Palliative and supportive care in neuro-oncology

Abstract

Brain tumor (BT) patients are different from other cancer patients population due to the complexity of supportive care needs, the trajectory of disease, the very short life expectancy, the presence of specific symptoms related to neurological deterioration and therefore they need a specific palliative approach. Studies specifically addressing palliative care and end of life (EoL) issues in BT patients are lacking, but early integration of palliative care into the ongoing care of patients living with BT may improve quality of life (QOL) and symptom management. Needs of care of malignant BT patients, particularly at the EoL, require specific palliative interventions, with a multidisciplinary approach performed by a well-trained neuro-oncological team, for the control of pain, confusion, agitation, delirium or seizures management with the aim to allow the patient to experience a peaceful death. There is a great need for education in palliative care and EoL decision-making in neuro-oncology setting. A better knowledge of clinical and ethical issues could help to improve the educational training and quality of care of neuro-oncology services. In this paper, we will address the emerging role of supportive and palliative care issues in BTs.