Palliative care interventions may offer better quality of life and less intense symptoms than usual/standard cancer care alone, according to a Cochrane review involving 7 studies.

Most of the studies included participants older than 65 years of age diagnosed with different tumor types who received treatment in tertiary care centers in North America. Most trials compared early palliative care with standard care. Among the findings:

• Early palliative care may slightly increase quality of life.
• It may also decrease symptom intensity to a small degree.
• Effects on survival and depression are uncertain.
• A single study reported side effects of more pain and reduced appetite.