Study: Palliative Care Can Lead to Longer, Better Lives

A new study from Harvard Medical School has found that for some terminally ill patients, palliative care can lead to longer, better lives.

The researchers found that lung cancer patients who received palliative care during the last months of life reported a 50% lower rate of depression and lived an average of 2.5 months longer than patients who received standard medical care. Palliative care traditionally focuses on treating pain, anxiety and loss of appetite.

The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. To view the study's abstract, click here.