Palliative Care 

Margaret I. Fitch, RN, PhD, and Leslee J. Thompson,
RN, MScN 

For some people with cancer, a cure will not be
possible. The most appropriate route in such
cases is treatment and care that are directed toward
palliation.
    Palliative care is a form of comfort-giving care
that fully recognizes that cure or long-term control
is not possible. The primary concern of palliative
care is quality of life. Palliative care is provided so
that people who are dying can be helped to
maintain the best possible level of physical,
emotional, mental, spiritual, vocational and social
life during their remaining time, no matter how much
limitation may be imposed by their advancing disease.
    It is so important to understand that the phrase