Overview of Hospice and Palliative Care in Oncology

Abstract

Background The concept of palliative care in oncology has not yet reached the forefront of American medicine, and hospice care may be underused. Methods Data on increasing needs for palliative care and the development of the hospice movement are compared with practice behavior patterns of physicians in regard to palliative care. Results Hospice/palliative care has grown from an alternative health care movement to an accepted part of the American health field. Limitations of hospice/palliative care include health professionals’ discomfort with care of the terminally ill as well as difficulties in predicting limited prognoses that may hinder access to such care. Conclusions Hospice/palliative care principles should be integrated into other elements of cancer control to ensure comprehensive care for all cancer patients.