The short answer
Palliative care is care meant to improve quality of life for people with a serious illness like cancer. It treats symptoms and side effects and addresses emotional, social, spiritual, and practical needs. It can be given along with cancer treatment, at any point from diagnosis onward. It is different from hospice, and insurance often covers it.
Palliative care aims to improve quality of life for people with a serious illness such as cancer.
It cares for the whole person—physical symptoms plus emotional, social, spiritual, and practical needs.
It can be given at any point during cancer care, along with treatment meant to cure or control the cancer.
It is usually provided by a team that may include doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains, and others.
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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 alongside treatment meant to cure the cancer. It can also be given on its own.
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 psychological, 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 that is pressing on nerves.
Who provides it
Palliative care is usually provided by palliative care specialists. These are health care practitioners with special training and, sometimes, 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, the team treating your cancer. Together they manage your care and support the best possible quality of life. They also support caregivers, help members of the health care team communicate, and guide discussions about goals of care.
What it addresses
The effects of cancer differ from person to person. So palliative care can address 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 to help with 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, and many caregivers feel overwhelmed. Specialists can help caregivers cope and get the support they need.
- Practical needs. They can help with money and legal worries, insurance questions, and problems at work. They can also help with discussions about goals of care and advance directives.
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 at the same time.
Palliative care and hospice are not the same
Palliative care can begin at any point during cancer 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 help patients and their loved ones move into hospice. It prepares them for the physical changes near the end of life. It helps them cope with different thoughts and emotions. And it provides support for family members and caregivers.
Getting palliative care and paying for it
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 of palliative care. Medicaid coverage varies by state. If you don't have insurance, or are unsure about your coverage, ask a social worker or your hospital's financial counselor for help.
Research supports palliative care. Studies show it can benefit 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.
Planning conversations
Related planning guides now include when to consider hospice, goals-of-care conversations, and DNR orders and cancer care. These pages are educational starting points for conversations with the care team.
Words to know
Tap any term to see what it means.
Common questions
What is palliative care?
Palliative care is care meant to improve the quality of life of people who have a serious or life-threatening disease, such as cancer. It addresses the whole person, not just the disease, and aims to prevent or treat symptoms and side effects early, along with related psychological, social, and spiritual concerns.
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 treatment to cure the disease is no longer the goal and the sole focus is quality of life. Palliative care can also help people move from treatment aimed at cure or control to hospice care.
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, working alongside your oncology team.
What kinds of needs does palliative care address?
It can address physical symptoms like pain, fatigue, nausea, and insomnia; emotional and coping needs; spiritual concerns; caregiver needs; and practical needs such as financial, legal, insurance, and employment questions.
Who pays for palliative care?
Private health insurance usually covers palliative care services. Medicare and Medicaid also pay for some kinds of palliative care, though Medicaid coverage varies by state. If you're unsure about coverage, a social worker or hospital financial counselor can help.
Questions to ask your doctor
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Sources last checked: 2026-07-21 what this meansLast updated: 2026-08-09Next planned review: 2028-07-21
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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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