Spread the Word: Palliative Care Extends Life, Study Finds

A new study was published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine and quickly picked up by the New York Times, Boston Globe, Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and many other media outlets. The story will likely lead to saturation for palliative care professionals, and in the wider population break down misconceptions of palliative care as “giving up.”

The study from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital reported that advanced-stage cancer patients who received early palliative care in conjunction with standard curative treatment not only reported better quality of life, but lived nearly 3 months longer.

Though the results of this study are not surprising, they do highlight the need to increase palliative care access to everyone facing a serious or life-limiting illness.

Don’t miss Dr. Diane Meier’s corresponding editorial review in NEJM, Dr. Lyle Fettig’s response on the Pallimed blog, and Dr. Len’s Cancer Blog. What are your thoughts from a social work perspective? Please share your comments and spread the word to your colleagues and local media outlets.