Research into end-of-life cancer care - Investment is needed

摘要

Ranjana Sfivastava's moving account of her professional relationship with a young woman dying of cancer (Oct 1, p 1213)1 illustrates poignantly the need to empower patients and physicians in decision making about care at the end of life. Disease-directed cancer care in the last weeks of life is not only often futile, and can compromise patients' quality of life, it accounts for a substantial proportion of total cancer care costs.