Palliative care is an interdisciplinary service dedicated to relief of suffering and improvement of quality of life in patients with advanced incurable illnesses and their families using a comprehensive approach. As the disease advances and it is evident that the patient is unlikely to survive, comfort measures become a priority while other elements of care are slowly downgraded.

The goal of palliative care is to prevent and relieve suffering and to support the best possible quality of life for patients and their families, regardless of the stage of the disease or the need for other therapies. Palliative care expands traditional disease-model medical treatments to include the goals of enhancing quality of life for patients.