Although cancer surgery is safer than ever before, perioperative morbidity and mortality are not inconsequential, and patients with cancer can suffer significant psychological and physical symptoms surrounding surgery. Palliative care is patient- and family-centered care that symptomatically and psychosocially supports seriously ill patients and their families and optimizes quality of life, regardless of diagnosis, prognosis, or care goals. Multiple studies among medical oncology patients indicate that proactive palliative care improves diverse patient-reported outcomes (PROs), but there is no analogous research in surgical oncologic populations.
