When would you recommend supportive care in the treatment process, how is this different from hospice?

The decision to move to supportive or palliative care, meaning care that is directed to management of symptoms of cancer, rather than for curing the tumor or slowing its growth, is a very personal decision.

Unfortunately pancreatic cancer is often a fatal disease and the timing of when to move to a more palliative approach requires a discussion with the patient, the patient’s family, and physicians.

Hospice care and palliative care have much overlap, however, hospice often is defined by a medical insurer with specific rules regarding covered treatments and denotes a high level of nursing care.