Patterns of Specialty Palliative Care Utilization Among Patients Receiving Palliative Radiation Therapy
Palliative radiation therapy is frequently used to ameliorate cancer-associated symptoms and improve quality of life. This study in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management by Jie Jane Chen, MD et al. found that fewer than half of patients receiving palliative radiation therapy utilized specialty palliative care. Initiatives are needed to increase palliative care, especially for patients with lung cancer and neurological symptoms, and to empower radiation oncologists to refer patients to specialty palliative care.