The short answer
Palliative care improves quality of life for people with a serious illness like cancer. It treats symptoms and side effects and supports emotional, spiritual, caregiver, and practical needs. It can start at any point and be given along with cancer treatment.
Palliative care improves quality of life and cares for the whole person, not just the disease.
It can be given with or without treatment aimed at the cancer, at any point from diagnosis on.
It addresses physical symptoms plus emotional, spiritual, caregiver, and practical needs.
A team of specialists usually provides it, working alongside your oncology team.
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The full explanation.
What palliative care is
Palliative care is care meant to improve quality of life for people with a serious or life-threatening disease, such as cancer. It can be given with treatment aimed at cure, or without it.
Palliative care looks at the whole person, not just the disease. The goal is to prevent or treat symptoms and side effects as early as possible. That covers the effects of the disease and of its treatment. It also covers related emotional, social and spiritual concerns.
You can receive palliative care in the hospital, in an outpatient clinic, in a long-term care facility, or at home. A licensed health care provider directs it. Anyone can receive it, whatever their age or stage of disease.
Many of the same methods used to treat cancer can also help you feel more comfortable. Doctors may give chemotherapy or radiation therapy to slow the growth of a tumor that is causing pain. Surgery may remove a mass pressing on nerves.
What it addresses
Cancer affects each person differently. So palliative care can cover a wide range of needs:
- Physical. Common symptoms that can be addressed include pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, and insomnia.
- Emotional and coping. Specialists can provide resources for the feelings that come with cancer, such as depression, anxiety and fear.
- Spiritual. People often look more deeply for meaning after a cancer diagnosis. A palliative care expert can help you explore your beliefs and values. The aim is a sense of peace or acceptance that fits your situation.
- Caregiver needs. Family and friends have changing needs too. Many caregivers feel overwhelmed, and specialists can help them cope and get support.
- Practical needs. They can help with money and legal worries, insurance questions, and problems at work. They can also guide discussions about goals of care and advance directives.
Who provides it
Palliative care is usually provided by palliative care specialists. These are health professionals with special training or certification. They focus on the physical, emotional, social and spiritual issues that people with cancer may face.
These specialists often work as part of a team. It may include doctors, nurses, registered dietitians, pharmacists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, chaplains, psychologists and social workers. The palliative care team works together with your oncology team. Together they manage your care and support the best possible quality of life. They also support caregivers, and help members of the health care team communicate.
When it is used
Palliative care may be given at any point during cancer care, from diagnosis to the end of life. A person receiving palliative care may keep having cancer treatment.
Palliative care and hospice are not the same. Palliative care can begin at any point during treatment. Hospice care begins later. It starts when cure is no longer the goal and the only focus is quality of life. Palliative care can also help patients and loved ones move into hospice. It prepares them for the physical changes near the end of life. It helps them cope with different emotions. And it supports family and caregivers.
How to get it and who pays
The oncologist, or someone on the oncology team, is the first person to ask about palliative care. They may refer you to a palliative care specialist, based on your physical and emotional needs. Some national organizations keep lists of providers by state.
Private health insurance usually covers palliative care services. Medicare and Medicaid also pay for some kinds. Medicare Part B, for example, pays for some medical services that address symptom management. Medicaid coverage varies by state. If you do not have insurance, or are unsure about your coverage, a social worker or your hospital's financial counselor can help.
Research supports palliative care. Studies show it benefits the health and well-being of patients and families. Some studies looked at adding palliative care soon after a diagnosis of advanced cancer. They found it can improve quality of life and mood. It may even help people live longer. The American Society of Clinical Oncology recommends that all patients with advanced cancer receive palliative care.
Words to know
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Common questions
What does palliative care include?
Palliative care addresses the whole person. It includes treating physical symptoms like pain, fatigue, and nausea; emotional and coping support; spiritual concerns; caregiver support; and practical needs such as financial, legal, insurance, and employment questions.
Who provides palliative care?
It is usually provided by palliative care specialists with special training. They often work as part of a team that may include doctors, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, occupational and physical therapists, chaplains, psychologists, and social workers, alongside your oncology team.
Can I get palliative care while still having cancer treatment?
Yes. Palliative care can be given with or without curative care and may be provided at any point from diagnosis to the end of life. When a person receives palliative care, they may continue to receive cancer treatment.
How is palliative care different from hospice?
Palliative care can begin at any point during cancer treatment. Hospice care begins when curative treatment is no longer the goal and the sole focus is quality of life. Palliative care can also help people move from treatment to hospice.
How do I access palliative care?
The oncologist or someone on the oncology team is the first person to ask. They may refer you to a palliative care specialist based on your physical and emotional needs. Some national organizations keep lists of providers by state.
Who pays for palliative care?
Private health insurance usually covers palliative care services. Medicare and Medicaid also pay for some kinds; for example, Medicare Part B pays for some services that address symptom management. Medicaid coverage varies by state, and a social worker can help if you are unsure.
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Sources last checked: 2026-07-14 what this meansLast updated: 2026-08-09Next planned review: 2028-07-14
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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