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Palliative Medicine: An Emerging Field of Specialization

The prevailing model of medical care for patients with cancer emphasizes the curative efforts of medical technology toward the eradication of the disease. Yet the suffering of the patient as a result of both the disease and efforts to treat it is often overlooked. Although the only way to improve the survival of patients with cancer is through intensive research into the molecular underpinnings of the disease, it is essential to recognize and concomitantly address the suffering of cancer patients. The relief of suffering as a goal of medical therapy and an object of professional expertise is the focus of a growing number of healthcare providers. Physicians who focus on the relief of suffering are referred to as specialists in “palliative medicine.” In this article we describe the development of the field of palliative medicine as a legitimate area of physician specialization and place the field in the context of the spectrum of care of patients with cancer. It should be noted, however, that the field is developing for the care of all patients with