Experts: Palliative Care Lowers Costs

Making palliative care an integral part of routine cancer treatment not only saves healthcare dollars but leaves patients with slightly longer and happier lives. That's according to Dr. Thomas Smith, Director of Palliative Medicine for Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. We caught up with him at the 8th annual Chicago Supportive Oncology meeting. Dr. Anthony Back, oncologist and professor of medicine at the University of Washington added that treatment success is more likely if oncologists include the cost conversation in the decision-making process.