Simultaneous palliative care: from philosophy to practice

AbstractCancer patient can present a set of physical problems, psychosocial and spiritual needs that require additional and specific treatments. The critical factor that presents itself is the planning of an appropriate program of care and treatment defined “Simultaneous Palliative Care”. The alleviation of suffering, perceived as a global experience of the whole person, is a central goal of palliative care; interventions that modulate the experiential dimension of suffering can enhance the relief of a cancer patient. A better integration of oncologists and supportive/palliative care specialists could help patients with severe distress to minimize the burden of progressive cancer. Considered in that light, a model of integrated medicine employed in a process of gradual treatment improvement, could represent the beginning of a new medical standard necessary because of the complexity of patients experiencing an advanced cancer.