Blood & Cancer

Thomas LeBlanc, MD, of Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, N.C., joins host David H. Henry, MD, of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, to discuss the evolution of the palliative care field and some of the underrecognized ways that it can improve care for hematology-oncology patients. Plus, in Clinical Correlation, Ilana Yurkiewicz, MD, of Stanford (Calif.) University, shares the story of a patient who put aside her own desire for hospice because of family pressure to pursue curative treatment. *  *  * Palliative medicine has evolved tremendously over the past decade; it used to be synonymous with hospice and dying. It is now a sophisticated medical subspecialty with growing and large evidence base.  Palliative treatments are aimed at maximizing patient's quality of life and can be provided alongside other curative treatments.  Physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners form an interdisciplinary team along with patients and their families.  Palliative care specialists can work alongside oncologis