Specialized, team-based support to reduce symptoms and stress, improve quality of life, and help you live as well as possible—at any stage of illness.
Palliative care is a specialized, team-based approach for those living with a serious illness. It focuses on relieving symptoms, pain, and treatment-related side effects while helping patients and families navigate the emotional and practical challenges that can arise—at any stage of illness.
The goal is to alleviate suffering and improve quality of life for people with serious illness. Specialists address pain, symptoms, and stress, working alongside your existing medical team—in the hospital, clinic, or at home—to help you live your best life for as long as possible.
Hospice is an insurance benefit for people approaching the end of life (typically with a prognosis of six months or less if the illness runs its natural course). It provides comprehensive support focused on comfort, goals, and quality of life—often at home—for both patients and families.
Shared by the National Leiomyosarcoma Foundation; publicly accessible resources from the NCCN Foundation.
Palliative care can be integrated at any time during cancer care—from diagnosis through survivorship—whenever symptom management, decision support, or psychosocial care could help. Many sarcoma centers of excellence include palliative care as a standard part of their protocols.
Ask your oncology team for a referral to a palliative care service. It can be provided in hospitals, clinics, and at home. If it is not discussed during your visits, be sure to ask about it— palliative care is about living well while you receive cancer treatment.
There is growing evidence that palliative care improves symptoms, quality of life, and care satisfaction for patients and families. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) supports palliative care research across many domains.
PALLIATIVE CARE — WHAT SHOULD PATIENTS AND FAMILIES/CAREGIVERS KNOW TO HELP DURING TREATMENT
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Palliative care is specialized, team-based support focused on symptom relief, communication, and quality of life for people living with serious illness. It can be provided alongside curative or life-prolonging treatments at any stage.
An extra layer of support that treats pain, symptoms, and stress, and helps with decision-making, care coordination, and emotional well-being for patients and families.
Interdisciplinary teams that may include palliative medicine physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, social workers, chaplains, psychologists, and other specialists. They work with your oncology and primary teams.
Pain and symptom management, emotional and coping support, spiritual care, caregiver support, practical and care navigation needs, financial/legal and employment concerns, and support for family and team communication.
Anytime it can help—often early in the course of illness, at diagnosis, during active treatment, and through survivorship or advanced care. Many sarcoma centers include it as a standard part of care.
Ask your oncology team for a referral. Services are available in hospitals, clinics, and at home. If not discussed, bring it up and request an evaluation.
Palliative care can be provided at any stage alongside active treatment. Hospice focuses on comfort near the end of life (typically with a prognosis of six months or less) and prioritizes quality of life and goals of care.
Coverage varies by insurance and setting. Many services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers; check your plan benefits and ask providers about covered services and any out-of-pocket costs.
Studies show palliative care improves symptom control, patient and caregiver satisfaction, and can reduce healthcare burden. The National Cancer Institute supports research in palliative and supportive care across multiple programs.
