Top oncologists say everyone with advanced cancer needs early palliative care. Here are 6 things to know
Top oncologists say everyone with advanced cancer needs early palliative care. Here are 6 things to know
ABC News, New York; by Lindsey Ulin, MD; 6/20/24
This year, the American Society of Clinical Oncology — the world’s leading oncology organization — recommended palliative care for everyone with advanced cancer at the time of diagnosis and while receiving treatment. ... By next year, 693,000 people in the United States will have advanced breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, bladder, or skin cancer. ... “What I’m really excited to see is that these guidelines are taking a step back and thinking about [palliative care] from the time of diagnosis,” Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer for the American Cancer Society and an associate professor at Duke University specializing in oncology and palliative care, told ABC News. “It should particularly be used in areas to help people stay on treatment, such as in clinical trials or hematologic malignancies.” Here are six things to know about palliative care:
- Palliative care can help you live better and longer
- Palliative care puts you in control of your care
- Palliative care supports you and those who matter most
- Palliative care increases your time at home or where you want to be
- Palliative care isn't just for people with cancer
Editor's Note: These six bullet points provide expert, user-friendly talking points for you to use with referral sources, with patients and families, care partners, and your community. Examine the palliative care services your organization provides. Of these six priniciples, which ones are implemented by your organization? Or not? Medical experts include:
- The American Society of Clinical Oncology
- Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer for the American Cancer Society and an associate professor at Duke University specializing in oncology and palliative care
- Dr. Allison Chang, an oncologist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute
- Dr. Anthony Back, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington’s Division of Oncology
- Lindsey Ulin, MD, an internal medicine resident at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit