Palliative and Supportive Care for Cancer Patients and Families

UPMC’s palliative and supportive care team provides comprehensive care and management of the physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs of people with serious illnesses and their families.

What is Palliative and Supportive Care?

Palliative and supportive care helps to improve your quality of life and manage symptoms during cancer treatment, addressing a wide range of physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Palliative care can be provided at any time alongside curative treatments.

Our Palliative and Supportive Care Services

The palliative care team works with your cancer care team to provide:

Family support.
Psychosocial care.
Spiritual care.
Symptom management.

They also assist with coordination of care and integrate inpatient services with outpatient and home-based programs.

Our palliative and supportive care services include:

Inpatient consultations for people with cancer

The palliative care team provides consultation services if you are admitted to the hospital.

In addition to the services listed above, our palliative care experts can also talk about:

Care goals.
Education on and options for psychosocial, spiritual, and financial concerns.
Prognosis.

To improve your well-being and enhance your care experience, your palliative care team may share the concerns raised in these consultations with your:

Nurses.
Other health care providers.
Referring doctor.

Cancer support programs

The palliative care team works with many programs to support you after you are discharged from the hospital.

These support programs include:

Center for Counseling and Cancer Support.
Integrative Medicine and Wellness programs.
Home care.
Hospice.
Nursing homes.

The team also provides caregiving, grief support, and comfort to your family members.

Outpatient care and support

In addition to inpatient consultations, our palliative care team cares for those who receive their primary care in the cancer center outside the hospital.

Our goal is to maintain the highest quality of life for the longest possible time by designing a treatment plan that may include:

Coping with psychological and spiritual concerns.
Dealing with symptoms such as pain, nausea, and anxiety.
Discussing goals of care and navigating health care decisions.
Planning for your future care, including home care and hospice.

Transition to hospice care

Hospice is a type of care that focuses on providing the best quality of life possible for patients who are terminally ill. Hospice switches the focus of care away from life-extending treatments and tests and places it on pain and symptom management.

Our palliative and supportive care team can assist with the decision to transition to hospice care. We will work closely with you, your family, and your health care team to honor your wishes for your future care, helping you maintain the best possible quality of life.

What should I expect from hospice care?

Hospice care is provided by a team made up of physicians, nurses, social workers, counselors, chaplains, case managers, and trained volunteers. In addition to helping with pain and symptoms, this team works with the patient and family to provide emotional and spiritual support. It also provides bereavement support after the patient passes.

At what stage of cancer is hospice recommended?

Hospice may be an option for patients who have terminal cancer that is no longer responding to treatment, or for patients who no longer wish to continue life-prolonging therapies.

Why Choose UPMC for Palliative and Supportive Care Services? 

When you choose UPMC for palliative and supportive care services, you will receive:

Comprehensive palliative care expertise and support — Our palliative care experts have specialized training in managing the side effects of cancer and cancer treatment.
Personalized, collaborative care — By working with your surgical, medical, and radiation oncology team, our palliative care team supports your overall well-being during your treatment.
Supportive services tailored to your needs — Our approach to cancer care honors your preferences by blending advanced palliative care methods with supportive services for the best possible results.