| Abstract: |
Primary central nervous system (CNS) cancers are considered rare relative to other cancer types, yet they cause a disproportionate amount of disability, morbidity, and mortality among the individuals who live with these cancers. Many CNS cancers are incurable despite cancer-directed interventions and overall prognoses vary depending on tumor type, as well as the presence of treatment-related toxicities and side effects, in addition to any comorbid conditions. People diagnosed with primary CNS cancer commonly experience very high symptom burden and distress across the disease trajectory due to neurologic dysfunction from direct CNS involvement by the cancer, as well as cancer- and treatment-related symptoms while facing an incurable illness that is reshaping their lives and those of their caregivers and family members. Person-centered care in the form of palliative care and hospice care is available to provide crucial coping and decision-making support and improvement of quality of life through relieving suffering from symptoms and emotional, psychosocial, and existential distress across the disease trajectory; however, these provisions are significantly underutilized in neuro-oncology. The evidence base for palliative care and the provisions of specialty palliative care, primary palliative care, and hospice care are reviewed to inform neuro-oncology clinicians and facilitate the integration of person-centered care into standard neuro-oncologic care. © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
