The argument for palliative care in prostate cancer

Palliative care uses a team approach to improve the quality of life of patients and families faced with long-term and progressive illnesses through prevention and relief of suffering with symptom management. Palliative care focuses on three main realms to achieve these goals: morbidities associated with the disease, morbidities associated with the treatment, and quality of life of the patient. Oncology guidelines suggest initiating palliative care “early in the course of illness in conjunction with other therapies that are intended to prolong life, including chemotherapy and radiation” (1). Possibly due to the association with end of life care, palliative care is underutilized for prostate cancer despite evidence showing benefit in several patient populations.