Patients with advancing disease continue to receive active cancer treatment, including clinical trials of experimental drugs where appropriate. At the same time, they and their care- givers receive education and support intended to help them get the most out of the present, while preparing realistically for the future

Palliative care offers comfort through control of pain and other physical symptoms, along with relief of psychological, social and spiritual distress. Family members, who often suffer a heavy emotional and financial toll when a patient is gravely ill, receive support as well.

“This is not about dying,” says Meyers, a pioneer of the hospice movement and founding director of the West Coast Center for Palliative Education and Research. “This is about living with cancer. It’s not about less care. It’s about more care.

“The best supportive care helps people live better, and may help them live longer. With aggressive pain control, appetite increases. With the right social support, mood improves. This is not about giving up. It’s about increased quality of life and enhanced coordination of care.”

It’s about hoping for the best, preparing for the worst and living each moment fully.

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