Palliative Care for Interventional Radiology: An Oncologist's Perspective

ABSTRACT

Palliative care is an approach to care that seeks to improve the quality of life of patients and families facing problems due to life-threatening malignancies. Interventional radiology offers diagnostic, therapeutic, and palliative procedures that provide tangible benefits to oncology patients. A comprehensive evaluation and goals of care discussion will facilitate appropriate treatment recommendations from interventionalists. We describe a framework, with suggested questions for patients, which will enhance the level of communication between interventionalists and oncology patients.

KEYWORDS

Palliative care - decision making - ethics - goals of care - interventional radiology

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