Early Palliative Care for Metastatic Cancer

Abstract This chapter explores the impact of early palliative care on patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. A randomized controlled trial involving 151 patients demonstrated that early palliative care, initiated within 3 weeks of diagnosis, significantly improved quality of life and reduces symptoms of depression compared to standard care. Patients in the early palliative care group reported higher scores on quality-of-life measures and experienced fewer instances of aggressive end-of-life care. While the trial did not show a statistically significant increase in survival, it suggests a trend towards it. Finally, the chapter emphasizes that integrating early palliative care into standard oncology care improves patient well-being and influences survival and end-of-life decisions.