recommend early palliative care for patients whose cancer has produced distressing symptoms or who need help coping with their illness. In patients first diagnosed with metastatic disease, palliative care may be immediately indicated. Palliative care is indicated for patients with a prognosis of less than 12 months of life even given aggressive treatment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/default.asp |title=NCCN Guidelines |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514153600/http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/default.asp |archive-date=14 May 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalconsensusproject.org/guideline.pdf |title=Clinical Practice Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care |publisher=The National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care (NCP) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516082645/http://www.nationalconsensusproject.org/Guideline.pdf |archive-date=16 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Levy MH, Back A, Bazargan S, Benedetti C, Billings JA, Block S, Bruera E, Carducci MA, Dy S, Eberle C, Foley KM, Harris JD, Knight SJ, Milch R, Rhiner M, Slatkin NE, Spiegel D, Sutton L, Urba S, Von Roenn JH, Weinstein SM |s2cid=44343423 |title=Palliative care. Clinical practice guidelines in oncology |journal=Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network |volume=4 |issue=8 |pages=776–818 |date=September 2006 |pmid=16948956 |doi= 10.6004/jnccn.2006.0068}}</ref>