Table 3.

Predominant Views of Palliative Care by Oncologist Type

Oncologist Type	Comment
Hematologic malignancy
Palliative care is end-of-life care	“When you talk about palliative care, [you're] really gonna stop any treatments.”
Palliative care is solely end-of-life care	“Well, I generally don't refer very many people to palliative care, at least not early on, because I think for many patients that's a signal that they're not going to do well. And so I tend to wait until there's … you know, until there's some indication—both medically as well as from the patient—that they're willing to accept the fact that their course may not be ideal.”
Either/or: palliative versus cancer care	“How I usually come to the decision of a palliative care referral is: it can either be for patients for whom active oncologic treatment isn't really indicated anymore, either because they've sort of failed all available treatments or they're becoming progressively more symptomatic and their performance status is declining and/or they just don't wish to pursue treatment.”
	“The patient has the right to hear that option when the probability of survival is low, when there's nothing else that they could be offered, that they are imminently dying, they should have the option of having a palliative care consult.”
Solid tumor
Specialist palliative care	“When you're referring for symptoms, it's usually pretty easy, actually. I'll say, ′You know, there's a service here: they're internists who specialize in dealing with symptoms associated with cancer. I feel like we could use their help in taking better care of you.'”
Palliative care includes symptom management specialty expertise	“I had very positive experiences co-managing patients with them…. I think that the important thing for patients to understand is that it's not a substitution for cancer care, it's really an adjunct and a value-added piece to cancer care.”
Palliative care can be offered concurrently with cancer care (concept of comanagement)	“I think a lot of patients associate that with terminal disease, so I try to minimize that association for them…. I tell them it's really about symptom management; it doesn't really have to do with the disease course.”