Is palliative care the same as hospice?

No, palliative care and hospice are not the same thing, although they are related. The main difference is when each one is used.

Palliative care can begin at any point during cancer treatment. It is care meant to improve quality of life, and it can be given with or without treatment aimed at curing the cancer. Hospice care, on the other hand, begins when curative treatment is no longer the goal of care and the sole focus is quality of life.

Palliative care can also help patients and their loved ones make the transition from treatment meant to cure or control the disease to hospice care. It does this by preparing them for physical changes that may occur near the end of life, helping them cope with the different thoughts and emotions that arise, and providing support for family members and caregivers.

So one way to think about it is that palliative care is a broad approach that can start early and continue alongside cancer treatment, while hospice is a specific kind of care focused entirely on comfort and quality of life. Your health care team can explain how each option might fit a particular situation.