Integration of palliative medicine into comprehensive cancer care.

Because of the advent of disease-modifying agents for patients with malignancies, cancer is now a chronic illness. However, most cancer patients will experience significant symptoms and complications during the course of their illness or its treatment. In addition to their physical symptoms, patient and families are burdened with psychological, social, and spiritual difficulties. Palliative medicine addresses all these issues and complements attempts to cure the disease; it is an essential part of modern comprehensive cancer care.