Objectives: To describe the evidence that palliative care, provided concurrently with disease-modifying treatment early in the course of a cancer diagnosis, can improve quality of life, length of survival, symptom burden, mood, and utilization of health services.
Data sources: Current research, the National Consensus Guidelines for Quality Palliative Care, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology Provisional Opinion on Integrating Palliative Care into Standard Oncology Care.
Conclusion: Despite recommendations and evidence, only a subset of cancer centers and community-based oncology clinics currently implement palliative care into ambulatory disease-focused cancer care.
Implications for nursing practice: Oncology nurses can improve access by becoming knowledgeable about generalist palliative care and by advocating for local and national practice change.
Keywords: Oncology nursing; Palliative care; Quality cancer care; Symptom management.