Palliative, alternative, complementary and integrative medicine are all areas of patient care with limited research to support best practice. Many physicians are unaware of the need for whole-patient care and attention to quality of life improvements outside treatment of the primary disease. While cancer therapies are indeed crucial, the evolution of non-traditional health care settings places increasing emphasis on supportive care methods to improve quality of life for patients with advanced disease.

Caring for the cancer patient in the advanced stages of disease is particularly challenging to the health care team. It requires attending to the many dimensions of care including medical, psychosocial, ethical, and spiritual needs. In its 20th year, the Interdisciplinary Conference on Supportive Care, Hospice & Palliative Medicine continues to offer participants educational updates to help them successfully implement new techniques and treatments in clinical practice to improve patient care and outcomes.

https://www.mdanderson.org/education-training/professional-education/cme-conference-management/conferences/20th-annual-interdisciplinary-conference-on-supportive-care--hos.html