What Is Supportive and Palliative Care?

Supportive and palliative care is a specialized area of medicine that helps people with advanced cancer live as well as possible, for as long as possible. It focuses on relieving symptoms, managing side effects, supporting emotional well-being, and guiding complex decisions, regardless of a patient’s age or prognosis.

Contrary to common belief, palliative care isn’t only for those at the end of life. It is also not something that can be started only when all cancer treatment has stopped. It can and should begin early, even alongside active cancer treatment. Studies show that integrating supportive and palliative care early in the cancer journey improves quality of life, helps patients clarify goals, reduces unnecessary hospitalizations, and may even prolong survival¹².

What Makes OncoCare Different?

At OncoCare, we believe that cancer care should be more than just cancer treatment. From targeted therapies to immunotherapy, care treatment has transformed. Patients are living longer, with uncertainty, side effects, evolving goals, and the complexity of survivorship.

That’s why our supportive and palliative care services are integrated directly into your oncology care plan—not as an afterthought, but as a premium service that reflects our commitment to holistic, patient-centered care.

This means:

• Personalized support for symptoms like fatigue, nausea, pain, or breathlessness
• Guidance for making decisions when your priorities or treatment options change
• Supporting coping with uncertainty and navigating changes
• Enhancing understanding of your illness
• Time and space to talk about what matters most to you

This service is available exclusively to OncoCare patients as part of our bespoke cancer care model. It is not a general referral clinic — we focus on continuity, integration, and quality for our existing patients.

Why Earlier Is Better

Early supportive care doesn't mean giving up—it means getting ahead. It helps patients manage the “silent burden” of cancer: the day-to-day symptoms, uncertainties, and decisions that don’t always have a straightforward medical fix.

For instance, in a landmark trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine, patients with advanced lung cancer who received early palliative care alongside standard treatment experienced better quality of life, less depression, and even lived longer compared to those who received standard care alone¹.

A Personalized Cancer Journey

We integrate supportive and palliative care into your care journey when you are being treated at OncoCare, giving you access to:

• Direct, personalized consultations with our supportive and palliative care team
• Seamless communication between the oncologist and the supportive and palliative care team
• A multi-disciplinary patient-centred approach to optimizing your treatment experience

This alignment is what makes OncoCare uniquely positioned to offer premium, bespoke, and holistic care that grows with you.

Looking Ahead

Supportive care is not a luxury — it’s a core component of modern oncology. As cancer treatments become more complex and survivorship extends, patients deserve care that not only treats the disease but also supports the person.

By choosing OncoCare, you receive not only cutting-edge cancer treatment but also a comprehensive support system. You are choosing a team that sees the whole picture—one that walks with you from diagnosis, through decisions, to wellness and beyond.

"Expert Knowledge Means Better Care For Cancer"

Written by:

Dr Zac (Qingyuan) Zhuang
Senior Specialist, Supportive & Palliative Care
MBBS (Singapore), MMED (Family Medicine), MCI (NUS)

References

1. Temel JS, Greer JA, Muzikansky A, et al. Early palliative care for patients with metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med. 2010;363(8):733–742.
2. Ferrell BR, Temel JS, Temin S, et al. Integration of palliative care into standard oncology care: American Society of Clinical Oncology clinical practice guideline update. J Clin Oncol. 2017;35(1):96–112.
3. Laura A. Petrillo et al. Why and How to Integrate Early Palliative Care Into Cutting-Edge Personalized Cancer Care. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book 44, e100038(2024).