Unfortunately, it is common for patients with severe brain metastases to not receive palliative care consultations, largely due to the shortage of palliative care specialists—but another factor is stigma due to a poor understanding of what palliative care is.
“Palliative care consultation is not end-of-life consultation. It should be a part of patients’ multidisciplinary team.” — Rohit Singh, M.D.
“Right now, if you tell a patient ‘palliative care,’ they think that there’s no more care left, it’s end of life. Palliative care is not that,” Dr. Singh says.
Some clinicians may need the same reminder.
“Palliative care is not stopping treatment,” Singh says. “Patients receiving palliative care can still get all their treatments, all their cancer-active therapy. Palliative care will continue with their supportive care, and when the time comes for hospice, or never comes time, they will have the resources and their collaboration with palliative care on board to make that process smoother and easier.”
Singh emphasizes, “Palliative care consultation is not end-of-life consultation. It should be a part of patients’ multidisciplinary team.”