Does palliative care mean giving up?

No. Starting palliative care does not mean stopping cancer treatment or giving up on it. According to the National Cancer Institute, palliative care can be given with or without curative care, and it may be provided at any point during cancer care—from diagnosis to the end of life. When a person receives palliative care, they may continue to receive cancer treatment.

Palliative care is meant to improve quality of life. It addresses the whole person, not just the disease—treating symptoms and side effects as early as possible, along with emotional, social, spiritual, and practical concerns. Anyone can receive it, regardless of age or stage of disease.

Research supports it, too. NCI notes that studies have shown that adding palliative care to usual cancer care soon after a diagnosis of advanced cancer can improve quality of life and mood, and may even prolong survival. The American Society of Clinical Oncology recommends that all patients with advanced cancer receive palliative care.

Palliative care is also different from hospice, which begins only when curative treatment is no longer the goal. If you are unsure what palliative care would mean for you, your oncologist or someone on your oncology care team is the first person to ask.