When cancer escapes the bounds of curative options like surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, improving the quality of whatever life that remains becomes paramount. This is where Hospice helps by providing palliative care to the patients and support to the family.

WHO expert committee defines palliative care as active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatments. The goal is to achieve best possible quality of life for patients and their families. It neither hastens nor postpones death. It provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms and offers support to the family to cope during the illness and in bereavement.

Thus, hospice is necessary when the focus of therapy shifts from trying to achieve cure to giving care by alleviating symptoms and providing support to the patient and the family.

Hospice is not a hospital. Most of the care is provided at home with inpatient facilities being available only when this becomes necessary.

Click here for the definitions.