Early referral to palliative care has been shown to improve the quality of life for people with cancer (Haines 2011; Temel et al. 2010; Zimmermann et al. 2014). In general, all patients with pancreatic cancer, given the poor prognosis, should be offered referral to palliative care assessment as an integrated aspect of their overall oncology care (Gaertner et al. 2011). The treatment team should emphasise the value of palliative care in improving symptom management and quality of life to patients and their carers. Refer to section 4.3 for more detailed information.

The lead clinician should ensure timely and appropriate referral to palliative care services.

Refer to the end of section 4.3 ‘Palliative care’ for links to resources.